Chicken Breast with Tomatoes and Red Onion Sauce

Ingredients: 2 chicken breasts, salt, pepper, 1 red onion, 250 grams cherry tomatoes, 1/2 tablespoon sugar, 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar,

Number of persons: 2

Make 2 chicken breasts as flat as possible and season with salt and pepper. Bake the chicken breasts on both sides golden brown. Remove from pan and keep them separate. Bake in the remaining fat 1 chopped red onion to soft. Add 250 grams halved cherry tomatoes and stir fry for a minute or 4. Add 1/2 tablespoon sugar and 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar. Bake briefly. Place the chicken breasts back in the pan for a few minutes. Serve with potatoes and salad. Enjoy!

Spaghetti with Red Sauce

Ingredients: spaghetti, 1 onion, 1 garlic clove, 1 red pepper, 250 grams mushrooms, 1 small tin tomato puree, 1 tin diced tomatoes, oregano, basil, salt, pepper,

Number of persons: 3

Cook the spaghetti al dente in boiling water with salt. Bake in hot oil 1 chopped onion with 1 finely chopped garlic clove. When the onion is soft add 1 chopped red pepper and stir fry it briefly. Add 250 grams sliced mushrooms and stir fry until the mushrooms have softened. Then add 1 tin tomato puree, 1 tin diced tomatoes, oregano, basil, salt and pepper. Stir it well, lower the heat and let simmer gently for about 15 minutes. Serve the red sauce with the spaghetti. Enjoy!

Oven Baked Sausages with Tomato and Red Onion

Ingredients: 4 sausages, 2 red onions, 2 garlic cloves, 250 grams roma tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, basil,

Number of persons: 2

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Put in an oven proof dish 4 sausages, 2 sliced red onions and 2 chopped garlic cloves. Turn the oven proof dish about 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove the dish from the oven and add 250 grams roma tomatoes and basil. Sprinkle with balsamic vinegar and place the oven proof dish another 15 minutes in the oven or until the sausages are cooked. Enjoy!

Rice Vermicelli with Pork and Red Pepper

Ingredients: (rice vermicelli), 300 grams minced pork, 3 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons sweet chilli sauce, 1 red pepper, 3 spring onions,

Number of persons: 3

Prepare the rice vermicelli according to the pack instructions. Mix 300 grams minced pork with 3 tablespoons soy sauce and 2 tablespoons sweet chilli sauce. Leave it for a quarter of an hour. Then bake the minced pork loose in some oil. Add 1 sliced red pepper and 3 sliced spring onions. Stir fry for a minute or 5. Serve with the rice vermicelli. Enjoy!

Marrowfat Peas with Red Onions and Tofu

Ingredients: 2 red onions, 1 garlic clove, curry, 180 grams of tofu, 250 grams cherry tomatoes, 1 jar marrowfat peas, 1 tablespoon apple spread

Number of persons: 2

Cook 2 chopped red onion with 1 clove finely minced garlic clove and curry until the onions have softened. Add 180 grams tofu and stir briefly. Add 250 grams cherry tomatoes, 1 jardrained marrowfat peas and 1 tablespoon apple spread. Heat a bit more. Serve with rice or baked potatoes for example. Enjoy!

Pan-Seared Scallops on Red Onion Marmalade

Another special treat, but quick at the same time. Taylor wasn’t a fan of the lemon/ginger combination on the scallops, and thought garlic would work better. We both agreed, however, that the marmalade was fabulous and gave the dish great flavor. Pretty too. :)

Pan-Seared Scallops on Red Onion Marmalade

Makes 4 servings. Recipe from Bon Appetit.

INGREDIENTS
16 large sea scallops (about 1 3/4 lbs)
5 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
3 medium red onions, thinly sliced
1/3 cup dry red wine
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons golden brown sugar
chopped fresh chives

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. Toss scallops, 2 tablespoons oil, lemon peel, and ginger in medium bowl. Heat large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add scallops; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook until brown and opaque in center, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer scallops to small baking sheet; place in oven to keep warm.

