Butternut Squash Soup with Truffle Grilled Cheese Croutons

Farm Fresh To You is a home delivery service for local organic produce. As a customer you select how often you'd like delivery service, choose your produce box size, and indicate what types of fruit and vegetables you are interested in getting delivered. I subscribe to Farm Fresh To You bi-weekly, and it has taught me to be more creative and to plan my meals around what in season. I have also learned to work with new ingredients, such as purple cauliflower, bok choy, rainbow chard, and beets. This past week for $25 I received a delivery of apples, oranges, grapefruit, kale, carrots, kumquats, and two beautiful butternut squash. I roasted the first butternut squash, and ate it with a spoon. It was so smooth and creamy! I decided to get a little more creative for the second. I sauteed some vegetables, added chicken stock and the roasted squash, seasoned it and blended it up. To take my soup up a notch, I made grilled cheese sandwiches, cut them into crouton cubes, and sprinkled them with white truffle oil and salt. You can't get this fresh taste from a can of soup, and you definitely can't get truffle grilled cheese croutons from a box. 

 

Ingredients:
3-4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 carrot, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
1 onion, diced
1 large butternut squash, peeled
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
Salt & Pepper
4 slices crusty wheat bread
Your favorite cheese
White Truffle Oil and/or salt for sprinkling

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Cut the butternut squash in 1-inch cubes. Place on a sheet pan and toss with the olive oil, about a 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Spread it in a single layer. Roast for 40 until tender.

Heat oil in a large soup pot. Add carrot, celery and onion. Cook until vegetables have begun to soften, about 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in butternut squash, thyme, chicken broth, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes. Let the soup cool for a few minutes and carefully purée in batches in a blender.

For the truffled grilled cheese croutons, heat a panini grill. Place the four slices of bread on a cutting board and brush lightly with olive oil. Turn the slices over and add cheese to two slices of bread. Place the remaining two slices of bread on top of the cheese, oiled sides up.

Grill the sandwiches on the panini grill for about 4-5 minutes, until melty and brown. Place back on the cutting board, allow to cool for a few minutes and cut into 1-inch cubes. Sprinkle with white truffle salt and oil. 

Truffled Pappardelle with Heirloom Tomatoes and Spinach

I love carbo-loading. It is one of the many benefits of being a runner. This pre-Los Angeles 13.1 meal was made almost entirely from Christmas gifts. I love experimenting with my foodie gifts! Tom, the pappardelle travelled well, and was the perfect canvas for sautéed heirloom tomatoes and spinach. Carmen and Jim, I felt really cool drizzling the pasta with white truffle oil. It made my pasta taste like an expensive entrée straight out of Beverly Hills. I have been using truffle on everything lately: eggs, grilled cheese sandwiches, popcorn. If you do not have truffle oil in your pantry, go buy some. It makes everything taste gourmet. Expect to see more recipes featuring truffle in the upcoming weeks!

 

Ingredients:
8 ounces pappardelle pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 pint heirloom cherry tomatoes
4 ounces baby spinach (1/2 a bag)
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Salt & Pepper
Pecorino Romano sprinkling
A few drops of white truffle oil

Directions:

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, reserving some pasta water, and return pasta to pot.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high. Add garlic and cook, stirring often, about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and cook until tomato skins are split and shallots are golden brown, about 4 minutes.

Gradually add spinach, season with salt and pepper, and cook until tender, 3 minutes.

Toss tomatoes, spinach and pasta, and sprinkle with Pecorino Romano and red pepper flakes. Serve in bowls, and top with a few drops of white truffle oil.

Brent's Salmon Pizza

After meeting Cristina, I was forced to step up my food game. I was raised in a family, God bless us, where meals were store bought lasagna or salad. After graduating college, my culinary repertoire consisted of pressing start on the microwave, and following directions on the mac and cheese box. Enter Cristina, the love of my heart and stomach's life. After mastering basics like Picadillo, Sweet Potato Enchiladas, arrays of Pastas (I now know the difference between penne, rigatoni, and farfalle), I felt comfortable stepping out from behind her tutelage and into my own.

