Holiday food should be easy and festive, don’t you agree? I love creating red and green food that sparkles on a plate and just screams out “Merry Christmas!” when you sit down to eat.

I used frozen cheese ravioli, making this dish just as easy as it is bright and festive! Twenty minutes from grocery bags to table – perfect for the frantic pace of the week before Santa arrives, I say!

Real Italian pesto is crushed, not processed into a paste, but the standard American version is easy to make with a food processor. I love classic basil-and-pine-nut pesto, but decided to get adventurous and try a pesto with another green. Kale is just about the healthiest thing you can put in your mouth. And its deep, dark green is perfect for a holiday sauce.

But. The dish needed some red before it could become a truly Christmas-y pasta dish. Jarred red peppers to the rescue! Just cut them into random star shapes and you’re set for Happy Holiday pasta!

Our Best to You and Yours ~ Have a most Joyous Holiday season!

Donna & Anne

This would be a perfect Meatless Monday Boxing Day feast on Monday ~ It’s what we’ll be eating!

KALE AND SUNFLOWER SEED PESTO

1 large bunch kale, any variety (about 8 cups chopped)
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
2 cloves raw garlic, diced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper sauce
2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (about 2/3 cup)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Blanch kale in boiling water for about 1 minutes, then rinse in cold water immediately.

Process all ingredients in food processor until well blended.

Serve with pasta of choice (I used cheese ravioli)

As proof that I’m NOT insane, here’s some other foodies that have made pesto from kale:

 Kale Walnut Pesto, Shutterbean
Kale Pesto, Always Order Dessert
Kale Pesto Dipped Chicken, Clean and Delicious
Kale Pesto, Comfy Belly

Amy Kelly Welsh and her Spectacular Alfredo Sauce

What’s better than cooking a delicious dinner for loved ones? Cooking along side your loved ones!

There are two kinds of people: those who are just present in the room and those who brighten the room they are in. My sweet Amy is in the latter group. You just cannot be in a bad mood when Amy is nearby. She has a smile and a spirit that shines brightly and warms you, welcomes you, comforts you.

Amy has been a joy and pure delight to me every single day of her 27 years – she turns 27 TODAY! If any of you out there are on the fence about whether to have children, please call me and let me talk about my daughter Amy. Plan on talking for about 3 hours because it will take me that long to tell you all the reasons I am so lucky that Amy is my daughter.

I usually make a birthday dinner for each of my kids – letting them pick their menu. But last night, Amy cooked for us for her birthday dinner. She is growing to love to cook, and has a few recipes in her repertoire that are spectacular. Alfredo Sauce is one of them.

Never, not even at fancy expensive Italian restaurants, have I ever tasted an Alfredo sauce as delicious as Amy’s. It is not just thickened cream with some garlic thrown in, but an intensely flavorful and full bodied sauce. (( WARNING: DO NOT MAKE THIS SAUCE IF YOU ARE COUNTING CALORIES. This the ultimate rich, fatty sauce! )) Try this one for a decadent Meatless Monday treat!

The Pecorino Romano and Parmesano Reggiano combination adds intense depth and flavor, and the cream cheese is much more flavorful than just plain cream. I say forget the pasta – just give me a bowl of Amy’s sauce and a spoon!

Read on for Amy’s recipe in her own words ~

OhMyGosh - I HATE standing next to beautiful Amy in pictures! (That's me on the right, in case you were confused.)

AMY’S FAVORITE BIRTHDAY ALFREDO SAUCE

I usually double this recipe if you have more than 8ish people (which
we usually do).

   * 1/4 cup butter
   * 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
   * 2 teaspoons garlic powder (or sauteed garlic in olive oil)
   * 2 cups 2 per cent milk
   * 3 ounces grated Parmesan cheese, 3 oz shredded parmesan cheese, 3 oz Pecorino Romano cheese
   * Black pepper to taste

Directions
1. Melt butter in non-stick saucepan over medium heat.
2. Add cream cheese and garlic powder/garlic, stirring with wire
whisk until smooth.
3. Then add milk, a little at a time, whisking to smooth out lumps.
4. Stir in Parmesan and pepper. Remove from heat when sauce
reaches desired consistency. Sauce will thicken, thin with milk if needed.

mmmmmmmm.
-A

other notable takes on Alfredos:
Alfredo Penne with Bacon and Broccoli, Buns in my Oven
Home Made Alfredo Sauce, Jamie's Recipes
Skinny Alfredo Sauce, Real Life Foodies Adventures

--posted by Donna

Polenta and Sauteed Greens Spirals

Who would guess that polenta could be a dish pretty enough to impress all your friends and neighbors? Heck, this one is even pretty enough to impress your boss!

