DDD #111 – The Ivy Copycat Grilled Vegetable Salad with Lime Vinaigrette

 

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2018

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Click the image above to watch the video.

The Ivy Copycat Grilled Vegetable Salad with Lime Vinaigrette

serves 2 as an entree

INGREDIENTS

for the dressing

Juice of 1-2 limes

match the lime juice with an equal part of olive oil so it is 50/50.

Add about 1 TBS each of balsamic vinegar (or other vinegar) and agave

Season to taste with S&P.

Combine & taste.  Tweak to suite your palate.

for the salad

Your choice of greens – or a mixture (arugula, romaine, butter lettuce, watercress, field greens – your call)

1 zucchini

1 yellow squash

2 ears fresh corn – in the husks

1 bunch asparagus – tough bottoms trimmed

1 red bell pepper – seeded

1/2 cucumber – diced

1 handful cherry tomatoes – haved

3-4 radishes – chopped

1/4 small red onion – diced

1 avocado – chopped

OPTONAL  – chopped herbs (basil or cilantro), protein (chickpeas, black beans, vegan chicken or any other protein you desire)

DIRECTIONS

Make the dressing while the veggies are grilling.

Slice the zucchini & squash in 1/4 inch thick slices & grill until softened & there are grill marks – turning a few times.  Do the same with the red pepper & asparagus.  Set aside.  Grill the corn in the husks until blackened on the outside.  Cool & throw the husks away then cut the corn from the cobs.

Now – just assemble the salad the way you would any other.  If there are going to be leftover veggies – do not dress them.  They will stay fresher in the fridge undressed.

Serve & enjoy!!!

 

DDD Ep. #6 – Vegan Roast Beef (Steak) with Sauteed Onions & Mushrooms & Roasted Heirloom Carrots

 

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2017

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As you may or may not know – I started a Youtube channel last month.  I have almost twenty recipes posted there on:

Click HERE to go to the channel & check it out.

The roast beef you see here is my latest endeavor.  Here is the video.

Vegan Roast Beef (Steak) with Sauteed Onions & Mushrooms & Roasted Heirloom Carrots

INGREDIENTS

2 1/2 cups vital wheat gluten (or just enough to get a proper dough texture)

1 TBS caraway seeds (ground in a mill or with a mortar & pestle)

1 TBS fennel seeds (ground in a mill or with a mortar & pestle)

2 TBS freeze-dried shallots or granulated onions (or minced raw shallots)

1 TBS paprika

S&P to taste (go LIGHT with the salt)

1 cup vegetable stock

1/2 cup olive oil

2 TBS vinegar (red, white, balsamic – your call)

2 TBS molasses

1 cooked beet pureed with 1/2 cup veggie stock

A dry rub of your choice (or simply a blend of dry herbs)

Bottled marinade of your choice mixed with equal part water OR veggie stock with a few bay leaves

Cheesecloth & kitchen twine

1 onion – sliced

2 TBS brown sugar

8 oz mushrooms – sliced

1 bunch heirloom carrots

Additional olive oil

DIRECTIONS

Heat the oven to 425

Whisk the first 6 (dry) ingredients together in a bowl.  In another bowl, whisk the stock, oil, vinegar, molasses & pureed beet.  Blend the wet & dry ingredients – adding vital wheat gluten or more stock until you have a ground beef texture.

Roll in your dry rub & wrap tightly in cheesecloth – tying off the ends.

Bring your marinade to  boil, reduce to a simmer & add the beef to it.  Simmer for an hour – turning once in the middle.  Be careful you do not boil your marinade away.  Add water or stock – if you need to.

Heat olive oil in a pan.  Remove the cheesecloth & pan sear the beef on both sides.  Set aside.  You can slice this thinly & make sandwiches or – go for the steak option.

In the same pan, heat some butter or olive oil & saute the onions until soft.  Add 2 TBS brown sugar & saute until the onions become golden.  Add the mushrooms & saute until they are done to your taste.  Season with S&P.

If you are doing “steaks,” cut them & sear them on both sides in the mushroom pan.

Toss the carrots in olive oil and S&P & roast 10-15 minutes (or until they begin to turn golden) – turning them once in the middle.

Serve!

Vegan Roasted Red Potato & Fennel Salad

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2015

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Many people think they hate fennel.  Even I can find it overpowering – but when sliced paper thin in a salad – or when roasted in a risotto – delicious – and two completely different animals.  Raw fennel has that distinct licorice flavor but, roasted, it mellows out & gets soft & subtle – much like garlic.  It doesn’t taste like garlic – it mellows the way garlic does – and takes on an almost creamy flavor.  Lovely.

This potato dish is adapted from this – Recipe for warm potato, fennel and onion salad with balsamic vinaigrette – seen below.

This stuff smelled so good while it was cooking – it was all I could do not to just sit in front of the cooked result & shove it, wholesale, into my face without regard for decency or the fact that it was to hot to eat.  Really yummy!  I promise!  The red onions offer a bit of sweet/tang – as does the balsamic dressing – and the potato & fennel offer a creamy counterpart.   Great warm or at room temperature.  And – because there is no mayo – this potato salad does well sitting out at picnics, BBQs & buffets without giving you fears that everyone will soon drop dead from the salmonella you served them.  People like it better, I have found, that they not get food poisoning at gatherings.  True story.  So – try this amazing potato salad!  Raw – this filled a huge cooking sheet to capacity. Cooked – it shrunk considerably so – I would say these feeds 4-6 as a side – depending on appetites.