This dish features a humble imitation of a Wolfgang Puck salmon pizza. While the concept of salmon on a pizza is the same, not much else is. The main difference is my own unique take on what pizza sauce should be. Pizza sauce is normally a boring cousin of simple marinera. To give it more spunk, I added sun dried tomato pesto, and chopped garlic. Add part skim mozzarella cheese (Cristina's zeal for health comes through here), artichoke hearts, and salmon. Looking at my first attempt at cuisine creativity, I know that I've come a long way from taking rotesserie chicken out from its grocery store warmth and plastic shield. The "yumms!" coming from my foodie simpleton father and chef master wife confirmed my growth. -Brent

On the pizza stone, ready to go in the oven.

Ingredients:
Pizza Sauce
Mozzarella Cheese
Pizza Dough
Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto
Salmon
Artichoke Hearts, chopped
Red Pepper Flakes

Directions:
There are no measurements with this pizza. It's pretty simple. Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees. Roll out the pizza dough. Mix together equal parts pizza sauce and sun-dried tomato pesto. Sprinkle the sauce with the artichoke hearts. Add however much cheese you'd like, and top with salmon. Bake for 12-14 minutes, depending on the thickness of your pizza. If you intend on making is SUPER heavy, like Brent often prefers, consider pre-heating the dough for 2-3 minutes before adding the toppings. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes. Enjoy!

Carnitas with Roasted Tomatillo Salsa

I have been working on a developing a healthier carnitas recipe for months, trying different combinations of braising liquids, cuts of pork, spices and cooking times. After a few failed attempts, I have finally perfected the dish. I use pork tenderloin (pork loin was way too dry), half a beer (the entire beer was too watery), an orange, a few cloves of garlic and my taco seasoning as the dry rub. This dish is low maintenance, but requires planning ahead. We usually prepare carnitas on a Sunday, and have them ready to go for a quick weeknight meal. To prepare, rub the tenderloin with the taco seasoning, brown the meat, throw all the ingredients in a slow cooker, and eight hours later you'll have delicious, tender carnitas. We use the meat to build tacos with Trader Joe's corn & wheat tortillas, roasted tomatillo salsa (you'll never want store bought salsa verde again), avocado and cilantro. It's healthy, simple, delicious Mexifornian cooking. 

Carnitas
Ingredients:
1 pork tenderloin, about 1.5 pounds
1 juicy orange
4 garlic cloves
2-3 tablespoons taco seasoning mix
2 bay leaves
1/2 a beer (drink the other half while you prepare the salsa)

Directions:
Season pork with taco seasoning. In a medium sauté pan on medium-high heat, brown pork on all sides for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Using a sharp knife, insert blade into pork, cutting small holes and insert garlic cloves. Season pork with another tablespoon of taco seasoning.

Pour beer and the juice of 1 orange in the crockpot, add bay leaves. Place pork in slow cooker and cover. Cook low for 8 hours. After 8 hours, shred pork using two forks and combine well with the juices that accumulated at the bottom. Remove bay leaves and adjust spices (you will probably need to add more). Let it cook another 15-30 minutes.

Roasted Tomatillo Salsa
Ingredients:
1 pound tomatillos, husked
1 white onion, peeled, sliced, quartered or whole
4 garlic cloves
2 jalapenos
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves
1/2 lime, juiced

  

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. On a baking tray, roast tomatillos, onion, garlic and jalapenos for 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer the roasted vegetables and any juices on the bottom of the tray to a food processor. Add the cumin, salt, cilantro, and lime juice and pulse mixture until well combined but still chunky.

Fat Tacos

A few weeks ago Brent and I had a little too much fun sampling menu items at The Tripel. Although our bellies were satisfied, our food budget was not very happy. We challenged ourselves to make pantry items meals for the next few days. While digging around our kitchen cabinets we came across a huge bag of maseca and a can refried beans. That day the fat taco was born. This is less of a recipe, and more of a concept. We loaded them up with refried beans, guacamole, pico de gallo and cheese. Fat tacos were not a one-hit wonder. They're quick, easy, budget friendly, and tasty too! We've also topped them with chorizo, carnitas, and shredded chicken. The options are endless. 

                 

Ingredients:
2 cups maseca
1 1/4 cups water
Refried beans
Guacamole
Pico de Gallo
Shredded Mozzarella

Directions:
Combine Maseca, water, and salt and knead for five minutes or until masa is no longer sticky. Divide into 10 small balls. Flatten into thick tortillas approximately three inches in diameter. On a hot skillet or griddle, cook each taco for three minutes and then turn. Cook the fat tacos until golden. Repeat with remaining masa balls. Top with warm refried beans, guacamole, pico de gallo and a little bit of cheese.

