Florentine Burgers

I came up with this recipe last summer when I had a ton of spinach from Costco and really good grated Parmesan cheese from Whole Foods Market.  It periodically resurfaces on Pinterest http://pinterest.com/pin/270638258828034006/ , so I thought I'd share it here.  It's a thrill when an original recipe gets repinned!  Even more of a thrill when it is one of my healthier recipes.

Both the kids (ages 11 & 13) liked these enough to reheat the leftovers - truly the highest of praise from my children!  Best quote "Mom, these burgers are green...are they supposed to be green?"

Florentine burgers:
In a food processor, blend bowl full of baby spinach (10-12oz bag) with 4 roasted garlic cloves (you can use fresh - flavor will be sharper), 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, 1 large spoonful Greek yogurt (you choose the fat content - I like 2% if the turkey is very lean), 1 egg until just combined.
Add 1 pkg ground turkey (A 1# bubble pack or equivalent - the less fat content the better). Pulse until blended. Stir in S (salt) and P (pepper) "to taste" (don't taste raw meat, right? you know that)

Two cooking methods:
1. Scoop turkey mixture with ice cream scoop (use large regular scoop for burgers and a small scoop for meatballs).  Place scoop of turkey mixture into shallow bowl filled with panko crumbs. Gently coat (you really just have to use the tools God gave you - your hands!) and let burgers rest on a plate while you prep the rest of the meat.
Cover the bottom of a cast iron skillet on medium-high heat with canola oil (I recommend canola here because it holds a high heat for quick cooking and it does not impart a flavor on the burger - keeping the spinach flavor bright and fresh). Flatten burger ball slightly to form a fat patty.  Turn heat down to medium and cook patties ~4 min each side (internal temp of 160 degrees F). Repeat until all burgers are made.
2. See #1, omit panko. Place burger ball in seasoned cast iron skillet (can use non-stick). Cook ~4 min each side until done (internal temp of 160 degrees F). Repeat until all burgers are made.
Serve immediately with chopped tomato and fresh basil tossed in olive oil and S&P and/or basil aioli.

Enjoy!

Muffins For the Week

This muffin recipe is a keeper.  Full of flavor and fiber.  A great choice for a carb in the morning, alongside soup at a meal, or for a needed afternoon snack.  My mom says they are good to her blood sugar and they freeze well too.

I've tried substitutions, like leaving out the scant 1/4 cup oil, but they get too dry too fast.  My usual substitution is blueberries for chocolate chips.  Because Chris, my husband, is allergic to nuts I usually leave those out, BUT when I do include nuts I always make sure the nuts are roasted before stirring them into the batter.  Sometimes I use whole wheat pastry flour for all the flour or part.  Oh yes, these are Katie and Edward approved, my children love these especially when they are mini-sized (set timer to check mini muffins at 8-10 minutes).

If you can find Bob's Red Mill products, that's the brand of wheat bran I use.

Thank you Eating Well magazine http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/banana_bran_muffins.html this recipe is a keeper.

Stromboli

One of the first things my husband, Chris, and I prepared together, and still do to this day, is anything that needs pizza dough - calzones, stromboli, bread sticks, pizza...

Chris has experience in this field.  When we met he worked at a local pizza shop making pizzas.  One of our first dates included a pizza ordered from his shop.  The guys he worked with thought it would be funny to pull a prank and cover the pizza with cayenne..not so funny then, hilarious now.

I make my dough in a bread maker. It always produces a reliable dough every single time.  Here is the recipe for pizza dough straight from the recipe booklet that came with the Westbend® bread maker (a gift from my sister, Heather over 20 years ago) http://westbend.com/about-us-recipes/recipes/breads/other-recipes/pizza-dough-single-crust.html and step by step instructions on making Stromboli.  I double the dough recipe so that we always have one to give and one eat ourselves.

One stromboli feeds 4-5 people.