Add 3 tablespoons oil to drippings in same skillet; place over high heat. Add onions; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover and cook until brown, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Add wine, vinegar, and sugar. Cook until onion marmalade is thick, stirring often, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon marmalade onto plates. Top with scallops and any juices, then chives

Red Wine Sangria

I’m not a big red wine fan. Or a wine fan in general. But I do like sangria. Thanks again to Julie for introducing it to me (you have to make this! It’s almost as good Pipa!). It makes quite a bit though, we made half the recipe and it filled an entire pitcher. Good party drink? Be sure to plan ahead though… the longer it sits, the better it gets. :)

Red Wine Sangria

Recipe from Bobby Flay. Makes 8 servings.

INGREDIENTS
2 bottles red Spanish table wine
1 cup brandy
1/2 cup triple sec
1 cup orange juice
1 cup pomegranate juice
1/2 cup simple syrup, or more to taste (equal parts sugar and water, heated until sugar dissolves, cooled)
Orange slices
Apple slices
Blackberries
Pomegranate seeds

DIRECTIONS
Mix all ingredients together and let stand in a tightly sealed container or pitcher for at least 24 hours in the refrigerator before serving.

Garlic Roasted Shrimp with Red Chile Oil

This is a recipe for true garlic lovers. We bought so much garlic this week it was ridiculous… the woman checking us out at the store thought we were going on a vampire hunt. We didn’t use nearly as much as the recipe called for (silly me… I misread ‘cloves’ as ‘heads’. Whoops).

These are meant to be tapas (yes, we have a tendency to eat appetizers as main courses). We served these with our Strawberry Spinach Salad and leftover Red Wine Sangria. The shrimp were delicious and the oil has a fabulous flavor. We tried some of the giant elephant garlic for the chips. While they looked impressive, they were actually quite bitter. More for decoration than flavor I guess. Next time we might try blanching the garlic before frying it, which might make it less bitter. Get ready to use a ton of olive oil, though it’s well worth it.

Garlic Roasted Shrimp with Red Chile Oil

Recipe from Bobby Flay. Makes 8 appetizer servings.

INGREDIENTS
24 large shrimp, shelled and deveined
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

Red Chile Oil:
1 cup olive oil
6 dried chiles de arbol, lightly toasted and crushed
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Pinch salt
3 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed

Toasted Garlic Chips:
1 cup olive oil
8 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
Salt

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 500 degrees F.

To make red chili oil, blend all ingredients including the thyme leaves in a blender until smooth. Strain through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl.

For garlic chips, heat the oil in a small skillet until it begins to shimmer. Add the garlic and cook until the slices begin to brown and curl. Remove with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with paper towels and season with salt.

Place the shrimp in a cazuela or an ovenproof casserole and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Drizzle olive oil over shrimp, add crushed garlic, and toss to coat. Roast in the oven until pink and cooked through, about 4 to 5 minutes. Drizzle generously with Red Chile Oil and sprinkle with thyme and Toasted Garlic Chips. Serve with crusty bread.

Salmon with Thai Red Curry and Bok Choy

Have I mentioned that Taylor is a curry addict? Needless to say he was really excited when I found this recipe, as I don’t really like or ever want to cook curry. It’s usually too coconut-y and/or spicy for me, but this was pretty darn good! Not to mention easy.

Salmon with Thai Red Curry and Bok Choy

Makes 4 servings (or 2 if one of them is Taylor). Recipe from Epicurious.

INGREDIENTS
8 whole baby bok choy
2 teaspoons plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon Thai red curry paste*
1 13 1/2- to 14-ounce can unsweetened coconut milk*
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh lemongrass or 1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons fish sauce (nam pla*)
4 6-ounce salmon fillets

*Thai red curry paste and fish sauce (nam pla) are both available at Asian markets and in the Asian foods section of some supermarkets nationwide.
**Canned unsweetened coconut milk is available at Indian markets, Southeast Asian markets, Latin American markets and many supermarkets.