Vegan Roasted Red Potato & Fennel Salad

Serves 4-6 as a side dish

INGREDIENTS

8 large red potatoes – cut into bite-sized chunks

1 large fennel bulb – cut into 1-inch dice (reserve the fronds)

1/2 large red onion – cut into 1-inch dice

4 TBS balsamic vinegar

4 TBS agave nectar

1 tsp Dijon

1/3 cup olive oil (plus extra for roasting)

S&P to taste

DIRECTIONS

Heat the oven to 425 degrees.

I lined a large, rimmed cooking sheet with parchment paper but just naked on the pan is fine, too.  Put the potatoes, onions & fennel on the sheet & drizzle with olive oil.  Add S&P.  Toss – by hand – until everything has a light coat of oil and S&P.

Roast 2o minutes, turn the vegetables and roast another 20 minutes – or until the potatoes are soft & browning.

Meanwhile, in a far or bowl – mix the remaining ingredients.   When the potatoes are done & still warm – toss with SOME – not all – of the balsamic dressing.  Taste & add more as you like.  I only ended up using about half of the dressing & the potatoes absorbed it & had a lovely, light flavor.  You might prefer a heavier hand – or even leave the dressing on the table for folks to add as they like.

Garnish with the fennel fronds & serve warm or at room temperature.

Watermelon, Feta & Mint Salad

 

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2015

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OK – this is another fast & easy one.  If feta & watermelon seem like an odd mix – just think of the popularity of salting watermelon.  It might seem, initially, like an odd combo but it works really well.  It it refreshing & clean & and the water density of the watermelon makes it surprisingly satisfying.

Watermelon, Feta & Mint Salad

serves 2

INGREDIENTS

2 cups diced watermelon

1/4-1/2 (or more) diced feta cheese

1/4 cup chopped fresh mint

1/4 red onion sliced paper thin

1-3 tsp olive oil

Juice of 1/2 lime

S&P to taste

DIRECTIONS

Mix & serve.

Pickled Red Onions

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2015

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These go very well on sandwiches.

Pickled Red Onions

INGREDIENTS

2 large red onions – sliced thin

1 cup rice vinegar (any light colored vinegar works – even using just one kind works)

1 cup apple cider vinegar

1 TBS sugar

2 tsp salt

1 garlic clove cut in half

1 TBS black peppercorns

1 small dried red chili

DIRECTIONS

Bring the vinegar & spices to a boil.  Remove from heat.  Add onions to the hot vinegar.  Allow to cool.  Store in a jar in the fridge.

Vegan Korean BBQ Beef Lavash Pizza with Arugula

 

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2014

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This can be made with real beef but I used Beyond Meat’s Beefy Crumbles.  I also used my homemade Spicy Korean BBQ sauce from my vegan BBQ ribs post.  Pizza toppings are really personal & these toppings are more just suggestions than a recipe.  The BBQ sauce is REALLY good, though!

Spicy Korean BBQ Sauce

INGREDIENTS

3/4 cup dark brown sugar

3/4 cup low sodium tamari (soy sauce)

1/4 cup water

1 TBS rice vinegar

2 TBS chili paste (sambal oelek or other type)

2 TBS Gochujang (optional)

2 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp ground pepper

1 TBS fresh ginger (minced)

5 garlic cloves – minced

2 TBS cornstarch

DIRECTIONS

I put everything EXCEPT the cornstarch into a little crock-pot & left it for two hours.  Once it was bubbly – I added 2 TBS cornstarch & whisked it in.  That made the sauce very thick & gooey.  Perfect!  You can do this stove-top by just bringing everything (except cornstarch) to a boil & then whisk in the cornstarch.  It would likely take only a few minutes to come together.

I used lavash bread as the base because each piece only has 240 calories so it is a great lower-calorie way to make pizza.

The toppings I used were:

Beefy crumbles mixed with some Korean BBQ sauce

Cherry tomatoes – halved

Grated carrots

Red onion – sliced VERY thinly

Grated cheese (real or vegan – your call)

I cooked this in the oven at 350 degrees for about ten minutes.

After the pizza was cooked – I added:

Jalapeno – diced

Arugula – tossed in a bit of olive oil & a pinch of salt

More tomatoes

Vegan Chicken Salad Wraps

 

 

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2014

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Yeah, kids!  That’s my book!  Read the REVIEWS!  Pretty flattering!  Why not read it yourself?

And now – more amazing vegan fare!  I was never a big fan of real chicken salad but man – I loved this stuff!  Honestly – try it on a friend without telling them it is vegan.  I bet they never notice!  Easy, clean & cool.  Good for on top of a salad or wrapped in a tortilla or some butter lettuce.  Yummy & guiltless – and cruelty-free!   And know – almost all animal products involve suffering for some animal.  Even the cheeses & butter I use.  Hence my tapering off them.  And if you want to see some cows, literally jumping for joy – watch this video!  Then print the coupon I shared below – multiple times – and fleece your local for a free package every time you shop there.  I do!

