Creamy Chickpea Dip

I bought these two big cans of organic chickpeas on sale and I was so excited. (Sales, sometimes give me a little thrill. ;)) But they have been sitting in my cupboard for a while and I thought to myself, I gotta do something with them already. And I thought a creamy dip would be nice with some cut up veggies. To make your dip extra creamy, peel your chickpeas. I know it sounds a little labor intensive but I find it meditative. (Maybe that's even weirder than peeling the chickpeas, lol.) Either way, enjoy and have a fantastic weekend!

• 3 cups chickpeas (about a 29 oz. can, drained and rinsed)
• 7 oz. full-fat Greek yogurt
• 1 tablespoon grape seed oil
• juice of 1/2 a lemon
• garlic powder
• paprika
• sea salt
• a handful of sorrel leaves, minced

Using a hand blender or an immersion blender, puree your chickpeas, add the yogurt, oil and lemon juice and continue blending until nice and smooth. Add in the sorrel and the seasonings, adjust as needed. If you don't have an sorrel on hand, don't worry and just add in some lemon zest. Makes a nice big bowl, perfect for a party.

Basic Chicken Salad

Last week, I didn't have time to make dinner one evening and it was quickly declared a "rotisserie chicken day!" And I made a bee line for the rotisserie chickens coming right out of the oven, piping hot. As my day started getting better, (I had the most perfect cup of iced coffee) I got a little silly and asked the nice guy behind the counter to pick out the "nicest, most juiciest, fattiest looking chicken" and I laughed. Good thing for me, he shared my sense of humor and said, "This is the nicest, chicken I've ever seen." I laughed and it was one of the tastiest, juiciest rotisserie chickens, I've ever had. (I'm serious.) As a young girl, I would cringe and want to hide under my moms skirt, as she would point out with her finger which chicken she wanted or which kielbasa or even stuffed cabbages she wanted to take home but here I was, doing the same, lol. And as always, with a rotisserie chicken dinner, come the leftover chicken breast, sometimes nice over a green salad the next day or in a salad itself, like here. Enjoy!

• leftover chicken breast
• 1/3 cup minced celery, reserve some leaves for garnish
• 1 heaping tablespoon minced red onion
• pear infused white balsamic vinegar or any fruit infused white balsamic vinegar 
• 3 heaping tablespoons mayonnaise, a little more as needed
• sea salt
• ground black pepper

Let the onion sit in the vinegar while you prepare the rest of the salad.  Pull apart the chicken breast and roughly chop. (Makes about 2 cups.) Give your red onion a quick rinse with cold water and add to the chicken along with the other ingredients. Adjust the seasoning as needed. I like to serve the salad with Belgian endive leaves, just perfect to hold a spoonful of creamy salad. Serves about 4.

Spicy Grilled Mullet

Finding a fish grilling basket is harder than I thought! I scoured a few places by me, I figured, with it being grill season they would be a staple but none were to be found. I finally found one at one of my favorite places, West Elm! They came to the rescue, once again! And it was on sale too! I was so excited. When I go there, I get lost and it's just a inspiration filled time, where I find myself wanting to redecorate our little cabin, to make it modern and super fresh. But then I take a deep breath and focus on the goal. "Fish grilling basket Mary-you are here for a fish grilling basket." And did I find a great one! It has a flexible wire; not limiting what it can hold to just a flat fish, has a removable, wooden handle and I know I'm going to put it to good use, not just for fish but veggies too. I'm so happy I found it early in the season. Grilling fish can be intimidating and using aluminum foil feels more and more wasteful, than convenient. To a happy grilling season and finding fish grilling baskets on sale! ;) Enjoy!

