The Recovery Kitchen Rewind: Homemade Tortillas

 

If Monday is for Margaritas does that mean Tuesday is for Tortillas?

Making tortillas from scratch is a lot easier (and cheaper) than you think!

And when stuffed with grilled chicken, peppers and onions, you’ll create a “South-of-the-Border” flavor in 30 minutes of less!

Follow this link to learn more about my in-home, hand pressed corn tortillas!

 

The Recovery Kitchen welcomes in 2017

New year, new semester, new "season" of The Recovery Kitchen! After a long and productive winter break I'm back with new recipes, stories and tips. Let's start the New Year off right- here's a video filmed, edited & produced by the amazing Paige Woiner! It's a great look into what goes on behind the scenes of the blog!

A full story of Recovering in the Kitchen can be found here. 

Apple & Butternut Squash Bisque

For me, Fall wouldn't be compelete without making a batch of Butternut Squash Bisque! Aside from Borscht, this has to be my other favorite soup. These is a great recipe for anyone with a garden or someone who is into self-sufficiency as butternut squash have a reputation for their long-shelf life. Because the squash store so well, stock up now while you still can so you can make a fresh, warm pot during the upcoming winter months! An additional ingredient that heightens the flavor is another fall classic-- the apple. The pectin found in apples makes for a thicker and sweeter soup!

                                                                                                  
Ingredients:

Butternut Squash (Peeled and diced)--- 2 Lb.
Water or Stock--- 1-2 quarts (depending on your preferred thickness)
Ground Cinnamon--- 2 Tbsp
Crushed Black Pepper--- Pinch
Nutmeg--- To Taste
Apple (Peeled and sliced)--- 2 Cups
                                                                                                  

Peel, clean and dice squash. The smaller you cut the pieces, the faster they will become tender. Place squash and apples onto a larger stock pot.

 

Add water or stock to the pot. On the stovetop, cover pot and bring the contents to a rolling boil. Once boiling, reduce heat and allow to cook for 15-20 minutes, covered.

Once sqaush is fork tender, use a hand blender blender to puree squash into a smooth, liquid form. (If you don't have this type of blender, you can work in batches by pureeing squash in a food processor)

Season with cinnamon, pepper and nutmeg. For a thicker soup, let the pot simmer uncovered for a longer period of time to give off more steam. Enjoy!

Fall-Squash Ravioli

For the first time in a long time I woke up, stepped outside, and had to grab a jacket. I walked up to Dunkin Donuts and bought a fresh pound of Pumpkin Coffee. On my way there I noticed that today's high was only going to be 68F!

After a loooong summer of keeping the grass and trees well watered, I think it's safe to say that Autumn is upon us. And to celebrate the new season, here's a Fall spin on and Italian favorite! I love butternut squash but really any gourd will do for this recipe. And just a dash of cinnamon makes these ravioli taste like pumpkin pie!

Ingredients:

For the Dough:
Pasta Dough--- Click HERE for Homemade Recipe!

For the Filling:
Butternut Squash--- 2 Lbs.
Cinnamon--- 1 tbsp.
Nutmeg--- Pinch
Salt--- Pinch

Begin by preheating the oven to 425F. Slice squash lengthwise and roast in oven for 1 hour.  

In the meantime, prepare a basic pasta dough. If you want to try a homemade recipe feel free to follow this link!

Once squash is tender, remove flesh and mash to make the filling. Season with cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.

On a floured surface, roll out two thin sheets of dough. Scoop 1 tbsp of filling onto dough and space out to allow for 2" ravioli (doesn't have to be exact- make 'em as big or little as you like). Make an egg wash and brush around the filling.

Cover filling with the other sheet of dough. Lightly press around the filling to make sure there are no air-pockets. Separate ravioli by using a pizza cutter then use a fork to press and seal edges. 

Bring a small pot of water to a boil and cook ravioli until they float (should take no more than a minute). Strain with a slotted spoon and enjoy!

