Fava Leaf Pesto
April 29, 2011
Each winter we grow favas, more for their ability to fix nitrogen into our garden beds, than to eat. We usually have one meal involving the fava beans and then till the plants into the soil or add them to our compost. If you read Sunset magazine, you may have noticed that they have featured fava leaf recipes in the past few issues. I had no idea you could eat the leaves! Actually the leaves are quite delicious and since our plants are four feet tall, there are plenty of them to eat!
The other day, my kids and I set off to the garden, basket and scissors in hand, to pick some fava beans and leaves. Our mission was to make pesto. Pesto is one of my their favorite foods. They love to eat it, but even more so, they love to make it with me. They are old enough now that their “help” actually is help, but not so old that they do not want to help anymore. We collected a basket of fava leaves and as many beans as we could (ours are still a little on the small side). The kids then went to work happily shelling the beans, as I picked the leaves from the stem. Together we pureed the leaves with garlic, walnuts, and parmesan with the kids taking turns pressing the buttons on the food processor. The munchkins also had the job of quality control, testing out the pesto on a toasted slice of bread.
Fava Leaf Pesto has a bright spinachy flavor with hints of artichoke. The intense green color is superb! I tossed it with some hot linguine and topped the bowl with a scattering of blanched baby fava beans and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese. My son announced, “I’m definitely having more. I could eat this forever!” Not a bad endorsement. If you do not not have a crop of favas in your backyard, check the farmers’ market. We will definitely make this pesto again!
Read the rest of this entry »
Sunflower Millet Bread, Egg Salad and Pickled Onions
April 26, 2011
Easter and the its accompanying sugar rush have past. Now I am left with the daunting question of what to do with three dozen hard-boiled eggs!?! Luckily, with the exception of my son, we all love eggs. My daughter was peeling them and eating them as she hunted, but of course that only took care of 2 or 3.
One of my favorite ways to prepare hard-boiled eggs is to make an egg salad. I happen to love egg salad, but admit that it can be somewhat bland at times. Sunflower Millet Bread is ideal for egg sandwiches, because it has so much flavor and crunchy texture. The millet toasts and pops in your mouth. It has a nutty flavor, as do the sunflower seeds. Topping the sandwich with pickled red onion adds a bright color contrast, as well as a tangy counterpoint to the egg.
I first fell in love with Sunflower Millet Bread when working at a natural food store in high school. This recipe is from The Greens Cookbook. Though it is almost completely based on whole wheat flour, it has a very open, light texture. The bread slices and toasts very well. I used the first loaf for egg sandwiches, then sliced and froze the second for breakfast toast in the coming weeks.
The Red Pickled Onions are also from The Greens Cookbook. They are very easy to make and take only a day to sit and cure. They are great with this sandwich, but also with sausages or any meal that you want to add a zippy condiment.
Find this and other delicious breads at Yeast Spotting.
Read the rest of this entry »
Oatmeal Jam Bars
April 22, 2011
With Easter around the corner, the house is a buzz with preparations for the Easter bunny. The chickens are busy laying eggs, the kids are dying them and collecting greens from the garden to leave for a bunny snack. As the Easter bunny’s executive assistant, I have collected some items for the bunny to present the children. We (the grown-ups at least) are not big on candy in our house (especially when the kids would presumably start eating it upon rising and discovering their baskets.)
So this year, there are books, stickers, and as a compromise, a small cache of jelly beans. I wanted there to be something special as well, something beautiful, exciting, sweet, but not so over the top that I would cringe as my kids ripped into them at 7 am. Ah ha! This year the Easter Bunny takes up baking!
Strolling through the supermarket aisles, I found a large cookie cutter in the shape of an egg. Inspired, I sought out a recipe for an oat bar which I would top with jam to create a colorful egg-shaped cookie bar. After an extensive search, I settled on a recipe for Raspberry Breakfast Bars from Deb at Smitten Kitchen. Since my pantry is still full of jam, I adapted the recipe to skip the raspberry filling (though it looks quite good and I may revisit it in raspberry season) and use my homemade jam instead. I also added coconut flakes to the crust, just because I am on a coconut kick right now.
The real trick here was to figure out a way to make sure the jam would show through. The original recipe calls for the crumb topping to cover the entire bar, but I wanted colorful polka dots of jam. To accomplish this, I tried multiple methods and settled on dotting the top of the crust with jam. Once cool, I cut them into egg shapes and bagged them individually for the Easter bunny to present. Mmmm, the smell of these bars is out of control.
Read the rest of this entry »
Buttermilk Berry Scones
April 20, 2011
My little man turned 5… I know, its huge! His preschool honored him with the sweetest (and most scientific) of ceremonies in which he holds a globe and walks around a candle, representing the sun, the number of times the earth has circled the sun since his birth. Ah, the true meaning of a birthday! Love it. Of course, after the ceremony he shared a birthday snack with his friends. This is always a challenge as the school has a no-sugar policy. Actually, I love that they restrict sugar and encourage healthy, organic, whole foods. I am glad that he is not gorging himself on sweets every time a classmate has a birthday. Still, I wanted to make him something that still felt and tasted like a treat. Though he asked for berry muffins, I opted for Buttermilk Berry Scones. Scones are easier to adapt for low or no sugar than muffins.
