Fig and goat cheese tart with arugula salad

I saw a version of this on the Whole Foods blog and immediately knew that I wanted to try it.
I have had their Adriatic Fig Spread before, and it is perfect with strong cheeses.
Plus, Marcona almond crust made with honey?
Sold!

The differences in my version and the Whole Foods version is that I used a slightly larger tart pan, but I doubled the recipe. So you get a thicker crust, more fig, more cheese ...
And I added pine nuts to my version and served the arugula salad on the side so people could take it if they wanted it.

A note: Marcona almonds are a Spanish almond. They are sweeter than the standard almond and are lightly fried in oil and salted with a little sea salt. I got these at Whole Foods, but I believe they also have them at Trader Joe's.

Fig and goat cheese tart with arugula salad

1 cup Marcona almonds
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
8 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
5 tablespoons honey
8-ounce jar of fig spread (I like the one from Whole Foods)
5 1/2 ounces fresh goat cheese, crumbled

1/4 cup pine nuts
4 cups packed baby arugula
4 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
4 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Equipment: 10-inch fluted tart pan - the kind that is the fluted sides and the flat bottom piece

Steps: Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Grind almonds and 1/2 cup flour to a coarse powder in a food processor. Add remaining flour and process until well blended.

Add butter to nut-flour mixture and pulse until blended.

Add honey and pulse until clumps of dough begin to form, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary.

Lightly spray tart pan with non-stick spray.

Press dough into the bottom of the pan, building it evenly up the sides. Freeze 15 minutes until firm.

Bake crust for about 15 minutes, or until lightly browned. (Crust can be made the day before and kept covered until you are ready for the next step.)

Spoon fig spread evenly over the crust and evenly distribute crumbled goat cheese and pine nuts on top.

Bake about 10 minutes longer until crust is golden brown and goat cheese is softened. Allow to cool slightly.

While tart is cooling, toss arugula with balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Top tart with arugula and serve.

I took this to a girls night gathering. It was a great choice to have with red or white wine (I have to say, it really was great with the 2002 Lamborn Napa Valley Zinfandel that I brought.)

The arugula adds a nice, cool crunch and the balsamic on the salad really complements the fig and cheese.

The best part other than how good it tasted? It was really pretty easy to make.

grilled lamb chops with smoked paprika and garlic (and a link to lemony chick pea salad)

I got a nice little package of lamb at Trader Joe's and decided that I wanted to do something different than my normal grilled lamb chops with redcurrant glaze.
I really like the flavor and aroma of smoked paprika, so I decided to try a simple rub with garlic and smoked paprika and then cook the chops in the grill.

The chops I used are the small, lollipop type chops.

This recipe fits into the 3-4 ingredient category even though it is not from my 3-4 ingredient cookbook.

Grilled lamb chops with smoked paprika and garlic
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
8-10 small (lollipop) lamb chops
salt and pepper

Combine smoked paprika, garlic and olive oil in a small bowl.

Season chops with salt and pepper.

Rub the chops all over with the paprika-garlic rub and let sit for at least 30 minutes.
Grill on high heat about 3-4 minutes on each side.

Boom. Done. Simple.

These were really good and really tender. It was a nice change from the sweeter redcurrant chops.

I served the lamb with lemony chick pea salad from Food & Wine's Web site and some sauteed mixed greens.

Sweet-spicy peanut slaw

So I obviously have been absent from the food blog for a while.

If you read the other blog you know why: I am knocked up!

It has taken me a while to get my appetite back for anything other than cereal or cheese and crackers.

Not to mention not having the energy to do any cooking.

But I am into the second trimester and the appetite and energy are returning.

So I hope to try some new recipes and post here more.

Up now...I think it is clear that I am fond of certain Asian flavors. I use sesame oil and rice vinegar and Sriracha chile sauce in a lot of things. A favorite way to use them is in a light slaw that is great with grilled meats (or even on its own!).