Pasta Party!

Mama and Papa got me an imperia pasta machine a few years ago. With just a few ingredients my imperia creates fresh, fluffy, quick cooking pasta. This pasta machine makes tagliatelle, spaghetti or lasagna sheets, and you can also buy the ravioli attachment. Brent, Alaina, Jared and I had a Friday night in and made this fresh semolina egg pasta topped with Alaina's secret family recipe meat sauce. Scroll down to the bottom of this post. Be prepared to drool. Looks amazing, right? Although I can't share her family secret, this pasta will taste awesome with any sauce, or even just some olive oil, parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes. Tonight I am making this dough, and attempting a spinach, mushroom and ricotta ravioli with parmesan rosemary oil drizzle. If all goes well, I'll be posting on that soon!

 

Ingredients:

1 cup whole white wheat flour
1/2 cup semolina flour
A pinch of salt
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions:
1. Sift together whole white wheat flour, semolina flour, and pinch of salt. On a clean surface, make a mountain out of flour mixture then make a deep well in center. Break the eggs into the well and add olive oil. Whisk eggs very gently with a fork, gradually incorporating flour from the sides . When mixture becomes too thick to mix with a fork, begin kneading with your hands.
2. Knead dough either by hand or with a mixer for 8 to 12 minutes, until it is smooth. Dust dough with semolina to keep dough from becoming sticky. Wrap dough tightly in plastic and let it to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
3. Roll out dough with a pasta machine to whatever shape you like. I like the tagliatelle best! You can always use a roller if you don't have a pasta machine.
4. Bring water with salt to a boil in a large pot. Cook pasta until tender but not mushy, 1 to 8 minutes depending on thickness. Drain and toss with sauce.

Portobello Penne with Caramelized Onion and Goat's Cheese

Portobello Penne with Caramelized Onion and Goat's Cheese is an onion lovers dream, calling for three large caramelized onions. I am also a mushroom fanatic, so I like to double batch this recipe, and have extra in the refrigerator for busy weeknights and lunches. If I am feeling extra fancy, I use Ritrovo corn penne pasta and throw in a mixture of wild mushrooms. Portobello Penne is not the most attractive meal in the world, but it tastes pretty good to Brent and I :)

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 onions, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
3 portobello mushrooms, stems removed, caps halved and then cut crosswise into 1/4-inch slices

10 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
3/4 pound penne
3 ounces soft goat cheese, crumbled
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
In a large frying pan, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter with 1 tablespoons of the oil over moderate heat. Add the onions, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and the sugar and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are well browned, about 20 minutes. Remove from the pan.
In the same pan, melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter with 1 tablespoon of the oil over moderate heat. Add the mushrooms and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and brown, about 8 minutes. Add the reserved onions, the parsley, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and the pepper.
In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pasta until just done, about 13 minutes. Reserve 3/4 cup of the pasta water and drain. Toss the pasta and 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water with the mushroom mixture, the goat cheese, and the Parmesan. If the pasta seems dry, add more of the reserved pasta water. Serve with extra Parmesan.

Italian Sausage with Caprese Relish

College football season is here.  Time for wings, nachos, hot dogs, and men sitting on the couch for hours. I get cheering for your alma mater, but why are men so passionate about games featuring teams with which they have no connection? I am currently watching Arizona vs. Oregon. Brent and I don't have any friends or family who have attended either school, but we've got to watch the game. Football Saturday's are perfect for playing in the kitchen. This recipe is a fresh and creative take on hot dogs, and a great idea for a football viewing party. Bobby Flay caught my attention with his genius idea of putting caprese salad on a sausage. Italian Sausage with Caprese Relish is spicy, yet refreshing. Although this meal is a little hard to eat, it is worth the mess.

Ingredients:
6 Hot Italian Sausages
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pint yellow and red cherry tomatoes, quartered
1 pound fresh mozzarella cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon capers, drained
1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced
1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for the bread
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
6 large hot dog rolls
2 cloves garlic, halved

Directions:
Heat the grill for high direct grilling. Grill the sausages until golden brown and slightly charred on both sides, about 5 minutes per side. Remove the sausages to a platter and let rest 5 minutes before removing to a plate.

Toss the tomatoes with the cheese, basil, parsley, capers, onions, olive oil and red wine vinegar. Season with salt and pepper and toss to combine.
Slice the bread open and put on the grill, cut-side down, and grill until lightly golden brown. Remove and rub the surface with the garlic cloves, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Put a whole sausage on each roll and top with the caprese relish.