• 4 whole mullets, cleaned and gutted
• 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk
• juice of 1/2 a lime
• Sriracha sauce
• coriander seed, crushed
• ground ginger
• turmeric
• curry powder
• chili flakes
• fresh cilantro
• sea salt
• ground black pepper
• coconut oil for basting

Mix your coconut milk, lime juice, Sriracha sauce and spices. Add in a little at a time and adjust the seasoning accordingly. Cut up the lime and toss into the marinade. Score your fish and pour the marinade over them. Make sure to rub the marinade into the insides of the fish also. Allow to sit overnight, up to a day. You want to use fresh fish for this recipe. Place them in your fish grill basket and grill away. You want to grill at a temperature of about 350-400 degrees and baste with a little coconut oil so it doesn't stick. Grill for 30 minutes per each side, turning after every 15 minutes, until the fish gets nice and crispy. Serves 4.

Just a little tip: Don't flip your basket like a burger on the grill but (with caution) remove it from the grill, holding it in the horizontal postion, lowering it to your side, so the fish are facing the ground and with a turn of the wrist, flip and bring it back up and place on the grill, otherwise (as I learned) your fish will slide all over the place.

Pinto Beans with Spinach

A side of beans is a nice warm weather staple. But they are usually laden with sugar, (which I love but it doesn't help my waistline whittle away or the sugar cravings I get after having a helping, as I help myself to some more, lol) A great remedy for this is making my own pot of beans and I like to toss in some spinach to up my greens intake. This is nice served as a side dish at a barbecue or served with rice as a main meal for your meatless meal nights. These are especially good-room temperature. Serve with a creamy avocado wedge sprinkled with cayenne pepper or top with a fruity balsamic vinegar. Enjoy!

• 1 pound pinto beans, soaked overnight
• 5 cups water
• 4 cups roughly chopped, tightly packed spinach
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 sliced bacon, minced
• 1 cup chopped red onion, (about 1 medium onion)
• a few inner celery stalks, chopped
• cayenne pepper
• sea salt
• ground black pepper

In a Dutch oven, combine the olive oil, bacon, onion and saute on low heat for about 5 minutes until the onion is translucent. Add the beans and give them a good stir followed by adding the water, celery and spices. Bring the beans up to a boil on high heat, then lower the heat to a low setting and cook for about an hour and a half, until the beans are nice and tender. Remove from the heat and stir in the spinach, until wilted. Adjust the seasonings as needed. Serves about 6 or more. This makes a nice, big pot of beans.

Lemony Chopped Cauliflower & String Bean Salad

Do you ever look at that bag of frozen cauliflower and inspiration strikes? It doesn't happen often but when it does, you gotta go with it! I thought it would be nice with string beans (another bag that was lurking in the veggie bin) and lemony sorrel leaves. And you want to use Bella Di Cerignola olives because they aren't too strong, yet add a nice flavor. This is quick salad to make that goes great, especially with grilled fish. I added the peppadews last minute and it made all the difference, making it so much more flavorful and colorful. Enjoy!

• 3 cups cauliflower florets, cooked until tender
• 1/4 pound string beans, chopped and blanched
• 4 Bella Di Cerignola olives, pitted and roughly chopped
• 1-2 cloves fresh garlic, smashed and minced
• a few sorrel leaves, minced
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• sea salt
• ground black pepper
• peppadews*

Take your minced garlic and allow it to sit in the vinegar, while your veggies cook and you prepare the rest of the salad. To save time, I cooked the cauliflower and used a hand held strainer to drain it, so I could use the water to cook the string beans. Rinse off your veggies with cold water and drain well. Into the vinegar, stir in the olive oil, lemon juice, sea salt and ground black pepper. Combine all of the ingredients and adjust the seasoning as needed. Serves 2-3.

*not pictured

Creamy Cannellini Bean Salad

Macaroni salad lovers, you won't miss the pasta once you have this cannellini bean salad! It's nice and creamy, a little tangy and then you get a bite with a little bacon and you say, "What macaroni salad?" and the glutenous macaroni that you once pined for is a distant memory. That's right, a distant memory. I didn't think it was possible, but it is! Enjoy!

