April Showers (Rainy Day Cauliflower Soup)

If April Showers bring May Flowers, we are in for a bumper crop.

But I’m really not complaining.  This morning perfect for a long walk.  Then the rain started, which gave me a great excuse to do the annual Winter to Spring Clothes Switcheroo, get some laundry done, and make a batch of cauliflower soup.

Silky smooth. And dairy-free.
Love it when a plan comes together.

I’ve been thinking about this recipe for a few weeks, after a friend and I had a silky smooth cup of cauliflower soup at a local restaurant.  Finally I put my ideas to the test, and by golly it worked.  

The secret ingredients?  A russet potato and a dash (or two) of nutmeg.  Oh, and a trusty hand held emersion blender is mandatory.  But get this -- there is no heavy cream, half and half, or even milk.  I really didn't think it was possible, but gave it a shot.

Here’s what I did:

Cauliflower Soup

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

• 1 TBS olive oil
• 2 TBS butter
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 rib celery, chopped
• 1 leek, white and light only, sliced in half, rinsed well, and then cut into ½ inch slices
• 1 large clove garlic, peeled and smashed
• 1 head cauliflower, cut into flowerets and stem removed
• 1 large russet potato, peeled and cut into large chunks
• 2 tsp dried thyme
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg (you may want to use a tad bit more at the end; but go easy with it.)
• Kosher Salt and fresh ground black pepper
• 1 box low sodium chicken stock
• Chopped chives for garnish

Method

• Heat the olive oil and melt the butter in a medium sized Dutch Oven.  Then add the onion, celery, leeks and garlic, sauté until softened
• Next add the cauliflower and potato to the pot, stir and season with a couple pinches of salt and a few grinds of black pepper, plus a shake or two of nutmeg, stir to combine
• Now add the box of stock, partially cover and bring to a boil
• Then lower the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes, or until the potato and cauliflower are soft. 
• Remove from the heat, and allow to cool for about 20 minutes. 
• Then pulse with an emersion blender until you reach a silky smooth consistency.  I worked across the pot in rows, lifting the unit up and down between pulses.  Then finished it off with a back and forth motion.  Take your time.  The results are worth it.
• Taste and asjust the seasoning.  A bit more salt, pepper and / or nutmeg as needed.
• To serve, garnish with chopped chives.

Enjoy.

Happy to be Home (Oven Roasted Lemon/Herb Salmon & Asparagus – 5WW PPV)

Roasted Salmon and Asparagus.
Clean eating at its best.

The past two weeks have been a whirlwind of airports, convention centers and meetings that were preceded by months of preparation and an intense push to the finish line. First Las Vegas. Then Barcelona. The yin and yang of convention venues. 

While I thrive on this kind of work, nothing feels better than coming home and getting back to normal. After arriving home in the wee hours of the morning, I took a mental (and physical) health day. It was wonderful to sleep in, unpack, check in with the dry cleaners and make a much needed run to Whole Foods for fish, and Harris Teeter for basic pantry and fridge supplies.  Among my purchases: the salmon and asparagus that became the perfect dinner to chase away that yicky feeling that comes from too many restaurant meals.

Barcelona was beautiful
and our meetings were successful
but there is no place like home.

Steve and a buddy escaped the cold weather for a little Florida Baseball Spring Training and golf, so I’m a solo act and hence the single dinner portion.  However, you can easily multiply the quantities to feed as many folks as you need to feed.  

As always, I encourage playing around with the herbs and other flavors – in fact, I think I’m going to do a riff on this with sea bass, cilantro, jalapeño, orange and lime tomorrow. 

