Recipe

Recouping with an Early Summer Abundance Bowl

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Despite the craziness of our July Fourth holiday we still manage to indulge.
Some of us really enjoyed the John Daily’s, maybe even a little too much; we
won’t talk about that though, I was having a good time. There was also lots of
food, as there always is at these kinds of things. Hamburgers, hotdogs,
sausages, bowls and bowls of creamy macaroni and potato salads, brownies, baked
beans, a friends signature cocktail meatballs, chips upon chips and dips are
just a few of the things on the list of indulgences.

After all of the cocktails and heavy food both Chuck and I were in
need of something with a little more freshness to it; you know something with
some green.

Luckily when we got home our gardens were over flowing. There was broccoli
that desperately needed to be cut, radishes that needed pulling, more lettuce
than we could ever hope to eat, and peas galore. There were even a few tomatoes
ready to be eaten, but they didn’t make it out of the garden, my tummy couldn’t
wait.

With all this fresh bounty I decided to make a very simple meal,
with mostly raw ingredients. I really love the concept of these wonderbowls
that Sarah from My New Roots has been posting; just using whatever you have on
hand, that is in season, and fresh and tossing it together into a big bowl for
the taking.

I made some wild rice with half water and half vegetable broth to
add some heft, and a bit of saltiness to the bowl; we wanted this thing to be
filling after all. I also added an apricot that I picked up from an organic
farm stand at a rest stop on the highway. There are some benefits to having to
take a day trip here and there for work. I also got some dried corn and kale chips
and dilly beans (so good!).

Chuck claims that it doesn’t need dressing but I’m sure there is a
few who would disagree. So I’m adding the recipe for the simple dressing that I
made, despite us not using it. The cool thing about this dressing is that it
can very easily be used as a marinade on chicken or seafood as well.

Simple Garlic and Ginger Dressing

½ cup reduced sodium soy sauce

2 tbsp rice vinegar

2 cloves crushed garlic

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tbsp honey (or agave syrup)

Whisk all ingredients together and serve. Will
keep in the fridge for about a week.

Orange Marinated Chicken

By Jessica

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This recipe is a quickie. It’s about as basic as it gets.
Toss the chicken in some marinade then broil or grill it until cooked through.
Fenito.

It’s great because it’s quick and easy like a side dish,
which means I can spend more time preparing veggies. If you read yesterdays
post you can see how this ties in with goals right now. Another bonus is that
is super easy to make a huge amount of wings, or legs to feed a crowd, and it’s
not a plain old hot dog. All things I can get behind, especially for the summer
season.

I like this recipe not only for its ease, but because it has
a different flavor than my usual chicken leg marinades, you know like Garlic & Herb Chicken Legs, Asian Glazed Chicken, or one of the 80 million lemon versions I have
tried.

Orange Marinated Chicken Legs

Zest of 1 orange

1 tbsp orange juice

1 tbsp brown sugar

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tsp sesame oil

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 clove garlic crushed

1 lb chicken legs

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. Wisk together the first 7 ingredients
until well combined. Add chicken tossing to cover in marinade, cover and let
stand for 10-15 minutes. Place the chicken on a prepared baking sheet with ¼ inch
slices of orange and bake for 15-20 minutes, basting with remaining marinade
1-2 times. Once the chicken is cooked through remove from heat and let cool for
5 minutes before serving.

Since this recipe is so easy let’s talk about some awesome
veggie dishes to go with it. Plain old grilled asparagus is always a favorite
of mine, Spring Couscous would be pretty fabulous, Loaded Greek Salad is probably
a bit more summery, but if we were making this in the fall or winter, RoastedVegetable Salad is a great choice too.

Gardens and Grilled Corn with Herb Butter

By Jessica

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Right now my garden is looking beautiful. All of my plants
are thriving, and I couldn’t be happier. I’m using any excuse to add a bit of that
freshness to our meals.

Herb butter can go on so many things, green beans,
asparagus, virtually any seafood (especially clams, just sayin’), steaks,
pasta. It’s so simple yet adds this huge boost of fanciness to any meal. I
usually make a whole bunch of it and stick it in the freezer to defrost, and
use as needed.

Sunday of this past weekend I made a fresh batch to smother
our grilled corm with. It’s not quite corn season here, but it was on sale at
the store, and I was too excited to pass it up. I also made turkey burgers on
whole wheat buns and a sprout salad.

I over planted pretty heavily in the garden. Last year I had
trouble getting anything to even come up so I wanted to be sure. This year I have
had to thin everything out, so some radish, arugula, and Swiss chard sprouts, along
with a few pea shoots made a nice little side salad. I used that Honey Mustard
Poppy Seed Vinaigrette that I have been obsessed with once again. I swear I will
eventually get sick of it, but we still have a long way to go before then, so
get used to seeing it around.

Grilling the corn is easy. I have done it about umpteen
million ways, but shucking it and popping it on the grill until it is warm, and
bright yellow, with just the slightest hint of char is my favorite. For one it’s
the easiest, and two that light hint of chard adds just a hint of Smokey flavor
that I love.

