grilled pizza & fried artichokes with herbed-yogurt dip.

After a long, leisurely afternoon of watching cooking shows, Jediah & I found some real inspiration for a lovely outdoor dinner. Oddly enough, both of these ideas came from two different Barefoot Contessa episodes. I have always been a little nervous about cooking pizza dough on the grill, thinking it would surely stick & cause a terrible mess. Gladly, I was wrong--it is super simple.

We used pre-made dough (a regular flour dough and a basil gluten-free dough) from a local pizza place, Portland Pie Company. The toppings here are super simple, but really, the options are endless. Just take a stroll through your local farmer's markets & let your imagination run wild.

The fried artichokes are another super easy appetizer, & I listed it as it is on the Barefoot Contessa site. I know there seems to be a lot of oil, but keep it! We used some to brush our pizza dough, but it also can be used for dressings & sautees. The dip is an adaptation of the one on the Barefoot Contessa's site, because the one there made way too much for what I would need.

As you can see, I can't get enough of the gorgeous, colorful perennials!

grilled pizza. with cherry tomatoes & mozzarella.
serves 4

1 pizza dough or gluten-free pizza dough, cut into 4 even pieces & rolled out into individual pizzas
a glug of olive oil (we used the oil from the fried artichokes)
1 cup of pearl mozzarella or 1 mozzarella ball torn into pieces
a handful of basil, chiffonade

1 pint of cherry tomatoes, larger tomatoes halved
4 cloves of garlic, minced (we used the cloves from the fried artichokes & mashed them with a fork)
1/4 cup of white wine
3 basil leaves, chiffonade
a pinch of sea salt & cracked pepper

1. To make the cherry tomatoes sauce, heat a bit of oil in a pan over high heat. Toss in the tomatoes & garlic, cook & stir for about 2 minutes. Add wine, basil, & seasoning. Cook for about another 2 minutes. Set aside.
2. Set up a grill with heat source, coals or gas, on medium-high. Clean and lightly oil hot grill.
3. Using your hands, place dough, oiled side down, directly over heat source. Brush dough with herb oil or olive oil and cook until underside is lightly charred and bubbles form all over top, 1 to 2 minutes. With tongs, flip dough & add your toppings (here, tomatoes, cheese, & basil). Cover & cook another 3-5 minutes until the cheese is melted.
4. Take off the heat & serve. 

fried artichokes.
serves 4

10 baby artichokes
Olive oil
6 cloves fresh garlic, peeled
1 bunch fresh thyme
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

1. Remove and discard the artichoke stems. Peel off lower leaves (approximately 18.) Slice off the top half so that only the light green remains (artichokes should be approximately 1 1/4 inches), then cut the artichoke in half lengthwise.
2. Place the artichokes in a medium pot, flat side down, and add olive oil to just cover. Add the garlic, thyme, salt and pepper. Bring the olive oil to a boil, cover the pot and reduce the heat to a low flame and simmer for 15 minutes. Insert a knife into the lower half and if easily penetrated, it's done.
3. Remove the thyme and garlic from the pot, raise the heat and fry uncovered for approximately 2 minutes, turning over the artichokes midway. They are done when brown and crispy. Remove the artichokes from the pot and place them on paper towels flat side down. Sprinkle with salt and serve.

herbed yogurt dip.
This dip is great with veggies & even with potato chips!
serves 4

1 cup plain 0% fat Greek Yogurt
2 TBL Vegenaise
1 TBL fresh basil, finely chopped
1 TBL fresh thyme leaves
1 tsp dried sage
1 clove garlic, minced
a pinch of sea salt & cracked pepper

1. Whisk ingredients until combined. 

happy eatings & cheers!

thai turkey burgers. with a vietnamese salad.

Over the weekend, we spend the most beautiful June day on the Eastern Promenade in Portland with our friends, Paige and Adam (Check out Paige's Pottery as seen in some of these pics). The sun was shining, the clouds were puffy, the sea breeze was blowing the sail boats around the harbor, & the day was full of good food & great company. Perfect, right?

