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chia seed pudding

The longer I hang out in San Francisco, the more of a weirdo tech hippie I become. Today’s exhibit: I am writing to tell you all about chia seed pudding. “Pudding” that isn’t even dessert, but rather some quasi heath food, apparently full of vitamins, fiber, protein, omega-3s. Blah, blah, you’re bored already.

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Chia seed pudding looks terrifying. Swampy, gooey and black. I admit, it’s a texture that is more on the acquired side, but after getting over my initial trepidation, I’m super into it. It’s been a great breakfast to have at work, filling but not heavy, enough to keep me going until I rise from my keyboard and somehow it’s already 1 pm. The past few weeks of Back to School have been madness, in a good way, and we’re not totally out of the woods just yet, so I’m glad to have this ‘power breakfast’ to keep me going. That’s just the type of badass boss I am.

Are you ready for it? Ready to take the world by storm after eating some tiny, jelly seeds suspended in ‘milk’ made from nuts?!? You sure as hell are, you beautiful hippie.

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Chia Seed Pudding
They call it pudding, it seems a bit odd to call a health food pudding, but I don’t have a better idea soo …
3/4 cup chia seeds (use 1/4 cup chia seeds for each 1 cup of liquid)
3 cups almond or coconut milk (I’ve done both types, in plain and vanilla. Both were good. I’ve found better quality ‘milk’ = better flavor. Chia seeds are more of a texture thing, they don’t add any flavor)
bananas
strawberries (or any other berry, or stone-fruit, whatever you got)
slivered or sliced almonds (or pistachios, or pecans, or any other nut!)
honey (more or less depending on if your almond milk was sweetened)

In a large tupperware, whisk together the chia seeds and almond milk. Let stand for a few minutes, whisk again. Let stand for a few more, whisk again. You want to make sure there aren’t any big clumps as the chia seeds gel together. Put in the fridge for a few hours or overnight. I usually do this on Sunday night while prepping dinner to get ready for the week.

The next morning, scoop a few scoops of pudding into a bowl (or – real talk – an old ice cream container/tupperware since you’re probably eating this at work in front of your computer), slice a banana and a handfuls of strawberries, sprinkle those on top. Add a drizzle of honey and a sprinkle some almonds, and you’re set.

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Jordan’s getting into it too, though I believe he still prefers toast, cream cheese, and smoked fish.

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asparagus tart

Spring is here and so are the asparagus! Though we really didn’t experience much in the way of winter this year in SF, I still can’t help but be happy it’s spring. The other night we had the most heavenly asparagus at our friends’ house. Among their many talents, Russ and Kelly have an impressive green thumb. They have a garden plot near their place in Potrero Hill and we were lucky enough to sample some of their freshly harvested asparagus. Sweet Demeter, it was the best asparagus of my life, and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on some more.

Asparagus Tart | The Answer is Always Pork

So on Sunday before Jordan headed out for work, we went down the Civic Center Farmers Market and picked up two beautiful bunches of asparagus. While these weren’t quite the caliber of Russ and Kelly’s, I was still pretty pleased. Hurray for spring! Hurray for asparagus!  

I decided to turn one of the bunches into a simple tart. The inspiration was from an old issue of Sunset magazine—a phyllo and tomato ‘pizza’ that I used to make at my mom’s house in the summers, but hadn’t made in years. I had some phyllo sitting in the freezer from another so-so experiment, and so this was a snap to throw together. It takes about 10 minutes to assemble, about 20 bake and then you’ve got a beautiful tart to show for your efforts. For a crust that is almost no work, this one is deliciously flaky and satisfying. And, bonus fun fact, phyllo dough is vegan … until you slather it in butter. Easy, fresh and delicious!

Asparagus Tart | The Answer is Always Pork


Asparagus Tart with Creme Fraiche
1 bunch asparagus (if you can snag ones that are the thickness of a pencil, that would be perfect)
8 sheets of phyllo dough (defrosted either on the counter for a few hours on in the fridge overnight)
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup creme fraiche
salt, pepper
parmesan, for shaving on top
a few lemon wedges, for serving

Preheat your oven to 425° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Wash and pat your asparagus dry.

In a small dish, melt the butter. Spread one sheet of phyllo dough on the baking sheet. Brush the entire sheet lightly with butter. Top with another sheet of phyllo. Continue brushing with butter and layering with the rest of the sheets.

Asparagus Tart | The Answer is Always Pork

Once you’ve stacked the phyllo, spread an even layer of creme fraiche in the middle of the dough, leaving a 1 1/2″ border along the sides. Arrange the asparagus evenly in a row. Fold the phyllo dough up around the asparagus and brush the border with the remaining butter. Sprinkle the asparagus with a little bit of salt.

Bake the tart for 20 – 25 minutes, until the edges are golden brown. Remove from the oven and top with some black pepper and shaved parmesan. Add a squeeze of lemon if you’re feeling feisty.