Original Stromboli

Ingredients
1 recipe pizza dough for 12-14 inch crust, doubled (or make your favorite, or purchase at Whole Foods Market)
12-15 thin slices sandwich pepperoni
12-15 slices sweet capicola
4-5 slices prosciutto
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
8-10 very thin slices provolone cheese (Sargento® Very Thin Slice)
1-2 Tablespoons, or to taste, seasoning blend (Mrs. Dash® Tomato, Basil, Garlic Seasoning Blend)
1 egg, scrambled
parmesan cheese for sprinkling
Kosher salt

Directions
1. Preheat your oven to the "warm" setting.*

2. On a floured surface roll out dough to roughly 12" x 16" rectangle - this need not be a pretty rectangle - the dough is about 1/4 inch thick. At this point you may transfer the dough to a sheet pan lined with parchment paper, or wait until assembly is finished to move the stromboli.

3. Starting along the edge of the 16 inch side lay pepperoni in a row.  I only overlap the slices slightly, but if you like more meat - add more.Repeat this mid-way up the dough.

4. Cover the pepp with the capicola. Cover the capicola with the prosciutto.  Cover the meats with the provolone slices.  Sprinkle the whole rectangle with the mozzerella, parmesan and finally Mrs. Dash®.

5. Being careful to keep the filling in place, at the same 16 inch long end roll the stromboli until the filling is completely covered and the seam is pointing down.  At this point you may leave the stromboli in a long cylinder or grasp both ends and pull them toward you to create a horseshoe.  Pinch the ends shut, brush with egg wash and sprinkle with parmesan cheese and kosher salt to taste. Lastly, snip 1.5 inch slits in the top of the stromboli every 2-3 inches.

6. Place the stromboli in the warm oven for 15 minutes.  Remove the Stromboli and turn oven up to 425 degrees F.  When the oven is preheated put the stromboli back in the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until outside is golden brown.  Remove Stromboli from oven, let sit 3-5 minutes, cut and serve immediately with red sauce.

Stromboli - Chicken Parmesan 

Using the Original Stromboli recipe, omit all meats and replace with the following chicken parmesan
Ingredients
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded 1/4" thin OR sliced in half horizontally
1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup canola oil
Directions
In a large skillet heat oil on medium heat.

In a large resealable bag place flour, cheese, salt and pepper, shake to mix well.  Add chicken, one piece at a time to the bag and coat.  Remove the chicken and let rest on a plate.  Finish coating the rest of the chicken.  Place one layer of breaded chicken in hot oil.  Cook approximately 4-5 minutes on both sides until the internal temperature reached 165 degrees F.  Remove to paper towel lined platter.  Repeat until all chicken is cooked.  Cut chicken into long pieces - about 4-5 slices per breast.  Follow directions for assembly and baking.


Stromboli - Cheeseburger

Using the Original Stromboli recipe, omit all meat and replace with 3/4-1 pound ground beef round, browned and seasoned with salt and pepper.  Omit 1 - 1 1/2 cups of shredded mozzarella with shredded sharp cheddar cheese. Follow directions for assembly and baking.

*You can skip the warm oven step and preheat immediately to 425 degrees F if you are in a hurry.  The dough will be a "breadier" consistency.

From One Blogger to Another

This week we're eating - stromboli, leftover pork roast, chicken breasts, Swiss chard and black beans...stay tuned!

Blogging is a great creative outlet...when you feel creative.  I don't always feel creative, inspired, and/or motivated.  Recently I've been reminded of my blog.  First, I met a fellow dietitian who blogs and I picked her brain with questions that have plagued me like, "Isn't it hard to find your blog voice?," and "You've got to be consisted, right?!"  Her answers have breathed new life into me, for the moment, and I find myself wanting to make a go of this again.  Second, my mother, who writes a food column, wants to start blogging and came to me with questions.  As I emailed back and forth with her I started to feel that inspiration to write, cook and take pictures.  I was startled to see how many hits several of my posts had acquired in the last year.  After all, if what I write isn't read, my mission is not accomplished.  For those of you who visited, became members, friends, etc. thank you, because if there were no "hits" I may have just "shut her down."  I suppose a hit doesn't mean a "read," but I'm optimistic...