Sweet-spicy peanut slaw
(makes 4 side-dish servings)

1/2 a nappa cabbage (about 6 cups) cut into thin strips
1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped
2 carrots, grated
4-5 green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup honey roasted peanuts, roughly chopped
1/4 cup sesame oil
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp Sriracha (or other chile sauce) - this can be adjusted to suit your own heat level

Toss cabbage, cilantro, carrot, green onion and peanuts in a large bowl.

Whisk together sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, brown sugar, ground ginger and Sriracha.

Add dressing to cabbage mixture and gently combine to coat.

That's it!

cool cous cous and edamame

This came to me in a moment of laziness.
I was ready to make dinner Monday night, but did not have the gumption to get myself to the market.
A quick tour of the pantry yielded a box of cous cous. In the freezer I found some precooked soybeans in the pods and a pork tenderloin.
Hmmmm...
Yeah, I can work with these.
I set the pork to thaw in a sink full of cool water then got to thinking about how to make it all work together.

My inspiration was two yummy salad options from the Corner Bakery. At my branch of this chain they have an option of getting a trio sampler of some of the salads. Two that I really like are the ginger and asparagus cous cous with dried cranberries and almonds, as well as a mixture of edamame with asparagus and tomatoes in a tangy Asian-inspired dressing.

Somehow toward the end of my meal they are commingling on the plate so that I get cous cous and edamame together. Which is fine. It tastes pretty good.

So I decided to take what I liked about those salads and combine them, being limited to what I had at home.

Here you have it:

Cool cous cous and edamame
(with toasted almonds)

3 cups cooked plain cous cous, cooled
(for me this was 1 1/3 cup dry cous cous cooked to package directions)

1 cup slivered almonds, toasted in a saute pan until golden brown

1 lb frozen edamame in the pods, cooked and shelled
(should yield about 1 1/4 cups beans)

3 tbsp minced shallot

combine all of the above, stirring or tossing gently to mix

for the dressing

1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
2 tbsp ponzu sauce
3 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp red chili paste, such as Sriracha

combine all of the dressing ingredients, stirring until sugar has dissolved

Pour dressing over cous cous mixture and gently stir or toss to coat.

Enjoy!

If there had been a red pepper in the fridge, I would have diced some of that up and added it for a little more color and flavor. But this was pretty good as is.

I served this on a bed of chopped romaine lettuce.
To make it more of a dinner for the manfriend and me, I added some slices of grilled pork tenderloin.
Since the cous cous dressing had some tang and spice to it already, I kept the meat simple, just marinating it in a mixture of 1/2 cup soy sauce, 1/2 cup brown sugar and 2 tbsp sesame oil.
Then I grilled it.

This was awesome. I like a combination of cool and hot like this.
And the lettuce underneath gave it an extra layer of crunch.

I had leftover cous cous over more lettuce for lunch today. Still good.
And so, so, so easy to make.

easy roasted roma tomatoes

The finished product, fresh from the oven. Can't wait
to have a few! I cook them in a foil pan that I can
toss in the recycling. I've done this on cookie sheets
and in glass dishes, but it can turn into a
hard to clean, sticky mess. So this is easier.

I know some people are not fans of tomatoes.
Me? Love 'em.
I will eat them like apples.
I like them sliced with cottage cheese.
I put them in sauces, in salads, on sandwiches and in stews.
And if I see an unripe, green tomato at the market, which is a rare thing, I buy it to make fried green tomatoes.

But one of my favorite ways to prepare them is to roast them.
It's very easy and the result is soft, yummy tomatoes with a super concentrated flavor.

So, if you are not a tomato fan, this is not for you.

But if you like tomatoes as much as I do, give this a try.

I eat these roasted tomatoes as a snack, as a garnish for roasted meats, on burgers, on sandwiches, on salads, with bread and a good sharp cheese as an appetizer, tossed in pasta... really, I just eat them.