 

 

VEGAN CHICKEN SALAD

Serves 2 in wraps

INGREDIENTS

9 oz vegan chicken

2 celery stalks – diced small

1/4 red bell pepper – diced small

1/8 red onion – diced small

1/4 cup vegan mayo

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 tsp Stone Ground mustard (or 2 tsp of whatever nice mustard you have)

Parsley – minced

S&P

Lettuce

Tortillas

DIRECTIONS

I didn’t even let the frozen chicken thaw.  I just cut it into cubes and, by the time everything else came together, it was perfectly thawed.

Cube the chicken & prepare the other veggies.

Mix all the ingredients up.

S&P to taste.  And that is it, kiddies!  Now – either eat it from the bowl or wrapped in lettuce or a tortilla or other wrapping device.  Then, shove this badass shit in your face & head out onto the town looking for chickens you can stare down with your guilt-free conscience & your chicken-free breath.  Then go home & love yourself a little.  Even in a dirty way – if the mood strikes you.  You’ve earned it!

 

Decadent Goat Cheese & Creamy Burrata Pizza with Arugula

 

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2014

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All my posts now have a VERY customizable PRINT & PDF option.  Create a PDF & save the recipe to your computer or print it out.  It offers a “remove images” option & you can delete any part of the post you do not need before printing.  The button is below by the Twitter & Facebook links.

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Sometimes I feel guilty when I post a string of similar recipes, like two or three pizzas or a bunch of cauliflower or rice dishes but, the fact is, I am posting my actual meals.  And, when I make pizza dough, I usually make enough for three or four pizzas.   Because I am not a professional blogger, in that, this blog doesn’t generate income, I am not in the position some bloggers are to make things specifically for the blog, whether they intend to eat it or not.  Furthermore though unrelated, all my photos are taken with my i-phone which has developed a penchant for powering off randomly.  Like – at 54% – it thinks it is out of juice & shuts down until I find a charger – at which point – it is instantly back at 54%.  It is infuriating!  Especially when I am trying to photograph a piping hot pizza so that I can eat it while it is still warm.

Anyway – I talk myself out of feeling lazy when I post these similar recipes by telling myself that my readers are likely to have the same leftover ingredients that I do and that they might actually appreciate a new idea about how to reinvent them.  That said, yesterday I found myself with fresh pizza dough, a few leftover caramelized onions, arugula & some leftover spicy red sauce.  From these humble ingredients was born my Decadent Goat Cheese & Creamy Burrata Pizza with Arugula!

I never really think that pizza is a recipe, per se, in that the amount of toppings is a personal preference.  I do not typically go for a lot of cheese but I was really in the mod for gooey goat cheese & I had the burrata – so – I went for it & I am happy I did.  If you do not have burrata – just use any fresh mozzarella and put it on the pizza with the goat cheese rather than closer to the end as you do with the creamy burrata.

Again – here is the pizza dough recipe I use & I make it in my bread machine.

PIZZA DOUGH

MAKES FOUR 12-OZ. BALLS

INGREDIENTS

2 tbsp. sugar (⅞ oz.)
1 tbsp. olive oil, plus more (½ oz.)
½ tsp. active dry yeast
5½ cups “00″ flour, preferably Caputo Pizzeria Flour (1 lb. 12 oz.) (or just use regular, organic flour – like me.)
2 tbsp. kosher salt (¾ oz.)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Combine sugar, oil, yeast, and 2 cups cold water in bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook; let sit until foamy, 8-10 minutes. Mix flour and salt in a bowl. With motor running, slowly add flour mixture; mix until a smooth dough forms, 8-10 minutes. Transfer dough to a greased baking sheet; cover with plastic wrap. Let sit at room temperature 1 hour.

2. Divide dough into 4 balls; transfer to a greased 9″ x 13″ dish; brush tops with oil. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate 48 hours (or get impatient like me & use it immediately).

___________________________________________________________________________

I also used leftover caramelized onions from my Caramelized Red Onion & Gruyere Pizza with Egg & Arugula.

Caramelized Red Onion

INGREDIENTS

Pizza dough at room temperature

1/2 large red onion – sliced

1 TBS olive oil

1 TBS butter (or vegan alternative)

1/2 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

DIRECTIONS

Caramelize the onion by heating the olive oil & butter over med-low (NOT HIGH) heat.  Add the onion and salt & sugar and saute – stirring frequently – for about 20-30 minutes or until they are soft & brown & before they burn.  Mine crisped a bit on the edges & I liked that!  Set aside.

I also used leftover spicy basil marinara.

For the spicy basil marinara

1 6 oz can tomato paste

2 28 oz crushed tomatoes

30 grape or cherry tomatoes – quartered

1 TBS olive oil

6 garlic cloves – chopped

1/2 cup chopped basil

1-3 tsp crushed red pepper – optional

S&P to taste

DIRECTIONS

Heat the olive oil over medium heat & saute the garlic for about 30 seconds.  Add the tomato paste & fry another minute or so.  Add the crushed tomatoes, chopped tomatoes & basil & about 1 cup of water.  Add the crushed red pepper – if using.

Simmer covered on low for 30 minutes or more.

