Roasted Veggies

This week i am bringing out a staple method of cooking that is utilized 2-3 nights a week in my home. As the warmer months creep closer to us, I wanted to take the time to talk about one of my all time favorite ways of preparing vegetables, roasting.I know that it sounds odd to some or boring to others, but I ensure you that roasting just about any fresh veggie you have at home can give it new life. Roasting also gets you away from the kitchen and gives you a break from steaming or sautéing over the hot stove at dinner time.

I have roasted so many vegetables using this method that I have lost count. What I can tell you is that I never had cauliflower or brussel sprouts until I made it this way, and now i am a HUGE fan. I have experimented a lot, but have found that my favorites have been roasted tomatoes for sauces and pastas, string beans, broccoli, and this recipe for cauliflower and brussel sprouts. The absolute best part is that you prep it, toss it, set it, and forget it.

Now, Come the summer, we are going to be lighting up our Webber Charcoal Grill every other day or so to do most of our cooking. That will mean that the roasting will be replaced with a quick trip on the red hot grates of the grill for the veg. The Flavors will be completely different grilled, but equally delicious. More to come regarding the grill in the months to come. Until that time, roasting veggies is the go to way that I will share today. It is the simplest and most fool proof way of prepping vegetables that I can think of. it has also saved many a meal from falling flat on taste. Although this recipe isn't a full recipe or meal, I think that once you try out this method, you can create your own fun ways to incorporate roasting into your cooking.

Roasted Cauliflower and Brussel Sprouts

1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets

1 bunch Brussel sprouts, halved

4 tablespoons of EVOO

1 tablespoon of garlic power

1 teaspoon of salt

1 teaspoon of cracked black pepper

*the only equipment for cooking you will need is 2 cake/brownie pans (13x9) for roasting. Overcrowding could lead to less color on your veg, so make sure to spread out. We learned this the hard way and realized quickly that we require 2 pans for our 2 bellies most nights.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Cut the cauliflower into florets and do the same with your sprouts. It is very important during this step to make sure that mostly all of your veg is even in size for even cooking.

Next, fill one pan with the sprouts and the other with the Cauliflower. Add 2 tablespoons of Oil to each pan and toss.

Distribute the 3 spices/seasonings equally between the 2 pans and toss. Place both pans on top rack of your oven uncovered.

Cook for anywhere between 30 and 45 minutes. Stir half way through your desired cooking time.

*cooking equipment and cooking time may vary, but I cook mine for as long as I can to get the most color and flavor out of my veg.

One of my all time favorite ways to serve these roasted vegetables is to serve them along side a pork tenderloin and some rice or stuffing. The nice thing is that you can do anything with it. The roasting brings out a nuttiness in green vegetables and cauliflower that is aromatic and addictive. I almost always over estimate the amount of veg that we need bc it NEVER goes to waste. Roasted veggies are great to have around and enjoy hot or even cold the next day.

I wanted to share this with everyone today because I think that roasting gets a bad rep sometimes. I have heard some sat that it makes things dry or boring. On the contrary, I would say that roasting opens up the world of flavor and allows for moisture to do its thing in the tastiest way possible. It is all about the time and love you put into your dish. Trust me and try it.

Now, go put those cake pans to good use and get roasting! Happy eating.

Frankies 457

Happy Spring everyone!

In my mind, Spring brings a few things to mind besides the lovely weather. Spring means longer days, relaxing walks, and a bountiful green market selection. Spring is most definitely my absolute favorite season amongst the four. Both my father and I were born in April (9th and 12th) and the official start of baseball season is during Springtime too. It is a season that holds so much promise, joy, and positivity. Spring in my world is really a time of renewal.

With all of this talk about Spring and my love for it, it is interesting that we will be getting married in the Fall/Winter of 2012. December 1st to be exact is our wedding date, but that isn't important at the moment. It is the location of our wedding that is really where the focus of this post lays. Our most recent trip to the location was on one of the most picture perfect 75 degree days at the jump-start of Spring (3/22/12). Who could ask for anything more from a midweek day off?!

Frankies 457 is one of those quaint and rustic restaurants that everyone in Brooklyn and maybe Manhattan has heard of. It is in the Carroll Gardens section of Brooklyn. Carroll Gardens is home to some beautiful brownstone lined streets, old school Italian specialty shops, new hip restaurants/bars, and locally run businesses that have been in this area for decades.

We chose Frankies for our wedding because it felt right and it felt real. We had never dined at Frankies until the night we signed our contract back in January, but we just knew that it would be perfect for what we wanted for our wedding day. When Doug and I began planning our wedding, we knew that we didn't want dancing, or 200+ guests, or even a basic selection of "fish-steak-or chicken". We wanted our wedding to feel like we were having a sunday night dinner with those we love the most. Our only musts were that we wanted our guests to have the best food and fantastic beer and wine. Everything else would be icing on the cake. Frankies 457 allowed us to have all of our loves in one of Brooklyn's best known gems.