Sometimes it’s all about the presentation. Sure, I have made polenta before with flavorful toppings. I even got fancy once and did a chili polenta parfait.

But then I saw a Rolled Omlette and was inspired to “roll” my polenta for a much prettier presentation. I was a little nervous that the soft texture of the polenta would turn into a big mess, but I was wrong. So, so wrong. Let me tell you, this works like a charm!

Try this humble peasant food turned into a foodie delight with a minimum of effort for your next Meatless Monday feast.

Then, sit back and see if you get a raise!

POLENTA AND GREENS SPIRALS

5 cups light colored vegetable stock
2 cups coarse grind polenta
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1 cup grated hard cheese, such as Parmesan, Asiago or Romano
1 large onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper sauce
2 boxes (10 ounces each) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and pressed dry
Dash of nutmeg
Salt and pepper to taste

Bring stock to a boil and slowly stir in polenta. Reduce heat and simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until very thick. Remove from heat and stir in 2 tablespoons of butter and cheese.

Line an 11 x 17 inch baking pan with plastic wrap and then spray lightly with oil.

Pour polenta onto baking sheet and spread evenly out, to about 1 inch thickness. Cool to room temperature.

Saute onion in remaining 1 tablespoon of butter for about 2 minutes over medium high heat, until softened. Add garlic and cook another minute or two until fragrant. Add in spinach and saute for a few more minutes, until moisture is removed. Stir in nutmeg, hot sauce and add salt and pepper to taste.

Spread greens evenly on top of polenta. Carefully roll up polenta like you would a jelly roll, from widest side. chill until set.

Remove from refrigerator and slice into 2 inch thick pieces and place spiral sides up on a serving platter. Microwave for about 2 minutes, until heated through.

There are endless things to do with polenta. A few fabulous ideas:

Poor Girl Eats Well did Polenta Mini Pizzas
Maria of Two Peas and Their Pod did Grilled Polenta Cakes
Kale Polenta sounds healthy yummy at We Are Not Martha
Dessert Lemon Almond Polenta? Yes – by Sally at A Food Centric Life
Lemon Polenta Cakes are also a hit at Not Quite Nigella
And, the always amazing Joanne did a Polenta Gratin at Eats Well with Others
Bacon Polenta by Dara at Cookin Canuck looks so decadent!

– posted by Donna

Savory Corn Creme Brulee

Anyone who has eaten with me at a restaurant knows I have a problem. A serious addiction. An addiction so severe that I lose control of myself.

My name is Donna and I am a creme brulee-aholic.

Every single time I read a menu with Creme Brulee listed as a dessert, I lose control. Breakfast, lunch or dinner, I simply must order it. I have eaten my weight in creme brulee over the years.

So that explains why, when I watched a recorded episode of Food Network’s Five Ingredient Fix a few days ago, I literally got up off the couch, grabbed my purse and headed to the grocery store STAT. ASAP. Toute Suite. Post haste.

You see,  Claire Robinson was making a savory creme brulee. Right, you got it: I had no choice.

 If you are a serious CB addict like me, or if you love corn like I do, I’m begging you: RUN, do not walk, to your nearest vegetable stand/grocery store/neighboring field of corn and make this dish. Before fresh corn runs out. For your next meal. Even if it’s breakfast. Or, for sure on an upcoming Meatless Monday.

Oh yeah. It’s that good.

Fresh sweet corn goodness in a creamy crispy-topped creme brulee. (Note: OK, it’s a very loose interpretation of “creme brulee.” It’s more like a fresh corn custard with a crispy top. But. Seriously. No less amazing.)

