Category: Side/Appetizer

Summer Carrot Salad.

Published on by KellyInTheKitchenLeave a comment

While wandering around the farmers market on Saturday morning, I encountered a little boy standing in front of a big pile of purple carrots. He was trying so hard to make sense of these strangely-colored vegetables, and both his mother and the man behind the table were indulging his curious questions. I love to see little ones engaged in farmers market culture, so I decided to play along, too. “I think I have to get some of those,” I said to the boy. “Would you pick me out a nice bunch?” He looked back at me with wide eyes and then started to dig through the purple carrots, handing me a bunch that he seemed to have chosen for no reason in particular. I thanked him, smiled at his mother, paid the $3, and went home to make this salad for my family. Goes great with flank steak. A good day.

INGREDIENTS

1 small onion, diced
2 bunches orange carrots, grated to thin, long strips
1 bunch purple carrots, grated to thin, long strips
2 cloves garlic, minced almost to a paste
3 tbsp olive oil, plus more for sauteing the onions
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp sugar
salt and pepper to taste
parsley for garnish
handful of raw almonds, crushed with the back of a knife

DIRECTIONS

Heat a splash of olive oil over medium heat and add onions and a pinch of salt. Saute until soft and translucent. Set aside to cool.

Combine garlic, the rest of the olive oil, vinegar, cayenne pepper, coriander, sugar, and salt and pepper. Mix well with a fork.

Combine carrots, onion, dressing, and almonds, and toss. Refrigerate for 4 hours before serving. Garnish with parsley and enjoy with steak or burgers as a healthier replacement for cole slaw.

Watercress and Radish Salad with Mustard Jalapeño Vinaigrette.

Published on by KellyInTheKitchenLeave a comment

The farmers market had some beautiful watercress and radishes on Saturday, so I picked up a few bunches of each, content in the knowledge that a yummy salad was in my future. Most of the time, I’m not a salad fan–or more accurately, not a lettuce fan. I’ve found that the salads in my life fall into two categories: boring or bad for you. That’s why, when I think of a salad like this one, which is neither boring nor bad for you, I get really excited and have to share it!

INGREDIENTS

2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp white wine vinegar
1/2 tsp mustard
1/4 tsp orange marmalade
1/2 shallot, minced
1/2 tsp jalapeño, minced
1/2 tsp fresh parsley, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1 bunch watercress, rinsed
1 bunch radishes, rinsed and sliced
1/2 tomato, diced

DIRECTIONS

In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, vinegar, mustard, marmalade, shallot, jalapeño, parsley, and salt and pepper.

In another bowl, combine watercress, radishes, and tomato. Toss all ingredients together.

Pile onto a plate and  sprinkle with more pepper. Enjoy!

Easy French Bread.

Published on by KellyInTheKitchenLeave a comment

My search for an easy recipe for a perfect loaf of French bread started on my trip to Denver last month. My cousin and I were browsing bread recipes and found them all totally convoluted, intense, and just impractical, so I promised that I’d find out the secret to easy French bread and then share it with her on this blog. Well, I’ve found that secret in another gem from my cooking idol, Laura Calder. I’ve switched up a few things from her original recipe: I added a bit more salt and used half whole wheat flour. A word of caution, though: it might be an easy recipe, but it takes a really long time—you might even say, foreverrrr.

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 tbsp salt
1/4 tsp dry active yeast
1 1/2 cups plus 1/4 cup warm water
additional flour or cornmeal, for dusting

DIRECTIONS

Whisk together flours, salt, and yeast. Stir in 1 1/2 cups warm water, and add the 1/4 cup water if needed. The dough should not be dry, and it’s okay if it’s pretty wet–it should be sticky, rather than a firm dough ball.

Cover the bowl with a tea towel or plastic wrap and let sit in a warm place for at least 12 hours, or at most 24 hours (I let mine sit 16 hours in the oven–keep the oven off, but leave the oven light on).

The dough is ready for the next step when you see little bubbles formed on top, and it will have just about doubled in size. If a brown crust has formed over the top of the dough, just use a spatula to fold it over once or twice to work this crust into the rest of the dough.

Take a tea towel and flour it generously. Place the dough onto the floured towel and turn the dough over so that all sides are floured. Knead it twice, fold the sides underneath it and shape into a dome.

Dust with more flour or cornmeal and wrap dough ball lightly in floured tea towel. Let sit for 2 hours.

Just before 2 hours is up, preheat oven to 450 F with Dutch oven or bread pan inside to heat. The dough ball will have more than doubled in size.

