Picnic

What's Cooking? Golden Beet, Avocado, and Watercress Salad

Golden Beet, Avocado, and Watercress Salad

via Martha Stewart Living

Ingredients

• 1 bunch (about 12 ounces) baby golden beets, trimmed and scrubbed
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 bunch (about 4 ounces) watercress, trimmed and large sprigs torn into 3-inch pieces
• 2 radishes, trimmed and thinly sliced
• 1 avocado, sliced
• 1 tablespoon snipped chives
• 1 teaspoon red-wine vinegar
• 1 ounce soft-ripened goat cheese, such as Humboldt Fog, crumbled (about 1/4 cup)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place beets on parchment-lined foil; drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil and season with salt and pepper. Fold parchment and foil into a packet and tightly seal; roast until beets are tender, about 30 minutes. Carefully open packet and let cool. Remove skins from beets and cut into wedges.

2. Combine beets, watercress, radishes, avocado, and chives in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Whisk together vinegar and remaining tablespoon oil and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle over salad, gently toss, and top with goat cheese.

What's Cooking? Cherry Tomato Vinaigrette

Cherry Tomato Vinaigrette

via Bon Appetit

Ingredients

• 1 pint cherry tomatoes
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon (or more) red wine vinegar
• Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

Preparation

• Cut half of cherry tomatoes in half. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add shallot and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 4 minutes.
• Add halved and whole tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to release juices, 4–6 minutes. Mash some of tomatoes with a spoon.
• Add 1 tablespoon vinegar and remaining 2 tablespoons oil; season with salt and pepper. Serve warm or room temperature; add chives just before serving.
• DO AHEAD: Vinaigrette can be made (without chives) 2 days ahead. Cover and chill. Bring to room temperature and stir in chives.
  
  
  This recipe was great topped over a filet of beef.  Serve leftovers over this Ricotta Omelet recipe the next day.
  
  

What's Cooking? Spiced Salmon Kebabs

Spiced Salmon Kebabs

via Bon Appetit

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
• 2 teaspoons sesame seeds
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 1/2 pounds skinless salmon fillet (preferably wild), cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 lemons, very thinly sliced into rounds
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Special Equipment

• 16 bamboo skewers soaked in water 1 hour

Preparation

• Prepare grill for medium heat. Mix oregano, sesame seeds, cumin, salt, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl to combine; set spice mixture aside.
• Beginning and ending with salmon, thread salmon and folded lemon slices onto 8 pairs of parallel skewers to make 8 kebabs total. Brush with oil and season with reserved spice mixture.
• Grill, turning occasionally, until fish is opaque throughout, 5–8 minutes.

What's Cooking? Gazpacho

Tomatoes have hit the farmers market and I picked up a bunch and decided to make the gazpacho recipe from the Bi-Rite Market's Eat Good Food cookbook.  I cut the olive oil in half which made it a little thicker and easier for the boys to eat and was still just as delicious.  No cooking is required, making this a simple recipe to whip up for a summer lunch or dinner.

Sergio's Gazpacho

Makes about 7 cups.

2 cups extra virgin olive oil, more for drizzling (see Note below)

1/4 cup Sherry vinegar, more as needed

1 tsp. Tabasco or other hot pepper sauce

1/2 a medium red onion, peeled and cut into large chunks

1/2 a medium cucumber, trimmed and cut into large chunks

Leaves from 6 large sprigs flat-leaf parsley

Leaves from 4 large sprigs fresh basil

1 large clove garlic

Kosher salt

4 medium Roma tomatoes, cored and cut into large chunks

3 medium heirloom tomatoes, cored and cut into large chunks

Put the oil, vinegar, and Tabasco in the bowl of a blender and blend briefly. Add the onions, cucumbers, parsley, basil, garlic, and 3 tsp. salt and blend until smooth. With the blender running, add the tomatoes a few at a time. When the blender is about 3/4 full, pour out half of the liquid into a medium bowl. Continue to puree and add the tomatoes a few at a time until all the tomatoes are incorporated and the mixture is smooth. Pour the blender contents into the bowl and stir to blend.

If you want a super-smooth texture, pass the soup through a fine mesh strainer.

Chill for at least 2 hours before serving. Whisk to blend, then taste and add more salt or vinegar as needed.  Garnish each serving with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

 

 

Almond Love

We are spending the long weekend in Tahoe with friends, enjoying the mid-60's weather and our first days of the summer season at the lake.

I wanted to keep the relaxing to a maximum over the weekend and prepped a lot of meals before we drove up here.

Almond Cinnamon Frappe

 2 tbsp. almond butter (recipe below)

1 c. almond milk (recipe below)

1 tbsp. honey

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

ice

Blend until frothy and serve over ice.