OK. Must stop writing now. I’m off to my fridge to reheat the leftovers.

– posted by Donna

Other food bloggers adventures with corn: Find out about freezing fresh corn over at Sarah’s Cucina Bella; Have you ever eaten fresh corn cakes? Try Love and Olive oil’s version. Check out the fresh corn arepas at My Columbian Recipes. We Are Not Martha has fresh corn muffins. Ok, this is so creative: Fresh Corn and Cherry Salad at Cheeky Kitchen. How about fresh corn buttermilk biscuits at The Runaway Spoon? Oh My Gosh – I must try the fresh corn and Hatch chiles with tilapia at We Heart Food. I can’t wait to try Cookin Canuck’s grilling method for fresh corn. WE still have a few weeks of summer to make Ezra Pound Cakes summer corn cakes. I’m intrigued by the fresh corn soup at The Kitchen Sink Recipes. And, how about this: fresh corn on grilled pizza by Everyday Southwest.

I like Ina Garten’s method of blanching corn just until the starchiness is gone, so I’m going to try that with just a little melted butter and salt.

SAVORY CORN CREME BRULEE

with Crispy Parmesan Topping

Recipe adapted from Claire Robinson, Five Ingredient Fix

3 ears fresh corn (Or, 2 cups frozen thawed corn kernels)
2 cups cream
3 large eggs plus two egg yolks
1/4 teaspoon salt
Dash of cayenne pepper sauce
1 cup coarsely shredded Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Cut kernels off cobs. Heat cream to a boil, add kernels and then turn off heat and let corn steep for 10 minutes. Blend in blender until corn is pureed. Strain mixture through a fine mesh strainer.

Whisk eggs and yolks and then add a little cream mixture at a time at a time, tempering the eggs.

Pour mixture into 6 buttered one-cup ramekins.

Bake for 30 minutes, until set in centers. Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature.

Sprinkle cheese on tops in a thin layer. Using a kitchen torch or broiler, toast the cheese on tops until golden brown.

My life improved about a million percent when I discovered that you could make pizza on the grill (or flatbread, or crostini, or garlic bread, or pretty much any bread that requires toasting).

When it is summer, nothing is better than grilling, I say!

I was thrilled to see a veggie pizza on my Secret Recipe Club blog for this month – Searching for Spice.

Corina from the UK has a lovely recipe for Vegetable Pizza on her blog – she said it is her first-ever homemade pizza! – and with my garden overflowing and my desperate attempt to keep up with it, I knew this is the recipe I had to make for this month’s Secret Recipe Club.

I was intrigued by her method of rolling out the dough by using not flour but OIL. Seemed strange at first, but then I thought that this would add a crispiness to the crust as well as making rolling easier. It worked like a charm, without adding more flour to the dough and making the dough tougher. Thanks, Corina, for this fabulous trick! I never would have guessed this is your first attempt at homemade pizza crust – it is delightful!

I changed up the sauce and just brushed Corina’s delightful crust with olive oil and herbs, sprinkled on some Parmesan and the grilled pepper rings and the result: OMG Deeeee-lish End-of-Summer Pizza on the Grill!

Happy Meatless Monday, Everyone!

– posted by Donna

First, heat up your BBQ grill.

Put your dough on an oiled pizza stone.

Spoon on the Olive oil and herbs.

Seriously, you just can't have pizza without Parmesan, can you?

Then, throw on grilled pepper rings and you're done!

PIZZA CRUST From Corina at Searching for Spice

Makes 2 big pizzas and serves 4

1 tsp dried fast action yeast

300g strong white flour

1 tsp sugar

15g olive oil

1 tsp salt

1 tbsp milk powder + 160 ml water OR 160ml milk

How to Make Pizza Dough

1. Put all the ingredients in the breadmaker. As when I make bread, I put the yeast in first and then the flour and then the other ingredients as the yeast and salt should be kept separated. Set the breadmaker to the dough programme and leave. Mine took 45 minutes. I then left it in the breadmaker to rise again for about an hour.

2. Take the dough out of the breadmaker and knead briefly. Divide into 2 balls. At this point the dough can be frozen or kept in the fridge for a day. Wrap in cling film first before freezing.

