lemony fresh

I love cooking with lemon juice, specifically, with fresh lemon juice. It is such a simple ingredient that can take the flavor of a dish above and beyond. While I always keep lemon juice in my fridge, when I pick up fresh lemons at the super market, I make sure I highlight them in my meal. This week, lemons inspired me to make delicious salmon and kale, both heavy on the lemon. If you didn't catch the trend by now, I absolutely love fish, and greens. And specifically, I've been on kale kick lately (and by lately, I mean the past year). If you haven't tried it, you must. Not only is it amazingly good for you (hello Vitamins K, A and C!) but it is so easy and versatile. It works wonderfully raw in a salad, steamed, or sauteed. Definitely check out my posts below with kale- I know it seems a little scary to handle, but I promise you, it is delicious!

My friend came over for dinner the other night and was kind enough to bring fresh, delicious salmon to share with my roommate and I. When creating the recipe, I let lemon take center stage (my friend also loves lemon so I knew it would be a hit) and inspire my meal. Before steaming my kale, I sauteed shallots and sunchokes, elevating the flavor level of my dish. And speaking of unfamiliar vegetables, I introduce to you, the Sunchoke. These weird little guys look almost like a mix between a finger and ginger root. They are long and tubular, and have a skin on them resembling that of a potato. Artichoke lovers, don't be fooled...these tasty little root veggies are related to the sunflower, not the artichoke. But never fear, they're just as delicious and cook more quickly than many of their root veggie cousins. The simplest way I've found, is to slice them into thin rounds, and saute (though roasting them works as well- watch out though, they will cook much more quickly than other root vegetables you might be used to roasting!). Not only are they delicious, but they're also inexpensive and abundant --people seem to shy away from these bad boys at the farmers market, which is great for me, but I'll share the wealth. Enjoy the farmer's market friendly recipes below (my all time favorite place to buy my produce, if you haven't been to Union Square on a Saturday, you must go, I promise you're in for a treat). 

 

White Wine Kale with Sunchokes and Lemon Herb Salmon

1 Shallot, chopped

5 sunchokes, peeled and cut into thin rounds

½ head of kale, taken off the stem

½ head of dinosaur kale (purple kale), taken off the stem

1 cup of grape tomatoes, halved

2 tbsp slivered almonds

½ lemon

1/4 cup white wine

Place a large, shallow pot over medium heat on your stove

Drizzle olive oil in the bottom of the pot

Add shallots and sunchokes and cook on low until they begin to soften (around 6-7 minutes)

Once these have cooked down a bit, add a splash of water, lemon juice, and next the kale

Cook on medium-low for a minute before adding the white wine, and the fresh tomatoes

Cook for one more minute covered before removing from heat

Sprinkle a last splash of lemon juice and almonds

kale, in the raw.

just added the sunchokes...

yum.

4 portions of fresh salmon

1 tbsp olive oil

1 lemon

1 tsp dill

½ tsp rosemary

½ tsp thyme

Salt and pepper

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees

Place salmon filets on a baking sheet, covered in tin foil, brushed lightly with olive oil

Drizzle remaining olive oil over filets

Squeeze the juice of ½ of the lemon over the fish

Sprinkle the fish with salt and pepper, and the sprinkle herbs evenly over each of the filets 

Place lemon slices on top of fish

Cook for 10 minutes at 400 degrees, then a last 3 minutes with the oven on broil

enjoy!

perfectly cooked salmon

dinner with friends

I love having friends over for dinner. Fortunately for me, many of my friends love cooking and eating delicious food just as much as I do. The other night two of my very good friends came over for dinner with lots of fresh, delicious ingredients; what resulted was a delicious and healthy week night dinner. Cooking dinner is such a de-stresser for me after a long day of work, as is seeing my friends who always make me laugh. I know that it is sometimes hard to make dinner after a long day at school or work, but with recipes like these, it is incredibly quick and easy. And I promise you, once you get into the swing of it, you'll look forward to making your dinner. Not only will you have something tasty to eat, but you'll feel accomplished as well. And if you still can't bring yourself to cook, invite yourself over to my apartment, I will be more than happy to cook for you too!!

These recipes are truly easy. A few of my friends are always making fun of me, because I'm often claiming that everything I cook is really easy. But, it is --I promise! I find that most of the recipes I create are interesting, yummy, flavorful, and creative, but not complicated. The ingredients in these recipes are some of my absolute favorites to cook with. The salad credit must go to my friend, who generously put this delicious salad together. Kale salad is delicious, and I find, often under appreciated. Kale scares a lot of people, especially when raw, but just try it out, and let me know what you think!