• 3 1/2 cups cannellini beans soaked overnight or about 6 cups cooked
• 1 Kirby cucumber, finely shredded and squeezed dry
• 1/2 cup minced sorrel leaves
• 2 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
• 4 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons white balsamic pear infused vinegar
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• squeeze of about half a lemon
• a pinch or two of chili flakes
• sea salt
• ground black pepper

Combine all of the ingredients and mix well. Adjust the seasoning as needed. (If you can't find sorrel leaves, just add a little lemon zest.) Garnish with a little shredded sorrel leaf or chili flakes. Makes a nice big bowl, great for a party and it's even better the next day.

Creamy Sunchoke and Leek Salad

In the mood for a creamy salad that doesn't have potatoes or macaroni in it? I was too! A salad that's great with some grilled chicken and a green side salad; that's a little different and a little fun. So I opened my fridge and did some experimenting. The internal conversation I had with myself while making this salad went a little like this:

"Hmm...okay...why not?"  (The initial sunchoke and leek combo)
"That could be interesting." (Adding in the egg.)
"Oh no...I don't know about this..." (The above combination)
"Eek, I think I just screwed up." (Adding in the heart of palm)
"Maybe not." (Adding in the pistachios.)
"Okay, I think we're getting somewhere." (Tossing in the beans.)

Finally ending at: "This is gonna be yummy!"(It's hard to really ruin anything with mayonnaise isn't it?) And it was! The hubby tested it and approved! He loved it and I hope you do too. Enjoy!

 

• 1/2 pound sunchokes, peeled
• 1&1/2 cup finely chopped leek
• 1 hard boiled egg, minced
• 1/3 cup small white beans
• 1/3 cup minced heart of palm
• 1 tablespoon raw pistachios, finely minced plus a little for garnish
• a tablespoon finely minced parsley plus a leaf of two for garnish
• 2 heaping tablespoons mayonnaise
• sea salt
• ground black pepper

Toss in a wedge of lemon or lime with the sunchokes and cover them with cold water and bring them to a boil, lower the heat to low for about 15 minutes until they are fork tender. Drain them and rinse with cold water and chop them fine. With the leek, rinse well to remove any sand and chop them about the size of the sunchoke pieces, then rinse again. Bring some water to a boil and toss them in for about a minute or two, until the green part of the leek is tender. Then drain and rinse with cold water. Combine the sunchokes and leeks with the rest of the ingredients. Adjust the seasoning as needed. Garnish with the pistachios and the parsley. Serves about 3. Double the recipe for a bigger crowd.

Warm Yucca Salad

It's the beginning of salad season! But not leafy salad season yet, where I'm satisfied with just a few leaves and a good vinaigrette. But a little bit of a heartier salad with maybe some lettuce leaves on the side. And that's where yucca comes in, satisfying like a potato with a little bit of a chestnut flavor to it. It's a great salad to have to celebrate the beginning of salad season! Enjoy and happy weekend!

• about 2 pounds of yucca
• 1 medium size red onion, about 1/4 pound, quartered and sliced
• 1/2 pound mixed tomatoes, quartered if small enough.
• about 8 oil cured olives, pitted and halved
• 4 tablespoons olive oil plus 2 tablespoons
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• a squeeze of lemon
• sea salt
• ground black pepper
• anchovies*
• capers*
• arugula*

Trim your yucca at both ends. (To cut the yucca, I use a big old knife and to peel the outer layer, I use a small paring knife. Please be careful.) The ends are a little tough, so trim a little more than you think. Cut your yucca into manageable pieces and peel the thinner outer layer, sometimes it peels nice and smoothly separates and other times, it's a bit of a chore. Cut into smaller chunks. Rinse well and cover with cold water and sea salt. Bring to a boil and then lower the heat to low and simmer for about 20 minutes or so until fork tender. Drain and allow to cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes. You will see a small fibrous thread on some of the chunks that you can remove and then cut into smaller pieces and set aside in a bowl. While the yucca is cooling, in a pan, combine 4 tablespoons of the olive oil and the red onion, saute for about ten minutes, until softened, on low heat. Toss in the tomatoes and olives, until warmed through, about 2 minutes. Toss the onion, tomato and olive mixture into the yucca chunks along with the remaining olive oil, vinegar, the squeeze of lemon and sea salt. I was in a salty mood today, so I tossed in some chopped up anchovy wrapped capers and I think it made the salad! Serve with a little arugula on the side for a nice peppery contrast. Serves 4.