Oven Roasted Lemon/Herb Salmon & Asparagus (5 WW PPV)

(Serves 1, double, triple or quadruple as needed)

Ingredients:

• 1 salmon filet, skin on if possible (4 oz = 5 WW PPV if that matters to you)  (I’ve said it a million times – if you are buying fish, buy the very best and freshest fish you can.  For me, that means Whole Foods or a local fish monger. Yes, you will pay a bit more.  If you are watching your pennies, enjoy a smaller portion, but make it the best.  Sermon over.)
• 1 TBS Lemon Juice
• 1 TBS Lemon Zest
• 2 or 3 shakes garlic powder
• 1 tsp or so of dried oregano
• 1 ½ tsp or so of dried thyme
• 1 TBS of fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 tsp maple syrup
• Kosher Salt and Fresh Cracked Pepper
• 6 to 8 stalks of Asparagus, woody end trimmed off
• Cooking Spray

Method:

• Heat the oven to 400 degrees
• Line a cooking sheet with aluminum foil and spray it with cooking spray
• Place the fish (skin side down) and the asparagus on the tray – season liberally with salt and pepper and spray lightly with the cooking spray
• Place the tray in the oven and cook for 13 minutes
• While the fish is cooking, mix the rest of the ingredients in a small bowl, stirring well to soften the dried herbs
• When the timer dings @ 13 minutes, remove the fish and asparagus from the oven and top the fish with the herb lemon mixture
• Return the fish and asparagus to the oven and continue cooking another 3 to 5 minutes, depending upon the thickness of the fish – touch it to test for doneness, you want it to just give to a light pressure and not be too soft – but equally important, you don’t want it to be hard.  (Nothing is worse than over cooked fish!)
• When the fish is done,  place the asparagus on a plate and then gently slide a spatula between the skin and the flesh, laying the fish atop the asparagus to serve. 

Enjoy!

Brunch for a Blustery Blustery Day (Low Fat Southern Eggs Florentine) 6 to 8 WW Points Plus Value

Dang, it’s cold outside.  And rainy.  And a tad windy.  That won’t stop me from getting out there and running all those lovely Saturday errands.  But what better way to start the day than a cozy comfort food brunch? None, I say.

Sadly, words like “cozy,” “comfort” and “brunch” are red flags when you are trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle and maybe even drop a pound or two.  

Until you try my Low Fat Southern Eggs Florentine, that is.  It’s Southern, cuz it features the ubiquitous below the Mason Dixon Line staple, cheese grits.  And Florentine, as a tribute to the spinach and Swiss cheese combo.  Read on to see how it stays figure friendly without losing a flavor punch.

Low Fat Southern Eggs Florentine (6 - 8 WW PPV)

(Serves One)

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup quick grits (If you are increasing the recipe, standard grits would be great.  But for one, the quick variety is just fine)
• 1 cup water (lower PPV) or half water and half nonfat or low fat milk
• 1 Laughing Cow low fat cheese wedge, Swiss cheese flavor
• Kosher salt and Trader Joe’s Everyday Seasoning, or regular old black pepper
• 1 tsp olive oil, or cooking spray (again, you can save a WW Point here)
• 1 TBS-ish  onion, rough chopped (cut off a chunk and chop it up – you want it rustic, so don’t be fussy about uniform sized pieces)
• 1 big handful of baby spinach leaves, torn (see above about the rustic bit…. Leave in a couple of whole leaves for interest)
• 1 large egg – Farm fresh if you have access.  (If not, pop the extra buck and get the best darned eggs you can.  Seriously, you buy eggs by the dozen.  Do the math.) 

Method

• Make the cheese grits
• Bring the liquid, salt, and pepper or TJ Seasoning to a boil in a small sauce pan.  (Watch it carefully if you include the milk; it may boil over if you don’t)
• Sprinkle the grits into the briskly boiling liquid, stir and lower the heat.  Cook by the instructions on the package until creamy and tender.
• When the grits are done, add the wedge of cheese.  Stir until melted and combined.
• Cover and keep warm on the lowest possible flame

 Cook the eggs

• Coat a non-stick pan with the oil or spray with the cooking spray
• Sauté the onion until soft; add the spinach and a little salt and cook until just getting soft.  Make a “well” (or a divot, for the golfers in the crowd) in the mixture. 
• Crack the egg and place it into the indentation in the spinach.
• Lower the heat, cover the pan and be patient until it cooks to the doneness of your liking.
• When the eggs are done, put the grits in the center of a small plate, top with the egg and spinach, sprinkle with pepper, and….

 Enjoy!

  

Go-To Winter Salad with a California Twist (Romaine Salad with Citrus, Avocado, Pomegranate Seeds and Walnuts & Tarragon Citrus Vinaigrette )

Recipe updated - October 2017

Heads up.  If you invite us over for dinner this winter and ask me to bring a salad, chances are this is what you’ll get.  So far, no one has complained.  But you’ve been warned.