Decadent Goat Cheese & Creamy Burrata Pizza with Arugula

INGREDIENTS

Pizza Dough – recipe above or your favorite dough

Pizza sauce – recipe above or your favorite version

Tomatoes – sliced thin (optional)

Caramelized onions (optional) – recipe above

Goat cheese

Burrata (or fresh mozzarella)

Arugula

S&P to taste

Crushed red pepper (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Heat the oven to a full 450-500 degrees.

Prep the ingredients.

Assemble the pizza!  Roll out the dough & put it on a greased cooking sheet.  Top with sauce, tomato, caramelized onion & goat cheese.  Add fresh mozzarella now – if you aren’t using burrata.  If using burrata – bake about 7-10 minutes & then add the burrata.  Bake another 3-5 minutes or until the crust is done to your liking & the goat cheese is just starting to color.  If you used burrata – you are really just trying to warm it through but do not cook it until it dries out.  The whole point of burrata is its excessive creaminess!

Top with S&P & some fresh arugula & crushed red pepper (if you like extra kick).

Slice this fucker up & eat it alone.  I won’t tell.

Caramelized Red Onion & Gruyere Pizza with Egg & Arugula

 

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2014

Follow @celisemccarthy

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To see images of my past posts & get links to the recipes – look on my Pinterest board – HERE.

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All my posts now have a VERY customizable PRINT & PDF option.  Create a PDF & save the recipe to your computer or print it out.  It offers a “remove images” option & you can delete any part of the post you do not need before printing.  The button is below by the Twitter & Facebook links.

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Well – I got some very cool news today!  Book Soup – one of the most important independent book stores in the US – read my book & agreed to stock it!!!  Yay!  They are a very discriminating bunch so I am going to let myself feel flattered.  Check it out HERE.

Now on to pizza!  Some people think the idea of egg on pizza is nasty and I must confess I used to think that way.  Until I tried it.  It is kind of spectacular.  Despite knowing it tastes yummy, I am still psyching myself out about using eggs at all – because of how the hens are treated.  And, when you think about it, eating an egg is really fucking gross.  But – I still do it now & then.  I try to only buy pastured eggs – which means the hens really ARE living cage-free – like this:

Not this legal version of cage free:

Which is only 1% better than this:

So – please try to support the PASTURED (and grass-fed) meats & eggs etc to show that industry that you are willing to pay a little more for some humane treatment.  Here are the eggs I bought.  The word pastured is between “vegetarian” and “fertile” – hard to read – but there.  PS – they list vegetarian because factory farms feed their chickens ground up chickens.  How fucked is that?  You don’t want to eat that pain & fear & disease.  Do you?

OK – now I feel like a nutjob posting a non-vegan pizza – but I am going to plod ahead.  If I have totally ruined eggs for you forever – blow them off.  The pizza is yummy without them.  You can also use vegan cheese if I have completely converted you.

I use this Naples-style pizza dough recipe from Saveur.  I do not store it 48 hours.  I use it as needed from immediately to several days later.  I notice little difference.  Also, I make it in my bread machine on the dough cycle.  Easy peasy!

PIZZA DOUGH

MAKES FOUR 12-OZ. BALLS

INGREDIENTS

2 tbsp. sugar (⅞ oz.)
1 tbsp. olive oil, plus more (½ oz.)
½ tsp. active dry yeast
5½ cups “00” flour, preferably Caputo Pizzeria Flour (1 lb. 12 oz.) (or just use regular, organic flour – like me.)
2 tbsp. kosher salt (¾ oz.)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Combine sugar, oil, yeast, and 2 cups cold water in bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook; let sit until foamy, 8-10 minutes. Mix flour and salt in a bowl. With motor running, slowly add flour mixture; mix until a smooth dough forms, 8-10 minutes. Transfer dough to a greased baking sheet; cover with plastic wrap. Let sit at room temperature 1 hour.

2. Divide dough into 4 balls; transfer to a greased 9″ x 13″ dish; brush tops with oil. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate 48 hours (or get impatient like me & use it immediately).

Caramelized Red Onion & Gruyere Pizza with Egg & Arugula

INGREDIENTS

Pizza dough at room temperature

1/2 large red onion – sliced

1 TBS olive oil

1 TBS butter (or vegan alternative)

1/2 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

Gruyere cheese – grated (quantity to taste)

Fresh Thyme – leaves pulled from stems (quantity to taste)

Grated mozzarella or other cheese (quantity to taste)

Eggs (optional)

Fresh arugula

Tomato – chopped (optional)

Lemon (to squeeze on the arugula) optional

S&P

Olive oil to drizzle (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Heat the oven to 450.  Make sure it reaches full temperature before cooking your pizza.

Make your dough or let your store-bought dough reach room temperature (so it is easier to roll out).

Caramelize the onion by heating the olive oil & butter over med-low (NOT HIGH) heat.  Add the onion and salt & sugar and saute – stirring frequently – for about 20-30 minutes or until they are soft & brown & before they burn.  Mine crisped a bit on the edges & I liked that!  Set aside.

Now simply assemble the pizza.  Roll out the dough & place it on a cooking sheet treated with olive oil or cooking spray.  Drizzle some olive oil on it & brush it around & add the thyme & the cheeses & some caramelized onion.

