Just Peachy

Peaches have been an abundant staple in my CSA loot these past few weeks. In order to preserve the life of some of the stone fruit that were about to cross over to the "other side", I decided to utilize them in a different manner than mixed with my Ezekiel cereal or Siggis at breakfast. Sure, I could have gone down the salsa or galette route but, when surveying the cheese department one afternoon, I knew what had to be done. Grilled peaches served as a flavorful catalyst for this summertime salad indulgence. Why do I consider this salad an indulgence? Solely because it was tossed with torn, creamy morsels of burrata. Hey, everyone has their vices; and mine typically fall in the stinky and fermented category.

Sort-of-Salmon Nicoise

Nothing personifies summer more to me than sipping crisp rose and eating chilled oysters or tart and tangy ceviche. Aside from the sticky and thick atmosphere that engulfs New York, summer pleasures can be simplified into hours slipping away at an outdoor cafe with animated conversation and ice cold wine. It also marks the beginning of my CSA. This is my second year as a supporter and participant in a local organic farm share. I love the unpredictability and challenge of receiving a bounty of produce and farm fresh eggs every week. There is also an inexplicable freshness and crunch that the produce has that you cannot obtain from your local Whole Foods. This past week’s bounty consisted of: kale, swiss chard, zucchini, green beans, mint, basil and mixed greens.

               

Curry Lane and French Fry Dreams

Sweet Curry Roasted Delicata Squash Fries with Curry Mustard Dip

The festive celebrating has continued into January as many of my friends celebrate their birthdays this month…which also means the convivial eating and drinking continues as well. With that in mind, I tried to recreate a light and refreshing salad that I had while on vacation. The salad was called the Simply Grilled and it was from the restaurant Veritas in Vieques. The salad is a variation on a Cobb, but the fresh lightly seasoned fish replaces the greasy fat-laden bacon. To accompany my large salad, I made fries from Delicata Squash. These fries were inspired by a lovely lunch I recently had with a good friend at a vegan restaurant called Peacefood Café on the UWS. We ordered their signature chickpeas fries and were enamored by their deliciousness. The fries were made of blended chickpeas and were bursting with Indian spice. For my variation, I kept it simple and sliced 2 squashes with the skin intact, and seeds removed, into fry-like shapes and coated them with 2 tbsp sweet curry powder, 2 tbsp olive oil, and a sprinkling of salt and pepper. The fries were roasted at 425 degrees for 40 minutes. While the fries roasted, I simply mixed extra strong Dijon mustard with 2 tsp sweet curry powder and chopped cilantro and chives for a tangy curry laced dip. These fries were delicious and hard to put down! Luckily they contained beneficial potassium, which is an essential mineral that aids with normalizing blood pressure. Yellow squash also contains lutein and zeaxanthin, which are vital for maintaining eye health and reducing damage from free radicals.

"The Simply Grilled" Salad (Serves 2)

12 oz Fresh Wild Red Snapper fillets

I box organic romaine hearts chopped

1 roasted red bell pepper chopped

2 sticks celery thinly sliced

¼ red onion thinly sliced

½ avocado diced
1/2 cup chickpeas rinsed

10 cherry tomatoes sliced in half

¼ cup Stilton or Gorgonzola crumbled

Salt and Pepper

Parsley and chives for garnish at your discretion

Anchovy Dressing

6 anchovy fillets

2 tbsp strong Dijon Mustard

2 tbsp red wine vinegar

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Ground black pepper

For the dressing:
Blend anchovies, mustard, and vinegar together in a blender. Slowly stream in olive oil with the motor on and season with pepper.

Wash and thoroughly dry the fish and season lightly with salt and pepper

Heat a pan with canola spray and pan sear each fillet for around 5 minutes a side or until the center is opaque and skin is crisp

Meanwhile, toss together all the salad components and about 2 tbsp of dressing

Serve fish on top of salad, garnish with herbs, and enjoy this light, healthful, and filling salad

Snapper Cobb

I know it is practically sacrilegious to serve cheese with fish in some elite circles, but this combo deliciously breaks the rules. 

Happy Birthday to all you January babies…. I have definitely enjoyed continuing the celebrations!