I made some Monday to go with dinner and they were gone in a flash.

So tonight I made some more.

I like to use a grapefruit spoon to scoop out the seeds.
The serrated edge is also good if you cook artichokes
and need to scoop that fuzzy stuff out to get to the heart.

These are the seeded tomatoes, coated in olive oil
and seasoned with pepper, sea salt and dried oregano.

Easy roasted roma tomatoes

10 roma tomatoes
olive oil
salt
pepper
dried basil or oregano or your favorite herb blend

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

Cut the tomatoes in half and scoop out and discard the seeds and juice.
Place in baking dish.
Coat tomatoes with olive oil.
Season with salt, pepper and herbs.

Roast at 425 degrees for an hour or until as roasty-toasty as you like them.

I like mine when they are just starting to get crisp around the edges but are still soft and juicy in the middle.

They are good hot or at room temperature.

Tonight I just ate a few of them straight out of the oven as a snack.

I will put the leftovers in the fridge to add to a salad for dinner tomorrow.

Caprese salad - or tomatoes with mozzarella cheese

One of my favorite easy salads is a simple concoction of tomatoes and mozzarella cheese.

I have had this in various forms: thick slices of large tomato layered with slabs of mozzarella cheese; tiny tomatoes with creamy white pearls of mozzarella; chunks of juicy romas with long shreds of cheese on top.

All are were slightly different, but all were good.

I even had one at a great restaurant in Sonoma wine country that used a mild sheep's milk feta instead of the mozzarella.

I have not had a Caprese salad in quite a while. I used to order it at restaurants a lot, but once I started making it at home, I sort of stopped that. I like how easy it is to customize this to what I am craving.

Yesterday while I was at Whole Foods picking up a couple things for dinner, I saw this little basket of mixed tomatoes.

Red, orange and yellow... all beautiful and bite-size.

It was too pretty not to buy.

And the idea of sweet little tomatoes with creamy fresh mozzarella began to sound lovely.

I used white balsamic vinegar. Regular balsamic works in this, too. It will just be a little darker and a slightly heavier flavor. You also can just use a bit of your favorite Italian dressing or vinaigrette.

Also, the herb I use depends on what looks best or what flavor I want. Sometimes I use basil. This time I used oregano.

Sometimes I use a little garlic. This time I did not. Again, it is all what the mood calls for.

In the past, when I have made this with large tomatoes, I have used the drier type of mozzarella, cut into slices to place atop the tomato slices, then top it with the dressing.


More often when I make this I use the mozzarella that comes packed in water. I like the texture better, and the flavor. This time I bought mozzarella pieces the size of cherry tomatoes.

Here is the simple version I made last night. I did not really measure this stuff. It's a taste thing for me. The sweetness of the tomatoes will determine how much or little salt and pepper and herbs I add.

Let your taste buds and the number of people you want to serve be your guide here and make it to your liking.





Jill's late-summer Caprese salad

Red, orange and yellow grape/cherry tomatoes
1-2 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped
olive oil
white balsamic vinegar
sea salt flakes and fresh black pepper to taste
fresh mozzarella cheese

Wash tomatoes, remove any stems then cut each in half and place in a bowl. You want the juices here. They combine with the oil and vinegar to make the dressing.
Season lightly with salt and pepper.
Add a splash of the oil and vinegar and toss gently.
Then try it, and adjust to your taste.
Add the oregano.
Taste it again. Adjust the seasoning and oil and vinegar as needed.

You can serve this immediately or let it sit a while. I put mine in the fridge for about an hour.
I also made a little extra to have for lunch the next day. It will keep overnight just fine.

To serve I cut the mozzarella pieces in half and put them on a small plate.
Then I spooned tomatoes on top of that and drizzled some of the oil/vinegar mixture over that.

The oil and vinegar mixed with the juice from the tomatoes makes a good amount of dressing for this.