Cook this for about 7-10 minutes or until you think it is a few minutes from being done.  I overcooked mine just a bit – so – pull it out before the crust looks like this – all crispy & golden:

because you are gonna break a few eggs on there & cook it another 3-5 minutes or until the eggs are cooked to your liking.  I broke one of the yolks.  Oh well!  Err on the early side here, too, if you want a runny yolk.  The eggs will keep cooking once you remove the pizza from the oven as the pizza heat will still be acting as a hot pan beneath them.  So – if you want ooey-gooey yolks – pull this guy out JUST BEFORE you feel the whites are cooked all the way through.  In fact, even if you pull it out a tad early, just spreading the egg a bit over the pizza will cook it quickly.

Now add S&P to taste & top with arugula & chopped tomato – if you are using tomato.  You might even want to drizzle a teeny amount of olive oil on the arugula & squeeze a bit of lemon – or toss the arugula LIGHTLY with olive oil & lemon before putting it on the pizza.  And there you go!  Crack open that Trader Joe’s box of wine & kid yourself that you are having less wine than you really are because who the fuck can figure out what they have consumed out of an opaque cardboard box that holds like – what – three bottles?  Then blame the hangover on the cheapness of wine – not the quantity you consumed!

Pan-Seared Beet & Caramelized Onion Pizza with Goat Cheese & Arugula

 

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2013

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All my posts now have a VERY customizable PRINT & PDF option.  Create a PDF & save the recipe to your computer or print it out.  It offers a “remove images” option & you can delete any part of the post you do not need before printing.  The button is below by the Twitter & Facebook links.

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I was in the mood for beets & goat cheese & considered making little towers but then pizza flashed in my mind & this pizza was born.  I decided to pan-fry the sliced beets rather than roast them because I thought it would save time but then the caramelizing of the onions took as long as roasting the beets would have – so you might just wanna roast them.  Less calories that way.

If caramelizing the onions seems like a pain in the ass, you can lose them but they really do add a nice layer to the flavors.  I adore arugula & am equally pleased by cold greens on hot pizza but this this is also a very optional choice.

I used a homemade dough but your favorite dough will do.

Pan-Seared Beet & Caramelized Onion Pizza with Goat Cheese & Arugula

INGREDIENTS

Pizza dough (I used THIS)

1 large beet (peeled & either sliced thin or roasted whole at 400 for about 40 min)

1 large onion – sliced

Olive oil or butter

1/2 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

Goat Cheese

Grated pizza cheese

Arugula

Parsley (or mint) chopped

DIRECTIONS

If roasting the beet – basic instructions are HERE.

Heat an oven to 450 degrees.

If pan-searing the beets, heat 2 TBS of butter or olive oil in a large pan over medium heat.  Cook the raw, sliced beets, flipping frequently, until they are tender & beginning to brown.  Drain on a paper towel.

Add another 2 TBS butter (or olive oil) to the same pan & caramelize the onions by sauteing on med-low heat.  Add the salt & sugar & stir them every 5 minutes or so.  They should brown & caramelize nicely in about 40 minutes.  Be careful not to burn them.  Nice caramelizing instructions are HERE.  Drain them on a paper towel.

Roll the dough out to your pizza size.  I smeared some basil-infused oil on it – but any olive oil will do.

Layer some grated cheese on the dough then the onions.  I put my onions on the top & they kinda got overcooked.  Protect your hard-earned caramelized onions by covering them with the sliced, pan-seared (or roasted & sliced) beets.  Pinch some dollops of goat cheese on there.  Another little drizzle of olive oil is nice here but optional.

If your oven really is at 450 – and you want it to be – this should cook up nicely in about 8-12 minutes but that depends a lot on the thickness of your dough & density of toppings.

Top with chopped parsley or mint & put a handful of raw & naked arugula on it.  Slice it.  Eat it.  Look forward to red pee tomorrow!

Easy & Healthy Crispy Baked Onion Rings

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2013

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All my posts now have a VERY customizable PRINT & PDF option.  Create a PDF & save the recipe to your computer or print it out.  It offers a “remove images” option & you can delete any part of the post you do not need before printing.  The button is below by the Twitter & Facebook links.

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This is as straight forward as it gets.  They came out crispy & delicious & they use no oil.  I don’t know why anybody would bother frying them after sampling these.

Easy & Healthy Crispy Baked Onion Rings

Feeds two as a side

INGREDIENTS

1 large sweet onion – sliced into thick rings & separated

1 quart buttermilk (or milk or vegan alternative)

1/2 cup Panko

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

1 cup corn flakes – crushed in a food processor or in a plastic bag using a rolling pin

1/2 tsp salt

1 TBS pepper

1 TBS dry parsley

Fresh parsley – chopped as garnish

Cooking spray

Parchment paper

DIRECTIONS

Heat the oven to 450.  Be sure it reaches full temperature.

Soak the onions in the buttermilk in the refrigerator for at least an hour – or longer.

Mix the various crumbs, dry parsley and S&P together.

Individually coat each onion ring with the crumb mixture either by shaking in the plastic bag or, as I did, in a bowl.  Use your hands to coat them evenly.  Place them on a cooking sheet covered in parchment paper or greased.  Spray them with the cooking spray.