Bluefish Salad

Last night I made a whole bluefish on the grill. It was nothing fancy, just dressed with a little olive oil and sea salt. Despite it being really tasty, we had leftovers, so I made a bluefish salad today. It's pretty classic, I just added some celery leaves to it. This is nice for lunch when paired with some sorrel or lettuce leaves, sliced tomatoes and a wedge of lime, for a little extra zing. Use a gluten-free crispbread and it's a gluten-free meal! Enjoy!

• 2 cups cooked bluefish
• 2 celery stalks, minced
• a few pale celery leaves minced and some reserved for garnish
• 1 heaping tablespoon minced shallot
• red wine vinegar
• 3 heaping tablespoons mayonnaise
• sea salt
• ground black pepper

Place the shallot in a small bowl and cover with the vinegar. In the meantime, pick your bluefish over, removing the skin and any bones and flake equalling 2 cups. To your bluefish, add in the celery, celery leaves, mayonnaise, salt and pepper. After 5 minutes, drain the shallot, rinse with water and add to your fish. Give it a nice mix and adjust the seasoning as needed. Garnish with the celery leaves. Makes 4 half cup servings.

Mexican Style Stuffed Peppers

What's a gluten and dairy loving gal that's avoiding her love suppose to do on Cinco de Mayo when a dollop or two of sour cream makes about everything taste more delicious? And when there are warm, soft, glutenous flour tortillas hugging the insides of tacos and enchiladas, making them oh-so-perfect? But make her own little pockets for celebrating, without feeling like she's missing out. And these came out really tasty and I didn't even miss the sour cream! Don't forget the wedges of lime, avocado and the extra cilantro! Now where's my Skinny Girl Margarita? Happy weekend and Happy Cinco de Mayo!

• 1 pound organic ground beef
• 4 cubanelle peppers
• 1 8oz. can seasoned tomato sauce, reserving 3 tablespoons aside.
• 2 tablespoons and 1 pepper from a 7 oz. can of chilpotle peppers in adobo sauce
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 cup cooked brown basmati rice
• 1 small shallot, minced about 2-3 tablespoons
• 1-2 garlic cloves, crushed and finely minced
• 1/2 cup good salsa
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• fresh cilantro
• sea salt
• ground black pepper

Trim the stems if needed and half your peppers. Remove the seeds and membranes. Place them directly on the gas burner, until the outside is a little charred for a little extra flavor. Please be careful. Set them aside, using tongs. Combine the can of seasoned tomato sauce, 1 tablespoon of the adobo sauce and 1/4 cup of water and spread evenly in the bottom of a heavy bottomed 13x9 pan. Place the peppers in the bottom of the pan.

In a pan, combine the olive oil, shallots and garlic. Saute on low heat until soft and translucent. Add the beef, breaking it up with the back of a spoon. Add in the 3 tablespoons of the tomato sauce, 1 tablespoon of the adobo sauce and the pepper, minced. Add in more if would like a little more smoky heat. Keep stirring, until most of the beef is cooked through. Stir in the rice, salsa and the cilantro. I love cilantro, so I am never shy with it, so use as much as you like. Adjust the seasonings, adding hot sauce if you like. Next, stuff your peppers, packing in an even amount onto each pepper. Place in 350 degree pre-heated oven. Bake for about 30 minutes, until the peppers are fork tender. Makes 4 servings. Enjoy!

*Gluten free, if sauces are.

