Honeydew Sorbet

Just in time for the 4th of July! Here's a cool, refreshing and colorful dish that is a fun alternative to the typical party fruit tray. 

                                                                                                   
Ingredients:

Honeydew--- 2 (Medium sized)
Water--- 1/2 C
Mint--- 2 Tsp.
Honey--- 2 Tbs.
                                                                                                   

Start by removing the seeds from inside the fruit. Cut honeydew into small pieces and place on a baking sheet lined with wax paper. Freeze for 3 to 4 hours.

Working in small batches, combine frozen honeydew, water, mint and honey and puree in a food processor until smooth like water ice. 

Pour pureed honeydew into a cake pan and let firm by freezing for an additional hour. 

Enjoy!

Gnocchi with Basil and Oil

The Recovery Kitchen is all about making things from scratch and much like the Homemade Pasta post, I had a go at making gnocchi by hand.

Some takeaways from making these little Italian dumplings:

1. They are really easy to make. It's pretty much mashed potatoes with flour.

2. Gnocchi are the Italian version of Slovak Halušky. I love drawing food parallels between two different cultures.

3. Unlike other pastas, gnocchi aren't all that labor intensive. In other words you don't have to be like my Great-Grandma who would spend all day making pasta in the kitchen. 

Overall, gnocchi are a delicious accompaniment to an Italian feast and can be enjoyed plain or smothered and covered in your favorite sauces!    
                                                                                                     
Ingredients:

Potatoes--- 1 Lb
All-Purpose Flour--- 3/4 C
Ricotta Cheese--- 1/4 C
Egg--- 1 
Basil (Dried)--- 1 Tbs
Salt and Pepper--- To Taste
Olive Oil--- 1 Tbs
                                                                                                     
Start by baking potatoes at 425F for about an hour. Remove potatoes from oven and let cool enough to handle. The skin should peel off easily and once the potatoes are peeled, mash in a large mixing bowl. To making the dough easier to work, try and mash any big potato lumps. 

To make the dough, gently knead in the flour, ricotta and a whisked egg. Season dough by working in salt, pepper and basil.

Once dough is formed, divide into smaller loaves and roll into long, narrow strips (almost like a kielbasa/sausage). Flour your knife and slice dough into small pieces (mine were about the size of dice).

To give the dumplings that classic gnocchi look, roll on the back of a fork to give them a nice pattern and rounded shape.

On the stove, bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add gnocchi to the pot and let cook until they float to the top of the water. Because they are so fresh, it'll only take 1-2 minutes for the gnocchi to cook.

Strain from water and top with your favorite sauce or simply with basil, grated Parmesan and oil!

French Onion Soup

The French style seems to be the most elite type cooking in the culinary world. I love trying these recipes because while they can be challenging, they are very rewarding in the end. My sister LOVES French Onion Soup (according to her, it's her favorite type of soup) and with "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" in hand, I decided to channel my inner "Child" and try this dish.

Overall, it's a really easy dish- just saute onions and add broth. Of course it's the garnishes that make the meal so be sure to top your soup with a baguette and Gruyere cheese. Although some may be hesitant to try an Onion soup, the sweetness of the wine and meatiness of the stock perfectly balance out the strong onion flavor.
                                                                                                     
Ingredients:
Sweet or Yellow Onions (sliced)--- 3 C
Butter--- 3 Tbs
Olive Oil--- 2 Tbs
All Purpose Flour--- 2 Tbs
Salt and Sugar--- Pinch of each
Beef Stock--- 1 Qt (32oz)
White Wine (Pinot Grigio)--- 1/2 C
Baguette 
Gruyere Cheese (grated)--- 1 C
                                                                                                   
Begin by cutting onions into thin slices. In a large saucepan, heat oil and butter until melted. Saute onions for 15 minutes on low heat. Season with salt and sugar (Julia says the sugar helps brown the onions) Cover pot to keep onions tender and moist. 

Add flour to onions and stir for 3 minutes until they thicken. In a separate pot, bring stock to a boil. Remove onions from heat and pour stock into the large saucepan. Return the saucepan to heat and bring to a gentle simmer. Allow about 30 minutes for the soup to simmer.

In the meantime, preheat oven to 375F. Slice baguette into thick pieces, drizzle olive oil over bread and roast for 30 minutes until baguette is dried & golden brown. 

Remove soup from from heat and ladle into an oven safe bowl. Place toasted baguette on top of the soup and cover with the grated Gruyere cheese. Place bowl in oven and bake for 20 minutes so the cheese melts into soup.   

Enjoy and Bon Appetit!

Eggplant with Garlic Sauce

I've been craving a vegetable stir-fry dish for a while now and with summer, it's good time to experiment with different veggies. I love finding unique flavors to dress-up these veggies and this Asian-inspired garlic sauce blends nicely with the sweet ginger to give the eggplant a sweet and salty bite. 

This side is a great base to build off of. It can be an easy vegetarian dinner with the addition of tofu just as easily as grilled chicken can be added to give it an extra punch of protein!
                                                                                                     
Ingredients: Serves 2

Eggplant (cubed)--- 1 Lb 
Onion (sliced)--- 1/2 C
Ginger (minced)--- 1 tsp
Olive Oil--- 2 tbsp

For the Garlic Sauce:

Water--- 1/2 C
Garlic Powder--- 2 tbsp
Corn Starch--- 2 tsp
Soy Sauce--- 1/4 C
Oyster Sauce--- 2 tbs
Pepper Flakes--- 1 tsp
                                                                                                     
To prepare the eggplant, slice and salt in order to draw the moisture to the surface. Let water rise to the surface of the eggplant for at least 30 minutes. Pat dry with a paper towel and cube eggplant into bite-sized pieces.

