Skinny Beach Fare

Here's a super quick weeknight dinner that's easy and - surpise! - actually kinda healthy. Well, maybe not healthy, per se, what with the mayo-based dunking sauce, but I figure baking and not frying the shrimp allows for some wiggle room. Add a big, summery salad and you've got a beach-worthy feast - sans the guilt.

Unfried Shrimp

1 lb medium shrimp, cleaned and deveined

1 cup cornmeal

1/4 cup flour

Salt and pepper

Cayenne pepper

2 eggs

Preheat the oven to 450. In a shallow bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, and salt, pepper and cayenne to taste. In another shallow bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Toss the shrimp in the cornmeal first, shaking off the excess, then dip in the eggs and back in the cornmeal, again shaking them off. Place the shrimp on a lined and oiled baking sheet and bake directly under the broiler for 5 minutes. Turn each shrimp over, cook another minute, then pile on a platter, sprinkle with salt and serve hot with the remoulade.

Spicy Remoulade

1/4 cup mayonnaise

2 tbsp ketchup

Several dashes of hot sauce

Several dashes of Worcestershire sauce

Juice of half a lemon

Salt and pepper to taste

Whisk all ingredients together.

A Little Sunshine

The avocado - definitely on my top ten list of Favorite Foods Ever - and definitely not locally grown. So when Rory's old roommate Oliver came to visit us from San Diego, I did quite the happy dance when, like a buff surfer Santa, out of his suitcase he pulled the best housewarming present ever - a sackful of beautiful avocados, grown on his FAMILY'S LAND, from trees he planted HIMSELF. That's about as local as it gets, right?

Aaand, if that wasn't enough, he made us his world famous guacamole (super secret recipe below). We ate it every way we could think of - on eggs, stuffed in burritos, smeared on chips, licked off our fingers. Thanks to O, we got a much needed dose of gold and green sunshine, right in the middle of a very dreary winter.

Big O's Guac
Flesh of 4 ripe avocados, mashed
1/2 red onion, diced small
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 ripe roma tomato, chopped
1 green onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
Few dashes of hot sauce
1/2 tsp chili powder
Salt and pepper to taste
Juice of 1 lime

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl and serve.

PS - According to Oliver, if you leave the seeds of the avocados in the guacamole, it keeps it from getting brown. I don't know if it was the seeds or all that lime juice, but either way our guac stayed beautifully green for two whole days.

Quick Dish: Sweet and Sour Sauce

Never before have such seemingly incongruous ingredients come together so quickly to make such a delicious quick dish. It's no wonder the recipe for this ridiculously easy, perfectly balanced sweet and sour sauce comes from my dad's mother, who, other than her fabulous brisket, always believed there were more important things to do in life than waste one's time in the kitchen.

My mom, though tending to agree with her mother-in-law's view of kitchen duty after a long day at work, is still one heck of a cook. Way back when, she tried adding her family's Italian meatballs (recipe here) to my Jewish grandma's sauce, and voila! - the perfect blending of my heritages was born.

Of course, you can add this sauce to just about anything that needs a sweet and source kick - spooned over baked chicken for example, or as a dipping sauce for egg rolls or satay - but I'll always be partial to the classic pairing my mom so greatly improved upon.


Sweet and Sour Sauce
2 cans whole cranberry sauce
1 can crushed pineapple in juice
1 cup ketchup
½ cup water

Heat all ingredients together on stove. If making sweet and sour meatballs, add meatballs to sauce and simmer on medium low until the meatballs are cooked through, about 20-25 minutes.

Shrimp and Two Potato Chowder

This quick dish is an easy twist on a classic winter soup. I originally had a hankering for New England clam chowder, but 1) I had no clams, 2) I can't really eat cream - well I can, but I suffer dearly for it - and 3) I had an overabundance of multi-hued potatoes that needed eating. So, no, it's not clam chowder - not a thing like it really, except that I'm calling it a chowder - but it is delicious, and that's what matters.