Asparagus Tart | The Answer is Always Pork

-Emily

Ps. This op-ed about food and health by Mark Bittman from this week’s New York Times is fantastic. Butter is back, and all I can say is 1000 times YES.

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Recipes

creamy pasta with dill and smoked salmon

I never used to eat fish. I basically avoided it, except for the very occasional piece of grilled salmon at a family party. Until I met Jordan. Jordan is a lover of fish. He was quick to introduce me to sushi, moules frites and smoked salmon. And, since I was very eager for him to like me, I ate them, lifelong avoidance set aside. Turns out he was right, all those fish, they deserve my love.

This particular pasta is a Jordan dish. He never failed to make it when he’d come to visit me at school or when I was home over the summer. It’s lovely all year round. One Valentine’s Day when Jordan was visiting me in D.C., we took the Metro to Eastern Market, wandered into a cooking store, splurged on our first All-Clad saute plan, and then went home to christen it with this dish. Really any pan that gets hot will do, and it’s pretty silly to buy All-Clad when you live in student housing, but that’s the story. Obviously, we still have the pan; those things are rock solid.

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Creamy Pasta with Dill and Smoked Salmon 
1 lb bow tie pasta
2 tablespoons butter
1 shallot, minced
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 1/2 cups cream
1/4 cup dill, chopped
1/2 lemon, juiced
6 oz smoked salmon, cut into 1″ pieces

Put a pot of salted water to boil. In a large saute pan over medium-low, heat the butter. Saute the shallot in butter for a few minutes, until softened but not brown. Deglaze with the wine. Let the wine reduce slightly, about 3 minutes. Add the cream and turn the heat to low. Let the sauce come to a boil and thicken, stirring often.

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Cook the pasta until al dente and drain. Turn the heat off on the sauce, add the dill and lemon juice. Toss the pasta with the sauce. Top with smoked salmon to serve.

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If you’re only cooking for two, you might want to cut this recipe in half. Sadly, this pasta does not reheat well. The cream gets absorbed by the pasta and the smoked salmon is overcooked by the time the pasta is heated through. Microwaved cream sauces really are a travesty.

-Emily

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broiled mushrooms with mozzarella

Because my commute to and from the office is just over two miles, I listen to a lot of podcasts. One of my favorites is the Spilled Milk Podcast by food writers Molly Wizenberg and Matthew Amster-Burton. Tasty recipes usually make an appearance, but  most importantly, plenty of bad jokes and giggling are guaranteed. I recommend you listen in.

This recipe is from a recent episode. I listened to it on my way home from work and had to immediately go to the store and get the necessary ingredients because it sounded so good. Cheesy, earthy and under 15 minutes to prepare, this dish is perfect for a weeknight (or a lazy night). We had it as a main course with plenty bread and a salad, but it would also be a solid appetizer.

Broiled Mushrooms with Mozzarella, from the Spilled Milk Podcast
2 cups cremini mushrooms
4 oz fresh mozzarella (You could also use regular mozzarella if you didn’t want to spring for fresh)
2 t fresh thyme
olive oil, salt and pepper

Slice the mushrooms thinly, about 1/4″ thick. Place them on a lined baking sheet in a single layer. Drizzle with olive oil.

Tear the mozzarella into quarter-sized pieces and sprinkle over the mushrooms. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and thyme.

Broil 5 – 8 minutes, until the cheese is bubble and golden in spots. Serve with bread.

-Emily

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soft eggs with herb-gruyere toasts

Because we’ve both been swamped with work, we’ve been all about easy meals and there’s nothing like eggs and toast for a quick dinner. The recipe for these cheesy toasts is from Smitten Kitchen and like all of Deb’s recipes, it does not disappoint.

Soft Eggs with Herb-Gruyere Toasts, from Smitten Kitchen

16 sourdough bread batons
4 T butter, melted
1 t smooth dijon mustard
1/3 cup gruyere cheese, grated
1 T parsley, chopped
1 t thyme, chopped
salt and pepper
4 eggs

Heat an oven to 400 degrees. Cut the bread into batons. Mix the melted butter, dijon, cheese, herbs and salt and pepper in a large bowl. Toss the bread with the cheese-herb mixture.  Place in an even layer on a lined baking sheet. Bake 15-20 minutes, until golden brown.

Meanwhile, heat a medium pot of water until boiling. Cook the eggs for six minutes for a perfectly soft-boiled egg.  Serve with the toasts and enjoy!

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corn chowder with tomato salsa

It might be chilly and foggy here in SF, but that doesn’t stop us from enjoying summer produce. Those 100+ degree days in the Sacramento valley are good for something, and that something is corn and tomatoes. Nothing tastes more like summer.

