Knead to Cook

Food & fitness obsessed girl.

When a vanilla balsamic reduction met up with red beets.

by Filed Under: Appetizers, Salads, Sauces, Vegetarian 2 Comments

Okay I admit it, I’ve always been leery of the beet!  I’m not sure why.  The red hands, the production, or so I thought to cook them…. in my mind it just wasn’t worth it.  Then, one day, I was pretty much forced to choose either tuna atop of a bed of greens or beets atop of a bed of greens for a lunch date.  I bit the bullet!  I did it!  And much to my chagrin… I loved them.  Earthy flavor.  I do love the color because it means that they are packed with vitamins, which they are.  They are great for runners, which I am.  And as my youngest informed me, if you eat a ton of them she heard that your urine turns pink.  Okay, I have no idea if this is true and I’m not googling it.  I can’t believe I just typed the word “urine” on my food blog but I thought her humor may make you laugh, as it did me.  So here we go… my recipe for roasting them easily and a delicious vanilla balsamic reduction to pour over top. Yum!

Let’s break this down and take the beets first.

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Get a large roasting pan lined with foil.  Set aside.  Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.  

Buy as many as you need.  I had two large sized (a bit bigger than a baseball) beets.  I cut the greens off (yes I know you can use them for other recipes but I had to focus on the beets first – and I did compost the leaves). WEARING DISPOSABLE GLOVES (you can get them at the grocery store) scrub them good.  They are filthy little things.  I used warm water and went to town.  Gently place them on your foil lined pan.

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Olive oil and salt!  Drizzle them generously with olive oil and sprinkle salt atop of each one.  Give them a good massage.  Then remove your gloves and throw away.  Take another piece of foil and cover the entire pan (over the top of the beets making a tent-like cover).  Place in your oven.  Roast for 1 hour.

Testing… very much like a baked potato.  Stick a knife or fork in it.  If if pierces the skin and goes deep into the vegetable – they are done!  If not, cover and bake for a bit longer.  Keep testing until they’re done.

Remove and let cool completely.

Gloves STAT!  Now, with your gloves on remove the beets and place them on a cutting board.  With a filet knife, I removed the skin carefully-  composting that as well.  Then I sliced them, you can do large slices like an apple ring or cut into bite sized pieces.

There, you totally roasted your beets!  You can store them in a lidded container or eat them right away.

Vanilla Balsamic Reduction:

1 cup of better quality balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons of brown sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Directions:

In a non-reactive small pot, place all of the ingredients and bring it to a boil.  Once boiling, whisk away and turn the flame down to low.  Whisking occasionally, let the mixture reduce and thicken for about 20 minutes.  Avoid over-cooking this or you will have a caramel textured taffy.  When you can coat the back of a spoon or a whisk and 20 minutes have passed, you’re ready.  Pour the reduction into a container or mini pitcher and let cool.  Use this to top your beets, chicken, beef, seafood or whatever your heart desires.  A little goes a long way.

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And two pics of the final products.

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— Knead to Cook

Napa & Red Cabbage Asian Salad with Ginger Dressing.

by Filed Under: Asian inspired, Salads, Vegetarian 2 Comments

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Last night my daughter and I had just arrived home from being away for 6 days.  I wanted a bright and colorful salad for dinner (paired up with some bbq chicken) that everyone would enjoy.  Everyone, kids included, loved it.  The dressing is light and fresh.  Adding your favorite nuts (I used peanuts) also adds some great protein and healthy fats.

Ingredients:

1 head of Napa cabbage (1.5 lb or so) washed and sliced very thin
1/4 of a head of red cabbage (outer leaves removed) washed and sliced very thin as well
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced into rings
1/4 cup of cilantro leaves, washed and roughly chopped
1 tablespoon of toasted sesame seeds (topping)
1/4 cup of chopped almonds or peanuts

Dressing:

2.5 tablespoons of red wine vinegar
1 heaping tablespoon of good quality dijon mustard
1- 2 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated finely
3 tablespoons of olive oil

Directions:

Salad:  On a large platter lay out the napa and red cabbage spreading it out.  Then atop, lay the bell peppers on top.  Layer with cilantro, sesame seeds and nuts.

Dressing:  Into a tupperware container, place all of the dressing ingredients.  Secure the lid and give it a good shake.  Toss with the cabbage or let each person do it on their own.  Enjoy!

— Knead to Cook

Heirloom Tomato Prosciutto Salad with a Balsamic Reduction.

by Filed Under: Salads, Vinaigrette 2 Comments

We harvested a lot of heirloom tomatoes today from our garden. Nothing beats the flavor of a home-grown tomato.  I thought I would make a lovely salad to go along with my pork that would be a fun take-off of a BLT.  Prosciutto replaces the traditional bacon.  The lettuce has been replaced with fresh basil.  And the tomatoes are the star of the salad.