DIRECTIONS
Cook bok choy in pot of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Drain. Set aside. Heat 2 teaspoons vegetable oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add curry paste and stir 30 seconds. Add coconut milk, chopped lemongrass and 1 tablespoon brown sugar. Boil until mixture is slightly thickened and reduced to 1 cup, about 5 minutes. Stir in 2 1/2 tablespoons lime juice and 1 tablespoon fish sauce. Set curry sauce aside.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in heavy large ovenproof skillet over high heat. Sprinkle salmon with salt and pepper; add to skillet. Cook salmon 2 minutes per side. Transfer skillet to oven. Bake salmon until opaque in center, about 6 minutes. Meanwhile, heat remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add bok choy and sauté until beginning to brown in spots, about 4 minutes. Drizzle bok choy with remaining 1 tablespoon fish sauce. Bring curry sauce to simmer and ladle onto 4 plates.

Arrange 1 salmon fillet and 2 pieces of bok choy atop curry sauce on each plate and serve.

Thai Red Curry with Green Beans and Tofu

Taylor loves his curry. It seems like it’s a complicated thing to make, but really, it’s one of the simplest things we cook. Just be sure to taste as you go… depending on what brand of curry paste you get, it can either be mild or very spicy. Add as much or as little as your mouth can take. The curry paste we used was super spicy, we left out the thai chilies altogether (actually that was because we couldn’t find them), but the curry was almost too spicy as is.

Also, Kaffir lime leaves aren’t something we’ve found at any normal grocery store, or anywhere for that matter (short of buying a Kaffir lime tree!). We just used the juice of one lime.

Thai Red Curry with Green Beans and Tofu

Makes 4-6 servings. Recipe from this book.

INGREDIENTS
2 1/2 cups unsweetened coconut milk
1-2 tablespoon Thai red curry paste
3 tablespoons fish sauce
2 teaspoons palm sugar or light brown sugar
3 1/4 cups button mushrooms
1 cup green beans, trimmed
6 ounces firm tofu, rinsed,drained,and cut into 3/4 inch cubes
4 kaffir lime leaves, torn
2-4 fresh hot red chilies or Thai chiles, chopped (amount to taste)
fresh cilantro leaves

DIRECTIONS
If you like softer green beans, steam them in the microwave for 2-4 minutes, more if you like them really soft. They don’t cook much at all in the curry itself, so I’d highly recommend pre-cooking them for a bit.

Heat approximately 1/3 of the coconut milk in a large pan. When it starts to separate (an oily sheen will appear on the surface), add the curry paste, fish sauce, and sugar and stir to mix well. Add the cleaned mushrooms and cook 1 minute.

Pour in the rest of the coconut milk and bring to a boil. Add the green beans and tofu, then reduce heat, and simmer gently for about 4-5 minutes. Add the kaffir lime leaves and hot chillies. Garnish with cilantro before serving. Serve with hot cooked rice, if desired.

Turkey Meatball Sliders and Red Sauce

Taylor was in heaven when we made these little puppies. I managed to convince him to use ground turkey meat instead of the three-meat combo, but being that I’m not a big tomato fan, he doesn’t get robust red sauces too often. And for a ball of meat covered in red sauce, they weren’t bad. :)

Turkey Meatball Sliders and Red Sauce

Makes 6 servings. Recipe from Bon Appetit.

INGREDIENTS
1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 pound ground pork
1/2 pound ground veal
1/2 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)*
1/2 cup water
8 tablespoons freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese, divided
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
6 garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 cup (packed) fresh basil leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons fennel seeds
1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes
1 14.5-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes

DIRECTIONS
Mix all meats, panko, 1/2 cup water, 6 tablespoons cheese, egg, egg yolk, 1/4 cup parsley, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper in large bowl. Form into eighteen 2-inch-meatballs.

Heat vegetable oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, fry meatballs until brown all over. Transfer to plate. Pour off drippings from skillet. Reduce heat to medium. Add olive oil to skillet. Add onion, garlic, basil, and fennel seeds. Sauté until onion begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Add all tomatoes with juices. Bring to boil, scraping up browned bits. Reduce heat to low, cover with lid slightly ajar, and simmer, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.

Puree sauce in processor until almost smooth. Return to same skillet. Add meatballs. Cover with lid slightly ajar and simmer until meatballs are cooked through, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes longer. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill.

