My Favorite Breakfast

With my wedding only 3.5 months away, I have started my wedding diet. Since crash diets don't work for me, I had to make changes to my daily diet that I could maintain over a long period of time. The biggest change I have made is around breakfast. I adapted a recipe from the South Beach Diet, which has really helped. It's a breakfast frittata, which I make on Sunday, parcel out into individual Tupperware containers, then I take one to work each day. It's filling, tasty, and very satisfying. I find that when I have one of these frittatas for breakfast I can have a later and smaller lunch, which leads to a small, early dinner. So all in, I think that I am taking in less calories, and seem to be losing about a pound a week, which isn't crazy, but sustainable. I will say, this isn't proven anywhere and may not work for everyone, but it works for me.

With that preamble, here's the recipe. Look for notes at the end of ways to mix it up..

Basic Breakfast Frittata

1-2 tsp of olive oil
1 bag frozen spinach (preferably, not chopped)
1 bag frozen broccoli
1 clove of garlic
1/2 medium onion
1 dozen eggs
1/2 cup of non-fat milk
1-2 TBS salt (optional)
pepper (as needed)
1-2 handfuls Shredded cheddar cheese (or any of your favorite cheeses)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Defrost the spinach and broccoli in the microwave. They do not need to be hot, just not frozen. Ring out/drain any excess water from the vegetables. Set aside

Whisk eggs, milk, salt, and pepper, in a mixing bowl. Set aside

Heat oil in a pan. On low-medium heat cook onions until soft, lightly season with salt and pepper. Add garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Turn up heat to medium/high. Add defrosted spinach and broccoli. Saute until heated through. Add additional salt and pepper as desired.

Once vegetables are finished cooking, place them in a 6x9 inch baking dish, in an even layer. Then whisk the eggs briefly and add to dish. With a fork make sure that eggs have surrounded all of the vegetables and settled to the bottom. Then add cheese to the top of the dish in an even layer. With the back of your fork, make sure that most of the cheese is slightly submerged beneath the eggs.

Bake for 45 minutes to an hour. To test when the frittata is finished, poke a toothpick in the center of the frittata. If it comes out dry, then your frittata is finished. If it's still a a little wet, leave it in the oven until finished. Let cool for a few minutes before cutting into it.

To reheat place single service frittata on a plate and microwave for 2-3 minutes depending on thickness of frittata. Service with your favorite accompaniment.

Options:
-Sauteed mushrooms with garlic
-add a layer of frozen potatoes to the bottom
-red peppers, corn, peas, any of your favorite vegetables or leftovers will work
- bacon, sausage, ham, etc.. are also a nice addition, although not as healthy as the vege version

Happy New Year

It's been a while since I've posted. To kick off the new year, I wanted to share a dish a friend and I made for new years dinner, and I have made 1 other time since. We tested it in our Tante Marie Class on Northern Italian Cooking. It was delicious, easy, and sounds fancy. Thank you Tori for the recipe!!

Also, it's great for weeknight dinner parties. You can make it the night before and just heat it up. It actually tastes better this way.

For new years we served it with a meat lasagne, an escarole salad with meyer lemon and fleur de sel, and garlic bread. The meal was easy to make and delicious. For those of you that have not had escarole, it's delicious. It has a wonderful peppery flavor, similar to endive, but not as strong. I highly recommend you try it, if you haven't already.

Without further ado... Enjoy!!

Osso Buco Classico
Serves 8

Active cooking time: 30 min.
Inactive cooking time: 1.5 hours.

8 veal shanks

salt

pepper

1/2 cup of olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

2 medium onions

2 carrots, peeled and diced

1 stalk of celery, diced

6 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup dry white wine

1 large (28 oz.) can peeled plum tomatoes

1 teaspoon dry thyme

veal/chicken broth

1/2 cup minced fresh Italian parsley

grated zest of 2 lemons

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

On a plate sprinkle both sides of the veal with salt and pepper and set aside.

In a wide Dutch oven, melt oil and butter together over high heat. When the foam subsides, add enough veal shanks to just fill the bottom of the pan. Do not crowd the bottom of the pan. Leave enough room that the veal shanks are not touching. Brown the top and the bottom well and then set aside. To know when each side is done browning, the veal will easily separate from the pan. If it's sticking to the pan, leave it alone to brown a few moments longer. This will help to seal in the juice and create a lovely carmelization on the bottom of the pan, which will make the sauce richer. Repeat these steps until all veal shanks are browned and then set aside. If the pan gets dry, add more oil and/or butter.

