Update on this weeks basket.

Just thought I would add a few photos from this weeks cooking. Here are the pizzas from the recipe in the last post. They came out AWESOME.

We also used some of our left-over broccoli Rabe (Rabini) tonight. I sauted some in a little olive oil and garlic with some salt and pepper and added it to our steak sandwiches. They were delicious. Sometimes the simple use is the best. The bitterness of the Rabini went just great with the steak and Provolone cheese. This little marinade for the steak really helped also.

3 TBS worchestershire sauce

2 TBS Soy Sauce

2 TBS Mirin

1 TBS red wine vinegar

1/2 tsp minced garlic

Salt and pepper to taste

5/25/11 Harvest Basket

On Wednesday of this week we received the following items in our harvest basket:

Salad Greens
Mizuna (Japanese Mustard Greens)
Broccoli Rabe (Rabini)
Broccoli
Salad Turnips
Asparagus
Strawberries
Spinach

Okay...some of those are kinda obvious. We made a salad with the Salad Greens (we also used some of them in tacos). The Mizuna was just tossed into the salad also. I did, however, come up with some good recipes for the Broccoli Rabe, Strawberries and Spinach. I will focus on those this week.

Broccoli Rabe (Rabini)
1 lb. Ground Turkey
1 bunch Broccoli Rabe roughly chopped
1 glove garlic
1/2 medium onion
2 medium carrots diced
1 stalk celery diced
1 small zucchini shredded
1 cup tomato diced (I used canned tomato)
3/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 tsp. dry oregano
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
Salt
pepper
Penne Pasta

Okay...I like this recipe because you can put almost any vegetable into it and it is still great. I start by sauteing the onion, carrot, garlic and celery in a bit of olive oil. I like to keep a little crunch to the carrot and celery. I then add the ground turkey and cook until it is almost done. I then squeeze all the excess water out of the zucchini and add to the turkey and vegetables. I also add the broccoli rabe, tomato, white wine, oregano, salt and pepper at this point. Let it simmer for about 10 minutes while the wine reduces and your past cooks. If it looks a little dry, you can add some of your pasta water. When all is done...drain your pasta and add it to the turkey and vegetable mix. Stir in some parmesan cheese and serve. This is a very light, healthy dish that has endless varieties. Add and/or leave out vegetables at your discretion. Enjoy!

Spinach
Lately, I have begun to LOVE fresh Spinach. I often use it in curries, salads, and pastas. My new favorite way to enjoy it is on Grilled pizza!

dough:
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 packet fast acting yeast
water
pinch of sugar
salt
olive oil

Toppings:
Pizza sauce (I often used store bought pasta sauce, but it is your choice)
1 cup fresh spinach
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup parmesan cheese

Start by putting about 1 cup of warm water in a measuring cup. Stir in a pinch of sugar and add yeast. Let it set for 3-5 minutes. If it becomes foamy...your yeast are active and ready to go. Be careful of your water temperature so you don't kill the yeast.

While your yeast gets started, add your flour and salt to a mixing bowl ( i use a stand mixer with a dough hook). Once the yeast is foamy slowly add some of it to the flour while stirring slowly. You just want to add enough for the dough to come together ( I also like to add about 1 tsp of good olive oil at this point also for taste). Once it starts to form a single ball, speed up your mixer (or knead by hand) for about 5 minutes. Remove the dough from the mixer and place into a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a towel. Place in a warm location to rise for about 1 hour. Once it is risen you can roll it out into the size pizza you like (make sure it will fit on your grill!). Make it as thin as you can!

I usually get my grill REALLY hot and then back it down a bit before I put my dough on it. I like to lightly oil my grill with a rolled up towel dipped in oil. Then put your dough on the grill. You have to work fast at this point! While the first side cooks, brush some olive oil onto the top side of the dough. Check the dough often and see if it is firming up and browning. Once it gets firm enough to flip...flip it over, and begin adding your toppings, First the sauce, then the spinach and ricotta (try and spread the ricotta as best you can. Then add the mozzarella and parmesan. I close the lid of my grill at this point and let it sit for a few minutes. IT WON'T TAKE LONG!
Pull your pizza off the grill when it is brown on bottom and cheese is melted.


Strawberries
Honestly....desert is not really my thing. I am not the best at using fruit in desert. However, this simple combination is really nice and light and simple.

1 pint strawberries cut in half
sugar
Plain Yogurt
Vanilla
Angel food cake

I LOVE angel food cake! This is a nice way to dress it up with fresh fruit. I take my plain yogurt and stir in sugar ( I like to use Splenda, truvia or even honey) until it is as sweet as I want it. I then stir in some vanilla extract (also by taste). Place your halved strawberries in a bowl and sprinkle with sugar. Let them set until they produce a little liquid on them. Top a piece of cake with the strawberries and yogurt and enjoy.
You can also put the strawberries and other fruits into a saucepan with a little sugar and water and cook them down until they make a nice thick sauce. Also great on the cake. I like to do this with blueberries when they are in season.

My creative cooking blog!

My wife and I joined are part of a harvest basket program through Cooley Family farms. On Wednesday of every week we pick up our basket and see what goodies we have in store for the week. This is our second year of participating in the harvest basket program. The first year, I had a lot of trouble using all the vegetables and (I hate to say) many went to waste. Some of the items I was completely unfamiliar with. I have to admit that was part of my initial interest in the program as it would force me to be creative with our menu planning each week. I get to have "Iron Chef" every week!
This year I have sworn to do better. This blog is part of the process. Each week I will list the items in our basket and my recipes for those ingredients. I will also rate my recipes to let you know how they come out. If you have any suggestions or comments...please send them along. This should be a fun journey of cooking creativity!
~Mark