Place arugula leaves on bottom of each roll, if desired. Top each with 1 meatball. Drizzle meatballs with some of sauce and sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons parsley and 2 tablespoons. cheese. Cover with tops of rolls.

Grilled Flank Steak with Shallot and Red Wine Sauce

If you watched the Next Food Network Star, this recipe is from Amy, the show’s winner. While I think that the sauce from our Burgundy Steak Salad is a bit richer, this is a good and fairly simple way to make a good steak.

The potatoes are fun too… thwak them with a rolling pin and drown them in olive oil and thyme. Mmmmm.

Grilled Flank Steak with Shallot and Red Wine Sauce with Cracked Potatoes

Makes 4 servings. Recipe from Amy Finley.

INGREDIENTS
For Potatoes:
12 small-medium Yukon potatoes
1/2 cup olive oil
2 sprigs fresh thyme, plus 1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
Coarse salt and freshly cracked black pepper
1 clove garlic, sliced

4 shallots, sliced in thin rings
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup red wine
1 cup beef broth
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (1 1/2 pound) piece flank steak
1 tablespoon cold butter, in small chunks

DIRECTIONS
Make potatoes: Using the rolling pin or a heavy pan, gently smack the potatoes, 1 potato at a time, until the skin begins to split, exposing the interior of the raw potato.

Over low heat, add the olive oil to a medium-sized heavy-bottomed saucepan, then add the potatoes and thyme sprigs and season generously with salt and pepper. Place the lid on the pan and allow to cook, undisturbed, shaking the pan every 5 minutes or so, until the bottoms of the potatoes are browned, about 10 to 12 minutes. (Check occasionally to make sure the potatoes aren’t browning too quickly and adjust heat accordingly.) Turn the potatoes to their second side, replace the lid, and continue cooking undisturbed a further 5 to 8 minutes.

Remove the lid and cook a further 2 to 3 minutes, for the condensation to evaporate. Remove the thyme sprigs and add the sliced garlic and chopped fresh thyme and cook until the garlic is caramelized and chewy, about 2 minutes. Serve hot.

For steak: In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, saute the shallots in 2 tablespoons of the olive oil until lightly caramelized, about 5 to 7 minutes. Raise the heat to high and add the red wine and reduce by half. Add the broth and reduce by half. Check for seasoning, and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Keep warm on low heat.

Brush the flank steak on both sides with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and season with the salt and pepper. Place on the center of grill and sear 5 to 8 minutes per side for rare to medium rare, testing by pressing the meat with a finger: The spongier the meat feels, the rarer it is cooked. Remove from the grill and allow to rest, very loosely tented with aluminum foil, 5 to 10 minutes, to allow the juices to reabsorb into the meat. Slice the flank steak on the diagonal and place on a large platter. Finish the sauce by swirling in the chunks of cold butter, then top the steak with some of the sauce and serve the rest on the side.

Red Lentil Soup

I’ve never been a soup fan. But some days, especially in the middle of January, that’s all I want: a nice, steaming bowl of soup. While I’d love to indulge in some cheesy creamy soup, I know that my stomach would kill me.

I have learned, in my just over a year of cream-lessness, that there are ways to ‘cheat’. To trick the mouth into thinking it’s eating melted cheese – when really it’s just a thick, rich homemade aioli, or a creamy soup that contains not the slightest trace of cream.

This soup, in all its vegan goodness, is a hearty meal, delicious the next day, and as far as soup is concerned, lightning fast to make. We had to find the red lentils at the international food store – our regular store only carries the brown ones. But the recipe isn’t kidding that red lentils cook much quicker. This soup is done and ready to eat in less than 45 minutes. I’m sure you could substitute other lentils here, but be prepared to be cooking for a good deal of time longer.

Right now, Taylor and I are ‘chilling’ in the cold mountains of Colorado… a mini vacation so to speak, and just writing about this soup is making me hungry. I wonder how Taylor’s meat-loving family would react to the prospect of a lentil soup? You think that would go over well?

Red Lentil Soup

Makes 4-6 servings.
Recipe from Epicurious.

