Nectarine, Prosciutto and Arugula Flatbread

In the age-old battle of battle of toe-may-toe, toe-mah-toe, we have some new contenders: pro-shoot and pro-shoo-toe. Today' story is of Fruit and Pro-shoot (rhymes!). A quick google search informs me that some italians have taken it upon themselves to drop the last syllable of the word, but regardless of the pronunciation, this recipe brings together the salty and the sweet in perfect harmony to create a little something savory. 

I will be the first to admit that I constantly find myself brainstorming ways to incorporate fruits into recipes other than desserts, but when we're talking sweet, juicy nectarines it is 100% warranted. Nectarines are the long lost cousin of the peach and in my experience; the pros - no "peach fuzz", the cons - they can be very difficult to cut around the pit. I have often had more luck finding flavor-packed nectarines...there have been one too many times I ended up with a bland peach. But my new rule to live by for peaches is: if you can smell the flavor you'll be able to taste it. So regardless, either variation will work for this recipe. Especially because when paired with the prosciutto (something I always consider a treat) and other ingredients, this flatbread becomes a prime candidate for a dinner party appetizer that won't go unnoticed. 

Another great way to elevate the flatbread is to add a drizzle of balsamic glaze on top. But whatever you do...

I guarantee this won't last long!

The recipe:

Flatbreads (like Trader Joe's Middle Eastern Whole Wheat Flatbread)

1/4 c. Parmesan Cheese, divided

Prosciutto (about 1.5 thick slices or 3 thin strips per flatbread, enough to mostly cover)

Nectarine, sliced

1 tbsp chopped basil

1/3 c. arugula

Olive oil

Pepper

Oregano

Preheat broiler. Drizzle olive oil over the flatbread and spread around to lightly coat. Sprinkle with

pepper and oregano. Sprinkle half of shaved parmesan over the flatbread. Place in the broiler for 1 minute to melt the cheese.

Remove and drape prosciutto slices over (about 3 thin slices), arrange nectarine slices atop prosciutto.

Return to broiler for 3-4 minutes. Meanwhile mix together basil and arugula and drizzle with a tiny bit of

olive oil (<1tsp). Remove pizza from oven and top with arugula mixture.

Top with remaining parmesan (if you wish). Cut into pieces and serve. (Also - try drizzling with balsamic glaze for some additional contrast!)

Another note: After melting the cheese you could skip any return to the broiler for more of a cool and refreshing nectarine/prosciutto combination, while still maintaining the crispy crust.

Speculoos Rice Krispie Treats with White Chocolate Drizzle

Discovering new ingredients can be both a blessing and a curse. Take for example Trader Joe's Cookie Butter - a take on Speculoos spread (which essentially tastes like teddy grahams in spread form). I have officially proved that I am incapable of exercising enough self control to keep a jar of this magical spread around my apartment. 

While I would be perfectly content to just eat spoonfulls of cookie butter (come on, who hasn't eaten a spoonful of straight peanut butter at some point - same thing), I don't think it ranks too high on the scale of socially acceptable actions.

My solution was to instead keep a container at work for both myself and my colleagues to enjoy (I figured judging eyes - within 3 ft on either side of me - would prevent overindulgence). Despite this solution, I still knew I wanted to craft a Speculoos dessert; one fateful day the skies parted and it dawned on me, SPECULOOS RICE KRISPIES! While it turns out I wasn't the first one to come up with this brilliant combination, I was nonethless still excited to try it.

I think these treats received the coworker stamp of approval, as proven by the empty plate sitting on my desk!

The recipe:
4 tablespoons butter
1 bag (10.5 ounces) miniature marshmallows
½ cup cookie butter
5 cups Rice Krispies cereal
½ cup white chocolate chips + ¼ cup for drizzle
1 tsp. milk or cream

Line a 9inch baking pan with parchment paper and coat with non-stick spray; set aside ( I used about a 6x12 pan which worked fine as well). 

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over low heat. Add the marshmallows and stir until completely melted - be patient. Stir in the cookie butter until melted. Remove from heat.

Add the Rice Krispies cereal and 1/2 cup white chocolate chips. Stir until well coated. Spread the rice krispies into the pan and using a piece of wax paper, evenly press the mixture into the pan. 

Meanwhile, add 1/4 cup white chocolate chips and milk/cream to a dish and melt in the microwave. Drizzle over top of the rice krispies. Allow to sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes, or until set. Cut into squares and serve.

Cucumber Watermelon Gazpacho

We celebrated America's birthday this year with soaring temperatures and fireworks; luckily in NYC our fireworks consisted of more than one marvel of an explosion (whoopsie, San Diego). As I sat on my rooftop, enjoying the random middle-of-the-week break from work, I was soon  greeted by my neighbor carrying a large speaker that easily surpassed him in girth, almost in height. After our brief exchange about his soon to begin party, I decided this would be my queue to relocate my sunbathing to the West Side Highway. 