Bake at 450 for ten minutes or until crispy & golden.  That’s it!  Enjoy!

Grilled Zucchini & Chipotle Cheddar Quesadilla with Coca Cola Caramelized Onions

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2013

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All my posts now have a VERY customizable PRINT & PDF option.  Create a PDF & save the recipe to your computer or print it out.  It offers a “remove images” option & you can delete any part of the post you do not need before printing.  The button is below by the Twitter & Facebook links.

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You will soon realize that I am on a quesadilla spree that isn’t even close to over.  I made this bad boy last night & I was very pleased with myself!

The onions were a tad charred but I actually enjoyed the flavor it gave them.  They were, however, very hard to photograph!

They kinda look like fat, dark worms but they were both savory & sweet & they complimented the cheese very nicely.  If you do not care for – or cannot find – Chipotle cheddar, any other cheese you might prefer in a quesadilla is certainly an option.

Grilled Zucchini & Chipotle Cheddar Quesadilla with Coca Cola Caramelized Onions

INGREDIENTS

Zucchini – sliced thin & grilled (I dipped mine in Italian dressing first)

Tortillas

Chipotle cheddar (or other cheese) – sliced thinly

1 large red onion – sliced thinly

1/2 can Coca Cola

1 TBS brown sugar

2 tsp olive oil

1 TBS butter

Guacamole or parsley or cilantro or jalapeno as garnish

DIRECTIONS

Grill the zucchini.

illa

Heat the oil & HALF of the butter & the brown sugar.  Add the onions & saute over medium heat for a good ten minutes – not stirring often so that they can brown.  Add the remaining butter & stir occasionally for ten additional minutes.  Once all the oil & butter are absorbed or evaporated – pour a little Coke in to deglaze the pan.  As it gets absorbed, add the rest of the Coke.  When the onions are completely soft & browned, set aside.

Then – simply assemble the quesadilla the normal way.  Heat a dry pan.  Place a tortilla in it.  Layer the cheese, zucchini & some of the onions & fold the tortilla.  I use a put lid to apply pressure & trap the heat.  After a minute or two – flip the quesadilla.  Garnish as you will & devour!

Lavash Pizza with Whipped Feta, Grilled Eggplant, Red Onions & Arugula Salad

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2013

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To see images of my past posts & get links to the recipes – look on my Pinterest board – HERE.

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All my posts now have a VERY customizable PRINT & PDF option.  Create a PDF & save the recipe to your computer or print it out.  It offers a “remove images” option & you can delete any part of the post you do not need before printing.  The button is below by the Twitter & Facebook links.

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I love pizzas with cold salads on top of them.  I will even dump a bunkus “house salad” of iceberg lettuce & shaved carrots on a slice – if I find myself in a pizza joynt.  But arugula salad is my favorite salad & arugula tops pizza so delightfully – I hope you give this a try.

This particular pizza was so delicious last night – I kept thinking, “I think this is my favorite pizza ever.”  That is saying a lot because I experiment with pizza nearly weekly.  Last August, I posted a Grilled Indian Eggplant Pizza with Feta, Tomatoes & Black Olives made with tiny, little Indian eggplants.

And while that pizza was yummy – the one last night was a revelation.  Maybe the lavash (rather than pizza dough) allowed the subtle flavors to come through better.  I’m not sure.  But I really recommend this pizza with all the enthusiasm I can muster.  If lavash isn’t available near you – try this with tortillas – like I did HERE.

I used Japanese eggplants here & sliced them VERY thin.

You can use regular eggplant but that can sometimes be bitter.  I sliced my Japanese eggplants as thin as I could with a mandolin & then dredged them through some bullshit Italian dressing I had.

I grilled them on each side for about a minute or two.

You could pan sear them a few minutes on each side or use a grill pan – or even roast them at 450 for just a few minutes.  But I think precooking them some way is sorta critical to the overall result here.  Still – you could probably use them raw – just slice them PAPER thin.

I will not give specific quantities of certain toppings here because that is really a matter of personal taste – but I will show you what I used.  Also – fresh mozzarella is nicer than the processed kind you typically buy grated up for pizza topping but that can also be used.  The fresh is better, though.

Lavash Pizza with Whipped Feta, Grilled Eggplant, Red Onions & Arugula Salad

INGREDIENTS

Lavash (or tortillas or pizza dough)

Whipped feta ((t is made by simply blending 8 oz of feta with 3 oz cream cheese & just enough water to get them to blend in your food processor (or other tool you use to whip things)

Japanese eggplant – sliced very thin

Red onion – sliced paper thin

Cherry tomatoes (or other tomato) – diced

Fresh mozzarella – sliced

Fresh oregano – chopped

Crushed red pepper

S&P to taste

Arugula

Lemon

Olive oil

DIRECTIONS

If using lavash or tortillas, preheat the oven to 350.  If using pizza dough – heat it to 500.

Dip the sliced eggplant in an oil based Italian (or Greek) dressing (or olive oil) & grill just to soften & give some color.

To assemble simply layer your lavash with whipped feta, eggplant, fresh oregano, mozzarella, tomatoes, onion and crushed red pepper.   Bake for about 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted & the lavash is browned at the edges.