Curry Curry in a Hurry

Not everything turns out the way you want it to, and my attempt at the picture perfect roast chicken left me thinking that I should have saved my energy and called up Pio Pio. Needless to say, the evidence of the roast will not be making an appearance on TCR anytime soon. But alas, I was left with a hefty quantity of roast chicken that serendipitously was mainly dry white meat. To amend this cooking faux pas, I gave the bare and juiceless chicken the equivalent of a spa getaway to the Berkshires. He came back refreshed and glowing and was ready to win back my respect.

Curry Chicken Salad (hold the mayo)

Diced roasted chicken (2 breasts skin removed)

2 tbsp fat-free plain yogurt

1 tbsp hot curry powder

2 stalks celery chopped

1 1/2 tbsp raisins

1 tbsp walnuts chopped

1 cup arugula

salt and pepper

Whisk yogurt and curry together, mix in all ingredients, and season to taste with salt and pepper

Now I know this is certainly not the most original idea, but it’s a leaned down version of a classic. The chicken salad was the perfect lunch. It was spicy, tangy, and sweet, and I’m sure it will be even more flavorful tomorrow.

Curry not only adds wonderful color and a flavorful pop, but research also shows that it may be beneficial for your health. Turmeric, which is the main ingredient in curry and the reason for its yellow hue, has been used in Asian medicine for centuries to help with stomach problems, arthritis, and lack of energy. Recent studies show that turmeric has anti-cancer, anti-oxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties, so adding a little spice and flavor may be more healthful than you thought!

Curry, thanks for coming to the rescue, and here’s to hoping that my next roast chicken is a success! 

Thank God For Ina!

Wild Salmon Tartare

Mediterranean Salad

Roasted Cauliflower with Lemon Parsley Dressing

This weekend was supposed to be filled with fun and revelry with friends as we tried to clasp on to the bittersweet end of summer on Fire Island, but alas the gargantuous amount of schoolwork bound me down to my desk. To lighten up my mood, I called on my "good friend" The Barefoot Contessa, to shake me out of my disappointment. I was feeling a little fried, so I simply followed her guidance and created 3 light and healthful dishes that put me back on track.

All of these dishes appear in Barefoot’s book How Easy Is That? and, true to her words, everything was extremely simple, unfussy, and tasted great. The only addition I would make is to prepare some garlicky, cumin accented whole wheat pita chips to go with the Mediterranean salad.

The salmon tartar gained a lovely tang from two types of mustards, capers, lime juice, and dill, the Mediterranean salad offered a cooling crunch, and the garlic roasted cauliflower got an upgrade with the addition of a lemony parsley dressing to finish.

To my buds frolicking on FI, have a great time…I’ll be immersed in leftovers, study guides, and an itching feeling for sand in my toes. 

Simple Summer Supper

Heirloom lettuce salad with chickpeas, celery, local cherry tomatoes and white balsamic dressing, fresh New Jersey summer tomato sauce with yellow and red tomatoes, garlic, chili pepper, olive oil, and basil with Ezekiel Sprouted Grain Pasta, toasted sourdough with earth balance spread, diced garlic and basil. Raw cows milk Landoff cheese.

Keeping it simple is sometimes the best…especially when you have a three month pup on your hands! Please welcome the newest member of The Crunchy Radish, Henry Pepper!

Do The Cabbage Patch

On a recent sticky, tumultuously stormy evening, I was feeling like eating something with a spicy Asian flair, but decided against delivery…I always feel terrible for the delivery men when its pouring. So I slipped on my Wellies and braved the monsoon to head to Whole Foods to provision my meal. I am not always particularly enamored by the seafood selection or prices at Whole Foods. On quite a few occasions, I have had to augment my protein due to lack of selection or items being previously frozen. That evening was one of those occasions. I had originally envisioned grilling a steak of bloody red Yellowfin tuna, but compromised with some lovely plump fresh local diver sea scallops. I stuck with my original plan to make a spicy slaw, which would serve as the purple hued bed for the scallops. To start my slaw, I first made the vinaigrette that the slaw would be tossed in.