This scone recipe is my favorite, I have made it many, many times with different fruit and nut additions. Once, years ago, I accidentally made it without the sugar. They still tasted great! That is what gave me the idea to make these delicious scones, packed full with berries, but without the forbidden sugar. Wait, don’t get scared off, I have included the sugar in the recipe below for those of you with a sweet tooth. Plus, these are nowhere near guilt free. They are made with a literal pile o’ butter. See…
The beauty of this recipe is that it is incredibly versatile. Mix the batter with fresh fruit or dried. Add seeds and nuts on a whim. Include the sugar for a traditional breakfast scone or leave it out to make a savory dinner scone. You can cut them up in many different ways. Usually, I make a rectangular shaped slab and cut the scones into triangles. This time my little big guy used a biscuit cutter to make mini scone circles to share with his classmates. These scones are really easy to make and always turn out great. Plus, despite the aforementioned pile o’ butter, this recipe is actually lighter than others you may find that keep the butter and use cream in the place of the buttermilk. This biggest reason to make these though, is that they are delicious, no matter what you do. Serve them for your friends, they will thank you!
Buttermilk Berry Scones
adapted from Bon Appetit
makes 12 scones
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar- plus 1 1/2 Tablespoon to sprinkle on top (omit for a savory scone)
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup chilled unsalted butter, diced
1 cup buttermilk- plus 1 Tablespoon to brush on top
1 1/2 cup frozen berries (or other additions)
1 1/2 Tablespoon Meyer lemon zest
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or baking mat.
Sift together dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt)in a large bowl. Work the butter into the dough until pieces are the size of small peas. You may use your hands, a pastry cutter, or pulse using a food processor. Toss berries in flour mixture. Mix lemon zest and buttermilk. Pour buttermilk mixture into flour/berry mixture. Use a spoon to mix until a dough ball forms. Turn dough out onto a board and gently knead one or two times to fully incorporate the ingredients. Flatten into a 1 inch tall slab and cut to your desired shape. (For a traditional triangular scone, press into a slab 4 x 12 inches. Cut the dough at angles across the shortest width of the rectangle to create triangles.)
Place scones on prepared baking sheet. Brush tops with reserved buttermilk and sprinkle with reserved sugar (for sweet scone). Bake for 18-22 minutes, depending on the size of the scone. Pull from the oven when scones are lightly golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack and cool for 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Here is a printer friendly version of the recipe: Buttermilk Berry Scones
You may also like:
Crepes with Lemon Curd and Warm Berry Sauce
Sesame Ginger Meatballs
April 16, 2011
The best weeknight meals are those that are simple to prepare, nutritious, and are greeted with delight by the hungry munchkins at the table. By the time the kids and I get home, everyone is tired and hungry. When I am really tight on time, I start the rice cooker in the morning before I go to work. When I return home the rice is ready and all I have to do is whip up something to serve on top. These Asian-inspired meatballs are a great alternative to our regular stir fries. A bonus, my kids love meatballs and broccoli! They squealed with delight the last time I served this :)
Ginger Sesame Meatballs are very easy to make and super tasty! Mix up the pork with garlic, ginger, soy and other flavors, form the meatballs and cook. I serve them with brown rice and broccoli or another seasonal vegetable. A little terriyaki sauce on top and some sambal oeleck on the side adds another dimension of flavor and color.
These meatballs are really good! Don’t let the photo fool you. The truth is, it is very difficult to take a good picture of a meatball!
Ginger Sesame Meatballs
adapted from Cooking Light
serves 4
1 pound ground pork
1/2 cup panko
1 egg
1 tablespoon ginger, grated
1/4 cup green onion, minced
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon chile paste (sambal oeleck)
1/4 teaspoon salt
2tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2tablespoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon vegetable oil (for frying)
sesame seeds for garnish
Terriyaki Sauce (optional)
Mix all ingredients except for vegetable oil and terriyaki sauce in a bowl. Form meat into balls. I like to make large meatballs for this dinner. You could easily make smaller ones if you prefer or if you are making these for an appetizer.
Preheat oven 400 degrees.
Heat cast iron skillet over medium heat. Coat pan with vegetable oil. Fry meatballs in pan, turning so that each side is evenly brown, but meat is not cooked through. Transfer the pan to the oven (or put meatballs on a baking tray if your pan is not big enough). Bake for 10 minutes or until the center of the meatball reaches 160 degrees. Serve hot with rice and veggies.
Here is a printer-friendly version of the recipe: Ginger Sesame Meatballs
You may also like:
Kottbullar (Swedish Meatballs)
My Pantry Shelf 