Browsing Tag

herbs

Tasty

Soba Noodle Bowl

June 11, 2014

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I’m going through a “bowl” phase… the idea of grains, veggies and a protein all touching and mixed together may terrify my 5 year old self, but now I can’t get enough – one dish to clean? Sign me up!

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Amazing Soba Bowl

  • Soba Noodles
  • 1 bell pepper, sliced into matchsticks
  • 2 carrots, peeled into ribbons
  • 1/2 a bag of edamame, cooked
  • 1/4 of a head of purple cabbage
  • 4 leaves of kale, de-stemmed, cut into ribbons
  • 1-2 bunch of green onions, chopped
  • Large handful of cilantro

Dressing

  • 1 1-inch piece of fresh peeled ginger, grated
  • 3 tablespoons oil
  • 3 tablespoons lime juice
  • 2 tablespoons agave nectar
  • 1½ tablespoons white miso
  • ½ teaspoon minced garlic
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  1. Cook soba noodles and be sure to rinse them with cold water after draining them to stop them from cooking further.
  2. Top them with prepped veggies.
  3. Make dressing of your choice (I used the one above) and stir until well combined
  4. Drizzle with Sriracha and lime juice if you like.

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The joy is, you can mix and match to your heart’s delight… just find a dressing that fits your mood and get creative! Here are some of the “usual suspects” in my rotation (don’t forget that preparation variations make for even MORE combinations – hard-boiled/fried/poached eggs, shredded/grilled/roasted chicken, etc.):

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Dressings are key to making this all come together… if your ingredients are bold enough, perhaps you can go the oil and vinegar route, but if you want to mix it up, here are some of my favorites:

  • Coconut Peanut Sauce
    • 1/2 cup light coconut milk
    • 1/4 cup natural peanut butter
    • 2 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
    • 1 tablespoon lime juice
    • splash of agave
  • Mustard Vinaigrette
    • 1/3 cup olive oil
    • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
    • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
    • pinch of sugar
  • Shallot Dijon Vinaigrette
    • 3 tablespoons finely diced shallots
    • 1 tablespoon honey
    • 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
    • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
    • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • Cilantro Balsamic Dressing
    • 2 cloves garlic
    • 1/2 cup cilantro
    • 1/4 balsamic vinegar
    • 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
    • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
    • 1 cup olive oil
    • juice of half a lemon
  • Sesame Ginger Dressing
    • 2 tablespoons low sodium tamari sauce
    • 2 tablespoons water
    • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
    • 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
    • 1/4 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
    • 1 clove garlic, minced
    • 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

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Tasty

Pancetta, Ricotta and Herb Quiche

February 26, 2014

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This summer I mourned the idea of a rainy, dark winter season, and I guess the joke was on me with the 2 rainy days we have had all winter…  A couple of weeks ago, we were blessed with one of the rainy days and I took the opportunity to light some candles, play some great music and spend the day cooking.  There is something so great about a quiche, easy to make and great for breakfast, lunch or dinner in the days to come.

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Pancetta, Ricotta and Herb Quiche

  • 1 pie crust (I use Trader Joe’s pre-made crusts or feel free to make your own)
  • 4 oz pancetta, chopped into small cubes (I also use Trader Joe’s chopped pancetta)
  • 6 eggs
  • 2/3 cups half and half
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup grated parmigiano reggiano
  • 1/4 cup chopped herbs (I used parsley, chives)
  • 7 oz fresh ricotta
  • 2 green onions
  • 10-12 grape tomatoes
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Grease a quiche pan and roll out crust onto it. Bake crust for 10 minutes.
  3. While crust is baking, cook pancetta in a small pan over medium heat for 5 minutes.
  4. Whisk eggs, cream, milk, cheese and herbs together in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
  5. Remove crust from oven and crumble ricotta over it. Top with cooked pancetta and chopped herbs, then pour egg mixture over the top.
  6. Half tomatoes and place them atop quiche, cut side up.
  7. Bake for 45 minutes or until set and golden.
  8. Let cool and drizzle with balsamic reduction* and a light salad. Enjoy!

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*Trader Joe’s also makes a great pre-made balsamic reduction, but you can easily make your own by simmering balsamic vinegar on low for 5-10 minutes, until reduced.

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Some of my other favorite quiche recipes can be found here, here and here.

Tasty

Ricotta Stuffed Squash Blossoms

July 17, 2013

Squash Blossoms

I had my first fried squash blossoms in Napa many years ago, and still think about them…  So when I spotted squash blossoms at the farmers market this past week, I jumped on the opportunity to try my hand at recreating this recipe.  I used a Ziplock bag to pipe the cheese picture into the blossoms, and then brushed batter on them and fried for a couple of minutes.  It is definitely important to work in batches, or you will brown the blossoms in the later batches like I did (not a cute look).  Dip in some yummy marinara sauce and you have the perfect starter to any Italian meal!
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