Spring Pea Salad

1/2 c fresh mint leaves, torn
1 T. capers, roughly chopped
1 sm. shallot, thinly sliced
1 t. grated lemmon zest
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt
pepper
1 lb. green peas, thawed if frozen
1/2 c. (4 oz) crumbled goat cheese (I used goat feta, since it's crumblier)


Combine all ingrediants and toss.

Serve at room temp.

BEETS AND CARAMELIZED ONIONS WITH FETA

This dish is a particularly good accompaniment to beef or lamb.

Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 45 min

2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard (preferably whole-grain or coarse-grain)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons olive oil
1 lb onions (2 medium), quartered lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces
2 (15-oz) cans small whole beets, drained and quartered (or halved if very small)

3 oz crumbled feta (1/2 cup)
1/4 cup pine nuts (1 oz), toasted and coarsely chopped

Whisk together vinegar, mustard, pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large bowl, then add 3 tablespoons oil in a slow stream, whisking until combined well.

Cook onions with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt in remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes. Add onions to dressing, then add beets and cheese, stirring gently to combine. Serve sprinkled with pine nuts.

Makes 4 first-course or side-dish servings.

Gourmet
September 2003

don’t remember if i posted these two. theyre kinda oldies, but goodies!


zucchini and jicama salad with chipotle-lime dressing

1 medium zucchini
1 medium yellow squash
2 medium carrots
1 cup jicama (about ½ pound), peeled
1 cup corn kernels (thaw out frozen kernels)
juice of 1 lime
2 tbsp canola oil
1 canned chipotle pepper, seeded and minced
1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
¼ tsp ground cumin
salt, to taste

cut zucchini, squash, carrots, and jicama into matchsticks.
mix all ingredients.


black bean and sweet potato chili

1 tbsp canola oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 medium green bell pepper, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, minced
2 tomatoes, diced
2 -15 oz cans black beans, drained
1 -28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 tbsp chili powder
2 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp black pepper
½ tsp salt
2 cups sweet potato, diced but not peeled (one large potato?)

in a large saucepan, heat the oil. add the onion, bell pepper, garlic, and jalapeno. cook over medium heat for 7 minutes, stirring frequently. stir in the diced tomatoes and cook for 3-4 minutes more. stir in the beans, crushed tomatoes, and seasonings. cook for about 30 minutes over medium-low heat. stirring occasionally.
WHILE the veggies are cooking, boil water and cook sweet potatoes until tender, about 15 minutes. when the veggies have about 5 minutes left, stir in the potatoes.
ladle chili into bowls, garnish with chopped red onion, scallions, or fresh cilantro.
**8 servings**

made these two pies in one week. one for coworkers birthday, one for cooking night.

no-bake fresh fruit pie

4 cups any combination of fresh fruit – picked over, washed, drained, cut-up
(i actually used frozen fruit and it worked just as well)
2/3 cup granulated sugar (or more, depending on how sweet/tart the fruit is)
3 tbsp cornstarch
1 cup water
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp unsalted butter
9 inch prebaked pie shell

in food processor, mash 1 ½ cups of the mixed fruit
in a saucepan, whisk sugar, cornstarch, and water until smooth. stir in the mashed fruit. cook over medium-low heat for 7-10 minutes, or until the mixture in thick and clear. stir in the lemon juice. remove from heat.
taste the mixture. correct with sugar or lemon juice if necessary. stir in the butter and the remaining 2 ½ cups of fruit. chill until partially thickened. then spoon the mixture into the pie shell. chill until set, about 3 hours (maybe faster in the fridge).
* the cookbook suggested serving the pie with ice cream or whipped cream. i want to try it with a latticed top crust.



butterscotch banana cream pie

¼ cup cornstarch
½ cup packed brown sugar
2 cups milk
3 large egg yolks, slightly beaten
2 tbsp butter
1 tsp pure vanilla extact
3 bananas, sliced
10 inch prebaked pie shell, cooled to room temperature

in a saucepan, combine cornstarch and brown sugar. slowly add just enough milk to make a paste. then add the rest of the milk and egg yolks and whisk until all smooth.
cook on medium heat, stirring constantly (unfortunately, this is pretty accurate). mixture will thicken in about 10-15 minutes. if it starts to get lumpy, reduce the heat and stir more vigorously.
remove from heat and stir in the butter until it melts. add the vanilla and bananas and stir well. pour the filling into the pie shell. refridgerate until cold (or set), about 2 hours.
* i topped the pie with crushed nuts and shredded coconut to make it more “tropical” and less “old south.”
* also, this pie wont keep long – two days max.

from sean's hovel:

portuguese potato and kale soup

1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups of water (i used probably 1 cup veggie broth, 3 cups water)
4 cups white or yukon gold potatoes, chopped
½ tsp white or black pepper
½ tsp salt
½ tsp dried oregano
3-4 cups packed green kale, stems removed & chopped
1 15-oz. can white beans, drained (i think kidney, navy, cannellini, or great northern would work)

in a large saucepan, heat the oil. add the onion and garlic and sauté for 5 minutes. add water/broth, potatoes, seasonings. cook 20-25 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
stir in the kale and beans and cook for 5-10 more minutes. if you want a thicker soup, mash the potatoes against the sides of the pan. turn off the heat, let stand for 10 minutes. serve!
**4-6 portions**