Shrimp and Two Potato Chowder

2 tbsp olive oil

1 large sweet onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp garam masala, optional

1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut in large cubes

3 or 4 small red or new potatoes, or 1 large russet or Idaho potato, cut into large cubes

Salt and pepper

1 tsp dried thyme

1 quart vegetable stock (Kitchen Basics is my favorite)

2 cups whole milk (or cream, or 2 percent, whatever you have on hand - just don't use skim)

1 pound large shrimp, shelled and deveined

In a large stock pot over medium high heat, heat the olive oil. When shimmering, add the onion and saute, stirring often, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and all the potatoes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste, and the garam masala, if desired. (It's not necessary, but it gives the soup a certain something - a special depth of spicy, earthy flavor. A little curry powder would also work well). After a few minutes, add the vegetable stock, scraping the bottom of the pot to loosen any browned bits; add the milk, thyme, give the whole thing a stir, and then simmer on medium heat, until the potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. Just before serving, add the shrimp - they'll cook through in 1-2 minutes. Ladle into bowls and serve.

Quick Dish: Calzone with Swiss Chard and Mozzarella

Remember that beautiful pizza dough I told you about a few posts back? Remember how I said it takes a little time to make, but then you'll have extra dough ready at a moment's notice for a delicious dinner? This is that delicious dinner.

Calzones are uber Italian comfort food. Warm, puffy dough folded around your choice of hearty filling, with the requisite ooey, gooey, melted mozzarella spilling out...Hot Pockets have nothing on these babies. I took the dough out of the freezer last night, it was ready for me when I got home from work today, and we were eating calzones in 20 minutes flat. Faster than Pizza Hut, and waaay better.

Calzone with Swiss Chard and Mozzarella
1 ball of pizza dough, preferably homemade, but store bought is fine
1 bunch of swiss chard, washed and chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper
2 small balls fresh mozzarella, sliced
Olive oil, for brushing
Cornmeal, for dusting

Place a baking stone on the middle rack of your oven and preheat it to 450 degrees.

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add a tablespoon of olive oil; when hot, add the swiss chard. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Saute for about 5 minutes, until wilted and tender. Remove from heat.

Rub a pizza peel with cornmeal. Separate the dough into two pieces and stretch each to form a uniform circle, about 6 inches across. Place each disk on the peel and brush each with a little olive oil. Divide the swiss chard and the mozzarella between the two calzones, arranging them on the top half of each circle. Fold the bottom half of the dough over the filling. With a fork, crimp the edges together to seal. Lower the heat in the oven to 400 degrees. Slide the calzones onto the baking stone and bake for 10-15 minutes, until golden and firm. Remove from the oven and serve warm, dipped in the tomato sauce you preserved this summer (or the can of Prego you have in the cupboard).

Quick Dish: Cranberry Chicken Salad Sandwiches

Ah, lunch.

Such an important meal of the day. And during the work week, "going out" for it saves you from a whole host of of bothersome things - hunger, boredom, a stuffy office, an annoying co-worker. But as fun as going out to lunch is, it definitely does not save you money, or time. If you're short on both, I'm guessing your brown bag it most days. And though in doing so you're being oh-so-good, I'm also guessing you open that bag feeling a wee bit grumpy about what a great meal you could be having. Hrmph.

Sufferers of lunch remorse, this quick dish is for you. When I brown bag it, I try to pack a meal that I would actually want to order somewhere, not just the usual hum drum home fare. So, whenever I make chicken for dinner, I cook extra so I can make this lovely salad the next day. (It's also a great use for the uneaten half of that store-bought roast chicken you couldn't resist). It couldn't be simpler to make, and this time of year, those lovely specks of celery green and cranberry red are very festive, no? I prefer it on hearty pumpernickel, but any old bread will do. So make chicken tonight and no more boring lunch tomorrow. Voila!

Cranberry Chicken Salad Sandwiches
Makes enough for two sandwiches

One leftover chicken breast (about 6 ounces)
2 ribs of celery, diced, green leaves included
A handful of dried cranberries
3 tbsp mayo
2 tsp honey mustard
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix together ingredients. Make sandwiches. Pack sandwiches.

Eat at work. Ignore annoying coworker.