I added a piece of a good crusty bread to the plate and used that to mop up some of that dressing.

It was an excellent starter to dinner. It's light, but substantial with the cheese in there. The flavors are so fresh and so bright and clean. It's a perfect, beautiful late-summer plate.

pots of gold (or grilled camenbert or brie)

This was quite yummy. I made just one to share and had bread and apple slices for dipping/spreading.
You can probably use whatever you like. It called for a tomato and basil salad thing. I skipped that and just made a simple salad. I will include that in the recipe.


Here is my modified version that served two.


I got the grill heating before I started the salad, since the salad was so fast.



Salad


2 cups of your favorite salad greens (I used romaine and arugula)
red onion to your liking - sliced as thinly as possible into slivers
sea salt
ground pepper
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2-3 teaspoons olive oil


Mix lemon juice and olive oil. Toss with greens and onions. Salt and pepper to taste.
Set aside.



Pots of Gold


enough of your favorite bread for two people, cut into chunks or small pieces
1 small green apple, cut into slices
1 small round of camenbert or brie. It MUST be totally incased in the rind.
olive oil


special equipment:

grill pan (Mine is a big, flat cast iron plate with grill ridges on one side and flat on the other. In the small pictures on that link it is on the right, in the middle.)


to make:
Put grill pan on barbecue rack and heat barbecue to high.


Rub all sides of the cheese round with olive oil to coat.


Place cheese on hot grill pan and let cook for about 5 minutes.

Using a flat spatula, carefully flip cheese over.


Grill about 5 more minutes on the second side or until cheese starts to feel soft and runny when you squeeze it with tongs.

This is where I was overly cautious. I ended up with mostly soft cheese, but it could have gone a little longer.

I was worried about it getting too soft and breaking open.
So I took it off a little too soon. My fix? I nuked it for less than a minute with the rind still intact.



To serve, cut open the top of the rind and dip!

I especially liked the apples. I think it would be good with slightly steamed then cooled asparagus spears, too. And of course, the bread was good.



The salad was not for dipping. It did provide a nice bright flavor in contrast to the creamy, creamy cheese.


I made this for two. But as an appetizer it probably would work for four depending on the size of the cheese round.

I would be leery of doing a round that is too large since it may take too long to melt before the rind starts to break down on the grill.

romaine salad with blue cheese vinaigrette

Yeah, yeah, yeah... It's just salad.

Really almost just lettuce.

Except for the dressing.

I love blue cheese dressing.

And I make a great one using tons of cream
and cheese and sour cream.

This olive oil-based version is lighter and,
even with the oil and cheese, probably at least a little healthier.

And it's easy and looks great.
Oh, and the anchovy paste in here does not make it taste fishy.
It just gives it a little different saltiness than adding salt.
If the idea of anchovy paste skeevs you out, just omit it.
If you think it needs to be saltier, just add a little sea salt to taste.

romaine salad with blue cheese vinaigrette


4-6 servings


1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
4 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons anchovy paste
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup (about 4 ounces) crumbled blue cheese
(Maytag is nice. I used Salem. Whatever you like would work.)
3 hearts of romaine lettuce
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced


Whisk together olive oil, chives, vinegar,
anchovy paste and garlic in medium bowl.
Whisk in blue cheese crumbles.
Use a fork to smash some of the cheese,
but leave some pieces whole.

Season with pepper to taste.


To compose salad there are many options.

Chop the lettuce, halve the hearts into wedges or pull the leaves off
and layer them on the plate (which is what I did).


Rewhisk dressing just before adding to lettuce.
Drizzle over lettuce and sprinkle with sliced onion.



I think this would also be great with some bacon on it.
I mean, bacon. Duh!

Also some halved grape tomatoes would be tasty.
Maybe some avocado.
Radish.
Whatever you like would work.


I kept this one simple and it was perfect.

I also think you could use feta cheese if you don't like blue.


Me? I love blue.