First, you want to put a sauté pan over a medium flame.  I add about a teaspoon of olive oil and once hot, add about 1/4 lb of prosciutto (thinly sliced).  Watch it closely because it will cook quickly.  Flip and keep rotating to avoid burning.  When nicely cooked and crispy, remove and place on a paper towel/plate to drain.  When cooled, crumble for the salad.

In a small pan, heat 1/2 cup of a good quality balsamic over medium heat.  Stirring occasionally.   This will reduce within 3-5 minutes.  Remove from heat and let cool.

Slice your tomatoes and place on a large platter.  Top with basil leaves.  Then add the pancetta and drizzle with the balsamic.  Serve at room temperature.  Season with salt and freshly cracked pepper.

— Knead to Cook

Meyer Lemon & Honey Vinaigrette.

by Filed Under: Salads, Vegetarian, Vinaigrette 2 Comments

I was craving a big salad.  I have laugh, I feel like Elaine on Seinfeld.  So I made a huge salad topped with some organic grilled chicken and I needed a great vinaigrette.  I luckily scored some fresh Meyer Lemons and thought it would be perfection. I was right, it was really good and really simple.  Can’t go wrong!  This is so good, I could possibly eat it straight!  Ha ha.  I normally don’t use a lot of dressing but admittedly, got a bit heavy-handed with this one.  I hope you give this one a try.

Ingredients:

2 Meyer Lemons (zest from one) juice from both
1- 1.5 tablespoon of honey
2 tablespoons of champagne vinegar
1/2 cup of good olive oil 
Pinch of salt
Ground pepper

Directions:

Combine all ingredients and shake well.  Enjoy!

 

— Knead to Cook

Tomato salad.

by Filed Under: Gluten Free, Salads, Vegetarian Leave a Comment

This salad just screams summer.  Fresh tomatoes and basil from our garden.  Not much more needs to be said about this salad but perfection 🙂

Ingredients for the balsamic vinaigrette:

1/4 cup or so of balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon of dijon mustard (I used Maille)
Salt & pepper
Dash of red pepper flakes
1 garlic cloves, smashed and finely chopped

Directions:

Whisk together and top your tomatoes and basil with the vinaigrette.  Also perfect for a dipping sauce for your crusty bread.

— Knead to Cook

Pistachio Mint Tabbouleh {made with quinoa not bulgar}.

by Filed Under: Salads, Side dish, Vegetarian Leave a Comment

I adore side dishes like this during the summer.  Make ahead.  Serve at room temperature.  This screams summer.  Bright flavors.  Crunchy texture.  {yum.}

Ingredients:

1 cup of cooked quinoa (red or white)
3 tablespoons of lemon juice (fresh is best)
1/2 teaspoon of raw honey (regular is fine as well)
1 cup of shelled pistachios, chopped
1/2 cup of parsley, chopped
1/2 cup of fresh mint, chopped
1 cucumber, finely chopped
1 spring onion, diced
10 cherry tomatoes, chopped
Zest from one lemon

Directions:

Combine in a bowl the lemon juice and honey.  Whisk to combine.  Then add the remaining ingredients and toss to coat/mix.  Serve at room temperature.

— Knead to Cook

Fresh summer fruit & red quinoa balsamic salad.

by Filed Under: Breakfast, Salads, Side dish, Vegetarian 5 Comments

This quick and easy salad is perfect for a refreshing summer dinner.  We are off early tonight to head to a swim meet and this protein-packed dinner.  You can certainly use whatever free stone fruit and berries that you have on hand and make this your very own.

Ingredients:

1 cup of red or white quinoa, cooked and cooled
1 quart of strawberries, hulled, washed and chopped
2 peaches, stone removed and chopped
1 nectarine, stone removed and chopped
Juice from 1/2 of a lemon
Zest from half of a lemon
15 mint leaves, chopped
1/4 cup of good quality balsamic vinegar

Directions:

Add all of the ingredients to a bowl and stir well.  I leave this sit on my countertop for about 20 minutes prior to serving to let the balsamic seep into the fruit.  Serve alongside chicken, fish or pork.  Enjoy!  Would also make a great breakfast 🙂

— Knead to Cook

Balsamic Cucumbers.

by Filed Under: Salads, Side dish, Vegetarian 1 Comment

We harvested our very first cucumber yesterday and I made my favorite, super easy, refreshing salad with it.  Although this recipe can be made with any normal grocery store balsamic, I’m a huge proponent of buying a much better quality balsamic when you’re eating it pretty much straight.  Aged balsamic vinegar has such a wonderful complexity of flavors, smooth and doesn’t have that bitter bite afterwards.  I use Olivier Aged 25 year balsamic.  One bottle lasts me typically half the summer – and I use it in many dishes that I make.