INGREDIENTS
1 large onion, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 Turkish or 1/2 California bay leaf
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 cup red lentils (7 ounces), picked over and rinsed
3 1/2 cups reduced-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
3 cups water
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

DIRECTIONS
Cook onion in oil with 1/2 teaspoon salt in a medium heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 8 minutes.

Add garlic, cumin, bay leaf, and thyme and cook, stirring, 1 minute more. Add lentils, broth, water, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and simmer, partially covered, stirring occasionally, until lentils are very soft and falling apart, about 30 to 45 minutes.

Discard bay leaf and thyme sprig, then purée 2 cups of mixture in blender (use caution when blending hot liquids) and return to pan.

Stir in parsley and season with salt.

Potato Leek Pancakes with Red Onion-Apple Compote

Another recipe discovered while ogling the images over at tastespotting…

If only potato pancakes didn’t take so long to cook, I’d make them every week. Every day even! But seeing as the act of cooking dozens of hockey-puck size pats of potatoes takes upwards of an hour and a half, we’ll save these for the rare occasions when we make the conscious decision to stand in the kitchen for that long.

That said, these were well worth the extra effort. They are a ‘twist’ on the typical latke – with leek instead of onion, and a sweet and sour compote that becomes beautifully pink.

Potato Leek Pancakes with Red Onion-Apple Compote

Makes about 15 pancakes. Recipe from Marcias Kitchen.

INGREDIENTS
Compote:
1 large Granny Smith apple
1 small red onion
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
splash of brandy

Pancakes:
3 large Idaho (russet) potatoes, scrubbed, peeled, and shredded
2 leeks, white and light green parts only, trimmed, cleaned, and sliced very thin
1 egg
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1/2- 3/4 fresh ground black pepper
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

DIRECTIONS
To make compote:
Slice the onions as thin as you can, Core, but don’t peel the apple. Chop it into a small dice- about 1/4 inch.

Melt the butter in a medium sauté pan. When it starts to bubble add the onions. Cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes until limp. Add the apples, liquids, and sugar. Continue to cook for a couple minutes until the apples start to caramelize a bit. Will keep for several days in the fridge.

To make pancakes:
Put the shredded potatoes into an (old) dish towel. Wrap and squeeze all the water out of the potatoes. Combine in a large bowl with everything but the oil and butter. Mix very well.

Heat a griddle or sauté pan over med high heat and add enough oil and butter to coat the pan.

Working in batches, place small portions, about 2 tablespoons of the potato mix onto the hot griddle. Flatten the pancake with the back of a spatula. Repeat. Add more butter/oil as needed. Cook until bottom is golden, then flip.

To serve, add a little finishing salt and a grinding of pepper- then place a small dollop of the red onion-apple compote on each pancake.

Spicy Thai Tofu with Red Bell Peppers and Peanuts

Sometimes I’m at a loss for words. Maybe that’s why all my other attempts at blogging quickly fall into a pattern (or lack thereof) of a post a month. This blog, however, is immune from writers block – as we have to eat every night, and even if it wasn’t very good or I don’t have any quip or anecdote to say about that particular meal, as long as I’ve got a picture and a recipe, I’ve got a post.

So hear you go. A picture and a recipe. And actually something worth trying, it was pretty good and a quick meal. Surprisingly (since we rarely repeat things), we’ll probably make this one again.

We don’t have a wok, and actually baked this tofu rather than frying it, which we’ve recently discovered gives it a very nice color without the need for oil. Simply drain your tofu, marinate it in some soy sauce, sesame oil, lime juice, and hot sauce (the longer the better), then pop it in the oven for about 20-30 minutes, or until it’s nice and golden.

Hey look, my lack of words has suddenly turned into 3 surprisingly thoughtful paragraphs!

Spicy Thai Tofu with Red Bell Peppers and Peanuts

Recipe from Bon Appetit. Makes 4 servings.

INGREDIENTS
1/3 cup olive oil
2 large red bell peppers, seeded, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
3 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 14-to 16-ounce package extra-firm tofu, drained well, cut into 1-inch cubes
3 green onions, thinly sliced on diagonal
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
1 6-ounce bag baby spinach leaves
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
1/3 cup lightly salted roasted peanuts

DIRECTIONS
Heat oil in wok over high heat. Add bell peppers, ginger, and garlic; sauté until peppers just begin to soften, about 2 minutes. Add tofu and green onions; toss 2 minutes. Add next 3 ingredients. Toss to blend, about 1 minute. Add spinach in 3 additions, tossing until beginning to wilt, about 1 minute for each addition. Mix in basil. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle peanuts over.