On our most recent trip, Doug and I walked into Frankies on a Thursday around 1pm. We were immediately seated out in their back garden underneath the warm sunlight that one of the first beautiful days of Spring had to offer.

To drink: Doug had a craft beer and I enjoyed a crisp glass of Verdicchio. Yum!

To start: A shaved fennel and celery root salad that was dressed with pepitas, red onion, lemon, and pecorino cheese. We also ordered a rice, parsley, and peashoot soup which was a special that day. I didn't get a picture of this item, but will do my best later to describe it.

Doug's choice: Frankies is well known for their meatballs. For lunch they serve a the meatball sandwich which is on Grandaisy Bakery rosemary focaccia.

My choice: an in-house made linguini with fava beans, tomatoes, and homemade toasted breadcrumbs.

Our soup and salad dishes arrived together. The fennel and celery root salad was a great surprise for us. We tried it on a recommendation of a friend and we were so happy that we did! The ingredients came together in the most amazing way with a crisp and tart combination of bright flavors that kept us going back in with our forks. The celery root has a mild celery flavor that was cut nicely by the parsley and lemon. On a warm day, this salad packed a comforting cool rush.

The "rice and peas" soup special screamed SPRING to the pallet. The broth was a chicken base that had a bit of arborio rice, parsley, and pea shoots simmered together in the most amazing marriage. I sensed a touch of red chile flake, but it worked perfectly. As a side note, as I explore different foods, I am learning that I do enjoy a touch of heat here and there. Anyway, Doug and I agreed that we could have eaten many bowls of this soup. Funniest part was that I was sitting in the garden, getting a sunburn while enjoying this hot starter soup. So glad that we opted for this menu item that day, but the only downside to the soup is that it isn't on regular rotation of soups at Frankies.

After the waiter pried the salad plate and soup bowl from our hands, we digested for a moment and enjoyed the beauty and serenity that the Frankies garden offers. That moment was short lived and within 2-3 minutes, our pasta and sandwich were placed before us. As you can see from the pictures above, Frankies services very nice portions for a meal. I wouldn't say that they offer enough to bring home with you, but generous enough to share with a friend (if they are lucky). The pasta dish was filled with chewy, homemade linguini that had been simmered with a sauce made from tomatoes, fava beans, and garlic. The chef topped off the mound of pasta with toasted breadcrumbs and finely chopped italian parsley. The pasta was light, delicate, and so yummy. I would say that it has now been added to my best dishes I have eaten list.

Finally, I will bring it home with their balls. Frankies meatballs are light, succulent, and juicy. Frankies also mixes in something special with the meat that leaves them flecked with raisins and pine nuts. This little addition added a great sweetness and texture to every bite. The meatballs were coated with Frankies deliciously tangy tomato sauce, placed on the focaccia bread, and served simply on a plate. After my first bite of this delicious sandwich, I looked up at Doug and told him that I was, "thrilled that we get to eat these at our wedding and share them with our family."

I meant every last word of that statement from the bottom of my heart. We have now dined at Frankies 457 on 2 occasions since signing our wedding contract and I fall in love more with their food with every experience. I honestly cannot wait for December 1st for many reasons, but mostly I am so excited to offer our friends and family the opportunity to share a delicious and rustic italian meal with us at Frankies! It will be OUR Brooklyn wedding to remember forever.

Happy eating everyone!

A 1 Year Anniversary Fake Out-Take Out

For this weeks recipe, I thought that I would share a weeknight meal that is a permanent tenant in our dinner rotation. I have been preparing and perfecting this fake out-take out for the better part of 2 years. This would mean that I have made it about 50+ times, WOW!

I first happened upon the originating recipe on the Fresh Direct website. Fresh Direct, for those of you that don't live in the area, is an online grocer that delivers groceries, toiletries, and prepared food to your door. So, I found a recipe for Mu Shu Lettuce Wraps and made it exactly as it read the first time, minus the mushrooms it called for. The end result was a game changer.

http://www.freshdirect.com/shared/recipe_print.jsp?recipeId=rec_acs_mooshu_chix

Anyone that knows me, knows that I am a huge fan of great Chinese food and different types of Asian cuisine in general. Unfortunately, for the better part of my life, these foods prepared by restaurants are not a fan of me. Therefore, I was excited and eager to have found a fake out meal that I could make at home and to begin experimenting more by creating other of my favorite restaurant meals on my own stove.