As the day progressed, my previously non-existent evening plans evolved and before I knew it, I had a last minute 4th of July potluck dinner to attend. This sure beat my original plan of hoping I could see the fireworks from my roof, hah. So, potluck, what to bring? On days when it's a challenge to even stand idle outside without breaking a sweat, it's sometimes hard to be motivated to crank up the oven and test out new recipes. With several of the good old classics already covered for the evening, I knew I wanted to bring something light and refreshing to the table (sorry, I love puns). The solution: a refreshing new take on gazpacho. Cucumber Watermelon Gazpacho to be exact.

I adapted the recipe from epicurious, so a few things to point out that I changed: used only 1 orange pepper in place of the 2 peppers originally called for; substituted basil for the mint; did not use jalapeno (mostly because I didn't have one); left off the vinegar. I also blended everything instead of leaving large chunks in the soup. Despite the changes, I still loved the outcome, though I think the jalapeno would have added a nice kick...next time.

The recipe:

5 cups (approx) seedless watermelon, diced

1 cup cucumber, peeled, seeded, diced

1 cup red bell pepper, seeded, diced (I used orange because Trader Joes was out of red, but red will better preserve the color)

3 pale green inner celery stalks, diced (about 1/2 cup)

1/2 small onion, diced (about 1 cup)

1/4 cup chopped basil

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup greek yogurt

Puree 4 cups watermelon in blender until smooth. Transfer puree to large bowl. Blend remaining 1 cup diced watermelon and all ingredients (except yogurt) to desired consistency. Then stir with previously blended watermelon to combine. (Or if you have room in the blender, puree the first batch of watermelon then add in other ingredients into the blender and pulse to desired consistency).

Cover gazpacho and refrigerate until cold, at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours. Dollop greek yogurt on top before serving. 

Sip, slurp, or spoon and be refreshed!

Mini Zucchini Pizzas

There are few things as enjoyable as a (2 years overdue) weekend reunion with your college roommates and best friends. Said another way, there are few things as gluttonous as a reversion to one's college habits...

After an amazing time spent with friends, it was back to reality and time for some clean eating. Riding back on the train, I thought to myself, what can I eat that might at least somewhat make up for those potato chips and kit kat bars (don't ask) consumed in the wee hours of the morning. Answer: vegetables.

This was a quick and easy one. I also decided to make the pizzas a bit more exciting by making a quick stop at the whole foods antipasto bar for some artichokes, olives and gigante beans (all optional).

The recipe:

1 large zucchini, sliced

2 tbsp. pasta sauce

1 tbsp. unsalted tomato paste

1/4 tsp. oregano

Dash of garlic powder

2 tbsp. fresh basil, chopped

1/4 cup reduced-fat parmesan cheese, shredded

Suggested additional toppings:

Roasted Peppers

Gigante Beans

Artichokes

Olives, pitted and chopped

Preheat your broiler on high (toaster oven works well for this quantity).  Slice your zucchinis at a slight diagonal and place zucchini slices on a baking sheet. Place in broiler for 2 minutes on each side.

Meanwhile, mix together pasta sauce, tomato paste, oregano and garlic powder. Remove zucchini from broiler and spread sauce over each slice of zucchini.  Top with chopped basil. Add any desired extra toppings on each zucchini slice then sprinkle cheese on each slide.  

Place baking sheet in the oven to broil for about 3 to 5 minutes, until cheese is melted.  Serve immediately and enjoy!

Summer Salad: Kale, Avocado & Grapefruit with Ginger Dressing

Well, I think it's safe to say that although summer is still officially a day away, the dog days have arrived. When temperatures are flirting with 100 degrees there isn't much that comes to mind besides frozen yogurt (fro-yo), which since moving to NYC has earned a special place in my heart. I am especially fond of the serve yourself venues where it is perfectly OK to mix 3 flavors in my dish so I can try them all! Despite the love affair, a certain level of practicality sets when when I also realize that I still need to get some nutrients. (Don't tell my mom, but I actually crave greens and veggies these days).

Summer is a great time to take advantage of using light and fresh ingredients in dishes that leave you feeling satisfied. So when the flavor combination of kale, grapefruit and avocado dawned on me, I was actually pleasantly surprised to discover that another food blogger was one step ahead of me. I was especially fond of the ginger dressing idea, which offers a wonderful contrast, especially with its citrusy notes.

I used to hesitate when it came to the lemonhead-face-inducing fruit better known as grapefruit, but I have actually come to enjoy it and when paired with the kale, avocado and ginger dressing, the potentially overpowering flavor is somewhat toned down. Still not convinced? Go for a sweeter variety of grapefruit.