Turkey, Sorrel & Garlic Patties

The panic that I felt early on this year when I saw those bikinis at Target is amplified as I'm no where near bikini ready. My attempted juice fast was not as successful as I had hoped, as I cut it short. My gym sweatathons, felt great but I just love food too much and I need to make wiser choices as well as portion control. Taking advice given to me moons ago from a trusted psychic, I'm going to avoid sugar and dairy, along with my beloved gluten. (Deep, deep sigh.) Please join me as I lighten up my recipes a bit and hopefully in turn the numbers on the scale, will lighten up also. With that said, was I excited as I walked out of the door a few weeks ago, to find my sorrel growing, knowing how much flavor it adds to dishes. But since it was still chilly out, I wasn't in the mood for its' lemony fresh flavor yet. But today is a beautiful spring day, that's just perfect for all of the brightness that it has to offer. If you don't have sorrel available, substitute a teaspoon of fresh lemon juice and a little lemon zest. Enjoy!

• 1 pound ground lean turkey
• 1/2 zucchini finely grated, about 1/2 a cup
• a few leaves of sorrel or more, finely chopped, plus one leaf used for garnish
• 2-4 garlic cloves
• sea salt
• ground black pepper
• cooking spray

Smash the garlic and mince finely. Sprinkle with sea salt to create a paste, using the back of the knife helps. Set aside the garlic and squeeze the the zucchini dry. Mix with the rest of the ingredients and divide into 8 patties, about a quarter to a half an inch thick. Heat up the cooking spray in a non-stick pan and cook for about 2-3 minutes per each side. These are nice piping hot or room temperature. If you aren't avoiding carbs, these would be nice as sliders, topped with sliced tomatoes and crumbled goat cheese. Garnish with slivers of sorrel. Makes 8 patties to snack on or 4 servings.

Asian Inspired Wild Rice Salad

I love a nice Asian inspired salad but I'm trying to cut the calories without sacrificing flavor. I would have loved a nice plum sauce to sweeten this dish up but instead used a pear infused white balsamic vinegar for a little bit of the sweetness and it did not disappoint! Adjust the seasoning of the dressing to your liking. And topping it with a wasabi flavored sheet of seaweed adds an extra bit of flavor, without the added calories. They are so addicting, I just love them and at only three calories per sheet, they pack a lot of flavor. Serve with grilled salmon on the side for a nice meal. Enjoy and have a great weekend, it looks like it's going to be a beauty!

• 1 cup wild rice, cooked and cooled
• 1 cup shelled edamame, cooked and cooled
• 3 scallions, use the pale part, sliced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons pear infused white balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Gomasio (a mix of black & tan sesame seeds)
• pinch of ground ginger
• pinch of wasabi powder*optional
• sea salt
• ground black pepper
• flavored roasted seaweed, for garnish

In a small separate bowl, combine the olive oil, vinegar, ginger, wasabi, salt and pepper. Toss the dressing with the rice, edamame and the scallions. Use scissors to cut the seaweed into shreds, to save a little on time. Garnish with the seaweed shreds. Serves 2 as a main meal or 4 as a side dish.

Creamy Beet, Potato & Petite Pea Salad

Don't limit your potato salads to summer barbecues, add in seasonal peas and beets and it puts a nice spin on the humble tuber salad. Yukon Gold potatoes are my favorite potato, golden in color and just deliciously creamy. Last night, I had one right out of the pot, sliced and steamy hot with a little butter and salt. It was so satisfying that I didn't even need anything else. Sometimes, I just love simple dinners. But today is another day and it's a salad day! Enjoy your creamy beet, potato and petite pea salad with anything from sauteed portabella mushrooms to grilled fish on the side. Enjoy!

• a little more than half a pound beets, (about 1 large), cooked until fork tender
• a little more than half a pound of Yukon Gold potatoes, (about 1 large), cooked until fork tender
• 1 cup frozen or fresh petite peas, cooked until tender
• 1 hard-boiled egg, finely minced
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon heavy cream
• small handful fresh dill, finely chopped and a little extra reserved for garnish
• sea salt
• ground black pepper

Cool all of your ingredients. (I cooked them the night before and let them cool so they are easier to handle.) Cube your beets and potatoes and add in the egg, mayonnaise, heavy cream, dill and seasonings. Taste and adjust the seasonings as needed. Makes 3-4 side salads.