Quinoa-Walnut Granola

What to do with only a 1/4 cup left of quinoa?
I ran into this problem a few days back and did some searching on the internet. After seeing this cool article on NY Times food section, I decided to see how well quinoa was in granola. After all, I eat yogurt with granola every day so what not try and make my own? Turned out really tasty and while not overly sweet, you can always add brown sugar and raisins to add even more flavor!
                                                                                                  
Ingredients: 2 Servings 

Quinoa (uncooked)--- 1/4 C.
Quick Oats--- 1 C.
Walnuts (chopped)--- 1/4 C.
Vegetable Oil--- 2 Tbsp
Cinnamon--- To taste
Nutmeg--- To taste
Brown Sugar (optional)--- 2 Tbsp
                                                                                                  
Preheat oven to 300F. Warm quinoa in a small pan that is on Medium-High heat. It takes about 5 minutes until the quinoa turns light brown and begins to smell like popcorn. And like popcorn, you'll hear the little grains snap, crackle and pop in the pan.

In a mixing bowl, combine oats, nuts, spices and sugar. Remove quinoa from burner and mix in with the dry ingredients. Add oil to bowl and toss until small granola clusters form.

Spread granola on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake at 300F for 20-30 minutes.

Enjoy! 

Peach Cobbler

Looking for a desert to bring to a Labor Day party but don't have much time? Insead of rolling out the pie dough, try this cobbler recipe! It is simply baked peaches with a cinnamon-oat topping that can easily be made in less than an hour! This is also a great dessert for college students who have a small kitchen.

At Penn State, the town of State College runs a downtown farmer's market every Tuesday and Friday-- so students pick up your peaches before the season is over!
                                                                                                  
Ingredients: For a 7x7 dish

Peaches (ripe)---  about 2 lbs.
Quick Oats--- 1 C.
Brown Sugar--- 1/4 C.
Cinnamon--- 1-2 Tbsp
Corn Startch--- 1 Tbsp
                                                                                                  

Begin by peeling peaches and preheating the oven to 350F. Slice into bite sized pieces and remove stone (pit). In a mixing bowl combine peaches with corn startch to thicken up the filling.

Pour peaches into a 7x7 baking dish. In another mixing bowl, combine oats and brown sugar for the topping. Pour the topping over the peaches and season with ground cinnamon.

Bake at 350F for 25 to 30 minutes. The oat topping should be a golden brown and you'll notice the peach jucies start to bubble. Allow cobbler to cool before serving. Enjoy!  

Oysters (On the Half-Shell)

Now, I've never been a fan of lobster, crab or shrimp... but oysters on the otherhand have to be one of my favorite types of shellfish. In fact, I love oysters so much that I don't have a recipe to go with them. Instead here's a step by step post on how to open and serve oysters on the halfshell. I've heard an oyster's flavor described as a "sweet brine" which, in retrospect doesn't give them much justice. Oysters have a flavor similar to clams or mussels but, in my opinion is a far more mild taste.

And don't let the look of the flesh scare you! If you can get over the hurdle of an oyster's looks, you'll find how delicious they really are. Don't judge a book by it's cover, right? Or in this case, don't judge an oyster by its shell!
                                                                                                   

Begin by selecting the right oysters- in other words, if you are trying them for the first time feel free to purchase on the cheaper side. Depending on the store, you may find a wide variety of East & West coast oysters. Because my family vacations in the Outer Banks, I usually like to try oysters from the Chesapeake Bay. On a side note there has been alot of efforts to restore the once dwindling oyster population in the bay. (Here's a video if you'd like to learn more)

To prepare oysters, begin by selecting a small, sturdy knife. It should be sharp enough to cut through the hinge (the tendon-like section that connects both shells). Getting the hinge severed is usually the hardest part of shucking an oyster. 

You'll feel the connection of the shells become looser as you move your knife away from the hinge and around the shells' rim. (Try hard to not let any juice spill out from the shell- that's where alot of the flavor is stored!)

 

Once you've pried the shells open, slice the oyster's connection from the shell. Enjoy either raw, or with hot sauce or cocktail sauce! (Lemon is also a great flavoring and a tip to remove the strong oyster smell from your hands and work surface!)