Quick Dish: Fall Hash

If you have some leftover salmon that needs eating, here's a Fall-tastic, 5-ingredient quick dish for you (well, technically it has 8 ingredients, but I figure the s+p and the olive oil are a given). It's oh-so-easy and works great for dinner or brunch. The salmon makes the hash plenty filling on its own, so I suppose the poached egg isn't really necessary, but who wants their hash without that lovely yellow trickle of goo? Not this girl.

Salmon and Sweet Potato Hash

1 bunch of Brussels sprouts, ends and loose outer leaves removed, halved

1 large sweet potato, peeled and cubed

1 medium sweet onion, diced

2 fillets (or about 8 ounces) leftover salmon

2 eggs

Salt and pepper

Olive oil

Preheat the oven to 400.

Toss sprouts in a little olive oil and s+p, arrange in a single layer on a foil-lined baking sheet, and roast for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to caramelize evenly.

While the Brussels sprouts are roasting, heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large nonstick saute pan over medium high heat and add the sweet potato cubes. Saute for about 10 minutes, until tender but still firm and beginning to brown. Add the onions and saute until soft, about 5 minutes, adding a little more olive oil if the pan gets too dry. Add the Brussels sprouts and the salmon and cook until the fish is warmed through. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Keep the hash warm while you heat a pan of water for poaching the eggs. (Adding a few drops of vinegar will help the eggs hold together). When the water is simmering, gently slide in the eggs and poach for two minutes, longer if you prefer less runny yolks. Remove with a slotted spoon and dry on paper towels. Divide the hash between two plates and top each with a poached egg.

Quick Dish: Marie's Salad

Marie is my lovely mother and this is her, and my, favorite salad. Whenever I go home, it's pretty much a given that I'll find feta in the fridge and dried cranberries in the cupboard, ready for that night's dinner. We alway sprinkle in some toasted pine nuts for crunch, but pecans are another great option; dried cherries are a delicious stand-in, as well. And here's our little secret - soak the dried fruit in some good red wine for about 15 minutes before tossing everything together. It plumps them up and lends a wonderfully deep flavor to the salad...and drinking the cranberry-sweetened wine isn't half bad, either.

Marie's Salad
1 head romaine lettuce
1/2 cup crumbled feta
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup good red wine
1/2 cup pine nuts

Vinaigrette
3 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp. honey mustard
Salt and pepper
5 tbsp. olive oil

Soak the cranberries in the wine for about 15 minutes. Drain and set aside. Drink the wine when no one's looking.

Chop the romaine roughly and arrange in a big salad bowl. Sprinkle the feta, cranberries and pine nuts. Set aside.

To make the vinaigrette, whisk together the vinegar and mustard in a small bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste. While whisking, add the olive oil in a slow and steady stream until emulsified.

When ready to serve, give the vinaigrette another quick whisk to combine and drizzle over the salad.

Quick Dish: Chicken-Tomatillo Enchiladas

Got a craving for Mexican? One jar o' salsa to the rescue! This tastes as good as most of the enchiladas you can get around town, and you don't have to change out of your pajamas to enjoy them.

Chicken-Tomatillo Enchiladas

1 lb. chicken tenders, chopped into small pieces
1/2 onion, chopped
1 16-oz. can tomatillo salsa
Dash of cumin
Dash of cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
6 whole wheat flour tortillas
Shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 ripe avocado, optional

Preheat the oven to 350.

In a small bowl, mix together the chicken, 1/2 cup of the salsa, cumin, cayenne pepper and salt and pepper to taste. Let marinate for 15 minutes.

Scoop the pulp out of the avocado into a small bowl. Add salt, pepper and a little garlic powder and mash with a fork. Set aside.

In a nonstick saute pan over high heat, add the olive oil. When the oil is shimmering, pour in the chicken mixture and saute, stirring often, until the chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes. Set aside.

In a shallow baking dish, pour about 1/2 cup of salsa on the bottom and spread to coat. Add a few tablespoonfuls of the chicken filling down the center of each tortilla, sprinkle with a handful of cheese, and roll tightly. Place each tortilla seam-side down in the baking dish. Pour the remaining salsa over the enchiladas, covering completely, and sprinkle with additional cheese. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the enchiladas are warmed through and the cheese is melty. Serve the enchiladas topped with some of the mashed avocado.