Ingredients:

2-4 cucumbers, peeled and sliced into 1.5 inch slices
salt and pepper
3 tablespoons balsamic (eyeball the amount more/less depending on the quantity of cucumbers that you use)
1/8 tsp of better quality dijon mustard (I used Maille)
1/2 tsp of fresh chives, sliced into small pieces

Directions:

Add your cucumbers to your bowl and season with salt and pepper.  Set aside.  In a small bowl combine 3 tablespoons or so (again depending on how many cucumbers you’re using) and of dijon.  Whisk to combine.  Pour over the cucumbers and toss.  Top with the chives and serve or refrigerate until serving.  Must serve this dish nice and chilled 🙂

— Knead to Cook

Fresh grilled chicken with oranges, avocados over a bed of Napa cabbage with a peanut sesame lime dressing.

by Filed Under: Chicken, Salads Leave a Comment

Light & refreshing is exactly what we all needed tonight.  Kids just got home from a killer swim practice and I needed something easy (busy day) and something light that wouldn’t weigh me down.  This was perfect 🙂

Ingredients for the salad:

1 head of Napa cabbage, shredded finely
4-5 chicken breasts (enough to serve your family)
4 oranges, peeled and sliced
1 jalapeño, diced with seeds removed
1/4 of a red onion, finely chopped
1/4 c of cilantro leaves, washed and rough chopped
2 tbl fresh lime juice
2 avocados, pitted and diced
1 tbl of sesame seeds (garnish)

Directions for the salad:

In a large bowl mix the Napa cabbage, oranges, jalapeño, red onion, and cilantro.  Set aside.  In a small separate bowl, add the avocado and lime juice.  Toss to coat and set aside.

Grill up your chicken  and then let rest for a few minutes.  Then chop into bite sized pieces.  Add to the salad.

Ingredients for dressing:

1.5 tbl of peanut butter
3 tbl of fresh lime juice
1 tbl seasoned rice vinegar
1.5 tbl of low sodium soy sauce
1.5 tbl light brown sugar
2/3 c of canola oil
1 tbl sesame oil
1/8 tsp of salt

Directions:

Put all of the ingredients into a tupperware container or container with a lid.  Shake to combine and then add to the salad.  Toss well.

Finally, add the avocado/lime juice to the salad.  Toss one final time and then garnish with some toasted sesame seeds.

Enjoy!

 

— Knead to Cook

Quinoa veggie aduki bean salad with cilantro lime vinaigrette.

by Filed Under: Salads, Side dish, Vegetarian Leave a Comment

Okay that title is a mouthful!  My quinoa salad is my own creation but the cilantro lime vinaigrette is from my dear foodie friend, Lauren Kelly, Certified Nutritionist.  I’ll post the recipe here and along with providing you with her link to her blog.

http://laurenkellynutrition.com/2012/02/20/quinoa-avocado-tomato-corn-and-black-bean-salad-with-cilantro-lime-vinaigrette-its-meatless-monday/

So our Meatless Monday dinner consisted of yummy spicy black bean burgers that hubby purchased from Costco.  I’ve been meaning to get to them and I’ve decided that I’m cleaning out my freezers this week and using up what is stored in them.  We grilled the burgers and they were delightful.  Easy and quite filling.

The quinoa salad I prepared earlier in the afternoon and let refrigerate this afternoon.  Pulled it out and served it at room temperature.  Easy peasy!

2 c of quinoa, cook according to package directions
1 handful of green beans, trimmed
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 c of Aduki beans, drained and rinsed (you can use black beans as well)
5 new potatoes, cooked whole, drained and cut in half

First, I cook the new potatoes in salted water until fork tender.  Drain and let cool. Cut in quarters and add to the serving bowl.

Second, I boil about 4 cups of water and add the green beans.  Cook for 3 minutes, remove and then submerge in a bowl of ice water to blanch.  This will keep them nice and crispy and bright green for the salad.  Add them to the salad bowl.

Third,  add the peppers and quinoa to the bowl with the potatoes and beans.  Give a good stir.  Set aside.

To make the dressing:

1 clove garlic
1/4 c grape seed oil (I used olive oil)
3/4 teaspoon minced fresh ginger root
1/4 c fresh lime juice
Zest of one lime
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
Salt to taste
1/4 c fresh packed cilantro leaves

I added all of the ingredients to my immersion hand blender container (like a big plastic cup) and blended until creamy.  Poured over my quinoa salad and gave it a good stir.  Refrigerated for 2 hours.  I then let it come up to room temperature for about an hour prior to serving.

Sooooo yummy!

— Knead to Cook