I did slightly tweak some of the proportions, but of course, feel free to try the original recipe as well.

The recipe:

3 C. Raw Chopped Kale, stems removed

1 Grapefruit

1 Small Avocado

Ginger Dressing:

1 tsp. Freshly Grated Ginger

1/2 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 tbsp. low sodium soy sauce

Juice of 1/2 Lemon

1/2 tbsp. Agave 

Salt and pepper to taste

Place the chopped kale in a large bowl and set aside. Combine the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and mix with a whisk.

Add the kale to a large bowl and mix in the dressing for 1-2 minutes until the kale is tender and the dressing has absorbed. Set the kale aside.

Prepare the grapefruit by removing the skin. (Depending how clean of a look you are going for, you can either just peel the skin off or cut away all the skin and whites). Next, cut the grapefruit segments apart (these are called supremes) and cut each supreme in half. Slice the avocado into small, bite-sized pieces and then add the grapefruit and avocado to the large bowl of kale.

Mix it all together and serve. Season with pepper and (some) salt as desired. Side note: feta cheese makes for a nice garnish.

Quick Caramel Popcorn

 

What happens when Orville Redenbacher and Mrs. Richardon get together? Instant gratification. For some reason it never occurred to me that caramel corn would be so easy to make at home...this could prove to be a very dangerous discovery. I guess the good news is that for now I am out of both popcorn and caramel sauce.

  Shockingly this recipe weighs in at less than 250 calories. Stop drooling and go make some!

The recipe:

100 calorie size bag of popcorn
2 tbsp caramel sauce (I used Mrs. Richardson's Butterscotch Caramel)

Preheat toaster oven to 250 degrees. Prepare popcorn as you normally would in the microwave. Transfer popcorn to a foil lined try and drizzle half of the caramel sauce on top, mix up with a wooden spoon, drizzle remaining sauce over the popcorn and mix again. Place the tray in the toaster oven for 10-15 minutes.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool for as long as you can stand (1-2 minutes) and enjoy!

Zucchini & Carrot Ribbon Salad with Heirlooms and Thyme Oil

Well the good news is that I'm back to the blog. The bad news...battling chronic writers block...

When I think of zucchini, the first thing that comes to mind is my grandmother's garden in the summertime. Inevitably there would come a point when the overgrowth of zucchini caused my aunts and uncles to compare notes on who had received more and who could still stand to have a few pounds pawned off on them. 

The good news about the excess is that there are a multitude of zuchinni recipes worth trying. On the deceptively unhealthy, but delicious end of the spectrum we have zucchini bread (myth busters here). On the other hand we have raw salads, which although lower in calories, require a bit of a flavor boost. I was pleasantly surprised by the savory touch provided by the thyme oil. In just 20 minutes, everyday olive oil was transformed into an herb infused delicacy!

On the road to exploring new cooking techniques, I decided to purchase a mandolin to help with the ribbon creation. An everyday vegetable peeler proved to be easiest for the carrots, but after a few practice runs with the zucchini, I was able to get the rhythm of cutting on the mandolin. Mission accomplished! With that said, a vegetable peeler will work just fine for the zucchini too.

Thyme sprig carcasses (I decided to work some of the remaining leaves off the sprigs and keep in the oil).

The recipe:
(Adapted from Martha)
1 generous handful fresh thyme sprigs (about 1/2 ounce)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest, plus 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 baby zucchini (or 1 large), thinly shaved
3 carrots, thinly shaved
1 cup mixed heirloom tomatoes, cut in half crosswise (1 cup)

1/4 c spinach, roughly chopped
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, torn if large, plus more for sprinkling (optional)
Pinch of red-pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
Coarsely ground pepper
3 ounces fresh ricotta (1/3 cup)
Balsamic Glaze (now sold at Trader Joes!, also found at whole foods)

Place thyme on a cutting board, and bruise with the dull edge of a knife. Place thyme and oil in a small saucepan. Cover, and heat over medium heat until small bubbles appear. Turn off heat, and steep thyme, covered, 20 minutes.  

Meanwhile, slice the remaining ingredients and add into a separate bowl. 

After the 20 minutes, discard thyme sprigs, leaving loose thyme leaves in oil. Whisk together lemon zest and juice and 3 tablespoons thyme oil (reserve remaining oil for another use; it can be refrigerated up to 2 weeks).

Combine the dressing with the zucchini, carrot, tomatoes, spinach, basil, red-pepper flakes, and salt. Season with pepper, and toss. Divide half the salad between 2 plates, and dot with half the ricotta. Top with remaining salad and remaining ricotta. Drizzle with balsamic glaze.