Quick (Comfort Food) Dish: Pastina

When I have a cold, or a crappy day at work, or pretty much any kind of bad experience that justifies some serious comfort food consumption, most often I find myself looking to my Italian roots for inspiration. And while most creations in the comfort genre require a considerable amount of time to prepare - think pot roasts, homemade spaghetti and meatballs, chocolate cake - my favorite is also one of the quickest, and classic Italian comfort food at its very best.

My grandma calls this dish pastina - literally little pasta. (Technically, that's the name of the tiny pasta used, not the milk/pasta/butter mixture she created, but hey, who's going to question Grandma?) She made it for my mom whenever she was sick, and Mom always used it as an antidote for pitiful children, whether they were the result of illness, lost soccer games or mean boys. So when I sit down with a warm bowl of pastina, I don't know which I owe it to more - the soothing starch or my childhood memories of these two wonderful women - but either way, I can't help but feel very comforted.

Note: While both ladies always used pastina/acini de pepe, these particular types of pasta can be hard to find. Orzo (pictured above) works just as well.

To make pastina: Fill a saucepan with water, salt liberally, and bring to boil. Add a cup of pastina (or orzo). Cook until al dente. Drain the water from the pan and add 2 cups of milk. Heat through, add 2 tablespoons of butter and mix to melt. Serve warm, adding more salt if desired.

Quick Dish: Macadamia Nut Crusted Halibut

I am ridiculously tardy in posting about all the wonderful food I got to enjoy whilst honeymooning in Maui, and I promise, it’s coming. But in the meantime, since I’m too lazy to do the full write up, but too antsy what with this election going on to just sit here, I’ll tell you about the so-simple-yet-so-good dinner I made last night, thanks to a package of macadamia nuts I picked up in the duty-free store on the way home.

This is a unique little riff on the ubiquitous pecan-crusted trout, but, if I do say so myself, I think even better. In Hawaii, of course, mahi mahi was the chosen fish, but any flaky white version will do. Just don’t feed the leftovers to your dog. Apparently macadamia nuts are poison to their little systems. Who knew.

Macadamia Nut Crusted Halibut
2 6-ounce filets halibut or other flaky white fish
3/4 cup dry roasted salted macadamia nuts
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
Freshly ground black pepper
1 egg
1 tbsp olive oil

Preheat the oven to 350.

Pat the fish filets with a paper towel. Crack the egg into a wide, shallow bowl and beat lightly. Set aside.

Place the macadamia nuts into a zip lock baggie, seal, and pound lightly to crush. Pour the nut pieces into another wide shallow bowl, add the cheese and freshly ground pepper to taste, and stir to combine.

Dip one side of the filets into the egg and then press into the nut/cheese mixture, patting down gently to adhere the coating.

Place a large nonstick sauté pan over high heat and add olive oil. When the oil shimmers, add the fish, nut side down, and sauté for about 2 minutes, until the crust is golden brown. Flip the fish over and transfer the pan into the oven. Cook until the fish is flaky white, but not overdone, about 6-8 minutes.

Serve with a leafy green salad, preferably with balsamic vinaigrette.

Quick Dish: Gnocchi. Yes Gnocchi.

Ok, I know when you want to throw together a quick meal, your first thought isn't, "Hey, I think I'll make pasta from scratch!" But hear me out. All you need is a potato, an egg and a little flour, and in about 20 minutes you too can be enjoying your own fresh little pillows of heaven.

Here's all you need to remember:
1 large russet potato
1 lightly beaten egg
¼ cup flour
Salt and pepper to taste

Easy right? That's the basic ratio, and it will give you 1-2 healthy servings' worth of gnocchi. Just multiply this amount by the number of servings you want to end up with.

(FYI - I originally got this no fail ratio from a certain too-skinny, too-smiley Italian Food Network star. I wish I could hate her, but heck, this is a great recipe).