Strawberry Greek Yogurt Granita

Okay, so not all is lost with the frozen strawberry yogurt! It came out great, but not exactly super creamy like a traditional frozen yogurt, more like a creamy granita? Is there such a thing? I'm not too sure, but it sure beats all the calories of a creamy soft serve ice cream cone, that I have been fantasizing about. (Can you tell that Dairy Queen has opened up again? It has. And it's so tempting every time I pass it by.) So, I had to find an alternative to that creamy ice cream cone and thought this would be nice with all ingredients being pretty healthy, especially with it being sans sugar. It's a nice treat to have in the freezer. Enjoy!

• (1) 17oz. container of full fat Greek yogurt
• 4 tablespoons coconut milk creamer
• 3 cups roughly chopped strawberries
• 4 tablespoons water
• 1 teaspoon xylitol or more to taste
• pinch of sea salt
• fresh ground black pepper*optional

In a small sauce pan combine the strawberries, water, xylitol, salt and the pepper. (Add more xylitol if needed, depending on the sweetness of the strawberries.) Bring it up to a simmer for about 10 minutes over medium high heat, stirring occasionally. You want the strawberries to break down a bit. Adjust the seasoning once more. Allow your strawberry mixture to cool. Once cool, with an immersion blender, combine the yogurt, coconut milk creamer and the strawberry mixture. Place in a freezer overnight. Once ready to serve, thaw in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time, until it's not rock solid and you can break it up with a fork. (You can also freeze in individual containers and you can also, alternatively let it thaw in the refrigerator.) Serves 3.

Grilled Leeks & Beans with Coriander Aioli

Ahh...the first day of spring, although you wouldn't know it looking out the window, with snow on the ground but that doesn't mean we can't celebrate with a light meal that is both rich and filling; grilled leeks alongside buttery beans. Pair this with boiled baby Yukon gold potatoes or brown rice and top with an extra creamy and a little spicy aioli to give it an extra special touch. Happy Spring! Enjoy!

For the leeks & beans:

• 2 leeks
• cooking spray
• 1 15. oz. can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 Campari tomatoes, chopped
• 2 sun-dried tomato halves, in oil, minced
• a few capers, drained and rinsed
• sea salt

For the coriander aioli:

• 2 egg yolks
• sea salt
• 1 oz. olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon coriander seeds, crushed and well chopped
• generous pinch smoked Spanish paprika
• 1/4-1/2 teaspoon Sriracha sauce or more to taste

Bring some water to a boil and in the meantime, trim the leeks. Trim the green part and reserve for another use, like a soup or stew. Trim the root, leaving a little bit, keeping the leek together.

Slice down the center and once again lengthwise, cutting it into quarters. And give them a good rinse, removing any sand. Next, assemble them back like a puzzle and tie in place with kitchen twine. This is so the leek stays together and doesn't fall apart as it cooks. Once your water comes to a boil, toss your leeks in and blanch for about 5 minutes. Your leeks are done once the bottom is fork tender. Drain, seperate and spray with oil and season with salt until ready to grill.

While your grill heats up, make your beans and the aioli.  Into a frying pan, melt the butter until it sizzles on low heat. Add in the tomatoes and a little sea salt and increase the heat to medium, until it's bubbling and the liquids of the tomato evaporate, about 2-3 minutes. Toss in the beans and capers until heated through, giving it an occasional stir. Cover and keep warm. Next make your aioli, whisking together the eggs and sea salt, little by little whisk in the olive oil. Season with the paprika and Sriracha sauce for a little heat. Lastly, grill your leeks. I grilled them at about 400 degrees for only a few minutes per each side. But you can always leave them on longer for deeper grill marks. Assemble your dish and season with a little fresh cracked black pepper. Serves about 2.