Since we were grilling, I decided to change up the flavors of traditional BBQ for Southeast Asian flavors. These burgers are packed with amazing flavor, that takes a grilled burger, to a grilled burger with tons of flavor that stands on its own. I served it next to a bright, crunchy salad with a sweet & salty shallot dressing that compliments these flavorful burgers. For imbibing, we had Maine made vodka from Cold River, seltzer water for some fizz, & fresh limes (of course there was beer too, it was a cookout!).  

thai burgers.
I've made these Thai burgers from Gwyneth Paltrow's 'It's All Good' four times now. I have made them with ground chicken, like in her recipe, and with dark ground turkey meat. I like them both, so really it's up to you & your preferences. I have listed the recipe the way it is written in Paltrow's book because all that I changed was the poultry. Also to speed things along, I toss the garlic, herbs, shallots, & chili in the food processor to get fine bits for burgers, but again, it's up to you.
serves 4

1 pound ground chicken (preferably dark meat)
2 garlic cloves, very finely minced
2/3 cup cilantro, finely chopped
2 shallots, very finely minced
1 teaspoon very finely minced red chili (or more or less, however hot you like it)
2 teaspoons fish sauce
½ teaspoon coarse sea salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons neutral oil (like canola, grapeseed, or safflower oil)

1. Thoroughly mix the chicken with the garlic, cilantro, shallots, red chili, fish sauce, salt, and pepper. Form the mixture into 4 burgers, each about ¾ inch thick.
2. Heat a grill or grill pan over medium heat. Rub each burger on both sides with a bit of the safflower oil and grill for about 8 minutes on the first side and another 5 minutes on the second, or until nicely marked and firm to the touch.
3. Serve on a buns of your choice or along side the salad for healthier option. 

sriracha-mayo.

This mayo is great on the Thai burger...it is mellow, but has a little bite. 

1/2 vegenaise or your favorite mayonnaise

2 TBL sriracha

1 TBL lemon juice

sea salt & cracked pepper

1. Whisk ingredients together & serve with Thai burger.

vietnamese salad with shallot dressing. 
This recipe is an adaptation from Paltrow's website GOOP (the dressing is how it is written on her website). It's perfect. And Easy. Win-win.
serves 4

1 bok choy, shredded
1/2 nappa cabbage, shredded
the inside leaves of red leaf lettuce, shredded
1/2 bunch of scallions, chopped on a bias
2 carrots, peeled, halved & sliced on a bias
1 pickling cucumber, halved, seeds scooped out, & sliced on a bias
1 yellow pepper, thinly sliced
1 cup of cilantro, chopped

1. Toss together in a large bowl with a 1/4 cup of the shallot dressing. 

shallot dressing.

¼ cup fresh lime juice
1 TBL rice wine vinegar
2 tsp soy sauce
¼ cup fish sauce
¼ tsp salt

¼ tsp hot pepper sesame oil
2 TBL agave nectar or raw honey
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp minced ginger
2 TBL finely diced red onion or shallot

1. Whisk ingredients together & serve alongside the Vietnamese salad.  

happy eatings & cheers!

bouillon de poulet avec quenelles de volailles.

Or chicken dumpling soup. This recipe is from The Little Paris Kitchen by Rachel Khoo...I am in love right now. First of all, I can't complain about how small my kitchen is, because she is working it in a smaller kitchen with one outlet. Second of all, her dishes are simple & look so darn tasty. There is a real love of cheese, and I can relate to that. To top it all off, she is super adorable & British.

This dish may not be vibrant with color, but it is homey & delicious. It is also dead simple & it different than your regular chicken soup. If you want to watch Rachel Khoo whip these up, watch the video on Youtube. It will also help you solidify the dumpling making technique.

bouillon de poulet avec quenelles de volailles.
serves 4
The Little Paris Kitchen cookbook

for the quenelles:
7 oz organic chicken breast fillet
3oz white bread, no crusts (I used Udi's GF white bread)
6 1/2 TBL half & half
1 free-range egg & 1 yolk
1 tsp. salt
pinch of pepper
pinch of nutmeg

1. Put ingredients in a food processor or blender & whiz until smooth. Form the paste into 20-25 dumplings by using two tablespoons (or for smaller quenelles, use teaspoons). 

for the soup:
6 1/2 cups organic chicken stock (homemade or store bought)
2 large carrots, peeled & roughly chopped
5 button mushrooms, thinly sliced
sea salt & cracked pepper if needed
1 bunch of flat leaf parsley

1. In a large stock pot bring chicken stock and carrots up to a boil (cook about 10 minutes).
2. Drop the quenelles into the stock and cook about 5 minutes (they will rise to the top when they are done). In the last minute of cooking add the mushrooms. 
3. Serve immediately, with roughly chopped parsley. 

happy eatings & cheers!

home menu.

Forever ago, I watched Robert Rodriguez talk about how important it is for a serious cook to have a "home menu" on his 10 Minute Cooking School. You know, meals you cook well, and if you have friends pop in, you could cook it up no-sweat. Also, food that you usually have on hand, or have easy access to. This coming from a nostalgic-horror film director. Finally, I have heeded his advice.This is something I have been meaning to put together for a long time, because first of all, it is a good idea. Secondly, it is just fun for someone like me.