When the oven is preheated, transfer dough, seam side up, into the pan. Shake the sides of the pan to settle dough evenly, and bake for 30 minutes with the lid on.

After 30 minutes have passed, remove lid and let bread finish baking uncovered, about 20 minutes, until nicely browned.

I love this bread with cold butter and orange marmalade, and it makes great garlic bread too. Enjoy it, and be proud of how gorgeous this easy bread turns out!

Butter and Herb New Potatoes.

Published on by KellyInTheKitchenLeave a comment

New potatoes are those little guys you see in spring and summer. They’re not fully grown when they’re harvested, hence the “new.” At a farmer’s market on Saturday morning, I found a whole big basket full of baby marbled potatoes, so I took a few home to cook for dinner. A word to the wise about this recipe: the whole time the potatoes and shallots were browning, I was cursing myself for having no bacon in the house. If you’re lucky enough to have it on hand, USE IT! And don’t you dare feel any food guilt afterward: potatoes, shallots, bacon, butter–that’s the price you pay for authentic French flavor. Just enjoy it.

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 cups new potatoes
garlic thyme olive oil
small shallot, diced
thyme
parsley
salt
pepper
pad of cold butter

DIRECTIONS

Wash potatoes thoroughly. Place in a pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, let boil for  2 minutes, then drain.

Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add potatoes and shallot and cook until browned.

When browned to your liking, remove from heat. Sprinkle lightly with parsley and thyme, and add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in butter until melted. Serve plain, or with sour cream.

Zucchini Latkes.

Published on by KellyInTheKitchenLeave a comment

Passover, which began yesterday, is a very cool holiday. Growing up, I loved to read the story of Moses and the Jews in Egypt. I’m not sure why Christians don’t celebrate Passover, too; it is in their Bible, after all. Anyway, potato latkes are traditionally served during Hanukkah, not Passover…so these zucchini latkes are pretty much as non-traditional as it gets! That doesn’t really matter–it’s always the right time for frying.

INGREDIENTS

3 medium zucchini, washed, with the ends chopped off
1 carrot, peeled
1 shallot
2 eggs
3 tbsp bread crumbs (obviously use gluten-free bread crumbs here if you need to)
2 oz. feta cheese, finely crumbled
1 tbsp parsley
1 1/4 tsp dill
1 1/4 tsp coriander
salt and pepper to taste
vegetable oil

DIRECTIONS

Grate zucchini, carrot, and shallot into a strainer or colander. Toss with salt and let sit for 20 minutes, to drain off water. Then rinse the mixture, press out excess water, and pat dry with paper towel until no longer wet, but only damp.

In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients. Place mixture back in strainer and let sit for 10 minutes.

Heat vegetable oil in a pan. Form mixture into patties and place in the pan.

Fry until brown and crispy on the bottom, and then flip.

When both sides are browned and the middle is cooked through, remove from pan and cool slightly on a paper towel, to wick away excess oil. Serve as is, or with a scoop of sour cream. Yum.

Asparagus with Hard-boiled Egg Dressing.

Published on by KellyInTheKitchen1 Comment

Adapted from seven spoons, this alternative salad is unique, fresh, and bright. It’s perfect for dressing up a simple main dish, like a roasted chicken breast or mushroom ravioli. Welcome the spring with a vibrant and healthy asparagus dish, and watch out, or you might just eat the whole platter yourself.

IMG_1874

INGREDIENTS

2 hard boiled eggs, peeled and diced, whites and yolks separated
2 bunches asparagus, bases snapped off
1/8 tsp salt, plus more to taste
2 green onions, white parts finely diced, green parts sliced (keep them separate)
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp brown mustard
olive oil
red pepper flakes
parsley, chopped
pepper

IMG_1865

DIRECTIONS

In a medium-sized bowl (you’ll be mixing your dressing in here), stir together 1/8 tsp salt, the white parts of the green onion, and balsamic vinegar. Set aside.

IMG_1862

Fill a shallow pan with a bit less than an inch of water. Bring to a boil and add the asparagus. Cover and cook for 2 minutes, then remove from heat, drain, and place asparagus in an ice bath, so that they stay crisp and bright.

Combine mustard, half of the diced egg yolk, and 1 tbsp olive oil. Mix until smooth. While stirring, slowly add more olive oil until consistency is slightly runny. Stir in scallion mixture and egg whites, and add red pepper flakes, parsley, salt, and pepper to taste. Mix well.

IMG_1869

Place asparagus–either cold or hot, both are good!–on a platter and top with dressing. Garnish with remaining egg yolk and green parts of green onion. Happy St. Paddy’s Day!!