Holy MOLY was the Kale recipe AMAZING from last week! It's a keeper and we inhaled it. Best veggie lunch EVER! The marinara is also a TOTAL winner and the Chicken Burgers tasted like the Original Chicken Sandwich from Burger King. I'd say that last week's meals were AWESOME! The crab quiche was "OK" and pretty watery... so perhaps next time I'll use less liquid or something.
Tomato, Mozzarella and Pesto Pasta Salad
8-16 oz uncooked penne or farfalle pasta
1 cup pesto sauce (recipe follows)
1 cup small mozzarella balls or cut down a large ball of mozzarella
1 cup cherry tomatoes
1 cup fresh baby spinach
Prepare pasta according to package directions until al dente. Rinse in cold water and drain.
Toss cooked pasta with prepared pesto sauce. Cool pasta mixture. Divide fresh baby spinach on serving plates. Arrange pesto pasta mixture on top. Garnish with fresh mozzarella balls and cherry tomatoes.
Pesto Sauce
2 cups of fresh basil leaves
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup pine nuts
2 tbsps Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated
3 gloves garlic, peeled
1/2 tsp kosher salt
In a food processor or blender, combine basil, pine nuts, garlic, salt and half of olive oil. Process steadily until mixture turns into a grainy paste, while adding the rest of the olive oil in a thin, continuous stream. Remove to a container. Gently fold in grated cheese. Add more olive oil if sauce is too thick.
Dennie Chicken Dinner
Adapted from my friend Jason Dennie's recipe
2 cups peeled and quartered beets
1 cup peeled and quartered parsnip
1 Whole Chicken halved (cut down breast and back)
8 cloves garlic smashed and peeled
Salt/Pepper
1 Teaspoon smoked paprika
1/8 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
4 Cloves Star Anise
1 12oz bottle Pumpkin Ale
Arugula
Balsamic Vinegar
Olive Oil
Pine nuts
Preheat oven to 350
1. Put beets, parsnip, 1/2 garlic in bottom of dutch oven, then add Cinnamon, Star Anise, and 1/2 beer to pot.
2. Place both halves of chicken on top of vegetables, then add salt, pepper and paprika to the top of the chicken, then top with garlic.
3. Cover and cook for 1.5 hours or until temp of chicken is 165 turning chicken once.
4. Take out chicken and let rest 10 mins
5. Strain vegetables from broth and serve with chicken on bed of arugula, with balsamic vinegar, drizzle of olive oil and pine nuts.
Paneer (Homemade Indian Cheese)
Cheesecloth
4 cups whole milk
1/8 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus more as needed
Line a large colander with a large double layer of cheesecloth, and set it in the sink.
In a large wide pot, bring the milk to a gentle boil over medium heat, stirring frequently to avoid burning the bottom.
Add the lemon juice and turn the heat down to low. Stirring gently, you should almost immediately see the curds (white milk solids) and whey (the greenish liquid) separate. Don't fret, this is perfect!
Note: If the milk doesn't separate juice some more lemons and add another tablespoon or two. Boost the heat again and the milk should separate. Stir in a motion that gathers the curds together rather than breaks them up.
Remove the pot from the heat and carefully pour the contents into the cheesecloth-lined colander. Gently rinse with cool water to get rid of the lemon flavor. At this point, you could squeeze out some of the liquid.
Grab the ends of the cheesecloth and twist the ball of cheese to squeeze out the excess whey.
Twisting the ball to compact the cheese into a block, place it on a plate and set another plate on top. Weigh the second plate down with cans of beans or a heavy pot. Move to the refrigerator and let it sit about 20 minutes.
Lentil Quinoa Salad over Baked Salmon
Adapted from D'Arabian Recipe on Food Network
Ingredients
1/2 cup quinoa
1 1/4 cups water, plus 2 cups
1/2 cup lentils
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 lime, zested
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 green onions, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro leaves
4 Skinless salmon fillets baked and cooled
Prepare Quinoa as directed on package.
Put the lentils in a sieve and rinse in cold water. In a saucepan, simmer the lentils in 2 cups water until the lentils are tender, but not mushy, about 20 minutes. Drain and cool.
In a small bowl, whisk the mustard and vinegar together, and drizzle in the oil to make an emulsion. Add the garlic powder, lime zest, and salt, and pepper, to taste.
To assemble the salad: In a medium salad bowl, mix the quinoa, lentils, green onions, and chopped cilantro. Top the salad with the dressing, toss to coat and serve alongside cold or warm baked salmon.
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