Jalapeño Egg Salad

July 11, 2013July 24, 2013 ~ Crystle ~ 3 Comments

Every Tuesday morning, before the sun rises, fresh eggs, butter and milk are delivered to an insulated box on my front step. I look forward to the arrival of these local farm fresh products and I don’t know what I’ll do without them this fall when we’re up in Alaska, predictably enduring the harshest winter of our lives.

I opened my fridge today, to contemplate dinner plans and I realized I had three dozen eggs from Smith Brothers Farms. Not wanting to wait for an evening frittata, I whipped up a new egg salad recipe.

This recipe is adapted from Pam Anderson’s Cook Without a Book: Meatless Meals. She provides a basic egg salad recipe, and you can plug in anything you like. I chose to make a southwestern style egg salad, mainly to accommodate what I had in my pantry.

It works! Jarred jalapeños, spicy red onion and salsa provide a unique twist on an otherwise ordinary side dish. I ate it for lunch with tortilla chips, but I highly recommend trying it in a whole wheat wrap. That’s what I’ll do next.

This recipe used up almost one carton of eggs, now I just need to make a couple of frittatas to use up the rest.

Jalapeño Egg Salad Recipe:

Ingredients:

6 eggs

1/4 cup light mayo

1/4 cup diced red onion

1/4 cup salsa – hot

1/4 cup diced jalapeños (fresh or jarred)

1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped

Salt & Pepper to taste

Instructions:

Place eggs in one layer in a deep pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil. When water begins to boil, remove pot from heat and let sit for 10 minutes. Drain the hot water, and replace it with cold water and ice. Let cool until the pot has become cool itself.

Dice onions, jalapeños, cilantro and eggs. Combine all ingredients in medium mixing bowl and stir well. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with tortilla chips, or in whole wheat wraps.

Notes:

I took the eggs from the pot and put them in a mixing bowl and ran cold water over them for a few minutes to get the process started. Then I let them soak in ice water. You can do this, or as noted in the instructions using the original pot to cool the eggs. It doesn’t seem to matter much. The point is cooling the eggs as quickly as possible, and keeping the eggs from sticking to the shell. Hint: run cool water over the eggs as you peel the shell, it keeps the shell together and separates the insides and the out rather neatly.

Pistachio Ice Cream

June 28, 2013July 1, 2013 ~ Crystle ~ 8 Comments

My husband is on vacation, and my family is trickling into town over this week and next. With the extra help around the house I’ve been able to stay in the kitchen more and tackle a few recipes I’ve been itching to try.

High on the kitchen to-do list are new ice cream recipes. What better way to ring in summer than with a fat scoop of homemade ice cream? I hope to have a few flavors in stock by the time everyone is here for a Fourth of July BBQ.

Since Pistachios are a pantry staple in my kitchen, it was only natural that I try out a Pistachio Ice Cream. This ice cream gets its nutty flavor from the almond extract and the lightly salted pistachios. I’d love to serve it over a hot white chocolate chip cookie, or even on my favorite Strawberry Galette.

Ingredients:

1 1/3 cups 2% milk

1 1/8 cups granulated sugar

3 cups half & half

1 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 teaspoon pure almond extract

1 1/2 cups shelled pistachios, roughly chopped (use lightly salted)

1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum (optional)

Instructions:

Pulse the pistachios a few times in a food processor using the chop function, or chop manually.

Using whisk attachment on mixer, mix milk and granulated sugar on low until dissolved, about 1-2 minutes. Stir in the half & half, vanilla and almond extracts.

Pour into ice cream maker and let mix until thickened, about 20-25 minutes. During the last 5 minutes, add the pistachios slowly. Serve immediately for a soft serve style treat, or freeze in an airtight container about two hours for a firmer blend.

Notes:

Xanthan gum is used in this recipe to keep the ice cream from getting icy overnight in the freezer. It will probably make its way into all of my ice cream recipes because I use 2% milk instead of whole. It’s optional, but it seems to do the trick.

Recipe adapted from Cuisinart.

Roasted Broccoli with Blistered Grape Tomatoes

June 17, 2013June 19, 2013 ~ Crystle ~ 6 Comments

Broccoli. I have so many regrets about not trying it until I was an adult. Growing up, my single-dad didn’t really have the culinary skills necessary to promote healthy eating in a picky eater like myself. It’s okay though, because I fixed it and he’s making up for it by doing generous things like buying my husband a grill for father’s day! He is one proud grand-dad.

So, broccoli: it’s my go-to vegetable for a healthy side, snack, or entree.

My hopes are that Margot won’t be a picky eater like I was. As soon as she’s able to eat solids, I’ll be making her baby food myself. Over time, I plan on introducing her to a wide variety of foods, and re-introducing them to her until she’s acquired a taste for them. That’s pretty much how I learned.

My favorite side (and occasional lunch) is this roasted broccoli with blistered grape tomatoes dish. It’s great on its own, dipped in marinara, or tossed into pasta.

Roasted Broccoli and Blistered Grape Tomatoes Recipe:

Ingredients:

3-4 cups broccoli

1 cup grape tomatoes

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

Salt & Pepper to taste

1 tablespoon grated parmesan — more or less to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 F.

Slice broccoli into florets, then in half so they lay flat. In a large mixing bowl, toss broccoli and grape tomatoes in olive oil. Season with dried oregano, and salt & pepper.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (for easy clean up) and spread the veggies evenly over the pan. Lay the broccoli on their flat sides, and bake for 20-25 minutes until the broccoli is browned and the tomatoes are blistered. Check in on your creation about 18 minutes in to make sure the tomatoes don’t shrivel up into oblivion.

Use tongs to serve (be gentle!), and dust generously with grated parmesan.

Notes:

I used freshly dehydrated oregano in this dish because I happened to have it on hand, courtesy of a local Olympia farm. If you have some like this, rub it between your hands to break it down and release its oils as you sprinkle it over the dish. This is the easiest way to maximize the flavor.

Try tossing these veggies into a bowl of hot bow tie pasta that has been mixed with goat cheese. It’s becomes a decadent, healthy macaroni and cheese.

The blistered tomatoes should be cooked until they wrinkle out of shape, if they’re still firm when you pull them out of the oven, be careful. They’ll squirt when you puncture them!

And if any of you moms out there have tips on homemade baby food, or preventing your child from becoming a picky eater, do tell!