Vinaigrette:

2 minced cloves of garlic

1 tablespoon minced ginger

4 chopped scallions

1 minced jalapeño (seeds removed)

Juice of 4 limes

1/4 of a cup of chopped cilantro

1 tablespoon toasted black sesame seeds

1/2 tablespoon of ground mustard powder

3/4 cup of low sodium soy sauce

1/3 cup of sesame oil

2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar

black pepper

(Mix all the ingredients together and allow the flavors to meld. This makes a good amount of dressing and, depending on the amount of slaw that is made, you might have some leftover)

I then made the slaw:

Slaw:

1/4 head of red cabbage thinly sliced

1/4 head of green cabbage thinly sliced

1 red bell pepper thinly sliced              

1 medium sized red onion thinly sliced

1 cup carrots shredded

(Combine all ingredients in a large bowl)

The scallops should be cleaned and patted very dry, lightly salted and peppered.

I opted for grilling the scallops on a cast iron grill pan since I had originally wanted to grill the tuna steak, but pan searing would work just as well. I used an all natural canola oil grilling spray for the pan and grilled the scallops 2 minutes a side. Be sure that the pan is extremely hot-this will allow the scallops to get a lovely crisp brown top. Do not overcook the scallops or they will be very tough.

Once the scallops are almost done, toss enough dressing on the slaw to coat and flavor, but not to saturate. Plate as desired and ENJOY. The sweet, delicate mollusk paired deliciously with the spicy crunchy slaw. Sometimes last minute changes work extremely well.

Scallops are a delicious and delicate lean, low fat, low calorie protein that can be prepared exceptionally fast and with much ease. They are very high in Vitamin B12, selenium and potassium. B12 helps control homocysteine levels in the body, which reduce the risk of osteoporosis, heart disease, and stroke.

Cabbage, which some consider boring, is very versatile and can add a nice crunchy element to salads and sandwiches and is usually the star ingredient of slaws. Cabbage is a great inexpensive vegetable and is a member of the cruciferous family, which also includes broccoli, kale, and bok choy. Cabbage contains Vitamins K and C, fiber, folate and potassium and is believed to have cancer fighting properties.

I guess those cabbage patch kids had the right idea…

Have a lovely weekend Radish Heads! I’ll be in Sag Harbor celebrating my little Grammy’s 88^th birthday with lobster and chocolate cake! Happy Birthday Grams!

"Just Play it Cool, Boy, Real Cool!"

No matter how “cool” you are, there is no denying it is HOT! Remember to keep hydrated, try one of these refreshing dishes, or even indulge in a frozen treat!

Southwest salad with Shrimp

A light and refreshing salad that was perfect for dining during a heat wave.

The shrimp were marinated for 15 minutes in tequila, lime juice, garlic and ginger (you don’t want to over marinate them or the acid will cook the shrimp!). The shrimpies were then quickly seared and tossed with hearts of romaine, corn, avocado, jicama, black beans, radish, and cherry tomatoes for a spin on a southwest salad classic. A simple dressing of lime juice, garlic, cilantro, white wine vinegar and olive oil completed this refreshing meal. This healthful and filling salad paired perfectly with ice cold corona light and/or minerally Muscadet. 

Wild red snapper ceviche

Wild red snapper marinated for 15 minutes in lime juice, jalapeño, garlic, ginger, orange juice, cilantro, celery, and red onion.

Stay cool Radish Head’s and have a great weekend! 

Maybe I'm Just a Cornball

Peach, Blackberry, and Cherry Crumble

Arugula with corn, chickpeas, avocado, artichoke hearts, red onion and a mustard vinaigrette

Farro with spinach pesto, sundried tomatoes and arugula

With the weather so hot and humid, it has been hard to get motivated to get into the kitchen and cook, unless accompanied by an ice cold class of pinot blanc. Even with the liquid motivation, it has been hard to spend more than 15 minutes in my galley of a kitchen standing over a hot stove. So, to avoid passing out from heat stroke, I have been indulging in simple summer salads, faro tossed in pesto, and even a fruit crumble to reward myself for enduring the kitchen heat.