Mu Shu Pork (or chicken) lettuce wraps

I lb of lean pork loin chops or chicken breast-sliced into thin strips

2 bags of cole slaw mix or 1 large head of green cabbage and 2 shredded carrots

1 can of water chestnuts-chopped

1 red bell pepper-sliced thin

1 head of romaine, Bibb, or iceberg lettuce

1/4 cup of your favorite Hoison sauce (I go to Chinatown to stock up on my fave) w/ Extra for wraps and dipping

1/4 cup water

2 tbsp of oil1 bunch of scallions -sliced thin

1 bunch of Mung bean sprouts

Start by slicing your lean meat into thin strips and set aside while you heat your pan.

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet on mid/high heat. Now, brown your meat of choice for about 5-7 minutes or until no pink remains and you have some good color (flavor).

Add your cabbage/carrot mixture and water. Stir to combine. turn down to medium.

Meanwhile, slice up your pepper, scallion, and chestnuts. Set aside.

Once your cabbage, carrot, and meat mixture begins to come together and the cabbage starts to wilt, add the pepper, water chestnuts, and scallions. Stir to combine. Let cook for 2-3 minutes.

Pour in your hoisin sauce and gently stir to combine.

Heat through and serve with lettuce, bean sprouts, and hoisin on the side.

A few notes:

* through trial and error, I have come up with the measurements for the water and hoisin, but please feel free to add as much or as little as you like.

* I have experimented with other veggies in this recipe, but the balance of the pepper and chestnuts seemed to strike the perfect cord in our house. Switch it up for your pallet!

What I love about this post is that this is yet another recipe that allows for trial and error and also lots of experimenting for what works in your kitchen. It is a quick and easy weeknight or weekend meal for a family or couple. Best part, no carbs! We never miss the carbs with this meal and usually finish most if not all of our dinner.

As I close out this blog post for today, I wanted to reflect for a moment and thank everyone who has read and supported my site over the past year. I cannot believe that I blogged my first post 1 year ago today! This blog was a direct result of a memorable trip to Lombardi's on the LES of NYC with Doug, and I am so thankful that he put the seed in my mind to begin to write again. This has been a fulfilling experience for so many reasons, but mostly, it has given me the opportunity to share my love for food and life with you. Thank you-Thank you-Thank you!!! I look forward to many more years of sharing, cooking, and eating to come.

HAPPY SPRING and HAPPY EATING!!!

Sahadi's

If you asked me to make a list of the things that I love to do on any given day, I could do that easily. I love walking my dogs in the park next to my home, sitting on our roof deck on a beautiful day, jogging for my sanity, and cooking anything. All of that being said, if you asked me the opposite, I would have to say that I do not enjoy watching people being mean or rude to anyone, being pushed daily on the subway, and standing in unruly and long lines. I am so sorry to begin this post with something negative, but there it is-I hate waiting in lines. Lines test my patience, especially disorganized ones. Yet, there is almost always an exception to the rule. In the case of this particular blog entry, the exception is Sahadi's.

Sahadi's is a market located at 187 Atlantic Avenue in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn. They sell a delicious combo of dry goods in bulk bins and exotic prepared and grocery items. Sahadi's is coined as a Middle EasternThis space has quickly become a go to shopping destination for our household. You can visit their website @ Sahadis.com to see some of the items that I am speaking of. They have a huge online following and you can order items shipped straight to your home 24/7, but I suggest getting yourself to Brooklyn to fully understand the lure that is Sahadi's.

Sahadi's has some of the most amazingly unbeatable prices on dried fruits, nuts, and grains. You can buy by the pound anything from dried apples to candied dried chickpeas! I feel as though this represents and captures the cross roads of Brooklyn in the best form. When you enter, you must take a ticket from the little red dispensary that is easily missed on a crowded day. We have waited on line for 2 minutes on some visits and 30 minutes on others. However, this Saturday @ 4pm, we waited 40 minutes. This wait is worth every minute, and this is a great opportunity to people watch. I feel that the make up of the line is a sociological study in its self. At any given point in time, you can be waiting on line with business execs, hipsters, moms with kids in tow, couples, families, and some folks that look as though they have been shopping here since Sahadi's opened.

Our regular shopping list is pretty tame. We love the Turkish apricots, dried cherries, oats, almonds, and figs. Each bag of these items is hand packed by one of the VERY fast and friendly guys employed at Sahadi's, and if you are lucky, you will get samples of anything you like. The guys that work there never rush you and are always happy to offer suggestions on their array of cheeses and olives. We have not yet experienced the freshly prepared foods that Sahadi's makes in house, but if the line this weekend is any indication, go for it! For someone that is more health conscious, it is so refreshing to have many delicious and affordable things to choose from in one local establishment. There was a point in time where we were shopping at Sahadi's once a month or so when we did a Trader Joe's run. Yet, now we are finding more and more excuses to head toward that neck of the woods weekly.