Tri-Color Quinoa with White Wine Mushrooms and Fresh Lemon Kale Salad

1 cup of Quinoa (I used a blend of white, black, red quinoa*)
1 cup of mushrooms, sliced
1/2 shallot, chopped
A good splash of white wine
1/2 tsp of rosemary and thyme
1/4 tsp cumin
Salt and pepper
1 1/2 cups of cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

mushrooms deglazing in white wine

Combine 2 cups of water and 1 cup of quinoa in a pot over high heat. Once water is boiling, turn down to a simmer and cover. Cook on low for about 10-15 minutes, checking frequently and fluffing with a fork once done. Add salt, pepper, and cumin and mix to combine.

Add a splash of olive oil to a separate pan, over medium heat. Add shallots, cooking until they start to turn translucent (a few minutes) and then add the mushrooms. Cook on medium-high for 5-7 minutes adding rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper. Add a splash of white wine to the pan, turning on high and letting the alcohol cook out for a minute or two before turning down the heat to low. Combine mushrooms with quinoa, stirring and then adding in fresh tomatoes.

1 large head of Kale
1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper

Kale salad, you must try

Cut Kale into bite size pieces and add to a large bowl. Whisk olive oil and lemon juice together with salt and pepper. Pour half of the dressing over the kale, massaging into the kale for a minute until the kale starts to turn a darker shade of green. Add walnuts and feta to the kale and toss. Add extra dressing slowly as desired.
enjoy!

a seriously delectable combination

*Quinoa is a grain, and cooks somewhat similarly to couscous. It also happens to be full of protein, and gluten free, and one of my favorite things to eat! Quinoa comes in multiple colors, but white/regular quinoa is most often eaten. I like the combination of the three --red and black are a bit nuttier and harder than the white, so it gives a dish a nice textural contrast.

more than just sugar

I know what you're thinking, who taught this girl how to eat? Yes, I'll admit, I have a slight sweet tooth (okay, slight under-exaggeration). But I promise, as much as I love sweets, I LOVE produce. In fact, if produce wasn't so healthy, I would say I have an unhealthy obsession. I blame it on my father. In my house, my dad is known as "the fruit man." Growing up, he would come home multiple times a week from work, arms bulging with bags full of fruits and veggies. I had produce with every meal, and still do. These days, it's pretty hard to find a fruit or vegetable that I don't like (okay, you got me--I do not like honeydew). During the summer, I spend my Saturdays wandering through the stands at the farmer's market, getting inspired by the beautiful greens, reds, oranges, and purples (I promise, starting in spring, this blog will seriously get vegged up). I'll eat 'em raw, steamed, roasted...you name it.

So anyways...enough with the veggie rant, there will be plenty of recipes to come that will express my love. 

My favorite time of day is around 7pm, when I get home from work, and have time to cook dinner. Nothing relaxes me more then cooking a delicious dinner for myself, and those that I love.  I'm fortunate to have many wonderful friends who enjoy coming over for a home cooked meal (or cooking with me and sharing new recipes), in return for their wonderful company. Thus, without further ado, the first of many delicious week night meals (starring produce).

YUM.

Herb Crusted Salmon and Steamed Lemon Kale, with Blistered Tomatoes

Fillet of fresh Salmon (1 fillet per person)

1 tsp of olive oil

1/2 a lemon

A sprinkle of salt and pepper

1/4 tsp of rosemary, fresh or dried (off the stem and chopped if fresh)

1/2 tsp dried dill

Take your fillets out of fridge and let them come to room temperature

Once fish is at room temperature, drizzle with olive oil and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice

Zest a teaspoon of lemon rind onto the fish (a microplane works Wonderfully for this--thanks Mom!)

Sprinkle with salt, pepper, rosemary, and a good amount of dill

Heat a skillet over high heat and coat with nonstick cooking spray

Place the fish skin side up into the pan and let it cook on high for two minutes

Once a crispy top has been achieved (try not to lift it up before two minutes to ensure a nice crust) flip fish and lower the heat to medium-low, allowing the fish to cook for 5-7 more minutes, depending on how thick the fish is

Once done, remove, and serve with fresh lemon!

1/4 onion, diced (one whole shallot, diced also works beautifully here)

1/2 tsp olive oil

3 cups of kale, taken off of the stem and cut into ribbons

1/2 a lemon

A sprinkle of salt and pepper

1/2 cup of grape or cherry tomatoes, halved

Heat a large sauce pan adding a drizzle of olive oil when hot

Add chopped onion or shallot and cook over medium heat for around 5 minutes

Once onions have browned, add a generous splash of water to the pan

Add the kale to the pan, toss and cover

Once the kale starts to cook down (around 3 minutes), add the tomatoes to the pot as well

Cook together for 3-4 minutes before removing from heat

Sprinkle veggies with salt and squeeze the rest of your lemon juice over the kale

Enjoy!

check out those herbs!