So very colorful.  So very SoCal.

This was by far the most spontaneous Christmas break we have ever had, and it was defiantly one to remember.  From Will surprising me on my birthday by coming home five days early, to our decision over coffee to jump in the car and drive up to DC for the weekend, to Chicago style pizza and a bon fire with friends on Christmas evening, it seems like flexibility was the order of each day.  

Plans made weeks ago were dashed, quick decisions were made.  The tree never was purchased let alone decorated and the box with the stockings is still high on its shelf in the garage.  Santa still came and we spent incredible time with family and friends.  My lesson of the season: Perfection is over rated; and always have grapefruit, oranges and avocados on hand.

What?

Well, that last bit refers to the stars of the show from my Winter rift on my Summer Farmers Market Salad that made an appearance at the Bon Fire on Christmas night as well as the Boxing Day Dinner we enjoyed with another set of friends last night. Both dinners featured rich main courses – Chicago Style Pizza (shipped direct from Lou Malnatis in the Wind City) and Oyster Stew, respectively –  and the wonderful clean flavors of this citrus based salad proved to be the perfect complement.  It is also the perfect ode to our SoCal homeland, with Winter in California favorites:  grapefruit, orange, avocado walnuts and pomegranate seeds. 

Here’s how you can do it yourself:

Ingredients

Serves 6

Ingredients

Serves 6

Salad

2 hearts of romain lettuce - cut into bite sized pieces

1 large grapefruit, cut into segments

1 navel orange, cut into segments

1 avocado, sliced

1/2 pomegranate, seeded

1/2 cup walnut halves, toasted

Dressing

1 TBS grated shallot

1 TBS fresh tarragon, minced (or 1/2 tsp dried)

1 TBS grainy mustard

1 tsp dijon mustard

2 TBS honey

1/4 cup walnut oil

1/2 cup of the juice that remains from the sectioning of the citrus fruit

1 TBS apple cider vinegar

2 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp fresh ground black pepper

Method

Prep the fruit:

• Working over a small bowl to catch the juices, segment the grapefruits and oranges.  To do this, put the fruit on a cutting board, slice off the bottom and the top to stabilize, then use a sharp butcher knife to cut off the rind.  Then pick up the fruit and use a sharp paring knife to cut the individual segments.  This is called "supremeing" an it sounds a heck of a lot more difficult than it is.  The results are worth honing this skill.
• Slice the avocado. My favorite way: Slice the avocado down the middle, twist to divide, then remove the pit.  Now use a knife to slice thin slices lengthwise and make a single slice horizontally to cut those segments in half. Take a large spoon and run it along the inside of the avocado, between the flesh and the skin. The slices will come out nice as can be.
• Release the pomegranate seeds – another task that seems daunting, but is not.  Fill a large bowl with cold water.  Submerge the pomegranate and slice it into four pieces. (doing this under water keeps the juice from squirting all over). Working under water, twist and turn the quarter of the pomegranate to release the seeds.  Pick and pull as you go.  The white membrane will float to the top.  The seeds will sink to the bottom. Your kitchen and your clothes will not be splattered with red stains.  Simply strain the seeds and you’re good to go. (Or buy them already removed from the fruit, but where is the fun in that?)
• Toast the walnuts:  put the walnuts into a pan over a low heat and warm then, shaking the pan now and then, until they are toasty and fragrant.  Do not leave the unattended… they will burn and it will not be good. When you are happy with the results, tip them out to a cutting board to cool.  Then copy them into medium sized pieces…. Not walnut dust, but nice crunchy bites that will add great texture to the salad.

Make the vinaigrette

• Put the shallot, tarragon, mustard, honey, walnut oil and juice/vinegar mixture in a jar
• Shake shake shake
• Taste and adjust.  Maybe a little more honey, maybe a tad more salt.... make it your own. 

Assemble the salad

Layer in a large salad bowl in the following order

• Layer In a large salad bowl in the following order:
• The lettuce, tossed with enough dressing to coat but not drench
• The oranges and grapefruit
• The avocados
• The pomegranet seeds
• The walnuts
• Stand back, admire at how pretty the whole thing is
• Toss well to distribute the ingredients evenly
• Serve
• Say “Thank you, I’m so glad you enjoy it,” as people shower you with compliments.