Dark Chocolate & Peanut Butter Chip Pretzel Cookies

It's time for a cookie recipe! Dark Chocolate & Peanut Butter Chip Pretzel Cookies have great texture and a nice balance of sweet & salty. They are best right out of the oven, with gooey chocolate and peanut butter chunks and the crunch of broken up pretzels. I made them for a friend's labor day barbecue, and sadly there were none left over :( I guess I'll have to make more soon. I'm thinking of mixing a batch, roll the dough into tablespoon balls and freezing them. Homemade cookies in less than 15 minutes anytime I want, with no extra dishes to clean, and no need to bake the entire batch. Yum!

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups of all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. of salt
1/4 tsp. of baking soda
1/2 cup of butter at room temperature
1/2 cup of tightly packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup of granulated sugar
1 egg (beaten)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup dark chocolate chunks
1/2 cup peanut butter chips
1/2 cup broken up pretzels

Directions:
In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
In a larger bowl, beat the butter and sugars together on medium speed until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes). On low speed, slowly add the vanilla extract and egg. Beat to combine.
Add the flour mixture and beat just until there are no more streaks of flour. Carefully stir in the chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, and broken up pretzels. Cover and refrigerate for an hour, or freeze for 15 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop out well rounded tablespoonfuls of the dough. Leave about 2 inches between each scoop. Bake for 10 minutes (11-12 if you like crispier cookies.) Cool cookies on the baking sheet for a few minutes before enjoying.

Makes 24 cookies.

Farro Pizzichi Lasagna Soup

A recent trip to Bay Cities Italian Deli in Santa Monica perfected my Lasagna Soup. Bay Cities is an Italian food lover's dream. I visited intending to browse and left with six different types of pasta. Bay Cities has every cut and grain imaginable, putting any grocery store variety to shame. Rustichella d'Abruzzo Farro Pizzichi caught my attention as the perfect pasta for Lasagna Soup. I love lasagna, and crave the flavor but rarely have the patience to build the layers and bake the dish. Thick lasagna soup gives great lasagna flavor in half the amount of time. I've tried making lasagna soup by breaking apart large lasagna noodles, and it just didn't work. Using penne or fusilli makes for a tasty soup, but doesn't resemble lasagna. Pizzichi looks like a baby lasagna sheet, and the farro variation is nutty and nutritious. Farro pasta is more delicate, so do not stir the pasta for the first two minutes after dropping it in the boiling water. Expect more Bay Cities pasta recipes in the next few weeks. Training for a race + this new find on Lincoln Blvd = lots of hearty pasta meals!



Ingredients:
1 tablespoon extra virgin oil
1 pound hot Italian turkey sausage, casings removed
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
4 cups chicken broth
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1.5 teaspoons oregano
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 pound pasta, Farro Pasta Pizzichi by Rustichella d'Abruzzo is perfect!



Toppings:
Parmesan, grated
Goat's Cheese, crumbled
Basil, chopped



Directions:
Heat the olive oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook until lightly browned, about 10 minutes, breaking it apart as you go. Add the onion and saute until tender, about 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic, red pepper flake and oregano and saute until fragrant, about a minute. Add the tomato paste, and cook for another minute. Add the chicken broth, tomatoes, oregano, bay leaf, salt and pepper, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes and remove from heat. Top with parmesan, goat's cheese, and/or basil.

Chorizo Tacos with Pickled Red Onion

More tacos! Living in California, I crave tacos all the time. I love chorizo, and wanted to put it in a taco, but without the egg that I usually cook chorizo with. Store bought chorizo, however, is gross. I enjoy occasional greasy food, but store bought chorizo takes oil to another level. It usually results in grease running down your chin, and a pool of drippings on your plate. I'll stick to burgers, fries and pizza for my indulging meals. I've also cooked with soyrizo, and that is definitely a healthier alternative, but the amount of salt makes super thirsty for the rest of the day. Over the past few months I've experimenting with several chorizo recipes, and this one is the best. It is has that strong paprika flavor, without all the extra salt. It is meaty, but not greasy. I topped my tacos with quick pickled red onions, and my tomatillo salsa (recipe coming soon). Chorizo tacos are inexpensive, yet have that gourmet feel.  