Colcannon with a Sunny-Side Up Egg

So, at the time I didn't know I was eating a traditional Irish dish. But really, when I think about it, colcannon is sort of like the filling in pierogis. When I was younger, my mom would sometimes make this for dinner on Fridays because it was meatless and would top it with a fried egg. My even more favorite version of this was made on non-Fridays, with chunks of fried slab bacon. (I know, I know...so wrong yet, so right.) As I've grown up to make my own variation, I top mine with a sunny-side up egg and the yolk just runs into the natural butteriness of the potatoes (although butter does help the level of butteriness of this dish) and the sweetness of the cabbage. Such great comfort food. This is great for breakfast or dinner. If you like, top the colcannon with crushed potato chips for a little bit of crunch. Enjoy! Happy weekend and St. Patrick's Day!

• 1/2 a head of green cabbage, sliced and roughly chopped (about 1&1/4 pounds)
• 4 Yukon Gold potatoes, (about 1&1/2 pounds) peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 medium onion, sliced (a heaping cup)
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter plus 2 tablespoons
• 1/2 cup half and half, divided
• sea salt (obsessed with pink Himalayan sea salt right now.)
• 4 eggs *optional
• a handful of kettle cooked potato chips, crushed *optional

In a large Dutch oven, combine the onions and 4 tablespoons of the butter, allow to sweat, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. (If you like your onions a little more caramelized, allow to brown a little more.) Next, add in your cabbage and sea salt. Cover and cook for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. If it begins to brown, add a little bit of water, about a tablespoon at a time, as needed just to stop the cooking process a bit. The water will evaporate. In the meantime, cook your potatoes until fork tender. Once done, add to your potatoes the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, 1/4 cup of half and half (milk or heavy cream is fine to substitute) and the sea salt. Mash until nice and smooth, although chunks are just fine, if you are in a chunky-mashed-potato-kind-of-mood. Once the cabbage is tender, add in the mashed potatoes and the remaining 1/4 cup of  half and half. Combine well and adjust the seasoning, if needed. If topping with the egg, make the eggs one at a time and keep the colcannon piping hot. Once ready, spread it on a plate and top with the egg and pass around the crushed potato chips. Serves 4.

Great Northern Beans & Oil

This past Sunday was one of those Sundays where I just wanted to veg on the couch and watch some movies. There was a nice amount of snow on the ground from Friday's storm and it still felt like the familiar comfort and coziness of winter, despite the time change and promise of spring. I just wanted to relish in the last weekend of winter complete with a pot bubbling away on the stove. Once you set this pot on the stove, it's minimal effort to a filling and flavorful dinner. Because this recipe is simple, you want to use good quality ingredients. If you want, you can use more walnut oil and less olive oil. The walnut oil gives this dish the extra richness and creaminess that makes this simple pot of beans extra special. Enjoy!

• 1 pound dried Great Northern Beans, soaked overnight
• 5 cups water
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 tablespoons roasted walnut oil
• 1 bay leaf
• about 5 allspice berries
• pink Himalayan sea salt (I'm obsessed with this salt right now but any sea salt will be just fine.)

In a large Dutch oven, combine all of the ingredients. (You want to use a nice amount of salt.) Cover and bring to a boil. Once it boils, uncover and lower the heat to low. Simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. The water evaporates and it becomes a creamy almost mash. Discard the bay leaf and allspice and adjust the seasoning if needed. Serve with an extra drizzle of olive or walnut oil and a little fresh ground black pepper. This is nice as a main meal when served with rice and sauteed spinach with garlic. This is great to have in the fridge as a quick side dish. Serves about 4.

Eggplant, Oyster Mushroom & Bean Ratatouille

This is a nice recipe for a weekday dinner and is great for meatless Mondays or Fridays. It's on the table in less than an hour and is a good wholesome meal, especially when paired with a brown rice medley and a side green salad to start the meal. A good ratatouille is always great to have in the fridge for leftovers, especially for those nights when you want a good homemade meal for dinner, without the effort. Enjoy!