Here's how to make them:

Pierce the potato all over with a fork. Microwave the potato until tender, about 6-8 minutes. Cut the potato in half lengthwise and scoop out the flesh into a large bowl; discard the skin. Using a fork, mash the potato well, then mash in the salt and pepper. Mix in 3 tablespoons of the egg; discard the remaining egg. Sift the flour over the potato mixture and knead just until blended – do not over knead.

Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces. Roll each piece between your palms and the work surface into a 1/2-inch-diameter rope (about 20 inches long).

Cut the dough into 1-inch pieces. If you have one of those fancy, ridge-making doohickies that give your gnocchi their trademark ridged look, by all means, now’s the time to bust it out. Rolling the pieces over the tines of a fork works just as well, too. To be honest, though, I usually skip this step: time consuming + unnecessary = not a quick dish.

Cook the gnocchi in a large pot of boiling salted water until the gnocchi rise to the surface, about 1 minute. Continue cooking until the gnocchi are tender, about 4 minutes longer. Using a slotted spoon, remove the gnocchi from the water.

Now’s the time to add them to a pan of sizzling butter and thyme or sage, or you could simply toss them with olive oil and fold in some fresh mozzarella. Crispy prosciutto is also a good addition. So is basil. Oh, I could go on…

Quick Dish: Brussels Sprouts

Well, we're back. And weirdly enough, it feels like we never left. Rory and I have gotten right back into our pre-wedding/honeymoon routine, including sexy activities such as buying groceries and cleaning the bathroom. In fact, the only thing that really seems to have changed (besides my name and some pesky legal details, of course) is the weather here in my fair city. When we left at the beginning of October, the days were still fairly warm. Now, walking to the neighborhood Harris Teeter this Sunday, my requisite t-shirt and flip flops ensemble was just not cutting it. So apparently summer left while we were gone. Bummer.

The only cure for my the-honeymoon's-over-and-now-it's-cold-out blues? Fall comfort food, of course. Brussels sprouts are one of my favorite fall vegetables, and believe it or not, they're real comfort food to me (which probably has something to do with the amount of butter and garlic I always use with them).

Brussels sprouts are super versatile, both to cook and to pair with other fall flavors. One of my favorite ways to prepare them, which happens to be my mother's way, is a great verion for purists: simply boil the brussels spourts whole for about 15 minutes, then add butter, garlic powder - yes, I said powder - and s+p to finish. In recent years, though, I've been branching out in my cooking methods. Roasting, for example, brings out a wonderfully nutty flavor to the sprouts - just halve them and toss with olive oil and salt and pepper, place on a lined baking sheet, and roast at 450 for 45 minutes, and see for yourself.

Sauteing is probably the quickest and easiest way to cook Brussels sprouts. Tonight, that's the version I chose. I took a bunch of whole Brussels sprouts, about 20 or so, cut off the bottoms and removed their loose outer leaves, and sliced them finely. I added a tablespoon of olive oil to a hot nonstick pan and added two cloves of finely chopped garlic and 2 slices of finely crumbled fake bacon. (You could add real bacon, too; Ijust didn't have it on hand). After a minute I added the sliced sprouts to the pan and tossed to coat with the flavored oil. I sprinkled with salt and pepper, added 2 tbsp of butter to the pan, and continued to saute, tossing often on medium high heat, until the sprouts were tender but firm and beginning to caramelize. Served alongside some skin-on mashed potatoes, I was in my happy place - and definitely looking forward to the bounty of fall.

So, what's your favorite way to cook these little beauties?

Quick Dish: Skillet Potatoes and Green Beans

Great with fish, chicken or beef for dinner and then folded into an omelette the next morning, there's never a better time to whip up this mix of potatoes, beans and tomatoes than September when the farmers markets are at their peak.

Skillet Potatoes and Green Beans

2 tbsp olive oil

3 slices of pancetta, diced small (optional)

2 shallots, sliced fine

3 cloves of garlic, chopped fine

1 large very ripe tomatoe, diced

1/4 cup water

1/2 pound green beans, trimmed

1/2 pound small new potatoes, scrubbed and quartered

Salt and pepper

Fresh parsley

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the pancetta and cook until getting crispy, about 3-4 minutes. Add the shallots and garlic to the pan and cook for a few minutes until soft. Add the diced tomato and the water and stir to combine. Toss in the beans and the poatoes, sprinkle with salt and pepper, toss to coat, and cover to let simmer/steam for 15 minutes or until the vegetables are tender but still firm. Remove from heat, sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve.