My crumble did not live up to my mother’s, but I did try and incorporate a healthier spin on this fruit filled dessert that could not have been easier. I layered sliced white peaches, pitted cherries, and blackberries in a pan. (Be sure to fully load the dish because the fruit shrinks when it cooks). I then mixed whole-wheat flour, oats, brown sugar, Earth Balance Spread, cinnamon, and nutmeg and layered it on top of fruit. After baking for 40 minutes, the crumble was crisp on top and gooey and delicious on the inside. A perfect treat topped with vanilla fudge swirl frozen yogurt!

Corn is coming to its peak, and it is such a simple and delicious vegetable to integrate into salads, pastas and breads or to enjoy in its unadulterated form. Corn is a starchy vegetable, which means that it counts as a carbohydrate as well as a vegetable and has slightly more calories than non-starchy vegetables such as broccoli or carrots. This certainly doesn’t mean that it doesn’t have benefits, and is still an excellent vegetable to eat in order to get your daily veggie fix.

These crunchy little morsels are loaded with fiber, Vitamin C and have cancer fighting phytonutrients that can also promote adequate vision and heart health. Try and get corn as fresh as possible, because as soon as it is picked, the natural sugars start converting to starch. Additionally, when simply boiling or grilling or popping, be mindful of what you put on your corn. People tend to smother their golden nuggets in butter or cheese. Try and cut back and enjoy the simplicity in the sweet and crisp summer delicacy, otherwise you turn a healthy item into a fat attack.

Here are some simple solutions to keep your corn light and delicious:

Air pop popcorn and season with different spices like garlic powder, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, or a little parmesan cheese or eat naked with the addition of a pinch of sea salt.

Cut kernels from the cob and mix them with various types of salads, salsas, or soups.

Roast the corn on a grill for a smoky flavor.

Or simply boil for 2 minutes for a crunchy and sweet summer time delight.

Fruitophile's Unite!

Grilled peach and arugula salad with mozzarella cheese, red onion, aged balsamic, olive oil, salt and pepper. 

Grilled summer squash with mint and balsamic vinegar

Fregula with clams

Still dreaming of my Italian getaway, I tried my hand at interpreting a traditional Sardinian dish. Fregula or fregola is a type of Sardinian pasta that is similar to pearled couscous. It is traditionally made with semolina dough that is rolled into little balls and toasted before boiling. The outcome is nutty little morsels that are slightly firm to the bite. We had fregula a few times on our trip and it was always accompanied with shellfish.

For this dish, fennel, onions and garlic were sautéed in a little olive oil. Once the ingredients were translucent, white wine was used to deglaze the pan. Cleaned cockles and diced tomatoes (pulp removed) were added to the pot and allowed to steam. Once the cockles were partly opened, the almost completely cooked fregula was added along with about a 1/2 cup of pasta water. When the cockles were fully opened, the fregula was finished with a little coarse pepper and parsley. Although “sacrilegious”, a sprinkling of Parmesan could have really elevated this light and simple dish.

Summer is a wonderful time to swing by the farmer’s market. It is abundant with summer squash, tree ripe peaches, and the beginnings of succulent summer tomatoes. The market pickins’ were the inspiration for the two accompanying dishes. Three types of summer squash were simply grilled with olive oil, salt and pepper and were then tossed with mint and balsamic vinegar. The simplicity really showcased the freshness of the buttery squash. For the salad, the peaches were lightly grilled and tossed with peppery arugula, creamy fresh mozzarella, red onion, and a simple drizzle of olive oil and aged balsamic. Grilling the peaches really brought out the sweetness and balanced exceptionally with the smooth cheese, spicy greens, and crunchy onion. I am usually not a fruit in salad person, but this dish converted me!

Who does not love a juicy succulent peach or a nectarine in the summer? The kind that you take one bite out of and the juice drizzles down your chin, but you are in such a state of euphoria that you could care less about the sticky sweetness dripping onto your shirt. Not only does summer offer the deliciousness of berries and stone fruit, but also along with the scrumptiousness, there is a plethora of nutritional benefits. Nectarines and peaches contain carotenoids and vitamin C, which promote eye health, immunity, and protection from certain cancers. Blueberries, blackberries and purple plums contain anthocyanins, which give the fruit their hue as well as anti-aging properties, aid with memory, and urinary health.

Fruitophile’s unite and savor summers sustenance!