3. Lightly oil a baking tray. Roll the dough out. As it may keep shrinking back, be patient and keep working on it. Press it down onto the baking tray to make it as large and thin as possible.

(NOTE: At this point, I departed from Corina’s instructions and just heated my grill to “Screaming Hot” setting, then cooked it on a pizza stone that had been heated on my grill.)

Check out more fabulous Secret Recipe Club August Recipes:

Caprese Parfaits

For years, like many members of  the last few factory-farmed, shrink-wrapped, additived-and-preservatived generations, I thought I detested fresh tomatoes. Mealy and bland, almost always refrigerated, only acceptable in thoroughly stewed or sauced form. My mom used to nostalgically describe picking tomatoes as a child, out of my grandma’s garden in upstate New York, and eating them like apples. I could hardly imagine anything more revolting at the time.

Now, of course, we’ve all become much more sophisticated, in our current local, sustainable, seasonal collective consciousness. We know that what we really loathed were the out-of season supermarket imposters, mass-produced and shipped thousands of miles to your January attempt at a  salad (probably involving iceberg lettuce, which, I notice, is making an odd sort of comeback; perhaps it’s ironic, the produce equivalent of a hipster’s PBR). A truly fresh tomato, procured in its natural habitat and life cycle, that is a completely different experience.

I can think of no better expression of Tomato, its essence, the thing-in-itself, than the caprese salad. The first time I tried one, well into my twenties, was a revelation. Not as singularly defining as Julia Child’s sole meuniere moment, but akin to it, one of a series of palate-paradigm shifting moments. My first taste of pesto was another, as was cilantro.

But that first caprese, simple and brilliant – never had I experienced such perfect tomatoes, at their pinnacle in ripe flavor, firm but not tough, supple, not the slightest suggestion of mealiness. And the pairings, oh the harmonious flavor pairings, the basil and fresh mozzarella, with extra-virgin olive oil (used as it is meant to be used, not as an all-purpose cooking fat) and just the most delicate drizzles of balsamic vinegar (another revelation all on its own).  In short, it rocked my world.

This is so simple it hardly warrants a Formal Recipe; heck, I’m not sure it warrants an entire blog post, but I thought they came out so nicely I figured, why not share? Tomatoes are finally starting to ripen, at least around here; it’s been a late season, according to more adept gardeners than I. So I offer up not anything groundbreaking, but just an alternate way to present it as we all savor these tomato days, fleeting as they are and are meant to be.

CAPRESE PARFAITS

A pint or so of cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
A cup or so of basil, chiffonaded
16 ounces or so of fresh mozzarella, sliced and then cut into wedges
1/2 cup or so prepared pesto (optional; also fine with olive oil alone)
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

If you’re using the pesto, add a few tablespoons of olive oil to make it more pourable. Aside from that, my only advice is to layer in the order of tomatoes – mozzarella – basil and then drizzle a bit of pesto, if using. If not, this is where a touch of olive oil comes in for each layer. Repeat until glasses are full. Top with the prettiest tendrils of your chiffonade.

You might note the absence of balsamic in this; I do love it, but decided to keep the visual Viva Italia color scheme intact. Feel free to choose your own adventure here.

Salute!

– posted by Anne

P.S. I now completely understand the urge to eat a perfect, fresh tomato like an apple. My grandfather’s predilection for slicing  red onions and eating them in thick, buttered slabs, that’s a different matter.

Zucchini Salsa Verde Huevos Rancheros

One of my favorite go-to dishes of all time is huevos rancheros. I have been making huevos rancheros constantly for 30 years! It is a seriously delicious dish with a perfect balance of everything: sweet, salty, creamy, fresh, bright, homey, spicy, comforting, fulfilling.

And the very best thing about it? It can be ready in just a few minutes flat.

I decided to switch up the sauce to try a green sauce (OK, I’ll admit it: my garden is overflowing with zucchinis right now, do you blame me?)