To some it all up, Sahadi's is so much more than a market or grocery. There is a vibe and a history within the walls that sucks you in and taunts you with its array of goods. Please add Sahadi's to your must do list when visiting NYC or Brooklyn. I promise you that you will not be disappointed. I hope you get to explore and enjoy life during this week of beautiful weather. Be well and happy eating!!!

Sahadi's

187 Atlantic Avenue

Brooklyn, New York

11201

(718) 624-4550

Hours of Operation:

Monday-Saturday 9am-7pm

The Soup of the Day

Here we go again guys, more soup! Although this weeks forecast is showing temps going up into the 60's, I wanted to share another healthy and filling meal with you. In the recent months, I think that tt is safe to say that i have been loving soup for the winter. Although the winter in Brooklyn has been leaving much to be desired by way of snow or below zero temps, I think and I hope that our soup posts have brought a bit of winter to the home.

This week, we tried our hand at minestrone for the 2nd time. The first time that we attempted this soup, we went strictly from a mash up of a few recipes that we located for minestrone around the web. This time was different because I managed to adapt and create something satisfyingly delicious that truly has become our very own. I feel that There is something about the second time with a recipe that is somewhat scary and at the same time familiar. I love this fact about experimenting and cooking at home.

Ingredients:

1 can crushed tomatoes with basil

1 carton chicken or veg stock (have some extra on hand for a bigger soup)

1 can white kidney beans (cannellini)

1 can chick peas

1 can diced tomatoes

1 bunch of kale, chopped

6 carrots, cut into disks

6 stalks of cellars, diced

2 onions, diced

4 red potatoes, 1 inch pieces

Dried oregano

4 cups water

1/2 c. red wine (that you would drink)

Salt and Pepper to taste

Small pasta, like ditalini

Directions:

In a large stock pot, over medium-low heat, heat olive oil and saute garlic for 2 to 3 minutes.

Add onion and saute for 4 to 5 minutes.

Add celery and carrots, saute for 1 to 2 minutes.

Add chicken broth, water and tomato sauce, bring to boil, stirring frequently.

If desired add red wine at this point.

Reduce heat to low and add you selected beans, kale, potato, oregano, basil, salt and pepper to taste.

Simmer for 30 to 40 minutes, the longer the better.

(Leave the house for a moment and walk back in so that you can enjoy the aroma!)

Fill a seperate medium saucepan with water and bring to a boil.

Add pasta of choice and cook until tender, but still having a bite.

Drain water and set pasta aside.

Once pasta is cooked and soup is heated through place 2 tablespoons cooked pasta into individual serving bowls.

Ladle soup on top of pasta and sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top as you wish.

**i would like to add that I encourage everyone to make this soup your own. I suggest you use different pasta if you like, change up the bean selection, and sub out greens at your will. A soup and recipe such as this one allow you to enjoy the fun of cooking!

This batch yielded 6 quarts of extra soup. 4 of those quarts are now safely in my freezer, and the other 2 made for a wonderful additions to my sandwich at lunch. The ability to create delicious and healthy food in my own kitchen is something that continues to make me feel whole. I am so glad I could share this recipe with you.

Enjoy your week and HAPPY EATING!!!!

Morning Muffins

This past weekend on a chilly morning, we opted to stay in and have a lazy Sunday. Now, I should say that anyone that know me would agree that I am usually incapable of relaxing and sitting still. Therefore, it didn't surprise Doug or myself that I decided to search the pantry and the web in preparation for a baking endeavor before 8am.

At first I searched for a simple apple bundt cake, but quickly rethought my search and settled on the apple muffin. They are easier to eat and certainly easier to share.

I would also add that being able to pull together this or any recipe with items I have in my home is one of the highlights of being a home cook.

Please Note: I have adapted this recipe from AllRecipes.com

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/apple-strudel-muffins/

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 cups chopped apples

Topping

1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon butter

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Grease a 12 cup muffin pan.
In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
In a large bowl, beat together butter, sugar and eggs until smooth. Mix in vanilla. Stir in apples, and gradually blend in the flour mixture.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared muffin pan.
In a small bowl, mix brown sugar, flour and cinnamon. Cut in butter until mixture is like coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over tops of mixture in muffin pan.

Bake 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Allow to sit 5 minutes before removing muffins from pan. Cool on a wire rack.

Baking these muffins made My apartment smell of cinnamon and apples for the entire morning. I love that! Yet, What I love even more is the look on my Fiancés face after he bites into a new food or recipe that we have whipped up in our kitchen.

I enjoyed every moment of trying this recipe and I wouldn't change a thing about the way in which the recipe is written. They were the perfect accompaniment to my morning tea (and post dinner tea). My hope in bringing this recipe to you is that they become a staple next to your coffee and/or tea.

Enjoy and happy eating!