An unholy experiment

Mushroom Kale Rosti: this dish is perfect on a chilly night. The kale and maitake mushroom add robust flavor. Use 4 small potatoes, julianned, Pre-sautée onion and mushroom in olive oil, remove from heat, add the potatoes to pan. Top with mushroom mix, and kale. Cover, let the potatoes pan fry. Remove, top with pancetta.  Serve warm. A virtual landscape of goodness!

Smoked Turkey Salad

This smoked turkey comes from Hendricks Farm. Add mayo, onion, celery, 1/4 thyme, 1/2 herb de provence , salt and pepper to taste, 1T honey and 2T balsamic white vinegar. Top with pancetta. We love this!

Copper River Salmon means summer.

 

Copper River Salmon has arrived and it is by far the best salmon of the season. We bake it with butter, honey, and pecan seasoned panko bread crumbs (from Whole Foods) for about 20 minutes. Tonight we had it with organic brown rice with butter and fresh broccoli. This is a comfort meal for me. It reminds me of those first years in our apartment when we began this cooking journey. Mike really started it. I was an apprentice for several years. I have come a long way from canned string beans and instant mashed potatoes. Enjoy!

Warm Bean Onion Pancetta Salad

This is one is fantastic. It's a recipe of Jacques Pepin's adapted to include our favorites.  I liked it even better the next day reheated. The marriage of flavors is perfect!

Warm Bean, Onion, and Pancetta Salad
Start to finish: 20 minutes
4 ounces pancetta, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 medium vidalia onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
3 garlic cloves, crushed and chopped
1 12 oz can cannelloni beans rinsed and drained
1/4 teaspoons Hawaiian sea salt or kosher salt
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
Place the pancetta in a medium saucepan over low heat. Saute for about 8 minutes, or until the meat has rendered much of its fat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, for about 5 seconds. Transfer the contents of the saucepan with the rendered fat to large bowl.
Add the beans, salt, fresh parsley, vinegar, oil and pepper. Mix well, serve warm or at room temperature. Reheat the leftovers.

Roasted Peppers made at home.

I love fresh roasted peppers.

Throw it all in there.

Pasta and so much more.

We love when our friends come for dinner. Tonight we served some raw oysters from the Chesapeake and we made Orrechette with panchetta, shitake, maitake mushrooms sauteed in port wine, sun dried tomatoes, roasted peppers and spinach. Little EVOO and an egg mixed in. Plus roasted asparagus.
So perfect for a rainy cold day. Great to see you Patty. Hope you will come back soon.

Trout with a twist

The best tasting meals are always the simplest ones. During trout season we get creative with left over fish. Tonight on the dinner table fresh trout that was baked at 350º with lemon pepper and lemon juice. We added mayo and lemon to the cooked fish to make a white fish salad. We topped it off with mango salsa made with mango, cucumber, jalapeno. cilantro and lime juice. on a whole grain cracker.

We stopped by a local farmers market Rosie's in Mullica Hill New Jersey for asparagus picked that morning. Roasted with olive oil, salt, and pepper in the oven at 350º for 15 minutes.

Finally we had raw Cape May Salts from Cape May New Jersey. They were buttery and absolutely delicious. This time of year is my favorite for eating light and healthy.

Tuna Italian Style

For this evenings meal, we made our favorite summer time salad. American Tuna with organic ingredients: carrot, onion, fennel, broccoli, fresh garlic and roasted peppers. Tossed with a balsamic vinaigrette. Served over a bed of organic arugula and watercress. It's more veg than tuna. More like a chopped up salad with a hint of tuna.  On the side Bosc pear and Midnight Moon Goat Cheese. A loaf of Ciabatta w/ Gorgonzola Cheese from Bakers on Broad.

This truly embodies all of our favorite foods in one meal. Tonight we ate our colors.

For this simple quick meal. place the organic carrot, onion, fennel, broccoli, fresh garlic into a food processor and chop. Add the mix to a can of American Tuna and toss with the vinaigrette. Serve on your favorite greens.

Asian Slaw

Slice cabbage (red and green), red onion, fennel. On a mandalin shred carrot, peeled broccoli stalks, radish. In a separate bowl, whisk together fresh grated ginger (micro plane), miso paste (2T), rice wine vinegar (3T), canola oil (1/4c). Pour over mix and let marinate for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with sesame seed. Serve cold.

Dinner on Sunday

The best day of the week to cook is Sunday. It's actually relaxing. Plan a meal, shop for fresh local sustainable food, stock the pantry! Then prepare the fresh ingredients like you are practicing to be a CHOPPED Champion. Next sit down and savor the goodness.  No rush.
Our dinner this evening was Asian Slaw, Sweet Potato Fries and Arugula Salad with watercress, sun dried tomatoes, roasted peppers, goat cheese from the farm and pear with a balsamic drizzle.

The entire meal was homemade including the roasted peppers. It took us almost all of the day to shop, and hour and a half to cook and finally an hour to eat!
It's all part of our SLOW FOOD Movement.

Fire Roasted Peppers and Homemade Pizza NIght

Mike roasted some peppers, added them to a jar with garlic, rosemary, sea salt, and light olive oil. We used them on our homemade pizzas. Easy as pie!

The Food Pyramid

 Dr. Weil's Food Pyramid. Advice to live by.
http://www.drweil.com/drw/ecs/pyramid/press-foodpyramid.html

Shitake Maitake Risotto

I made this risotto which is a good old standby. I use arborio rice with olive oil, garlic, organic chicken stock, and a pinch on Bourbon black pepper. Cooked on medium heat, gradually added the broth, stirred occasionally until creamy.  The mushrooms were sauteed in garlic and olive oil then added to risotto. Topped with raw grated goat cheese from Hendrick's farm and our very own goat Bleu.

Read more about the health benefits of Maitake and Shitake mushrooms:
http://www.livestrong.com/article/241248-what-are-the-health-benefits-of-maitake-mushrooms/

WELL Fed

WELL Fed
This is a  blog on Christina Pirello's website. It's hard core vegan but there is always some tidbit of information I can pick up and work into my eating healthy regimen.