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Colorful Slaw with Apple Cider Vinaigrette 

Posted on June 25, 2017 by nina in the kitchen


Purple, green, red, orange, and white make a colorful alternative to the typical white cole slaw! The Whole30 Cookbook is my source!  I used an organic apple cider from Aldi’s that has the “Mother” in it. It’s a milder flavor.

I added more red pepper, carrot, apple and almonds here than the Whole30 recipe described. 

Here is the colorful display. All the kale needed is not pictured here


Lacinato kale is a traditional Italian variety


For the slaw:

1/2 head red cabbage, sliced thin and cut in 2 inch lengths 

1/2 bunch lacinato kale, stems removed, leaves sliced in thin ribbons

1 bell pepper, seeded, ribs removed, thinly sliced

1 cup shredded or matchstick sliced carrot 

1 large apple, julienned

1-4 oz package or 1/2 cup slivered almonds

For the Vinaigrette:

3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/3 cup apple cider vinegar 

2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley

1 large clove garlic, minced with 1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

  • In a large bowl combine ingredients for the slaw
  • In a small bowl or jar whisk together the vinaigrette ingredients.
  • Pour the vinaigrette over the vegetables and toss well
  • Add more salt, pepper or vinegar to your taste!
  • Serve right away. The slaw keeps in the frig a couple days
  • Voila!

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Eggs in Purgatory with Capers

Posted on June 16, 2017 by nina in the kitchen

Just in time for a grand and easy to make Fathers Day Breakfast!

Bring out your grandmothers cast iron!


Eggs in Purgatory is a spicy briney tomato sauce and a perfect complement to some mellow eggs. I discovered this recipe online from Karen Palmer at Food52.com

This dish is an Italian style Shakshuka which is a Middle Eastern food made with a salsa type tomato sauce. Eggs in Purgatory has chili flakes added to your taste for heat and capers to give a briney almost fishy flavor. It’s like adding anchovies to tomato sauce which wouldn’t be a bad addition to this sauce either! 

Italian Puttanesca is a tomato sauce with added capers and anchovies for a briney flavor. Italian Arrabbiata is a spicy tomato sauce with added chili flakes. Eggs in Purgatory is a blend of both of these flavorful tomato sauces.

Add some toast with rhubarb jam to complete breakfast or brunch that combines the salty with the sweet. I like to sprinkle flaked sea salt over my rhubarb jam toast to add to the salty component. 

2 tablespoons olive oil

A pinch or more hot pepper chili flakes

1/2 cup chopped onion or shallot

Kosher salt

Black pepper

3 cloves garlic, minced with 1/2 teaspoon salt

1-28 oz can crushed tomatoes

1 tablespoon capers and 1 tablespoon of the caper brine

1-2 anchovies, rinsed and patted dry and then minced, OPTIONAL

4 eggs

Shaved or grated Parmesan or Romano cheese 

  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F
  • Heat an 8-10 inch cast iron pan over medium heat
  • Add the olive oil
  • Sauté the chili flakes and stir quickly with a spoon or spatula until fragrant, less than a minute.
  • Add the onion and sauté until translucent, turning down the heat as needed to prevent browning.
  • Add the garlic and sauté only a 1/2 minute while stirring. Do not brown or burn!
  • Add the tomato sauce, capers and brine. If you want to add the anchovies, do it now.
  • Simmer uncovered until thickened, simmering slowly. About 20-30 minutes. 
  • Season with salt and pepper.
  • With a large spoon place 4 indentations in the sauce. Place an egg in each cradle
  • Bake 9-10 minutes or less until the whites just turn white and still jiggle when shaken. 
  • Serve with grated or shaved Romano or Parmesan  cheese
  • You can sprinkle with chopped parsley or cilantro if you like 
  • Toast up some crusty bread of your liking
  • Voila!

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Buttermilk Or Sour Cream Waffles

Posted on May 29, 2017 by nina in the kitchen


These recipes are from the Joy of Cooking cookbook. They both are prepared the same way.  Only a few of the ingredients are different. 

My favorite way to eat Waffles is with butter and homemade maple syrup. But they’re also yummy with fruit jam, fruit syrup, or fresh fruit. I usually make the Buttermilk Waffles. We always keep buttermilk in our frig. It’s yummy to drink too! 

Buttermilk reminds me of a drink we had in Istanbul called ayran. It was made with yogurt, water and salt. Served cold it’s refreshing! You can find it anywhere in Turkey and other Arab countries. The basic recipe is whisking together 2 cups Greek yogurt, 2 cups water and 1 teaspoon salt. Yum!