Meanwhile, toss the arugula in a LITTLE olive oil & some fresh lemon juice.  Add S&P to taste.

When the pizza is done, top it with the arugula salad & serve it up!

Pear, Gruyere & Caramelized Onion Grilled Cheese Sandwich with a Shot of Tomato Bisque

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2013

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There is no real recipe required for this guy.  I used my super quick & easy Artisan bread and served myself a little sake cup up Roasted Heirloom Tomato Bisque alongside a grilled cheese comprised of:

Bread

butter

Gruyere cheese

Bosc pear

Caramelized red onion

Caramelizing onions is time consuming but you can do it it larger batches & keep them in the fridge for use on pizzas or in soups or on sandwiches or with meat.  They are a lovely addition to many things.  HERE is a little tutorial on how to caramelize onions.

To assemble, I pre-heated my oven to 400.  I slathered some butter on one side of each of the pieces of bread.   Layer slices of cheese & pear & some onions on the bread top the sandwich & grill in a pan until each side is golden.  I then put it in the oven for 5 minutes to completely melt the cheese.

This could be nice with brie & apples or brie & figs.  Any salty cheese & sweet fruit.  Maybe even honey!  Get creative!

Heirloom Tomato & Onion Tart with Arugula & Basil with Homemade Herbed Crust

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2012

This recipe was, again, born of ingredients I had on hand.  I had that gigantic heirloom tomato from Figueroa Produce.

& refused to let it go to waste – plus about 40 pounds of cheese left over from a dinner party last weekend.  I grated, dated & froze the blocks of cheddar & mozzarella – thinking I could thaw them down the road & use them on pizzas – but the odds & ends of the other cheese were still in my fridge, guilting me into action.

I am usually intimidated by pastry & generally opt to buy frozen, uncooked pie crusts but that seemed like a big cheat in a food porn blog, so, I made this crust myself.  It was REALLY easy – so – do not be afraid.

I researched how one cooks a tart pastry & SO MANY sites said to line the raw dough (in the tart pan) with foil & fill it with beans (to keep the crust from rising up), bake it for 20 minutes, remove the beans & foil & bake another 15.  This seemed crazy to me – as I thought the crust will have seen all the heat it can bare & end up over-cooked if I filled it with ingredients & then cooked it more.  But SO MANY people outlined the prep this way – whether the filling was going to be raw or need an hour in the oven – so – I trusted.  I shouldn’t have.  You will see in my pictures that my crust is overdone.

My recipe below is going to try to help you avoid this fate. Also – I need to buy a tart pan with a removable bottom.  I used a ceramic tart pan.  It worked but the ability to remove the tart from the pan you cook it in is a nice touch and they are cheap!  See HERE.

Anyway – despite the crusty, crust – this was still quite yummy…so feel free to tweak ingredients & give it a try.  This is even better at room temperature the next day!!!!

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Homemade Herbed Tart Crust Pastry

enough for TWO tarts

INGREDIENTS

3 cups flour

12 TBS butter (salted, if possible) – CHILLED and cubed

2 eggs

1+ TBS fresh thyme (or diced fresh sage or fresh parsley or fresh oregano)

water

1/4 tsp salt

DIRECTIONS

Mix the salt & flour together in your food processor (or in a bowl – as this dough could be made by hand – just not by me).

Pulse in the butter until it is incorporated into the dough.  Pulse in the fresh herbs.  Pulse in the two eggs.  Add water 1 TBS at a time until small lumps of dough form.

Divide the dough into two balls & on a lightly floured surface, roll the two balls into disks large enough to line your tart pan.  I rolled one out – and lined my tart pan.  The other, I kept in a ball, rolled it in some flour & then wrapped it in plastic wrap to keep in the fridge for another tart another day.

When you line your tart pan – press the dough in gently, starting from the center & work to the edges.  I wrapped my pastry over the rim & then cut away extra.  You can cut it at the rim – for a cleaner look.

Refrigerate your pastry-lined tart pan for at least 30 minutes.

When ready to assemble & bake the tart – take the tart pan from the refrigerator & prick the bottom of your crust with a fork several times – then line it with foil.  Put beans or some other oven safe thing (I used a pot lid – which I promptly burned myself touching 15 minutes later) into the crust & bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.  Remove from the oven.

Now your crust is half-cooked & ready for its contents.   As you can see – mine above – was already too cooked to withstand the additional 45 minutes it got in the oven with the tomatoes & onions.  😦

I used the extra dough cut from the rim by braiding it, baking it for about 20 minutes & then dipping it is some warm roasted tomato sauce.  Delicious!

PRINT THE DOUGH RECIPE

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PRINT THIS RECIPE

Heirloom Tomato & Onion Tart with Arugula & Basil

INGREDIENTS

2-3 medium heirloom tomatoes – different colors, if possible – sliced 1/4 inch thick

1/2 lb mixed grated cheese (I used gruyere, smoked gouda & cheddar)

1 cup arugula

1 small red onion – sliced thinly

1 small white onion – sliced thinly

(or two onions of your choice)

4 scallions – sliced

1 TBS fresh thyme

a handful of shredded basil

olive oil

S&P to taste

DIRECTIONS

Heat your oven to 375 degrees.