Pizza with Eggs, Roasted Red Peppers, Olives and Arugula

I miss pizza. Poor Taylor (who can still eat pizza) misses pizza more than I do. So when I come across a pizza recipe that isn’t slathered in mozzarella, I jump on it. Like this recipe, found in the January issue of Bon Appetit. Only cheese on this baby is Parmesan, which is aged enough that it doesn’t harm my delicate stomach. Perfect.

Granted, it looks a bit out there. Eggs? On a pizza? Odd. But surprisingly good. And creative too – I mean, whoever though of strategically placing thick rings of red onion on the pizza to contain the eggs? Genius. Just be sure you have something underneath your pizza (like a rimmed baking sheet) to catch any egg that decides to escape.

The crust was a bit tough. Not sure if that was my fault or the recipe’s, but I have a pizza crust recipe that I think is much better. Next time we make this, and there WILL BE a next time, we’ll use that crust recipe instead.

Pizza with Eggs, Roasted Red Peppers, Olives and Arugula

Makes 2-4 servings. Recipe from Bon Appetit.

INGREDIENTS
Dough:
2 tablespoons warm water (115°F)
1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast
1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup cool water (65°F to 70°F)
1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
Olive oil
Cornmeal (for sprinkling)

Topping:
Olive oil
3/4 cup drained roasted red peppers from jar, cut into 1/3-inch strips
1/3 cup Kalamata olives, pitted, quartered
1 cup Parmesan cheese shavings
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
4 large red onion rings (each 3 1/2 to 4 inches in diameter and 1/2 inch thick)
4 large eggs
2 cups (lightly packed) arugula

DIRECTIONS
For dough: Pour 2 tablespoons warm water into large bowl of stand mixer fitted with dough hook; sprinkle yeast over. Let stand until yeast dissolves, about 15 minutes (mixture will not be foamy). Add both flours, 1/2 cup cool water, and 1 teaspoon coarse salt; mix on medium-low speed 4 minutes. Let rest 5 minutes, then mix on medium speed until dough is smooth, elastic, and slightly sticky, about 3 minutes.

Lightly oil medium bowl. Gather dough into ball and transfer to prepared bowl; turn to coat with oil. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature 30 minutes. Chill dough overnight. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep chilled.

Transfer bowl to warm draft-free area and let dough rise, covered, until very slightly puffy, at least 2 hours.

For topping: Place pizza stone or rimless baking sheet in oven; preheat to 500°F. Sprinkle pizza paddle or another baking sheet generously with cornmeal. Roll out dough on lightly floured surface to 12-inch round; transfer to paddle. Brush dough with oil; scatter peppers, then olives over. Sprinkle with Parmesan and rosemary. Arrange onion rings atop pizza, spacing apart. Slide pizza onto stone or baking sheet in oven; bake until lightly browned but not crisp, about 7 minutes. Remove pizza from oven and gently crack 1 egg into each onion ring. Return pizza to oven and continue to bake until eggs are softly set and crust is golden, about 6 minutes. Sprinkle pizza with salt and pepper. Scatter arugula over.

Bell Pepper Red Onion and Goat Cheese Pizza

Pizza again! We’ve definitely been exploring the nearly-cheeseless pizzas lately, as they satisfy both of our constant cravings for pizza. My cravings because pizza is something I can’t have unless it has very little or no cheese (rare), and Taylor craves it because I can’t have it he doesn’t get it often and goes through withdrawal. Poor guy. All he wants is his pizza. Lucky for him, I found this recipe, which is mozzarella free, only boasting a sprinkling of my favorite, goat cheese. And while there are no eggs on this one, it’s still a feast for the eyes and the stomach.