In the same pan, add the onions, carrots, and celery and reduce heat to medium. Salt and pepper vegetables. Cook, stirring until soft about 7 minutes. Trust the look and feel of the vegetables. Do not go on time alone. Add garlic and a pinch of salt on top, and cook 1-2 minutes more. Pour in wine and bring to a boil, stirring. Add tomatoes, broken up with a spoon, and thyme; bring to a boil.

Return the veal shanks and any accumulated juices to the pan. If needed, add enough broth so that the shanks are almost submerged in liquid, but not covered, with liquid. Let return to a boil. Cover Dutch oven with foil then lid to create a good seal, then transfer to oven, until the meat is tender enough to fall off the bone, about 1-1.5 hours.

Transfer shanks to warm platter with a slotted spoon. Boil down pan juices until thickened, then spoon over shanks.

Mix together grated lemon zest and parsley and sprinkle some over each serving.

Cookbook Review - A Platter of Figs

Yum! That's the jist of my experience with A Platter of Figs by David Tanis. The book itself is beautiful with amazing pictures of the food which I always find helpful when trying to determine what my final product is supposed to look like. The recipes are ordered by seasons and in menus, each focusing on the freshest ingredients. That alone would make me buy this book, but before I added to the collection (it's a large one), a group of us decided to test a few of them out.

We decided to make a total of 10 dishes between the 4 of us and we gave ourselves 3.5 hours. We luckily got it all completed, but it definitely required some team work. Everything turned out delicious. We tried to review all of the recipes at the end and here is what I could remember..

Cherry tomato crostini with ricotta - SO GOOD!!! AMAZING! Crostini will never be the same again. I enjoyed eating the leftover the next day even on soggy bread it was so good...
Spinach cake - Surprisingly light and accompanied with a tasty herb salad, which completed the dish perfectly.
Corn, squash, & beans with jalapeno butter - Really tasty.. you can never go wrong with spicy butter.
Green lasagne - Certainly a labor of love... The recipe for the noodles was a little dry, so added a lot more olive oil. I did a lot more than 4 layers too, and kept the filling to a minimum between each layer. Also only used half of the bechemel it required and didn't cook the noodles first.. Turned out delicious. This is obviously one of the one's I worked on
Shaved summer squash - You would never guess that raw squash could be so tasty, but it was good so good.. and so were the raw squash blossoms.. YUM!
Lobster risotto - Delicious.. Another labor of love between cooking the lobsters, taking out the meat, then making the broth and stirring the risotto... It did make tons of lobster broth though, which was saved for another use.. Very very good...
Roast pork loin - This was super tasty. Lots of great flavor. The only change I would make is to buy an instant read thermometer you can leave in the oven. We played it a little too safe and over did it a tad. Also, buy a pork loin with lots of fat is needed to keep it moist or wrap it in bacon.
Peaches in wine - So refreshing and light.. The peaches are not cooked so they keep their firmness.
Blackberry and blueberry crumble - Amazingly good, and I don't even like cooked fruit.. Especially with vanilla ice cream.. YUM!

So all in, I have to say that this book is definitely on the buy list. Everything we had turned out so well, the boys even did the cleaning up.

(pictures to be added soon)

Tante Marie Cooking Class

A little over a year ago, I took my first class at Tante Marie with Jodi Liano. I took The Basics (Series III) course with her, every Tuesday for 6 weeks. The focus of the class was on timing, but I also learned a lot of techniques, which had intimidated me in the past. By the time the 6 week course was finished, I was hooked on cooking classes. I waited for the next round of classes to come out, and as soon as they did, I forwarded them onto anyone I thought would be interested and started planning which classes I would take.

Last weekend I took Tante Marie's Quick and Easy Mediterranean Cooking with Jodi and got so many great recipes using lots of whole grains, which had intimidated me in the past. We made a fantastic harissa, which I can't wait to make at home (I'll share once I get a chance to make it myself). My favorite dish was the Tomato and Pesto Farrotto. Farro, often confused with wheatberry or spelt is actually emmer, which comes from the wheat family. It has a nutty taste and a similar texture to arborio, but without the gummy-ness. SO GOOD, better than risotto, in my opinion! I loved the farro so much that I made it for dinner this week and added lots of fresh veges. As an added bonus, Carl LOVED it! This will definitely be added to the rotation.