Spread a double layer of paper towels in your sink or on the counter.  Spread the tomato slices on the towel.  Sprinkle with salt.  Press another layer of paper towels on top of this.  Let rest while you complete the following steps.

Heat maybe a TBS olive oil in a pan & saute your onions & scallions until they begin to caramelize – 10 minutes or more.

With a pastry brush (or your fingers, spread a very thin layer of olive oil over the bottom of your crust & sprinkle with the fresh thyme.  Sprinkle a little cheese on top of this & then layer the arugula on top of that.

Reserve another small portion of the cheese for topping & mix the remainder of the cheese with the sauteed onion/scallion mixture.  Layer the onion mixture on top of the arugula.  Arrange the drained & dry tomatoes on top of this, interchanging colors (if you have more than one color) in a circular fan pattern.  Top with the reserved grated cheese.

Bake in your oven at 375 for 3–45 minutes or until the cheese is melted & beginning to brown.  If your crust is getting too brown – try to protect it with some aluminum foil.  Let the tart rest for 5-10 minutes.  Spread the shredded basil on top, add fresh cracked pepper & enjoy!!!    This is even better at room temperature the next day!!!!

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PRINT THIS RECIPE

Gluten-Free Bhajji or Onion Pakoras or Indian-style Onion Rings

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2012

OK – I am going to post this recipe despite the fact that I am going to instruct YOU to do it differently than I did last night.  I will also instruct you not to try both a fried AND baked version at the same time of ANY item when it is 100 degrees outside & you don’t have any air conditioning.  The oven roasting away at 425 while you fry battered delicacies in boiling oil makes for one sweaty chef.  It was downright unpleasant…as were the unfortunate & soggy baked version of these.  So – I will only post the more successful fried version now.

The traditional recipe calls for besan flour (chick pea flour) but I had my dogs in the car waiting (like an arsehole) while I shopped for ingredients – and remember – it was 100 here yesterday.  They love rides in the car & in trying to give them a little excitement – I forgot how hot it was until I pulled up to the supermarket.  So – I had under 5 minutes to get the job done & besan wasn’t immediately discoverable.  Gluten-free flour was – so I grabbed that.  I stood in the check-out – twitching impatiently & craning to see my car (windows half open – moon roof open, too – so it wasn’t gonna KILL them- don’t worry) while the cashier sleepwalked through scanning the items of the customer ahead of me.  I was so fidgety as the cashier moved like cold molasses  – I am certain the guy in front of me either thought I was tweaking & scanning for my dealer or a wanna-be felon looking for cops before I pulled out a gun and held up the store.

Four years later, I got out of there for – I might interject – an outrageous sum.  That GD Gelson’s is like going to the vet: it costs $50 just to walk in the door.  Groceries are added to that so that you can never seem to get out of there for less than $65 – even if you just buy three bullshit little things like my $8 (I realized later) Gluten-free flour.

Anyway – in reality – I was gone probably less than 5 minutes.  The dogs were panting – but they were panting when they got IN the car & they no worse off than they were 6 hours later – after dark – near a fan and just laying in bed.

 

 

See?  It’s a short face thing.  But I was certain some well-intentioned stranger (unfamiliar with the regular strained-looking breathing of my French Bulldog & my pug) was gonna smash the windows in or call animal control.

In short – they didn’t.  And please – no lectures.  I know the dangers of heat & dogs  –  and TRUST that my dogs are routinely pampered & spoiled & kept safe due to my paranoid obsessiveness.

NOTE:  I cut my onions in short, thick-ish slices.  THAT WAS WRONG!  You will have far greater success if you cut them into longer but VERY thin slices – so they tangle into little nests better & have more nooks & crannies to trap the batter.

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Gluten-Free Bhajji or Onion Pakoras or Indian-style Onion Rings

INGREDIENTS

Vegetable oil – enough to get about an inch of depth in your frying pan.  I used about 1/2 a regular size bottle.

2 medium onions – any variety

1 cup gluten-free flour (or gram flour which is also called besan or chick pea flour)

1/4 tsp baking soda

1 TBS turmeric

1 TBS ground cumin

1 TBS garam masala

1/2 tsp chili powder

salt & pepper to taste

1/3 cup water

fresh cilantro for garnish

DIRECTIONS

Mix all the dry ingredients in a medium bowl & blend well.  Add the water & whisk into a batter.  You can make this batter thicker or thinner with the amount of water you use.  Thinner batter makes for a lighter final result.

Slice your onion up into thin slices maybe 3 inches long.  NOT LIKE YOU SEE PICTURED HERE.  These were too short & fat to nest together well.

Add the onions to the batter & stir until every onion is well-coated.  Heat your oil.  Add one slice of onion to the oil.  Once that has browned – remove it.  Make little nests (balls, patties – whatever) of the onion-batter mixture & CAREFULLY place into the hot oil.  Turn if you need to – so that they are nicely golden all over.  Remove from oil & drain on some bunched up paper towels.  Repeat until all your onion pakoras are cooked.

Put them in a serving dish & sprinkle with chopped, fresh cilantro and a little salt – if you desire.

These are good dipped in raita or a mint chutney – or all on their own.