Friday Night Alfresco

Friday is a day I have a little more time to prepare; and more importantly, to actually savor dinner before rushing off to work or practices. I'm always appreciative when I have a little time peruse my plethora of cookbooks and food magazines to find something new, healthy,  and delicious. I had come across a recipe for cucumber gazpacho that I wanted to try and  was looking for something special to go with the simple cold soup. I came across two meal plans (links below) and, as usual, pulled from a few places to come up with a meal that fit my family's tastes and needs. I ended up making:

• Gazpacho of Cucumber and Green Tomato (better known as Pickle Soup)
• Sweet and Spicy Pepper Relish
• Balsamic Glazed Roma Tomato and Goat Cheese Crostini

Click the links above for my recipes and keep in mind the photo of the crostini does not do it justice. This is one of the tastiest bites I've had in a long time. It is on a classic white french baguette but the ingredients would be just as good on a gluten-free cracker or rice bread toast if you are looking for healthier alternatives.

Inspiration for my Friday Night Alfresco Meal Plan

Natalia Rose's Cucumber Gazpacho in Detox 4 Women

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/cda/recipe_print/0,1946,FOOD_9936_554109_RECIPE-PRINT-FULL-PAGE-FORMATTER,00.html

http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/cook/cda/recipe_print/0,1946,COOK_41503_468966_RECIPE-PRINT-FULL-PAGE-FORMATTER,00.html#

As I'm typing this I'm watching Kelsey's Essentials on The Cooking Channel. She's making this pomegranate glaze for steak. It looks amazing! I'm going to have to try to come up with something to go with it.
Pomegranate Glaze
??? Pom juice
1 Tb Dijion Mustard
3 Tb. Balsamic
1 t. Cornstarch
1/4 brown sugar

I also came across this cocktail recipe to try:
http://www.marthastewart.com/318052/pineapple-and-mango-rum-cocktails

Balsamic Glazed Tomatoes and Goat Cheese Crostini and Al Fresco Grilled Cheese Sandwiches for the Kids

Oh my gosh! These are so good! I used a classic french baguette for the crostini but the tomatoes would be delicious with most anything. For the kids I often keep the flavors more simple so I just grilled the bread on the outdoor grill and added cheese and tomato slices with a piece of romaine lettuce. We call romaine "crunchy lettuce" which seems to make it so much more appealing.

Balsamic Glazed Roma Tomatoes
To prepare the glaze, combine the following ingredients in a small bowl:

• 3 ounces balsamic vinegar
• 3 ounces extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 chopped shallot (or garlic)
• 2 sprigs fresh basil
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
• Salt and pepper to taste

Prepare the tomatoes:

• Cut 4 Roma tomatoes lengthwise into slices 1/4 inch slices
• Place the tomatoes in a large skillet and pour the glaze over the tomatoes
• Simmer for about 5 minutes then flip and continue to cook the second side for another minute or two
• Keep the tomatoes warm until ready to prepare the crostini

Prepare bread for Balsamic Glazed Tomato and Goat Cheese Crostini
Really any way you like to make toast would work just fine. For this dish I brushed cut slices of baguette with olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper. I then toasted the bread on our outdoor grill for about 3-4 minutes on each side.

Smooth goat cheese on warm crostini and top with a tomato and basil leaf to finish.

Green Gazpacho

This is a very easy cold soup perfect for a hot summer day. Because I tell my kids that cucumbers are pickles, this soup has the nickname of pickle soup.


Marinate your green veggies:
Prepare veggies and place in a long shallow dish:

• 1 english cucumber sliced thin
• 2 green tomatoes (if you can't get green tomatoes, use another cucumber)
• 1 shallot, chopped (garlic is a fine replacement)
• 1 jalepeno pepper, chopped - discard the seeds and ribs if you want a more mild soup
• juice of 2 limes
• 1 t. ground coriander
• 1 cup of water

Marinate veggies for at least an hour and up to 24 hours.

When it's supper time, simply blend your soup.

Here I've topped it with Spicy Sweet Pepper Relish and Served it with Balsamic Glazed Tomato and Goat Cheese Crostini.