This dish is so simple, there’s really not a “recipe.” So, here goes ~ just throw some zucchinis, jalapeños, tomatillos, onions on the grill until lightly charred. Then, whirl them in your food processor. Add  lime juice, just a little salt and some honey for sweetness and cilantro at the end for freshness. Add in a dash of cayenne pepper sauce if you want a kick.  Such a delightful summer sauce! Then, toast a few corn tortillas in a dry skillet. Ladle on the tortillas your sauce, a cooked egg, some diced chiles and some crumbled queso fresco cheese. Perfection on a plate!

Happy Meatless Monday, everyone!

– posted by Donn

Lower-fat Zucchini Shirred Eggs Baked in Ramekins

Shirred eggs are delicious and creamy on their own, but they are a little on the bland side. Just eggs baked in cream, basically. So, I decided to experiment with adding produce from our garden. I tried Swiss chard, spinach – but honestly, they were nothing to write home about. Then, I thought about slicing zucchini into paper-thin planks and use them like you would a leafy green to cradle the eggs. This was the winner by a landslide!

The roasted zucchini adds a subtle garden freshness to the eggs and dairy, and improves on the one-note flavor of the baked eggs. I also healthified it even more by using lower fat dairy than is usually called for – and a teaspoon of half and half instead of a tablespoon of cream.

In the early ’70s, I remember laughing out loud the first time I heard of a thing called “Zucchini Bread.” WHat?! Zucchini in Bread?! Absurd. Ridiculous. And then I tasted it. I was in shock for days. And  I never looked at zucchini the same way again.

This recipe is one of those recipes. You will look at zukes in a different way.

If you need to get rid of some zucchini, I highly recommend baking it with some eggs. And what the heck, you could even serve it as a Meatless Monday entree!

If you need more inspiration to get rid of zukes, I highly recommend South Beach Food Blogging Goddess Kalyn of Kalyn’s Kitchen – 20 Zucchini Recipes. Can’t go wrong with anything Kalyn makes!

ZUCCHINI SHIRRED EGGS

Total time 30 minutes
Serves 6

1/2 cup low fat ricotta
1/2 cup low fat plain Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
2 medium zucchini, sliced lengthwise 1/4 inch thick planks
7 large eggs, divided
2 tablespoons half and half
Salt and pepper, used sparingly

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix together the ricotta, yogurt, Parmesan and one egg, and spread 2 tablespoons in the bottom of each of 6 one-cup ramekins.

Take two planks of zucchini and place them around the inside edge of each of the ramekins. Crack one of the remaining eggs into each ramekin. Drizzle one teaspoon half and half around the top of each egg. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.

Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, depending on how firm you like your egg yolks.

Happy August, Everyone!

]]> http://www.apronstringsblog.com/entrees/zucchini-shirred-eggs-recipe-meatless-monday/feed/ 10 http://www.apronstringsblog.com/gluten-free/spinach-ricotta-roll-savory-sponge-cake-recipe/ http://www.apronstringsblog.com/gluten-free/spinach-ricotta-roll-savory-sponge-cake-recipe/#comments Mon, 18 Jul 2011 13:05:16 +0000 Donna http://www.apronstringsblog.com/?p=3698

Spinach Ricotta Roll

Some flavor combinations stand the test of time: garlic and onions; lemons and raspberry; peanut butter and chocolate. One of my favorite combos: spinach and ricotta. I was thrilled to find this easy and elegant way to pair spinach and ricotta in a dish that so pretty you could serve it to Martha Stewart for brunch: a savory take on a sponge cake roll.

We have joined the Secret Recipe Club – a once-a-month blog hop over at Amanda’s Cookin – an event with food bloggers supporting each other by sneakily making each others’ recipes. Don’t you just love the secret part?! And that’s how I came across this recipe.

Our assigned blog to cook from this month is cookingrookie.blogspot.com, a lovely blog from a blogger in Vancouver, Canada. We chose a vegetarian recipe with a stunning presentation: Spinach Ricotta Roll. It is low carb and I made it lower in fat than the original recipe by using low fat cream cheese and ricotta. I also added a few sprinkles of nutmeg into the spinach mixture to add some sassiness!

I used to make a pumpkin cream cheese cake roll, and the look of this dish reminds me of that dessert. So pretty on a platter – perfect for a  Meatless Monday feast!