Chicken pot pie-in the crock pot

SO delicious is Real Simple's Creamy Chicken pot Pie (Feb 2012, pg142)! The house smells terrific, it's was quick to put together and the nutrition is well-balanced.

My modifications- more carrots, some finely chopped celery, sautéed mushrooms added at the end instead of raw at the beginning, used a mix of peas & corn instead of only peas, used less salt.

What I would do different? Use fresh green beans added at the start, or omit them and next time I'll try half and half instead of heavy cream.

Lastly, I was out of puff pastry from Trader Joe and Whole Foods wanted $10.99 for a small package (I'm sure it would have been delicious...), so I used pie crust ($3.99) and cut out large rounds.

Please try this!

Boozy Olives

For hostess gifts this year I made Boozy Olives from Bon Appetit December 2011 - http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2011/12/boozy-olives.

They were a hit!  I have received many requests for the link to this recipe.  Most recently a friend emailed to let me know that the Cerignola olives were nowhere to be found locally.  I usually adapt recipes to my taste, budget and need for convenience - I never did look for the Cerignola olives (nor did I include the vermouth).  I just bought the yummiest looking olives that I would like to see sitting at the bottom of a well-filled martini glass.  What I purchased, and what got the rave reviews, was Lindsay brand Spanish queen olives pimiento stuffed.

Yesterday I made a trip to Costco for 2 big jars of Lindsay olives and today I will deliver a jar to my friend who can't wait to make these yummy olives that sit well alongside most any hors d'oeuvre.   I will keep the second jar and make boozy olives to have on-hand.

Stocking Up Using The Oven-croutons, nuts, pita chips

Cool weather immediately prompts me to cook.  Well, it really gets me baking.  Baking is not my strong suit.  I have to take a deep breath and think about proportions and measurements.  Leveling flour is the last thing I want to do.  I prefer a looser approach to all things culinary...that is if I'm cooking.

What I want today is a warm kitchen filling the house with amazing smells.  I opted for the loose approach (but the bananas in my freezer will be banana bread soon...) and made croutons with day old (read many days old and some of it frozen), roasted nuts and pita chips.  The croutons we will eat on a salad or I will pulse in the food processor to make bread crumbs for the topping of homemade mac and cheese. Roasted nuts are cooled and stored in the freezer to be eaten as a snack, on a salad, baked in cookies, bread, etc, or used to chop and sprinkle on most anything.  The pita chips I am making today are mini pitas.  When they are split in half they make a lovely bowl shape that is useful to hold dips, salsas, salads, etc.

Croutons a la Linda
-all measurements are approximate, sutract or add according to your taste
6-8 cups cubes day old bread (I like a mixture of Italian, sourdough, whole grain, etc)
1 stick salted butter
1 tsp dried tarragon
1/2 tsp dried Italian herbs
1/2 tsp kosher or sea salt
1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
sprinkle of poppy seeds

Put cubed bread in a large bowl.
Melt butter over low heat.  Stir in herbs.  Pour over cubed bread while tossing to coat evenly.
Spread buttery cubed bread on a sheet pan large enough to accommodate bread cubes in a single layer.
Toast in a 350 degree oven until golden brown, 10-15 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and seeds, cool and store in an airtight container or resealable bag.

Roasted Nuts
1 lb raw almonds, pecans, cashews, walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Spread nuts evenly in a single layer on a sheet pan.  Roast nuts until you can smell their aroma, 10-20 minutes depending on the nut.  All ovens cook differently, so check your nuts after about 7 minutes and give them a shake or stir. Then return them to the oven to complete the roasting.
Cool nuts completely.  Place in a resealable bag and store in the freezer to retain freshness.

Pita Chips
One bag of mini whole wheat pitas, split in half with bread knife. Spread in single layer on cookie sheet. Sprinkle enough olive oil so that each pita half has been hit.  Sprinkle with sea or Kosher salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes to taste.  Toast in a 350 degree oven until golden brown, approximately 10-12 minutes.