Rainy Day Binge Watching (Tarragon Chicken Pot Pie)

Yesterday was cold and rainy.   A bad day to go out and do anything.  A great day for making a cozy dinner and, spending time as a family, 

Will and Steve take in the National Mall; I can't get
over how they stand exactly the same.

binge watching a great TV drama.  I'm happy to say we accomplished all three.



Piping hot from the oven

Will is home for Christmas and since the weather was pretty nasty, we took an impromptu weekend trip to DC.  Sure it was cold and nasty there, too, but we were able to check out a few monuments, hit the Spy Museum and had some amazing meals at some incredible neighborhood restaurants around DuPont Circle and Georgetown. Not to mention the fact that were able to spend time with our son as we drove to and from Our Nation's Capitol.  



During that drive, the topic turned to the fact that Steve and I somehow missed out on the Netflicks's series, House of Cards.  Last night we fixed that little problem.  Well, at least 8 of the 13 episodes from Season One.  Whew!



The money shot.  Dang, that was good.

An afternoon/evening/night like that calls for a cozy dinner, that can be eaten in front of the TV.  And since we had a half of a rotisserie chicken in the fridge, and a frozen pie crust in the freezer - you got it, we had chicken pot pie.



The following maps out the steps I took to make this yummy dinner.  You can substitute a wide range of veggies and herbs to make it your own.  And if you don't have a pie crust and are not inclined to make one from scratch, serve it in a bowl and call it stew.



Enjoy.



Ingredients:

• ½ Rotisserie Chicken, skin and bones removed and meat cut into bite-sized pieces
• 3 TBS butter
• 1 TBS olive oil
• ½ onion, small dice
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup diced celery
• 6 asparagus stalks, cut into inch long pieces
• 3 TBS flour
• 2TBS chopped fresh tarragon, divided or 1 ½ tsp dried tarragon divided
• 2 cups stock (I used turkey stock that I had in the freezer, but chicken stock works equally well), heated
• Splash of cream or half-and half, if you have it
• 1 TBS Kitchen Bouquet (for color – optional)
• 1 cup frozen peas or frozen pea/carrot/corn mix
• 1 frozen pie crust, thawed
• 1 egg beaten into an egg wash
• Kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper

Method

 Pre-heat the oven to 425 and position a rack in the center of the oven

• In a large skillet, melt the butter with the oil
• Sauté the onions and celery until they begin to soften, then add the garlic and asparagus.  Sauté a tad more, until the asparagus begins to look slightly soft, but not overly cooked.
• Sprinkle the flour over the veggie mixture and cook for about 3 minutes, sprinkle in half of the tarragon.
• Add the warm stock; whisk to combine. Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until it begins to thicken.
• If you have cream or half and half on hand, add a splash to richen the sauce.  A bit of Kitchen Bouquet will darken the color a tad; but don't fret if you don't have any.
• Now add the chicken and the frozen veggies.  Stir to combine, add the second half of the tarragon.  Check the seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed.
• Now set set aside to cool a bit. 
• When the mixture is warm / cool, pour into a skillet or baking dish
• Top with the crust, crimp the outer edge inward, cut slits in the top for the steam to escape, and brush the top with the egg mixture. Sprinkle a bit of kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper on top for a little added interest.
•  Bake in the 425 oven for 30 to minutes,  then lower the heat to 350 and continue to bake until the top is completely browned and the contents are bubbly.  About 10 to 15 minutes will do.
•  Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes.

Serve and enjoy.

Blog Worthy - Chipotle Pig with Cilantro Rice (3WW ppv + 4 WW ppv)

"Oh yeah, that one's blog worthy!"  Six words I love to hear at my dinner table.  
It happened tonight - and wouldn't you know, no photos were taken until we were cleaning up. So what you see here is the aftermath.  And trust me, great a great salad or sandwich will follow tomorrow.

Better late than never - Chipotle Pig
with Cilantro Rice leftovers...

