Category: Recipes

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Week Night Dinner with Eggs

I love cooking and especially love cooking for my family. Every week I plan out our dinners based on who will be home and their eating preferences.  On occasion my husband will tell me he’s going to be out and then at the last minute change his plans and come home for dinner.  I think he just wants to keep me on my toes.  In these situations I often get pretty creative with what is in the refrigerator and pantry.  This recipe for Shakshuka is from one of those nights. The side dish, spaghetti squash ‘hash browns’ is definitely still in the development phase!

Happy Friday,

Julie

Ingredients:

2 large red bell peppers, diced

1 yellow onion, diced

1 jar Hellenic Farms Kalamata Olives

1 pint grape tomatoes, halved

6 oz baby spinach leaves, washed

5 large eggs

Olive oil

Salt & pepper to taste

Method:

-Preheat oven to 350°F

-in a cast iron skillet, sauté peppers and onions until they are tender. Add the Hellenic Farms Kalamata Olives and tomatoes and continue cooking for 2-3 minutes.  Add the spinach and stir until wilted. Season with salt and pepper as you are cooking. Remove the pan from the heat.

-Make 5 wells in the mixture.  This is where you will crack your eggs.  Crack an egg into each well.  Place pan in pre-heated oven and cook for 10-15 minutes.  Egg whites should be cooked and you can adjust the cooking time to keep the yolks runny or cook them through.

-Remove from oven and enjoy along with some crusty bread.

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Eating With the Season: Roasted Mushroom and Asparagus Pasta

Spring is finally in the air! And what a long wait it has been. The temperature will soon rise and rain will soon fall, setting into motion the bloom of the bountiful Spring season. We as New Yorkers are very lucky to live within such short distance of so many amazing local farms, providing access to fresh and delicious in-season produce. Shopping at your neighborhood Farmers’ Market or Green Market is an amazing way to find in-season produce and can also be a source of meal inspiration. There are many great online resources for navigating the produce of the season, including: https://www.grownyc.org/greenmarket/whatsavailable which not only provides information on seasonal produce available, but also recipes, gardening information, and information on the importance of eating local and with the season.

Although I tend to eat lighter in the Spring, I sometimes crave a heartier, more comforting meal on a chilly Spring evening. My go to is roasted mushroom and asparagus pasta coated in an almond cream sauce. See recipe below.

Enjoy!

Payton

Roasted Mushrooms and Asparagu

Ingredients:
1 lb cremini mushrooms, washed, stems removed, thinly sliced
1 lb asparagus, washed, woody stems removed, chopped into 1 inch pieces

1 lb Semolina Artisanal Strozzapreti Pasta

Almond Cream Sauce
1 cup blanched almonds
2 cups water
1 medium yellow onion
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 clove garlic, minced
1-2 tablespoons chickpea miso
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon lemon juice
Pepper to taste

Method:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees
Add mushrooms and asparagus to a half sheet tray, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper, toss, and roast for 35 to 40 minutes, or until lightly caramelized.

Soak almonds in 1 cup hot water for at least 15 minutes. Add almonds and soaking water to a high speed blender and blend until smooth, slowly streaming in remaining cup of water.
In a large saute pan, heat olive oil and sweat onion until soft. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 to 2 more minutes.
Add sweated onion and garlic to the blender, along with miso, and blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
Pour sauce back into the saute pan and heat slowly, whisking to break up lumps. Stir in lemon juice. Adjust seasoning as necessary.

Cook pasta according to package instruction
Add roasted mushrooms and asparagus to the sauce.

Toss cooked pasta with sauce, serve and enjoy!

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From Grandma with Love

My love for food was ignited at the head of my grandma Carolyn’s old farmhouse table as she taught me how to roll out handmade cinnamon rolls when I was five years old. An unconditional nurturer, my grandmother radiates love and kindness, manifesting her love most clearly through food, always served with the most illuminating smile. As the mother of five children, a restaurant owner, and the head cook at Spring Grove School for more than two decades, my grandmother has dedicated her life to food. Her ability to share her love and warmth through food inspires me everyday to create beautiful and nourishing dishes for myself and the ones that I love.

As Easter nears, I wanted to share a recipe for one of my grandmother’s most sought after desserts — Scotcheroos — in hopes to inspire a fun family project in the kitchen. A simple combination of peanut butter, sugar, chocolate chips, and butterscotch chips, my grandma’s Scotcheroos are devoured almost instantly at any gathering that she brings them to. I hope you enjoy!

Payton

Grandma Carolyn’s Scotcheroos

Ingredients:

1 c sugar

1 c corn syrup

1 c creamy peanut butter

3 to 4 quarts popped Tiny but Mighty Popcorn

Optional*

1 c milk chocolate chips

1 c butterscotch chips

Method:

-Add sugar and corn syrup to a medium sized saucepan. Over medium high heat, bring to a boil and cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in the peanut butter. Pour over popped popcorn.  Form into eggs. Allow to cool.

-The options for add-ins and toppings are endless! While forming, feel free to fill the center of your egg with your favorite candy of choice. Or drip or roll in melted or chopped chocolate, nuts, or candy pieces.

-My grandma always tops her scotcheroos with a combination of melted milk chocolate and butterscotch chips. Simply add chocolate chips and butterscotch chips to a glass bowl and melt over a double boiler. Once melted drizzle over the top of the formed eggs.

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Spellbound

Gus & Grey has been a featured artisan in our marketplace since Julie’s Beet launched in 2015.  We’ve just acquired a new jam from their collection, appropriately titled Spellbound.  Made with fresh blueberries and just the right amount of lavender you will think you’re under a magic spell from the time you open the jar.

I used this amazing jam to make this Sour Cream Coffee Cake taste even better. I hope you’ll enjoy this recipe as much as I do. It is great with a cup of coffee or tea in the morning but fancy enough to double as a birthday cake.

Happy Friday,

Julie

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 cups granulated sugar

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened

2 eggs, beaten lightly

1 cup sour cream

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 jar Gus & Grey Spellbound -Blueberry Lavender Jam, stirred well

Method:

-Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.

-Butter a 10-inch bundt pan and lightly dust the inside with flour.

-Sift together and set aside the flour, baking powder and salt.

-In a mixer, or by hand, cream sugar and butter until light and fluffy.

Add eggs, blending well, and then add sour cream and vanilla. Mix until combined.

-Gradually fold in flour, baking powder, and salt into creamed mixture until just blended.

-Reserve 1/2 cup of batter and mix with 3/4 of the jar of blueberry jam.

-Pour 3/4 remaining batter into the prepared pan, smoothing to the edges and creating a slight “trough” with a spatula.

-Gently spoon the blueberry mix into the batter trough, being careful not to touch the side of the pan. Spread the remaining batter over the jam and smooth the top.

-Set pan on middle rack in the oven and bake for about 60 minutes, or until the sides of the cake pull away from the pan and a cake tester (or toothpick) inserted in the center comes out clean.

-Cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes. Turn onto a plate, sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar, drizzle with remaining jam and enjoy!