Spicy Sweet Pepper Relish

Green Gazpacho with Spicy Sweet Pepper Relish

In a large bowl, prepare the veggie marinade:

• 2 Tb. white balsamic vinegar (you could also use citrus juice, rice wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Prepare veggies by chopping into a small dice and add to your marinade:

• 1 yellow bell pepper
• 1/2 english cucumber
• 1 small jalepeno pepper
• 1 shallot
• 1/2 cup cilantro
• 1/2 cup pickled banana peppers

Where's the Beef? A Week of Veggie Burgers, Corn Cakes and Potato Pancakes

With my fairly recent shift back toward vegetarianism, I've been a little surprised that I don't really miss eating meat at all. (Then again I never really loved it like many people do.) That is with one exception ~ a good old juicy cheeseburger! Now in the height of backyard barbeque season I find myself craving one every now and then. Thanks to Alicia Silverstone's compelling book The Kind Diet, as soon as I think about eating one, I also have visions of the cow giving up his life for my fleeting pleasure. I may not really miss eating meat but I really do miss the convenience of it all. It was just so easy to take a piece of meat, season it up, and half the meal was done. Even though it's more work eating this way, I am having more fun and feel better than ever.

Looking for some form of "burger replacement", I ran the gamut this week with Black Bean Veggie Burgers, Power Packed Corn Cakes with Zucchini and Chick Peas, and what I'm calling French Fried Potato and Carrot Pancakes. I always skew the names of the dishes to make them more appealing to the kids and never, ever say the word Zucchini out loud if I can avoid it;-)

I ABSOLUTELY love the corn cakes and carrot cakes. I make extra batter so I can make a quick patty for a snack. We had the carrot cakes last night and Bela gave the kiddie approval by saying, "These are soooo good! I need another one." The black bean burgers still need a little work so if you've got a fabulous recipe for them or something like this, please, please share! Click on the links above for the requested but still in the works Corn Cake recipe and the yummy potato and carrot cakes.

Power Packed Corn Cakes with Zucchini and Chick Peas

These little cakes are adorable and delicious. They still need a little work to pass the "kids love them test" but my husband and I  can't get enough of them. They are my new favorite snack in fact. I started with another published recipe and wanted to give them a little more nutrition so I took out some of the wheat flour and added chickpeas instead. I'll be playing with the quantities in the next batches so watch out for a refined version of these coming soon. I had a request for the recipe though, so I wanted to get them out there for you. Frying them in a cast iron skillet will make them especially crispy.

Make the Veggie Base
In a food processor combine:

• 1 zucchini diced
  
• Chick peas - I used 1 cup for this recipe but will reduce this amount next time so not sure how it will affect the texture.
• 1 small shallot cut into chunks for easy processing (or onion and garlic if you prefer)
• 2 - 4 Tbs. water to make the puree smooth but not runny

Mix Your Dry Ingredients
In a large bowl combine:

• 1 cup of cornmeal
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Make the Batter

• Add 1 beaten egg to the veggie base and mix well
• Make a well in the center of your dry ingredients and pour the veggie base into the dry ingredients
• Add about 3/4 cup corn kernels (1 large or 2 small ears of corn worth if using fresh)
• Combine and add about 2 Tablespoons milk of your choice - any will work. I had buttermilk left over which is notorious for helping to make things a little fluffier and soft. Your mixture should stick together although it will feel just slightly crumbly. The egg will bind it as it cooks.

Make the Cakes

• Heat 1-2 Tbs. olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat for each new batch
• Use an ice-cream scoop to dollop the batter into the plan
• Gently flatten the scoops and fry until golden brown (about 3-4 minutes each side on my stove)
• Keep the cakes warm in the oven until it's time to serve them

Serving
My favorite way to enjoy these is with my Summer Salsa Verde and a little Green Jalapeno Pepper Sauce, which is by the way, my new favorite condiment. Red salsa is also a good complement.

French Fried Potato and Carrot Pancakes

Don't let the name fool you these little cakes are delicious AND healthy. Like my four-year old, it might take a little practice for your kids to enjoy the form of the food but they taste yummy. My seven year old ate her first one and then said, "These are sooo good - I NEED another one." The inspiration for these came from a recipe I made awhile back from Mark Bittman. He had a recipe for carrot cakes as a suggestion for breakfast. The recipe was little more than grated carrot, eggs, salt, and a dash of cornmeal. After recently falling in love with corn cakes and watching the zucchini grow in the garden, I thought they would combine well. Then my new Vegetarian Times Magazine came in the mail. In a glossy centerfold was a stack of Potato, Carrot, Zucchini Pancakes. I love synchronicity like this. I modified their recipe and decided to use the chick pea flour for protein instead of the cornmeal I had used in my previous carrot cakes and a star was born in these crunchy, savory pancakes. Writing about them now, I feel excited to have not only a yummy dinner option but I think they will be fantastic for brunch and maybe combined into a nice casserole when it comes time for buffet season this fall.