Homemade Almond Butter

Perfectly paired with apple slices for an afternoon snack.

2 cups whole toasted almonds (Bake at 350 degrees for approx. 10 minutes)

1 tsp. coarse salt

Process in a food processor for about 10 minutes, scraping down sides, until creamy.

Homemade Almond Milk

1 cup raw almonds

4 cups water, divided

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Place almonds in a blender with 1 cup of boiling water.  Soak for 30 minutes.  Add 3 cups of water and vanilla.  Blend until frothy.  Pour through a sieve into a bowl or pitcher, discarding solids.  Shake before serving.

I discovered that I was allergic to cow dairy when I was pregnant with my twins.  I had always thought I had seasonal allergies and had no idea my morning latte was causing my itchy throat.  Fortunately, my acupuncturist enlightened me and suggested I switch to almond or rice milk and goat yogurt.  The allergy symptoms have not returned since. 

{ the above recipes are from Martha Stewart Living }

Banana Nut Muffins

I seem to accumulate overripe bananas in my fruit bowl every week.  Maybe that's I sign I should stop buying so many bananas.?  Anyway, these bananas are the perfect ripeness for banana flavored baking.

Banana Nut Muffins

Gingery Rhubarb Compote

I've been trying to simplify dinner lately and have been sticking to meat + veggies in a variety of combinations.  I bought some pork at the market the other day and hoped that THIS time it wouldn't turn out dry.  To ensure a successful meal, I made this gingery rhubarb compote that could add enough moisture to what might possibly be a dry meal.  Rhubarb is in season so this recipe seemed like a good fit.  It was delicious!

Gingery Rhubarb Compote via Bon Appetit

Pumpkin Chia Muffins

I bought a bag of chia seeds at the market the other day to blend into smoothies for the kids.  The seeds are a great source of protein and omega.  You can also sprinkle them onto salad (which my kids won't eat) or bake them into muffins (which they WILL eat).  

Pumpkin Chia Seed Muffins via Oprah.com

Black Bean, Sweet Potato, and Quinoa Chili

I admit, my food photography skills need some work, but I promise you that the recipes I share here on Picnic have all been tried by me personally and receive my seal of approval.  So although this Black Bean, Sweet Potato and Quinoa chili may not look that appetizing... it truly is healthy and delicious!

 Black Bean, Sweet Potato and Quinoa Chili via Ambitious Kitchen

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 medium carrots, diced small
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• pinch of nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon Smoked Chipotle Tabasco sauce
• salt, to taste
• 1 can (15.5 oz) low-sodium tomato sauce
• 2 cups cooked quinoa
• 2 can black beans (15.5 oz), drained
• 4 cups low-sodium vegetable stock, plus more to thin if desired
• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced into small cubes
• For Chipotle Creme:
• 1 cup plain greek yogurt
• 2 teaspoons Smoked Chipotle Tabasco sauce, plus more if desired
• 1/2 teaspoon honey
• 1/4 teaspoon dijon mustard

 

Instructions

1. Heat the olive oil in  a medium pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, carrots and salt; saute for 5 minutes or until onions become translucent.
2. Add the entire can of tomato sauce to the pot. Next add the black beans, vegetarian broth, all spices, and quinoa. Bring to a boil; reduce the heat to medium, add diced sweet potatoes. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
3. Make the smoked chipotle yogurt combine tabasco sauce, honey, and dijon mustard in a medium bowl.
4. Spoon chili into bowls and add yogurt sauce on top. Enjoy!

 

She's 18!

Oh man, I feel old.  My step-daughter turned 18 yesterday.  I can't believe it!  She was just a little kindergartner when we first met.  We gave her a hotel room in SF for the night with a group of friends to celebrate and had a small party back at the house with her wee-siblings.

I often am offered sympathy when people find out we have a teenager, a 7-year-old and twin boys all under the same roof.  I always make sure to point out that we have really lucked out with our teen.  Aside from the mayhem in her bedroom, she does well in school, has an internship, spends most afternoons practicing with her crew team, respects her parents/friends/teachers and follows the rules.

She also has a bright future ahead.  She has currently received letters of acceptance from two of the four colleges she applied (still waiting to hear back from the other two).  One even offered her an academic scholorship making us very proud.  She is most excited about a possible move to Austin, TX so I decided a desert-themed cake would be appropriate this year.

I decided on a chocolate cake recipe from this book.

Picked up some chocolate rocks, gold flecks, and gold candles here.

 

I added butterflies instead of snakes and scorpions to keep it feminine.

It was delish.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY OLIVE!