Herb Butter

1 stick of unsalted butter softened

1 tsp powdered garlic

½ tsp salt

2 tbsp minced fresh, parsley

1 tbsp minced fresh chives

2 large basil leaves, minced

Combine all ingredients in a re-sealable container. Stirring
until well mixed. Serve at room temperature, or freeze for later use. (Can
remain in the fridge for 7-10 days).

What is your favorite part about this time of year?

Clean Salisbury Steak Meatballs

By Jessica

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Salisbury steak is an American dish that takes minced beef, some other ingredients and shapes them in to a steak shape. It is usually served with gravy over egg noodles or mashed potatoes. It’s also pretty delicious if done well. Note that I am not talking about the TV dinner version. I like to think of it as a high class version of meatloaf. Meatloaf is a comforting homey staple in the American diet so why not Salisbury steak?

I came across The Pioneer Woman’s Salisbury Steak Meatballs recipe and thought it would be a great recipe to “clean up”, as in create a clean eating version of it. I like meat balls instead of the steak because they cook up faster, and during the week we are all about speed and ease.

First and foremost it needed some more veggies, so I decided to go with an onion and mushroom gravy as well as a few bright green sides. I didn’t want to fuss with the original meatball recipe too much for fear of losing the traditional Salisbury Steak flavor profile. To finish off I served it over whole wheat egg noodles, and the leftover gravy was wonderful on top of steam broccoli, peas. To make the meal complete I also served a basic green side salad. You can never have enough greens.

All together it came out pretty wonderfully. Chuck’s favorite were the meatballs, sometimes it pays to do something just a little different than the norm.

Clean Salisbury Steak Meatballs

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 30 mins

Total time: 40 mins

Serves: 4 Servings

Ingredients

1 lb 95% lean ground beef
¼ cup whole wheat bread crumbs
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Pinch of salt & pepper
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, sliced thin
8 oz mushrooms, sliced
1 ¼ cups low sodium beef broth
1 tablespoon whole wheat pastry flour
2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Instructions

In a large bowl combine the meat, bread crumbs, mustard and salt & pepper. Once well mixed create golf ball sized meatballs and 2-3 inches in diameter.
In a large skillet over medium high heat warm the oil and gently place the meatballs in. Allow them to cook, rolling them every few minutes to brown all sides (2-3 minutes). Remove the meatballs from the pan and set aside.
In the same pan add onions and mushrooms, you may need to add a bit more oil to keep them from sticking. Cook them over medium heat until the mushrooms have released their liquids and the onions have begun to brown.
Stir in flour until well blended. Add broth and Worcestershire sauce stirring until well blended.
Add the meatballs back to the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes or until the sauce has thickened and meatballs are cooked through.
Serve immediately.

Spring Radish Salad with Bacon, & Asparagus Carbonara

By Jessica

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Sometimes you simply cannot get your significant other to
agree with you on what should be made for dinner. Sometimes you give in, or
they give in, or you make two totally different dishes and just eat them
together.

I mean it’s not like there are rules to this eating thing
anyway. There is no need to argue about it, let’s all just get along.

In our house it’s usually me wanting salad or seafood and
Chuck turning up his nose at it in favor of heartier meals, with gravy, pasta,
and cheese. Usually Chuck wins, since I get
a night or two a week on my own often enough to keep my cravings at bay. The
other part of the time we typically find some kind of compromise.

This meal is a pretty good example of that. I wanted light,
fresh and zingy, while he wanted hearty, creamy, and cheesy. Enter a big
bountiful fresh spring salad, and asparagus carbonara. Asparagus is one of
Chuck’s favorite vegetables, and carbonara is one of his favorite pasta dishes,
and I could always go for a little bacon. I think these came together well,
despite being totally different dishes, we were both happily satisfied in the
end.

Bacon & Asparagus Carbonara

¾ lb spaghetti,

1 bunch asparagus, cut into 1-2inch pieces

2 large eggs

2/3 cup grate Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish

½ tbsp extra virgin olive oil

4 strips of bacon, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, minced

¼ cup dry white wine

Salt & pepper to taste

Cook the Pasta according to package instructions, adding the
asparagus in the last 2 minutes of cooking. Also reserve ½ cup of the pasta
water before draining. While the pasta is cooking beat together the eggs and
cheese in a large bowl. Once finished toss the hot pasta in the egg mixture to
coat. In a large skillet heat the oil over medium high heat, and add bacon.
Cook the bacon until it is crisp, and stir in the garlic cook for an additional
minute. Add the wine to the pan and cook until it has reduced slightly (about 2
minutes). Add the reserved pasta water and pour the mixture over the pasta,
tossing to coat. Adjust seasonings, and serve warm topped with additional
cheese for garnish.

Spring Salad

3 cups spring lettuce mix, loosely packed

1 cup arugula, loosely packed

½ cup alfalfa sprouts, loosely packed

1 bunch radishes, sliced

In a large bowl toss all lettuce with Honey Poppy Seed
Vinaigrette (Recipe Follows) and serve immediately.

Honey Mustard Poppy Seed Vinaigrette (Original Recipe)

2 tbs Dijon mustard

1 tbsp raw honey

1 tbsp champagne vinegar

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 small shallot, minced

2 tsp poppy seeds

Pinch of salt

In a small bowl whisk together all ingrediants, and adjust
seasonings as needed.

Recipe

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