Quick Dish: Ravioli with Sausage, Corn, Ricotta and Basil

This post just goes to show you why all those food magazine cluttering your house are sooo worth the bitchy comments from your housemate. (Love you, Rory!)

So last night I was tired, broke and hungry. I needed to make something for dinner, but after a weekend away, all I had in the fridge was some corn from last weekend’s farmer’s market trip, two leftover chicken sausage links, some fresh artichoke ravioli from Trader Joe’s, and a half-eaten container of ricotta cheese. Slim pickins’ for sure, and definitely not ingredients I would normally think to toss together.

But then I remembered a recipe for pasta with corn, ricotta and roasted garlic I'd recently read about in one of the myriad food magazines gracing my coffee table. Pasta – check; ricotta and corn – check; and what do you know, the chicken sausage just happened to be ROASTED GARLIC chicken sausage. Kitchen karma. I threw it all together, tossed in some fragrant basil, crossed my fingers – and damn, did I make a good quick dish.

Ravioli with Sausage, Corn, Ricotta and Basil
1 10-oz package of your favorite fresh stuffed pasta – ravioli, tortellini, etc.
2 chicken sausage links, halved and sliced – preferably roasted garlic flavor, but a spicy sausage could work, too
½ cup ricotta cheese
Handful fresh basil leaves, chopped
Kernels from 2 ears of fresh corn
1-2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper

Put a medium saucepan of salted water on the stove to boil. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, mix together the ricotta, basil and sausage links. When the water is boiling, add the pasta. (Fresh pasta only takes a minute or two to cook – you’ll know it’s ready when it floats to the top). Remove the ravioli with a slotted spoon and add to bowl with ricotta mixture; toss gently.

Add the corn kernels to the reserved boiling water and cook just to heat through, about a minute. Strain and add to pasta. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, drizzle with olive oil, and toss gently. Enjoy!

Quick Dish: Indian Curry Potatoes and Peas

This is my version of a staple Indian side dish, though it’s so filling and flavorful it can make a meal on its own. You can nuke the potatoes instead if you’re short on time, but I prefer taking the extra few minutes for the texture steaming provides. Just don’t peel them – it’s healthieir (and easier) not to.

Ingredients:

2 lbs potatoes (I prefer fingerling) steamed and chopped large
1 cup frozen peas
½ cup sour cream or plain yogurt
1 tsp chili powder
1 tbsp garam masala
1 tsp curry powder
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 1/2 tablespoons ground coriander
1 tablespoon butter
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
Kosher salt
Optional:
2 tablespoons fresh parsley or coriander
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Combine sour cream/yogurt, chili powder, garam masala, curry powder, turmeric and ground coriander in a small bowl. Set aside.

Add the butter and olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium high heat. When hot, add the cumin seeds and fry until golden brown, about a minute or two. Add the potatoes and a generous sprinkling of kosher salt and sauté 3-4 minutes. Pour in the yogurt mixture and frozen peas. Gently toss to mix and continue cooking until heated through, about 3-5 minutes. When done add lemon juice and fresh herbs if desired.

Quick Dish: Presto Pesto

Pesto is one of my all-time favorite go-to quick dishes. You can whip it together in literally 1 minute and use it a thousand ways: it’s great on hot or cold pasta, mixed into scrambled eggs, as a base sauce for pizza, dolloped on baked fish or as a ‘marinade’ for grilled shrimp…the list goes on and on. You can also feel free to vary the ingredients based on what you have on hand – walnuts or pistachios instead of pine nuts, parsley, cilantro and/or spinach for the green, etc. However, as an addict of the summery zing of fresh basil, I tend to stick with my basic version. (Though one word of caution: don’t use purple basil. Pretty as it is prior to blending, nobody finds brown gloop very appetizing).