Maybe you will be inspired to make up a "home menu" for yourself, maybe even post it on your refrigerator for friends to chose from when they come over, or share some of your favorite recipes here. These are some of my favorite meals, meals that I have made many times, and will make many times again. Enjoy.

1. LEMON TARRAGON CHICKEN . This is a recipe from At Home with Magnolia. It is so tasty & perfect next to seasonal roasted vegetables or mashed cauliflower.

2. MAPLE MUSTARD SALMON. This salmon is buttery & sweet. I have been making it since I first moved out on my own about ten years ago, & I get requests for this a lot (my mum loves this)...It is so simple, but tastes really fancy. I love that.

3. GRILLED ZUCCHINI PARMESAN . These little bites of heaven are a fun & surprising dinner party favorite. They really are simple enough, it is just some layering. It is also a great way to use up the abundance of zucchini & tomatoes in the summer.

4. BEST POTATOES WITH SEASONAL SALAD. This is my comfort food. Anyone would be happy to eat perfectly roasted potatoes, right?

5. SWEET POTATO BURRITO SALAD. I love this, but this is really for the guys in my life who adore this meal. I have made it so many times, & get loads of requests for this dinner. I can't complain because it is delish, & so easy. 

6. KHAO MAN GAI. This has been my go-to dinner party recipe since the summer. People go crazy, & you can't believe how simple it is. It is the sauce everyone goes crazy for. I also make this sauce with sweet red bell peppers for the non-spice lovers in my life. So putting out a spicy sauce & a sweet sauce, letting everyone dish up themselves--it is a hit. 

happy eatings & cheers!

smoked paprika hummus. in a rainbow veggie wrap.

This sounds like hippie food, right? Well sure, veggies & hummus kind of are, but sometimes hippie food tastes good though. Here, this hummus from the GOOP Cleanse is perfect on a lovely wrap filled with veggies that are the colors of the rainbow. The smoked paprika is a nice twist on classic hummus flavors...give it a shot on a wrap like I did here, or with some chopped veggies, olives, roasted garlic & pitas.

happy eatings & cheers!

tuna & ginger burger. {grain-free option & dairy-free}

OMG...these are tasty. If you like tuna, would love to try a new way of eating it, or just love delicious food--this is your burger. This recipe is from Gwyneth Paltrow's My Father's Daughter, it is really quite easy to prepare & the majority of it can be prepared ahead of time. She suggests getting the burgers prepped the night before, to really let the flavors meld. I made mine up in the early afternoon after a trip to the market, so really whatever is convenient for you. 

I served our burgers with blanched, then quickly sauteed green beans dressed with some chili sesame oil & a pinch of sesame seeds. I also served pickled ginger with these burgers too...because we can't get enough ginger apparently. For dessert, some lovely ripe pineapple chopped up...& yes, we ate it all. I think in the winter, living in Maine, I tend to feel a little fruit deprived. So when something is so perfectly ripe & in season we both eat it all. I do the same thing when strawberries are out in Maine. Anyway, these burgers are so wonderful because they do taste a bit like summer, so they are quite a treat.

Oh, how hilarious is it that Maude & Jack snuggle together? My cat is so big.

tuna & ginger burger

serves 4 

recipe from My Father's Daughter

1 tsp wasabi powder
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp water
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
½ tsp coarse salt
1 TBL peeled and finely minced fresh ginger
1 TBL peeled and finely minced garlic
1 ½ TBL peanut oil, plus more for cooking (or sunflower oil)
1 lb highest quality tuna, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 TBL extra virgin olive oil
3 shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
4 sprouted grain or whole wheat hamburger buns (gluten-free buns to keep it GF or no buns to keep it light)
Handful of fresh arugula

1. Combine the wasabi, mustard and water in a small bowl. Scrape it into a food processor along with the pepper, salt, ginger, garlic and peanut oil. Pulse it all together to make a flavorful paste. Add the tuna and pulse just to combine- be careful not to over process the tuna as you want your burgers to have texture. Form the mixture into four burgers and set in the refrigerator for at least an hour (up to overnight) to let the flavors really settle in.
2. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a skillet. Add the shallots and sauté for about 10 minutes, until they get soft and sweet and a little brown. Reserve.
3. Preheat your grill or grill pan over high heat.
4. Rub the tuna burgers with a little peanut oil and grill for 2 to 3 minutes a side, to desired doneness. Grill the buns alongside the burgers. Spread the buns with the mayo, pile on the sautéed shallots and a bit of arugula, and tuck in the burgers. 

sesame soy mayo.