Buttermilk Waffles

  • In a medium bowl whisk together:

1 3/4 cups flour

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

  • In a medium bowl beat together until thick and lemon colored with a hand mixer:

2 egg yolks

  • Add and beat in:

2 cups buttermilk

6 tablespoons butter, melted

  • Combine the 2 mixtures with a few quick strokes
  • In a small bowl beat until stiff:

2 egg whites

  • Fold egg whites into batter
  • Drop by large spoonfuls onto hot waffle iron 
  • Use about  1/2 cup batter per waffle 


Sour Cream Waffles

  • In a medium bowl whisk together:

3/4 cup flour

1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

  • In a medium bowl beat until thick and lemony:

3 egg yolks

  • Add and combine:

 2 cups sour cream

  • Combine the 2 mixtures together with a few quick strokes
  • In a small bowl beat until stiff:

3 egg whites

  • Fold egg whites into batter. With a large spoon add about 1/2 cup batter to a hot waffle iron to make 1 waffle

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Raw Corn and Veggie Salad with Buttermilk Dressing

Posted on April 29, 2017 by nina in the kitchen


Fresh corn is usually sweet here in the Midwest. This raw corn salad has red pepper, Persian cucumbers, shallot, parsley, fresh dill and a buttermilk and yogurt dressing. Add the dressing at the table, as little or as much as you like

I found this recipe at Food52. It had a lot of likes and the raw corn and Persian cucumbers were new to me and sounded yummy. I usually quickly blanch  corn before using it in salads. I liked eliminating this step!

In a large bowl combine:

1 clove fresh shallot, sliced thin, rinsed in cold water, drained and blotted in paper towel 

3 ears fresh corn, kernels sliced off with a sharp knife

4 Persian cucumbers, (these are like English cucumbers with thin skins but only 5 inches long) quartered lengthwise and cut crosswise into a 1/4 inch dice

1 long red pepper, diced

1 handful fresh dill, minced

1/4 cup chopped parsley or cilantro 

Feta cheese as desired. You can mix it in or place it on top of the salad in large pieces

Raw Salad without the dressing:


Dressing:

Combine with a whisk in a small bowl:

1/4 cup buttermilk

2/3 cup European style plain thin yogurt

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar, the better the quality the better the taste I like a white balsamic or a champagne balsamic from out local oil and vinegar shop, Mercato di O & V, in Midland MI

3 tablespoons minced sweet onion

1 clove garlic minced with 1/4 teaspoon salt

Add with a whisk slowly in a steady stream:

1/4 cup olive oil

Add salt and pepper to taste

Serve the dressing on the side with the fresh salad

Buttermilk Dressing:

Raw Salad with Buttermilk Dressing:


Voila!

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Cheese and Tomato Lasagna

Posted on March 25, 2017 by nina in the kitchen


This is a full of flavor lasagne that’s not glorpy or heavy! It’s similar to the light lasagne of Italy which is all about the pasta, not the thick sauce! 

Look up the recipe at Cooks Illustrated or America’s Test Kitchen. These two links will both take you there. You do need a subscription to have access to their recipes. If you don’t have one, take advantage of their one month free offer! I love these sites! They are a great source for recipes, testing and product recommendation, and will always provide interesting background info!

Here are some photos I took while making this lasagne along with basic instructions:

Cheese Sauce

  • In a medium bowl whisk together 

4 oz or 2 cups grated Pecorino Romano cheese

8 oz or 1 cup cottage cheese

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 cloves garlic minced

1 teaspoon cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Cheese sauce:

Tomato Sauce

  • In a skillet heat 1/4 cup olive oil. Sauté 1 chopped onion. Add and sauté together until onions are softened:

1 1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

  • Add and cook about a minute:

4 cloves garlic, minced

8 or more anchovy fillets, rinsed, patted dry and minced (I use the entire can)

Sautéed onion and herbs:

  • To the onion add and simmer 20 minutes:

28 oz can crushed tomatoes

14.5 oz can diced tomatoes, drained

1/4 cup tomato paste

1/2 cup Pecorino Romano cheese

Tomato sauce nearing completion:

Lasagna

You will need:

14 curly type regular lasagna noodles, such as Barilla

8 oz or 2 cups fontina cheese, grated

1/8 teaspoon cornstarch

1/4 cup Pecorino Romano 

  • Use regular lasagne pasta, but don’t cook it! Instead soften them! Use the curly variety 
  • Place 14 noodles in a 9×13 inch baking pan. Pour boiling water over the noodles to cover them
  • Use the tip of a sharp knife to keep the noodles separated 

This is the pasta brand I used and the pasta soaking in boiling water:

  • When the pasta are bendable, place the container in the sink and run cold water over them. Drain or lift them out of the water and dry the pasta on towels

Pasta dryIng on kitchen towels:

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees with a rack in the middle of the oven
  • Place 1 1/2 cups tomato sauce in the bottom of a 9×13 inch baking pan
  • Cut 2 noodles in half crosswise and set aside.
  • Layer 3 full noodles lengthwise over the sauce with one end up next to the short end of the pan.
  • Place a half noodle at the other end of the pan perpendicular
  • Spread half of cheese sauce over noodles
  • Sprinkle 1/2 cup grated fontina cheese over cheese sauce
  • Layer noodles next in the same manner but switch the half noodle to the other end of the pan
  • Spread 1 1/2 cups tomato sauce over the noodles
  • Sprinkle 1/2 cup fontina cheese over sauce
  • Place 3rd layer of noodles with 3 1/2 noodles, again switching the short noodle to the other end from the last time
  • Spread remaining cheese sauce and then 1/2 cup fontina 
  • Layer 3 1/2 noodles and again switch their placement. This is to make the layers an even height
  • Spread the remaining sauce over the noodles.
  • Mix 1/2 cup fontina with 1/8 teaspoon cornstarch and sprinkle it on
  • Finally layer the 1/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano on top
  • Spray a sheet of foil with oil and place it oil side down on the lasagne
  • Bake at 375 for 35 minutes
  • Remove lasagne from oven
  • Increase temp to 500 and remove foil. 
  • Return lasagne to the oven and bake 10-15 minutes until lightly browned
  • Remove from oven and let sit 20 minutes before serving
  • I have made this lasagne ahead and refrigerated it before baking. Bring it to room temperature before placing it in the oven

Cheese Sauce layered over first layer of pasta:

Fontina layered over tomato sauce:

Fontina layered over cheese sauce:

Final layer of the lasagna: Pecorino Romano!

Cover the lasagne with an oiled sheet of foil and bake at 375 degrees!


The final stage is to remove the foil and increase the oven temperature to 500 for 10-15 minutes or until lightly browned. 

Then let rest for 20 minutes before serving. 

Voila!

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Crispy Baked Onion Rings

Posted on March 24, 2017 by nina in the kitchen


We love restaurant style onion rings! The whole fresh made rings are best. The chopped onion version is not as good. Too bad they have to be deep fried and are so greasy! 

But now you can make home made crispy onion rings without all that fat and mess!

1 large white onion, about the size of a softball!

2 cups buttermilk

1/2 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 eggs, beaten

2 cups original panko style breadcrumbs

3 1-gallon size Ziploc storage bags

Spray vegetable oil

1 Parchment paper lined baking pan

  • Take the large white onion and slice off the ends and the outer peel
  • Slice the onion horizontally into 4 even slices, about 1/2-3/4 inch wide. Slice carefully so the rings stay together.
  • Seperate the rings where they naturally break apart. Try to keep at least 2 layers in each ring
  • Place the buttermilk in a medium bowl. Add the onion rings and let sit 30 minutes. Mix around a few times.
  • While the onions marinate get your Ziploc bags ready.
  • In one Ziploc place 1/2 cup flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • In another bag place 3 beaten eggs 
  • In the last bag place 2 cups panko style breadcrumbs
  • After 30 minutes drain the onion rings in a colander
  • Add half the onion rings to the bag of flour, zip closed and mix around well. 
  • Shake off the excess flour.
  • Add the floured onion rings to the bag of eggs. Zip closed and mix around until coated
  • Shake off the excess egg and place the onion rings in the breadcrumbs. Close bag and mix around until coated.
  • Place the panko coated onion rings on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
  • Repeat with the other half of the onion rings.
  • Place the smaller rings and inner center pieces inside the larger rings so they all fit in one baking pan.
  • Spray with vegetable oil until lightly coated
  • Bake at 375-385 degrees for 30 minutes. The onion rings will be lightly browned. If the oven is too hot they will blacken or brown too quickly!
  • Serve immediately
  • Voila!

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Cheesy Cauliflower Bites

Posted on March 12, 2017 by nina in the kitchen


Marissa Moore posted this recipe on Instagram and I’ve made it several times. Everyone loves it! It’s tasty, easy and fun to eat. It’s also a very forgiving recipe. It works out well with varying proportions of cauliflower and cheese. You like things more cheesy, add more cheese. You like things less cheesy, add less. 

Prep time is less than 5 minutes plus 15 minutes baking time. It’s hard to make anything faster! You can quickly put them together just before serving or make them a day or two ahead and then reheat in the microwave.

Here’s what you need. I like Turkish oregano, but season with whatever you like.

Combine all ingredients


Mix all ingredients till just combined


These get puffy in the oven after 10-15 minutes. Don’t bake them longer or they will collapse.


Cheesy Cauliflower Bites!

  • In a medium bowl combine these ingredients with a spoon:

10 oz package Birds Eye Riced Cauliflower (about 2.5 cups)

8 oz package grated cheddar or Mexican cheese  (about 2 cups)

2 eggs

1 tablespoon oregano

  • Spray a vegetable oil into mini muffin tins for 24 or so
  • Fill each muffin tin to the top
  • You may sprinkle a little extra cheese on top if you like. Try shaved Parmesan or whatever you like
  • Bake at 350 for 15 minutes
  • Run a knife around the edges of each muffin and pop out of their containers. 
  • Voila!

Use 1/2 the amount of cheese if you want. Keep all the other ingredients the same. Your number of muffins will be less. They are more like a crustless quiche or tiny frittata.

Have fun and let me know how it goes!

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