Even better - pesto freezes well. I make at least a double batch each time, pour some into a baggie and toss it in the freezer for another night. (This is also a great way to have "fresh" pesto come fall when farmers' market basil is long gone).

Presto Pesto
1 packed cup fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
2 garlic cloves, smashed
Zest and juice of one lemon, optional
1/4 to 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, depending on your chunky/smooth preference
¼ cup parmesan cheese
Plenty of salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place all ingredients into a blender and process until smooth.

Quick Dish: Dried Figs Stuffed with Ricotta, Pine Nuts and Bacon

In case you didn’t know, I’m a big fan of stuffing things – pasta, roulades, jelly rolls, turkeys...my face...you name it, I’ll fill it. So in the spirit of stuffing, here’s a quick appetizer that’s great for a party – or just for stuffing yourself.


Ingredients:
24 dried figs
4 ounces ricotta cheese
4 slices cooked bacon, cut into small pieces*
Handful of toaste pine nuts
Honey for drizzling
Several basil leaves, chopped fine

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Cut off the tops of the figs and use a chopstick or similar tool to hollow out a bit of the center. If necessary, squish the figs gently to make them stand upright for baking.

Fill the corner of a sturdy plastic baggie with the ricotta cheese, tie to close, and snip off just the very tip to create a makeshift piping bag. Fill the cavity you made in the figs with the ricotta, then stuff a piece of bacon and a few pine nuts into the cheese.

Bake for 15 minutes. Remove, drizzle with honey and sprinkle with basil. Serve warm.

*Try cooking the bacon in the oven: 425 degrees for 10-15 minutes, on a rack over a cookie sheet covered in aluminum foil. It’s much easier - and less splattery – than on the stove.

Quick Dish: Goat Cheese-Stuffed Squash Blossoms with Curry Powder

Much as I love squash blossoms, until this past weekend, I had yet to buy the little beauties this summer. A recent trip to the 14th and U Farmers Market changed that. One stall had pristine blossoms in plastic boxes, as well as the flowers still attached to baby squash. I stocked up on the former, and even got a free recipe to boot, as the nice man I bought them from shared his favorite preparation with me – stuffed with goat cheese, sautéed for just a minute in a little olive oil, and sprinkled with curry powder. No batter? “Never,” he said. “It ruins their delicate flavor.”

He was right - rather than simply being a vehicle for the gooey filling, the fresh, grassy flavor of the blossoms themselves could shine through. My only addition – a little chopped basil mixed into the cheese.

Quick Dish - Thai Noodle Salad with Shrimp and Calamari

Although the flavors in this quick dish are resolutely Thai, I’m a big fan of using kishimen noodles – a Japanese wheat noodle that’s slightly thicker and wider than udon. (I buy my kishimen at Daruma, a great little Japanese market in Bethesda that also has wonderful takeout. Check out Sietsema’s review of Daruma here). You can use whatever rice pasta you prefer; just be sure to check the cooking instructions on the package, as some noodles just need a quick soak rather than boiling.


3 garlic cloves
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup sweet chili sauce
Scant 1/3 cup fish sauce
½ cup lime juice
1 large tomato, rough chopped
½ small red onion, thinly sliced
½ cup chopped cilantro
8 oz rice noodles
1 lb medium shrimp (shelled and deveined)
1 lb calamari rings, thawed
½ cup unsalted dry roasted almond slivers
Extra cilantro for garnish

Bring a large pot of water to boil (do not add salt).

In a large bowl, add first five ingredients; stir to dissolve sugar. Toss in tomatoes, red onion and cilantro. Set aside to let flavors combine.

Add the rice noodles to the boiling water and cook until tender, about 4 minutes. Remove noodles from pot and transfer to bowl of cold water to stop cooking. Add the shrimp to the boiling water and cook just until firm, about 1 minute. Remove and transfer to a bowl of cold water. Add the calamari and cook just until firm, only about 45 seconds (be careful not to overcook – tough calamari is the worst). Transfer the calamari to the cold water bowl with the shrimp.

Drain the noodles and add them to the sauce. Add the seafood and toss to combine. Sprinkle with the slivered almonds and cilantro and serve.