My favorite pizza of all time just might be Pizza Bianca from this recipe. Seriously, the best pizza ever. But it has slightly too much cheese for me, the mozzarella really puts it over my cheese tolerance level. But, I did steal one thing from that recipe and have adapted and claimed it as my own: the crust. It’s perfect. Delicious. Crisp. And with the addition of some fennel and thyme, this is not your plain old pizza crust. If you’ve got the time, definitely give the from-scratch crust a go. It’s well worth the extra effort.

Bell Pepper, Red Onion, and Goat Cheese Pizza

Makes 2-4 servings (depending on how hungry you are and how big you roll it). Recipe adapted from Epicurious.

INGREDIENTS
Crust:
3/4 cup warm water (105°F to 115°F)
1 1/2 teaspoons dry yeast (from 1 envelope)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups (about) unbleached all purpose flour
1 teaspoon whole fennel seeds
1 teaspoon dried thyme

Topping:
1/4 cup olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 cups (packed) baby spinach leaves (1 1/2 to 2 ounces)
1 1/2 cups thickly sliced mushrooms (5 to 6 ounces)
1/2 cup drained roasted red peppers from jar, cut into thin strips
1/2 cup paper-thin red onion slices
8 large fresh basil leaves, cut into thin strips
5-ounce package soft fresh goat cheese, coarsely crumbled

DIRECTIONS
For crust:
Pour 3/4 cup water into large bowl. Sprinkle yeast over; stir to blend. Let stand 10 minutes to dissolve yeast. Add oil, salt, and herbs, then 1 1/2 cups flour. Stir until well blended (dough will be sticky). Turn dough out onto generously floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, adding just enough flour to prevent dough from sticking, about 5 minutes (dough will be soft). Shape dough into ball; place in large oiled bowl and turn to coat. Cover bowl with kitchen towel. Let dough rise at cool room temperature until almost doubled, about 2 hours. Punch dough down; form into ball. Return to bowl; cover with towel and let rise until doubled, about 3 hours.

Preheat oven to 425°F. Punch down dough. Form into ball; place on floured work surface. Cover with kitchen towel; let rest 30 minutes. Sprinkle rimless baking sheet with cornmeal. Roll out dough on floured surface to 13-inch round. Transfer to baking sheet.

Mix olive oil, red pepper flakes, and minced garlic in small bowl, and set aside.

Bake crust for 5-7 minutes or until just set. Remove from oven and brush 2 tablespoons garlic oil evenly over crust. Top with spinach leaves, then sprinkle with sliced mushrooms, roasted red peppers, red onion slices, fresh basil, and crumbled goat cheese. Drizzle pizza evenly with remaining garlic oil.

Bake pizza until crust is crisp and cheese begins to brown, 15-18 minutes. Transfer pizza to board. Cut into wedges and serve warm.

Chicken Stir-fry with Yams, Red Cabbage, and Hoisin

So it might sound unusual, but it’s actually quite delicious. I’ve been noticing sweet potatoes creeping into things more and more lately, and more often than not it’s a pleasant surprise. Like a stir fry. You’re not expecting a sweet potato, yet it works – and it works well.

Just be warned – while leftovers of this dish *taste* good the next day, the chicken turns a lovely and not-so-appetizing shade of purple thanks to the cabbage. Actually, everything in the bowl has a violet hue after one night in the fridge. Paired with the orange yams, well, not so pretty. Just close your eyes. It still tastes as good as it did the night before.

You can also substitute chicken thighs if you tend to like the cheaper prices and richer flavor of dark meat, like we do. It might go against the ‘healthy’ categorization of this recipe just a tad, but oh well!

Chicken Stir-fry with Yams, Red Cabbage, and Hoisin

Recipe from Bon Appetit. Makes 4 servings.

INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons Asian sesame oil, divided
yams (red-skinned sweet potatoes; about 1 pound), peeled, cut crosswise into 1/3-inch-thick rounds, then cut into 1/3-inch-wide strips
1 medium-size red onion, cut lengthwise into 1/3-inch-thick slices
8 ounces skinless boneless chicken cutlets, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-wide strips
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
3 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups 1/3-inch-thick strips sliced red cabbage (about 1/4 medium head)
3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
3/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

DIRECTIONS
Heat 1 tablespoon sesame oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add yams and onion; stir-fry until yams are just tender, adjusting heat if browning too quickly and adding water by tablespoonfuls if mixture is dry, about 12 minutes. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to skillet. Add chicken, ginger, and garlic; stir-fry 1 minute. Add cabbage; stirfry until chicken is cooked through and cabbage is wilted but still slightly crunchy, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in hoisin sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Mix in 1/2 cup cilantro. Transfer stir-fry to serving bowl; sprinkle with remaining cilantro.