Side note: The farro pictured below is the brand I used, and you can find it in Whole Foods near the packaged brown rice.

(Fresh Vege) Tomato and Pesto Farrotto
Serves: 4-6
Cooking time: 60 min. (if you make it with the veges)

2 cups of farro
3 TBS extra virgin olive oil, divided
3 cups reduced-sodium vegetable or chicken broth (or water)
2 medium cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 lb ripe cherry tomatoes, halved
5 TBS prepared pesto (see recipe below)
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and Pepper

Optional ingredients
1/2 cup zucchini, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 cup red or yellow pepper, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 cup onion, diced
1/2 cup peas (fresh or frozen)
1 cup of broccoli tops, cut into 1 inch pieces

Rinse the farro in a fine sieve. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add farro and cook at a low boil for 15 minutes. Drain and transfer to a bowl. Stir in 1 tbs of olive oil and 1/2 tsp salt. Set aside. (the farro can be prepared and refrigerated up to 24 hours in advance).

Heat broth in a saucepan on medium-low heat. Pour remaining 2 tbs of olive oil in a 10 to 12 inch skillet and heat on medium heat. Add garlic and any "optional ingredients" except peas. Stir in crushed pepper and cook until onions are soft. Salt and pepper to taste. Fold in tomatoes and peas. Stir in farro, mixing well to coat the grains, and add a ladle of broth.

Cook the farro, stirring often to prevent sticking, and adding a ladle of broth every time the liquid is absorbed. Cook until farro is tender but still has a little bite int he center, about 20 minutes total (judge by texture and less by time). Stir in pesto and grated cheese. Taste. Add salt, pepper, more pesto, more cheese, as needed. Serve immediately.

Side note: To refresh leftovers, saute more vegetables until soft. Add leftovers, with a little stock and stir until stock is absorbed and leftovers are cooked through.

Pesto

1 handful of basil leaves
2-3 garlic cloves
3 tbs toasted pine nuts
approx 1/4 cup good olive oil
2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 - 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese

In a mini food processor, chop the garlic with the salt. Add the basil leaves, 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese and pine nuts, then puree. Drizzle olive oil into the mixture, until smooth. Periodically push the puree down the sides of the bowl and continue to puree. Taste. Add any additional ingredients to taste.

Sunday Dinner

Last night, Carl and I had our friends J & A and their little one, S, over for Sunday dinner. During our many dinners together, we have often talked about family dinners as kids, and how in all of our homes, Sunday lunch or dinner was a requirement. In Carl and J's house, their mom's always did a Sunday roast, and in honor of that tradition, I made roasted chicken and gravy for dinner.

For some simple side dishes, I roasted potatoes (some under the chicken) and asparagus, steamed some broccoli, and sliced up some fresh bread. A simple dinner, but one that brought back memories of childhood and sitting around the table having dinner as a family.

Roasted Chicken
Serves: approx. 6
active cooking time: 15 min.
inactive cooking time: 1.5 hours

1 4-5 lb roasting chicken (air chilled for better flavor)
salt and pepper
olive oil or butter, softened
herbs (parsley, oregano, thyme, rosemary) - choose as many or as few as you like
1 lemon, cut in half
1 head of garlic, chopped in half width-wise
5-6 cloves of garlic peeled
4-5 potatoes (Yukon gold, russets, etc..) sliced in wedges or 8-10 (red potatoes, fingerling, etc..)
2-3 carrots, peeled and cut into quarters
1-2 parsnips, peeled and cut into quarters
1-2 yellow onion, cut into thick slices

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a large baking (preferably metal/cast iron) dish, toss together potatoes, onions, carrots, parsnips, and peeled garlic cloves with a little olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread evenly on bottom of baking dish. If the dish is too crowded, take out some of the potatoes and parsnips, and roast separately.* Set aside.

Remove giblets from chicken, and save them for making gravy. Salt and pepper cavity of the chicken. Stuff chicken with half of the lemon, half of the garlic head , herbs of choice, the other half head of garlic, and end with the other half of the lemon. Then tie together the chicken legs, which should close the cavity. Tuck wings in, or tie them to chicken. Rub the outside of chicken with butter or olive oil, I prefer butter, and salt and pepper liberally. Place chicken breast side up on top of the veges.