1/2 cup Vegenaise or your favorite mayonnaise

2 tsp. tamari

2 tsp. sesame oil

1. Whisk together in a bowl.

happy eatings & cheers!

italian night.

on the menu. turkey meatballs with spaghetti & baby arugula with creamy balsamic pesto dressing. 

Wheat...gasp. Dairy...gasp. So, as you can tell, we are done detoxing & moved on to just eating a little more consciously--Superfoods & whole foods mostly. I have be craving spaghetti & meatballs for a few weeks, though, I can't remember the last time I slurped up a bowl of delicious pasta & red sauce, so I thought I would make a night of it. I used turkey here, because I don't eat red meat, & I enjoy the lighter taste of the turkey. This is relatively simple, so don't be alarmed by the number of steps. It is perfect for a weekend night or Sunday dinner.

The baby arugula salad is a perfect companion--it is so easy, light, peppery & a little sweet from the vinegar. We also had a Sicilian Pinot Grigio. 

turkey meatballs with a basic tomato sauce & spaghetti.

serves 4

for the meatballs:

• 1 lb. organic ground dark turkey meat
• 3/4 cup Pecorino, grated
• 1/4 cup almond flour/ bread crumbs/ or oats blitzed until fine (I have tested these over the years, they all work well, it just depends on what you have on hand or your dietary preference)
• 2 organic eggs, beaten
• 1 TBL plain Greek yogurt (or whole milk)
• 1 heaping TBL fresh rosemary, chopped
• 1 tsp. sea salt
• a good pinch of cracked pepper
• 1/4 cup olive oil

1. In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients except the olive oil. Don't be afraid to roll up your sleeves & get in there with your hands. Once combine (trying to not over work the turkey meat), wet your hands, & roll into balls. I made golf-ball sized meatballs, but if you want bigger ones go for it, they will just have to brown longer. 
2. In a heavy-bottomed pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the meatballs (if you need to work in batches, you may just need to add a little more oil as you switch batches), add meatballs and without moving or turning the meat, allow it to brown for about 3 minutes. Turn meatballs and brown other side. Continue to cook until all sides are golden brown, about 8 minutes total. 
3. Add tomato sauce and bring to a boil. Lower heat and allow meatballs to simmer for 5 minutes. Turn off heat and keep warm on stove. Be careful not to over-handle the meatballs since they are soft and fragile.

for the basic tomato sauce:

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 2 28oz cans of San Marzano tomatoes
• 1 bunch of basil, leaves picked, chopped & 2 TBL of the stems finely chopped
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• sea salt & cracked pepper
• 3/4 -1 lb. spaghetti or gluten-free spaghetti (I like Bionaturae which is organic, made in Italy & relatively easy to find )
• Pecorino, for serving

1. In a heavy-bottomed or enamel pot, add oil & warm to medium heat. Add the garlic & basil stems. Cook for about 3 minutes, careful not to let the garlic burn. Once the garlic starts to smell amazing & before it turns golden, add the tomatoes, wine, sea salt & cracked pepper. Bring to a boil, & then reduce heat to low & let simmer for 1 hour or an hour & a half (depending on how you want the texture of the sauce), breaking up the tomatoes with a wooden spoon when you stir. 
2. When you add the meatballs, add half of the basil, taste & season to your taste.
3. To assemble: Cook your pasta according to the package directions, al dente. Plate up in serving bowls, place meatballs & a healthy spoonful of sauce on top. Add a pinch of chopped basil & grate some Pecorino on top. Enjoy.

baby arugula salad with a creamy balsamic pesto dressing.

serves 4

• 4 big handfuls of baby arugula 
• 3 TBL olive oil
• 2 TBL canola oil or grapeseed oil
• 2 TBL balsamic vinegar
• 1 TBL plain Greek yogurt
• 1 tsp pesto
• a pinch of sea salt
• cracked pepper for serving

1. Plate up arugula in a serving platter or bowl. 
2. In a mason jar, add oils, vinegar, yogurt, pesto & salt. Shake vigorously. Add about half to the arugula & toss with your hands covering the leaves. 
3. To serve, put the other half of the dressing out for people with some cracked pepper.

on the reel. 'To Rome with Love' a film by Woody Allen. 

This is Woody Allen's latest film, that just came out on DVD. I knew when this finally arrived in the little red envelop, I had to make it a dinner & a movie night. It is a light & funny tale of the city, people & circumstances that merge together with a bit of whimsy.  This image is from a funny scene in which Jesse Eisenberg & Ellen Page are trying to cook Italian food, but keep putting way too much wine in, & get drunk from taste testing. Love it. 

the kitchen critters. Maude & Jack.

happy eatings & cheers!