• 1 pound Chinese eggplant, about 5
• 2 1/2 cups good marinara sauce*
• 3 1/2 oz. oyster mushrooms, bottoms trimmed and bunches broken up
• 1 cup cooked Great Northern beans, cannellini beans or small white beans
• olive oil
• sea salt
• ground black pepper

Cut each eggplant in half, lengthwise and drizzle with olive oil and season with sea salt. Grill the eggplant at 500 degrees, a few minutes per each side, until there are some grill marks on them. Once they are grilled, slice them diagonally about an inch in size. Combine the eggplant and sauce in a heavy bottomed pot so the eggplant are in one layer. Bring the sauce up to a boil on high heat, once it does, lower the heat to a low setting and simmer for 20 minutes, covered. Stir occasionally. Add in the beans and mushrooms and simmer for an additional 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Adjust the seasoning as needed. Serve with brown rice on the side to complete the meal. Makes 4 servings. Double the recipe as needed.

*Make sure it states gluten-free on the jar, if gluten is a concern of yours.

Earl Grey Tea Scented Cranberry Beans & Cabbage

Winter is not letting up and a pot of steaming hot beans is wonderful for dinner. It's on the table in about an hour but tastes like it was simmering on the stove all day. When thinking of beans, I'm sure that tea isn't something that comes into mind, but they are unexpectedly delicious when lightly flavored with the depth of Earl Grey tea. And it makes the house smell terrific! The parsnips in this recipe also give the beans a slight sweetness making it a mildly sweet and savory dish. This is really nice served over jasmine rice. Enjoy!

• 4 cups chopped savoy cabbage
• 1 cup fresh cranberry beans, (about 1/2 a pound in the pods)
• 2 parsnips, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup minced red onion
• 4 cloves of garlic, finely minced
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup of Earl Grey tea with the tea bag reserved
• 1 cup water
• 1 star anise
• sea salt
• fresh ground black pepper

In a heavy bottomed pot, combine the onion, garlic and the olive oil, saute on low heat until the onion and garlic are soft, about 10 minutes. Next add in the cabbage, beans and parsnip and cover with the liquids. Toss in the tea bag, (if it's a paper bag transfer the tea into a spice bag and tie with kitchen twine) and the star of anise. Season with sea salt and ground pepper. Cover and bring up to a boil on high heat, once it comes to a boil, lower the heat and simmer covered for about 50 minutes. Test the softness of the beans after 30 minutes and adjust cooking time as needed. Discard the tea bag and the star of anise and serve. Makes about 3 servings. Double the recipe as needed.

Herb Salad with Goat Cheese & Pistachios

Parsley, dill, Belgian endive, goat cheese...pistachio nuts...What's not to love? Especially when combined in a salad?  And I think it's such a pretty salad too! The Belgium endive frames the plate, and the best part, you can use the leaves to scoop the salad up. Visions of hot summer days, sweet sticky barbecued chicken wings and this salad are dancing in my head. lol All fun finger food! Can't wait! But as of now, it's a chilly night and this salad is a nice break from all the indulgences lately! Here's the list of goodies...

• 3 Belgian endives ( I used large ones)
• 1 very small head of radicchio, chopped
• 1 cup of chopped parsley (about one bunch)
• 1 cup of chopped dill 
• 1 small shallot finely chopped
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• juice of 1/2 a large lemon
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 heaping teaspoon fig marmalade
• 2 ounces of goat cheese, or more...
• 1/4 cup raw pistachio nuts, chopped fine

Trim the bottoms of the endive, remove the largest leaves and form them in a circle around a plate. In a large bowl, combine the rest of the endive, (chopped into small pieces) the radicchio, the parsley and the dill. In a separate bowl, combine the shallot, olive oil, juice of the lemon, red wine vinegar, honey, fig marmalade, salt and pepper. Pour the salad dressing over the herbs and lettuces and combine well. Take your salad and pile it in the center of the plate. Top with your goat cheese and chopped pistachio nuts and enjoy!