Put the chicken into the oven for about 1.5 hours or until the thermometer reads 160 degrees at the breast. Remove the chicken from the oven, and place on a cutting board, preferably with a moat to catch any juices that will inevitably run off, to rest with foil tee pee on top for 10 minutes. The internal temperature will continue to increase to the recommended internal temperature of 165 degrees. Check vegetables to be sure they are done. If not, put them back in the oven until finished. Now carve the chicken and plate.

Once the vegetables are done, remove them from the pan, and see recipe for gravy below for turning the drippings into gravy.


*If roasting some veges separately, 45 minutes before the chicken is done, put the extra veges in the oven with the chicken.




Chicken Gravy
Makes: 2-3 cups


giblets
thyme
bay leaf
3-4 cups of chicken broth
1/4 cup of dry white wine
1 packet of chicken gravy mix (simply organic, knorr, etc..)
salt and pepper
2 tbs. olive oil


In a sauce pan, brown giblets in olive oil. Once browned on all sides, add chicken broth, thyme, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then simmer while chicken is roasting. Once chicken and vegetables have finished roasting, remove vegetables from pan. Hopefully there will be some juices left over in the pan. Put pan over heat and add wine to the pan. Cook slowly, scraping the bits from the pan. Once all of the bits have been removed, add the remaining liquid to the chicken broth. Strain the broth, remove any large bits and the giblets. You should have about 3 cups of liquid. Return broth to sauce pan, then slowly whisk in gravy mix. Let simmer for 2-3 minutes. Then taste.

Salty? Add more chicken broth or water. Remember, that the salty-ness will be diluted once put on the chicken, so if it's a little salty, that's OK.
Not salty enough? Add or salt and pepper
Too much wine flavor? Add chicken broth
Too thick? Add chicken broth

ENJOY!

Offal-ly Yummy!!

Last night we ended up at Incanto and had a delicious meal. We started off with their Antipasto Platter for 2, which had a selection of salamis, a head cheese, and a country pate, many of which you can purchase from Boccalone in the Ferry Building. Then we had Marinated Local Sardines and the Beef Heart. YUUUM-MMMMY! I wasn't sure what to expect from the heart, but it tasted like a rare, moist, piece of beef. It was seared on the outside and served with a little salad. After that, I am more than willing to try more offal, especially at Incanto. We followed that with the Pork Ragu, always delicious, and the Pastrami-ed Cornish Hen... SO GOOD! The Cornish hen was perfectly cooked, juicy and full of flavor, with a hint of citrus in the marinade. It was even delicious when I reheated the leftovers the next day.

If you haven't been to Incanto, I highly recommend it. Chef, Chris Cosentino, is almost always there. You will see him in his signature, striped apron. He also has a website Offal Good where you can read his blog and learn more about offal.

Whether you like offal or not, the food at Incanto is always delicious, organic, locally sourced and sustainable. Check it out....


Incanto, Italian Restaurant and Wine Bar
http://incanto.biz/
1550 Church Street at Duncan
415-641-4500
Rating: 9.5/10
Cost: $$$ (out of $$$$$)

Always a hit - Appetizer

Last year, I took the Basics 3 class at Tante Marie every Tuesday for 4 hours. It lasted 6 weeks and at the end of every meal we had a family dinner with wine. In each class we made 10-12 dishes including appetizers, main courses, and desserts. Each class focused on a different region, and I ended up with a healthy stack of recipes for any occasion. I have used my Tante Marie recipes over and over again, and have found that my favorite dish to make (because it's always a hit) is the Wild Mushroom and Gruyere Tart.

The recipe I was given is for a large tart which I cut into individual servings and is served with an herb salad, which I have served once for a dinner party. The next time I made the tart, I decided to cut the dough into quarters and make individual sized tarts. The more I made it, the smaller I went. Finally, I made them bite-sized.... When making them bite-sized, I skipped the egg-wash. It's not needed. The bite sized tarts are VERY time consuming. Beware....

The last time I made them, I used a biscuit cutter and made them round. This is my favorite method. They were neat and beautiful. Going forward, I will make them round and cut them into quarters if I want them as a hors d'oeuvres

The key to the recipe is the mushroom mixture. Definitely try this before putting the tart together.

Enjoy!!