In case you don't know, we live in the land of the pig.  Pork is a big deal in these parts.  And luck for us, there are some pretty healthy ways to serve up a nice lean pork roast. 

Just such a thing happened tonight.  But first, let's rewind to lunch time....

I worked from home today, which often means spending the entire day at "my duty station," as a colleague of mine used to say.  Today, I had to take a break.  So at lunch time, while I was making a salad, I was also throwing together a marinade for a pork sirloin roast I bought earlier this week. 

Pretty easy stuff, just stash a 1.5 pound pork roast in a big zip lock bag along with herbs, spices, a bit of oil and an acid.  In this case:

• 1 1/2 TBS smoked paprika
• 1 1/2  chipoltle chile powder
• 1 TBS garlic powder,
• A big fat pinch of Kosher salt
• About a 1/4 cup olive oil 
• About 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar 

Then into the fridge and back to work.

Fast forward to dinner time.....

As the evening wound down, Steve fired up a screaming hot grill.  I dried off the marinade from the roast, seasoned it up with salt and pepper, drizzled senor pig with olive oil and out to the deck we went.

Time to Grill:

• First Steve seared all four sides of the roast two times each
• Then he turned off the burners in the center of the grill, and turned the outer ones down to medium
• He centered the roast in the center of the grill, over the "off" burners
• And he cooked until "done" - 15 minutes on each side (probably about 30 minutes total) and when the instant read thermometer read 130 degrees F.  
• Then into the house, tented loosely with foil. And it rested for a good 20 minutes. Yes, rare pig police, it continued to cook as it rested and was a perfect medium done, juicy and oh so good.

While the roast was resting, I made up a nice batch of fluffy white jasmine rice.  And when it was done, I stirred in a pat of butter, about 1/8 cup of finely diced Vadilia onion, a big ol' pile of chopped cilantro (probably close to 3/4 to a full cup) and some salt and pepper.  I stirred it all up in a bowl to keep it fluffy.

We served it all up with sliced heirloom tomatoes from Funny Girl Farm.  

And yes, it was definitely blog worthy.

(Roast = 3ppv for 3 oz and cilantro rice = 4ppv for 1/2 cup. Sliced Tomato = 0)

Summer twist on a Barnett Favorite: Lemon Chicken Hits the Grill

Grilled lemon adds great flavor - and are tasty, too.

This one's a bonus blog -- had to share the yummy chicken that we served with the Farmers Market Summer Salad that I posted earlier today.  Lemon Chicken has been a Barnett go-to meal as long as I can remember.  Served up with lemon pasta, I have made it just about every time I've visited Will -- at college in Montana, and now at his city digs in Downtown LA.

Tonight, I did a grilled version - with great success.  Had to share.

Ready for a day in the 'fridge

Ingredients:

• Whole chicken cut into parts and skinned.  I like to cut the breasts in half, so you can pull the thin side off the fire before the thicker pieces.
• About a 7 or 8 inch sprig of fresh rosemary, chopped fine
• One lemon, cut into very thin slices
• Garlic powder (not garlic salt)
• 4 or 5 fresh basil leaves, chopped fine
• Olive oil
• Kosher Salt
• Fresh Ground Black Pepper
• 1/2 lemon to squeeze over the finished chicken

Method
Prep the chicken

• After you skin the chicken pieces, prep one side of each piece: sprinkled lightly with salt and pepper, then generously season with the garlic powder. 
• Top half of the pieces with a slice of lemon, drizzle with olive oil and then put seasoned side down into a shallow glass dish.
• Now do the same treatment to the other side, putting the lemon on the ones you left bare before.
• Cover with plastic wrap and
  stash in the 'fridge.  
• I let mine marinade all day - if you don't have that kind of time, a couple of hours should do it.

Time to grill

• Get your grill screaming hot
• Place the pieces of chicken on the grill, putting the lemon on the side that is up.  Close the lid and cook until they have got good grill marks and are feeling firm.
• Now pull off the lemon and flip.  Replace the lemon on the top of the pieces of chicken.  (Trust me, this is worth it).
• Continue to cook and flip until the chicken is done.  It will be firm and juices will run clear.  
• When you pull from the grill, squeeze the lemon juice over the chicken and sprinkle with the basil.

Enjoy.