Chop onion and ginger (be sure to remove the skin off the ginger!) and combine with eggplant in a large mixing bowl.

Mix water, garlic powder, soy & oyster sauces as well as pepper flakes. In a small pot bring liquid to a rolling boil, stirring occasionally until the garlic powder dissolves. Stir in corn starch until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat.

In a large frying pan or wok, saute eggplant, onion and ginger until tender. Add a generous amount of garlic sauce to the pan and coat the eggplant.   

Serve over rice and enjoy!

             

Date and Nut Quick bread

I love cooking with ingredients I've never used before and to be honest, I ate dates only once before I making this bread. I found that they are kind of like a mild prune that has a subtle sweetness.

In total this bread took less than an hour to make and turned out to be a hit! My Poppop said it's a great treat to go with coffee so I'd recommend making this for a special weekend breakfast or brunch. Feel free to add more fruit/nuts to the recipe- I included walnuts for a salty crunch to balance the sweet and tender dates.
                                                                                                     
Ingredients:  

Dates (Pitted)--- 2 C
Walnuts (Chopped)--- 1 C
Butter (Softened)--- 1/4 C
Water (Boiled)--- 1 C
Brown Sugar--- 1/2 C
Egg (Large)--- 1
All-Purpose Flour--- 1.5 C
Baking Soda--- 1 tsp
Baking Powder--- 1 tsp
Salt--- 1 tsp
Vanilla Extract--- 1 tbsp
                                                                                                    
Preheat the oven to 350F and bring water to a boil. Slice dates into small pieces and combine with baking soda in a small mixing bowl. Once water is boiling, remove from heat and pour over the dates. The baking soda will react with the warm water.

In a large mixing bowl combine butter, egg and brown sugar and whisk until smooth. Add flour, baking powder, salt and vanilla. Mix evenly. Once the water has cooled add the date/water/baking soda mixture along with the walnuts to your batter.

Grease a bread pan and pour batter until pan is about half-way full. Bake at 350F for 40-45 minutes. Let cool before serving and enjoy!

Caprese Crostini

"A-B-C it's easy as 1-2-3". For our "C" recipe I decided to go with caprese salad on a roasted ciabatta slice. Inspired by bruschetta, I figured I would double-down on two Italian appetizers and combine two classic dishes. This super-easy and vibrant side dish will add a splash of color to your next antipasto spread!!

                                                                                                      Ingredients:

Tomato--- 1 Large
Mozzarella Cheese--- 1 Ball
Ciabatta Baguette (sliced)--- 1 Loaf 
Fresh Basil
Olive Oil--- 1 Tbs
Salt and Pepper--- To Taste
                                                                                                      Preheat oven to 400F. Cut ciabatta loaf diagonally to make the slices wider. Place ciabatta slices on a baking sheet. Drizzle with oil and bake for 10 minutes or until slices turn a light golden brown. 

Cut generous slices of tomato and mozzarella then top crostini. Typically caprese salad starts with a tomato as the base followed by cheese and basil. (Red, White and Green, like the Italian flag) 

Finish my topping crostini with basil (I used a purple variety), drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. You can always place the crostini back into the oven for a few minutes so the cheese melts into the bread.

Enjoy!

Brunswick Stew

I first discovered this recipe on New Years Eve, 2015. Me and my sister were in Jacksonville visiting our family over winter break. Our cousin made this awesome stew that was a big hit at their New Years Party. Although it called "Brunswick Stew" us Pennsylvanians started calling it "Gator Stew" due to the fact that we assumed everyone in Florida eats gators. (We assumed wrong especially after we searched all around the local grocery store, only to find no gator meat)

I used fresh Bi-Color Corn from Georgia. Word on the street is Brunswick Stew originated from the Peach State!

This is a fun alternative to chili and the two types of protein add a cool texture to the dish. It's a tomato based recipe and ketchup only heightens the flavor! Some day, if I ever get my hands on gator meat you better believe I'll be modifying this recipe and it will truly be "Gator Stew"!

Ingredients:

Pork Short Ribs--- 2 LBS
Ground Chicken--- 2 LBS
Lima Beans--- 2 16oz Cans
Corn (sliced off the cob)--- 1 1/2 Cups
Tomatoes (Diced)--- 2 Cups
Condensed Tomato Soup--- 1 8oz Can
Onion (Diced)--- 1 Cup
Garlic (Minced)--- 2 Cloves
Ketchup--- 1/2 Cup
Worcestershire Sauce--- 2 Tbs
Water--- 1 Cup
Salt and Pepper--- To Taste
Cornstarch (if needed)--- 2 Tbs

Step By Step:

• In a large pot add pork, chicken, beans and veggies. Pour in water and soup and bring to a gentle simmer for 1.5 hours, covered.

• Once pork is tender, pull apart using forks, much like making pulled pork.

• Prior to serving add ketchup, worcestershire, salt and pepper to season the stew. 

• If you would like a thicker stew, stir in cornstarch and reduce heat

Enjoy!

Asparagus wrapped in Prosciutto

Here's the "A" for my Alphabet Challenge- Asparagus that could be in an Antipasto spread! It's prime asparagus season which can be dolled up in smoked ham and topped with parmesan cheese. This recipe goes to show that only a few simple ingredients can spruce up an in-season vegetable! 

Ingredients:

Asparagus--- 1 LB
Garlic (sliced)--- 3 Cloves
Prosciutto--- 4oz
Parmesan (grated)--- To Taste
Salt and Pepper--- To Taste
Olive Oil--- 1 TBSP
Lemon

Step By Step:

• Preheat oven to 425F

• Spread out asparagus and garlic on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Roast in oven for 20-25 minutes until tender

• Remove from oven and let cool. Take prosciutto and wrap around base of asparagus.

• Season asparagus with parmesan, salt and pepper

Enjoy!