This recipe was so fun to make! It is basically a savory sponge roll with a ricotta filling. The only thing that was a bit challenging was translating the recipe from grams into ounces, so I have added the ounces below.

Thank you, Cooking Rookie, for a fabulous new recipe ~ I’ll definitely make this again!

– posted by Donna

SPINACH RICOTTA ROLL

Serve 6 to 8 as a side dish

For spinach roll:

5 large eggs
2 ounces low-fat cream cheese, softened
3 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
A pinch of nutmeg
2 boxes (10 ounces each) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Blend in blender until smooth the following: eggs, cream cheese, flour, salt and baking powder. Stir this mixture into spinach.

Spread spinach mixture in a 9 by 13 inch pan that has been lined with aluminum foil and lightly sprayed with oil.

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until set in center.

Ricotta filling:

15 ounces part-skim ricotta
2 tablespoons light sour cream
1 teaspoon garlic powder
3 tablespoons diced sun dried tomatoes
2 ounces shredded Parmesan cheese

Mix together ricotta, sour cream, garlic powder and tomato bits.

Spread Parmesan cheese over a sheet of parchment paper that is at least 9 by 13 inches. INvert spinach mixture onto Parmesan cheese, and then peel foil off of spinach.

Spread ricotta mixture over top of spinach. Roll like you would a jelly roll from wide end, using parchment paper to help roll stay round.

Chill for at least 4 hours, up to 24.

Slice and serve, spiral sides up.

NOTE: You can serve this roll either warm or cold. We reheated it in the microwave oven and then sliced it. DE-lish.

Check out the other bloggers’ fabulous dishes by clicking on the photos below:

Watermelon Feta Gazpacho Recipe

Yes, I missed her gazpacho-eating days.

Anne,  my daughter, co-blogger and culinary muse, grew up in Colorado with a mom who made gazpacho (described here recently) and she downed it by the gallon.

I missed those years after she was placed for adoption. Turns out that I, too, was still a kid and had some growing up to do before I was capable of being the mom she deserved.

Since we reunited in 1999, Anne very graciously welcomed me into her life and we began cooking our way along, making up for lost time all the while chopping, stirring, braising. More importantly for purposes of this blog, we are both adventurous in the kitchen and love taking ordinary foods and tweaking them, making a whole new creation we never thought possible. Kind of like us.

So here, as a tribute to you Anne, is a fresh take on gazpacho made with the winning flavor combo of watermelon and feta. If you would have been in my kitchen with me today, I am certain we would have made this exact dish together. Tasting and laughing as we went.

I had leftover watermelon and thought of making a watermelon feta salad, which I have eaten many times in restaurants. But then I thought of Anne’s recent gazpacho post, and decided to throw caution to the wind and whirl a batch of gazpacho in my food processor.

This will surprise you – I mean, how could something that looks like salsa in a bowl taste sweet and summery and refreshing? Well, it just does.

Happy Fourth Everyone!

WATERMELON FETA GAZPACHO

8 cups of watermelon cubes
1 large English cucumber, chopped
1/2 cup diced red onion
1/2 cup diced cilantro
Juice and zest of one lime
Dash of cayenne pepper sauce
1 cup tomato juice (I used V-8, because I had it on hand)
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
A Dash of sugar IF watermelon is not sweet enough

Place half of watermelon, cucumber, and all of the onion, cilantro and zest and juice of the lime in food processor and process until very smooth. Pour into serving bowl.

Place remaining ingredients into food processor and pulse until very small pieces. Add to serving bowl.

Stir in half of the feta.

At this point, taste and add salt, pepper or sugar as desired.

To serve, ladle into serving bowl and then sprinkle with remaining feta as a garnish.

other food bloggers do gazpachos:

Watermelon Gazpacho, Perfect Pantry
Gazpacho, Brown Eyed Baker
Confetti Gazpacho, Kalyn’s Kitchen
Watermelon Strawberry Gazpacho, Delicious Days
Delicious Gazpacho, Jungle Frog Cooking
Beat the Heat Gazpacho, Taste Food

– posted by Donna