Seeing Double: Portobello Burgers with Roasted Red Peppers

I didn’t quite realize this until browsing through the pictures that I haven’t posted yet (yes, I realize I’m behind – I’ve got a half dozen new meals to post and just haven’t had the time to do it, I’ll be better, I promise!), but in a matter of 4 days, we unknowingly cooked two almost identical meals.

Meal 1 (above): Portobello “Steak” Sandwiches with Gorgonzola Butter and Red Pepper Vinaigrette.
Meal 2 (below): Portobello Burgers with Red Pepper Mayonnaise

I figured you’d all think I was crazy if I made two posts out of these, and it would make my backlog of posts a more manageable if I combined them into one. So here we are.

Honestly, they were both good. The roasted red pepper and earthy portobello is an excellent combination however you make it. But, the addition of the Gorgonzola cheese probably puts the first recipe over the top. That, and I think the mayonnaise we used for the other might have been a bit past it’s prime… nothing happened, of course, but seeing the date on the jar afterwords may have skewed our perception of it just a bit.

(If you are interested though, the Portobello Burgers with Red Pepper Mayonnaise recipe can be found here).

Portobello Burgers with Red Pepper Mayonnaise

Makes 4 servings. Recipe from Epicurious.

INGREDIENTS
For marinade
5 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
6 large garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves or 2 teaspoons dried thyme, crumbled
1/2 cup olive oil
1 1/2 pounds fresh Portobello mushrooms, stems trimmed

For Gorgonzola butter
2 ounces Gorgonzola cheese (about 1/4 cup) at room temperature
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened

For red pepper vinaigrette
1 red bell pepper, roasted (procedure follows), or 1/3 cup chopped drained bottled roasted red peppers
1 tablespoon white-wine vinegar
1 tablespoon water
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

four 1/2-inch-thick slices crusty bread, cut diagonally
Garnish: fresh thyme leaves

DIRECTIONS
Make marinade:
In a small bowl whisk together marinade ingredients. Put half of mushroom caps and half of marinade in each of 2 large sealable plastic bags, arranging mushroom caps in one layer, and seal bags, pressing out excess air. Marinate mushrooms at room temperature, turning bags over several times, at least 1 and up to 2 hours.

Make Gorgonzola butter while mushrooms are marinating:
On a plate with a fork mash Gorgonzola and butter together until blended well.

Make red pepper vinaigrette:
In a blender blend vinaigrette ingredients with salt and pepper to taste until smooth and emulsified.

Prepare grill.

Grill one side of bread on a rack set 5 to 6 inches over glowing coals until golden, about 1 minute. (Alternatively, bread may be grilled in a hot well-seasoned ridged grill pan over moderately high heat.) Divide bread, toasted sides down, among 4 plates. Spread soft side of bread with Gorgonzola butter.

Remove mushrooms from marinade and grill 2 to 3 minutes on each side, or until tender. (Alternatively, mushrooms may be grilled in a hot well-seasoned ridged grill pan over moderately high heat.) Transfer mushrooms with tongs to a cutting board and slice thin.

Arrange warm mushrooms on toasts and spoon vinaigrette over each open-faced sandwich. Garnish sandwiches with thyme.

To roast peppers:
Using a long-handled fork char peppers over an open flame, turning, until skins are blackened, 2 to 3 minutes. (Or broil peppers on rack of a broiler pan under a preheated broiler about 2 inches from heat, turning every 5 minutes, until skins are blistered and charred, 15 to 25 minutes.) Transfer peppers to a bowl and let stand, covered, until cool enough to handle. Keeping peppers whole, peel them, starting at blossom end. Cut off tops and discard seeds and ribs. (Wear rubber gloves when handling chilies.)