Prepare the Veggies

• Saute 1 large shallot* in a cast iron skillet (any other skillet is fine but the cast iron will give your cakes more crispness) 

In a large bowl grate:

• 1 medium potato (I used an Idaho potato but I think a sweet potato would be great too!)
• 2 large carrots
• 1 small zucchini
• Wrap the veggies in a kitchen towel and squeeze out as much of the liquid as you can over the sink

Prepare the Batter
In a separate small bowl mix:

• 1/4 cup flour - I used chick pea flour for added protein and to make it gluten-free but any type will work fine
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

In the large bowl that once held your veggies (which are now wrapped in a towel in your sink;-)

• Whisk 2 eggs
• Add the sauteed shallot*
• Add the veggies
• Dust with your seasoned flour and mix well - Your batter will look a little like the texture of coleslaw and you might wonder will this work? As the eggs cook around the veggies it will bind the cake.

Making Cake

• Coat your skillet with a thin layer of olive oil for each new batch
• Use an ice-cream scoop to dollop the batter into the pan
• Gently flatten and shape your cakes
• Cook over med-high heat until golden brown (about 3-4 minutes per side)
• Keep the cakes warm in the oven until ready to serve

Serving
I'm going to work on some type of creamy sauce for these the next time. In the meantime, the adults ate them with green jalapeno sauce and the kids used, what else, ketchup! Vegetarian Times served them with a tomato corn relish.


* I prefer shallots but a little chopped onion and garlic work in the same way as the shallot

No Chips Needed for this Salsa Verde Salad

Salsa Verde with Corn Cakes and Sweet Potato Chips

This Salsa Verde is my favorite thing to make in summer. I love to add it avocado for guacamole and use it as a healthy and yummy sauce on anything! Today I used it as my salad dressing and it was worth writing about.

Salsa Verde
In a mini food chopper or blender, combine:

• 4-6 husked, rinsed and quartered tomatillos (no need to cook them)
• 1 large or two small shallots
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1-2 handfuls of cilantro leaves (depending on your taste)
• juice of one lime
• a little heat by way of some jalepeno or pepper sauce would be a nice addition if you like it spicy

That's all there is to it. You could add it to some mashed avocado for guacamole; or make the....

No Chips Needed Salsa Verde Salad

• Prepare the Salsa Verde Salad dressing
• In a large bowl, mash one avocado and add 1/4 cup Salsa Verde
• Stir to combine
• Prepare your veggies
• There is so much flavor and healthy goodness in this dressing that I keep the salad really simple. It's just:
• 1/2 head or romaine lettuce
• 1 diced cucumber
• Mix it up and enjoy

The salad recipe makes one large salad and you'll have some leftover salsa for snacking on later.

Emerald Green Vitality "Soup"

In keeping with my recent theme of cocktail inspired soups, this could be called Margarita Soup and I do think it's yummy enough to drink out of a glass. You just whiz it up in a blender and you are good to go. The color might be scary if you aren't used to eating the freshest of food so just think "I am eating (or drinking) pure vitality when I take this in."

Recipe is for one large serving or two smaller portions


Prepare the veggies:

• Chop 1/4 english cucumber* (reserve a little for garnish if you like)
• Halve an avocado **

Place the ingredients into your blender

• chopped cucumber
• half of an avocado
• a large handful of baby spinach
• juice of one lime
• small handful of cilantro leaves***
• 1/2 teaspoon good quality sea salt
• 1/4 cup water

Puree the soup in the blender and add water as needed to bring it to a pleasing consistency. Pour into you bowl or glass and enjoy. If using as a soup you might garnish with a bit of chopped cucumber and pine nuts.


*English Cucumbers have thin un-waxed skin and barely noticeable seeds so they require less prep work and no worry of eating wax. If you are using a conventional cucumber you should peel and seed it first)

**To preserve the other half of the avacado, keep the pit in one half. This is the side you will save the pit helps keep it fresher longer. Sprinkle a little citrus juice on the exposed portion of the reserved avacado. Place in an airtight container in the fridge. You should use the second half within a day or two. When you go to prepare the second half, remove the pit and scrape off the browned top layer. Everything underneath will still be nice and fresh.

***When using this as a drink, I leave out the cilantro.