Turkey Chorizo

Ingredients:
1 pound 93% lean ground turkey
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons dried ancho chile powder
4 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 yellow onion, minced
3/4-1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
6 corn tortillas

Directions:
In a medium bowl, throughly mix the turkey with the spices; mix in the vinegar.
Cover the bowl and refrigerate for a few hours, or overnight.
Pan fry the mixture in a small amount of oil, crumbling. Spoon onto warmed tortillas, and top with pickled onions and your favorite salsa.

Pickled Onions

Ingredients:
1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 red onion, thinly sliced

Directions:
Mix first 3 ingredients and 1 cup water in a small bowl until sugar and salt dissolve. Place onion in a bowl, and pour the vinegar mixture over. Let sit at room temperature for at least 1 hour.  Can be stored in your fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Vegan Taco Bar

Cleansing and nourishing meals don't have to be boring and anti-social. Invite your friends over for a nutritiously delicious taco party. Who doesn't love tacos? These vegan, gluten free tacos are fresh, colorful, and natural. Choose your favorite taco bar toppings from the list below, prepare and present them in colorful bowls, and warm up corn tortillas in the oven. Despite how long this collection of recipes may seem, this meal is easy to prepare, and can be done in advance. Toppings can be prepared in larger quantities to compliment meals throughout the week. Also, most grocery stores sell fresh, all natural guacamole or pico de gallo if you're really pressed for time. This nutrient packed taco party will leave nobody feeling deprived. 

TACO BAR TOPPINGS:

Corn Tortillas
Sautéed Mushrooms and Kale
Sautéed Bell Peppers
Mexican Brown Rice
Black Beans
Pico de Gallo
Guacamole (Regular or Pomegranate Mango)
Cilantro Sprigs

Sautéed Mushrooms and Kale
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
1 bunch kale, trimmed, stems removed and chopped
1 tablespoon Salt-Free Taco Seasoning Mix
Salt to taste

Directions:
Heat a medium skillet with extra-virgin olive oil over medium to medium-high heat. When oil is hot, add garlic. Once the garlic starts to heat up and sizzle, add the mushrooms. Cook on medium heat until they begin to soften, approximately 3 minutes. Add the chopped kale, a pinch of salt and a tablespoon of taco seasoning mix. Be sure to coat the kale with the oil in the pan. Cook for an additional 3 minutes, or until the kale has become soft.

Sautéed Bell Peppers

Ingredients:

2-3 bell peppers, any color (I like to pick a color that I don't already have in my meal to add more color)

1 yellow onion

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive iil

Directions:
In large skillet, heat oil. Add peppers and onions. Sauté for 15 to 20 minutes, or until browned, stirring occasionally.

Salt-Free Taco Seasoning Mix
2 tablespoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon cumin

2 teaspoons black pepper

Pico de Gallo
Ingredients:
2 cups ripe tomatoes seeded and diced (about 4 medium tomatoes)
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/4 cup diced white onion
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
2 jalapenos (stems and seeds removed) diced
1 lime, juiced
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
A pinch of salt

Directions:
1. Dice and mix all ingredients.
2. Stir, let sit for thirty minutes, and enjoy!

Mexican Brown Rice
Ingredients:
1 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 cups brown rice, uncooked
3 cups low sodium vegetable broth
1 1/2 cups finely chopped white or yellow onions
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) low sodium diced tomatoes
1 red, yellow or orange bell pepper, finely chopped

Preparation:
1. Heat oil in a medium nonstick saucepan over medium heat and saute the rice just until golden (about 5 minutes).
2. Add 1/2 cup of broth. Add the onions and garlic and saute for a couple of minutes.
3. Stir in tomatoes (including juice), the rest of the broth, and bell pepper. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Simmer, covered, for 20 to 25 minutes or until the broth is absorbed.

Pomegranate Mango Guacamole
Ingredients:
4 ripe avocados
1 cup finely chopped onion
1-2 fresh jalapenos, finely chopped (depending on how much spice you like)
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (add more if you wish)
1 cup pomegranate seeds (plus some more to add on top of the guacamole)
1 cup diced peeled mango (plus some more to add on top of the guacamole)
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 1/4 teaspoon salt
Pepper to taste

Directions:
Halve, pit, and peel avocados. Mash in a bowl. Stir in onion, chiles, lime juice, and salt. Gently stir in pomegranate seeds, mango, and cilantro. Season with salt and additional lime juice if you wish.