This soup combines both of those flavors, plus a little southwestern flare thanks to a tomato and corn salsa. It is great for a summer day because it is quick to make and doesn’t require turning on your oven. I haven’t lived in San Francisco long enough to forget what that is like.

Corn Chowder with Tomato Salsa
For the soup

1 small onion, diced
2 leeks, sliced
1 carrot, diced
1 T butter
4 ears of corn, removed from the cob
1 sprig of thyme
1 bay leaf
4 cups broth (we used vegetable, but chicken would also be good)
1/4 cup cream
salt and pepper

In a large stock pot or dutch oven, melt the butter over low heat. Add the onion, leeks and carrot and saute until softened, about 10 minutes. Add the corn, thyme and bay leaf and saute two minutes more.

Add the broth and simmer for 10 minutes. Puree the soup in a blender and return to the pot. Bring back up to a simmer and add the cream. Season well with salt and pepper.

If you find that your soup is too runny once you’ve pureed it like I did, make a quick roux in a small saucepan. Melt two tablespoons of butter over medium heat. When the butter is foamy, add two tablespoons of flour. Stir to combine.  Cook for a few minutes, stirring constantly, until the mixture is light brown. Whisk into the simmering soup to thicken.

For the salsa
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 ear corn, removed from the cob
zest and juice of one lime
chipotle or cayenne pepper – we used dried
salt and pepper

If you’re feeling up to it, grill the corn (or char it over your gas burners) before you shave it off the cob. The smokey flavor of charred corn plus the chipotle pepper would be great in contrast with the sweetness of the soup. In a small bowl, combine cherry tomatoes, corn kernels, lime juice and zest. Season with a pinch of cayenne or chipotle. Season with salt and a bit of freshly ground pepper. Set aside.

To serve, ladle the soup into the bowl and top with a few spoonfuls of the salsa. We also made a grilled cheese on some of my sourdough. Soup and grilled cheese is a special type of satisfying.

-Emily

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pasta with ricotta and marinated tomatoes

This is one of my absolute favorite summer dinners. I’ve shared the recipe before, but recently made a few improvements and thought I’d share it again. It is quick, light and you don’t need to turn on the oven—beneficial pretty much everywhere except San Francisco. It also features one of my favorite summer ingredients—tomatoes.

Like all simple dishes, the better the ingredients you put into the dish the better it will turn out. I recommend using a decent fresh ricotta over your typical dairy section fare and cherry tomatoes because they are more flavorful and less watery than other varieties.

Pasta with Ricotta and Marinated Tomatoes
1 basket cherry tomatoes, halved
1 lemon, zested and juiced
2 T olive oil
2 T each of fresh parsley, basil or chives, chopped (use any combination of herbs you have on hand)
1/2 T fresh thyme, removed from the sprig
1 lb pasta (shells or tubes are prefered)
1 clove garlic, grated
2 T olive oil
1 cup ricotta
1/2 cup grated parmesan
salt and pepper

Slice the tomatoes and put them in a medium bowl. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil and herbs. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside. The longer you let this sit and marinate, the better.

Bring a pot of salted water to boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente. Just before you drain the pasta, reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water. Drain the pasta and return to the pot. Add the olive oil and grated garlic clove. Stir. Add the ricotta and parmesan. Stir just to combine. Plate a mound of pasta and top with the tomato-herb mixture. Enjoy!

-Emily

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grits with grilled shrimp and zucchini

You may remember a few months back when I extolled the virtues of grits. Well, we decided to give a lighter, more summery version a try last week. Verdict: still really, really good.  Certainly makes the mounds of zucchini you undoubtably have crowding your fridge go down easier.

Grits with Grilled Shrimp and Zucchini
For the grits
2 cups milk
2 cups water
1 1/2 t salt
1 cup grits
1/4 cup parmesan, grated
2 T butter

For the zucchini
3 zucchini, sliced into 1/2 inch slices
olive oil
1 garlic clove, grated
salt, pepper, chili flakes

For the shrimp
1/2 lb shrimp, shell on preferred
1 lemon, juiced
2 T olive oil
1 garlic clove, grated
salt, pepper, chili flakes

In a large bowl, marinate the sliced zucchini in olive oil, garlic and seasonings. In a small bowl, marinate the shrimp in  lemon juice, olive oil, garlic and seasonings. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, bring the milk, water, and salt to a boil. Once boiling, whisk the grits slowly into the milk mixture. Turn the heat to low and cover. Cook the grits 20 – 25 minutes, whisking every five minutes or so to avoid clumps. Once they are thick and just before serving, whisk in the butter and grated parmesan. Check for seasoning and add more salt if necessary.

While the grits are cooking, heat a grill or grill pan over medium-high heat. Grill the zucchini, 4 – 5 minutes per side, until browned. After you’ve cooked all the zucchini and the grits are nearly done, cook the shrimp. They only need about 2 minutes per side.

Serve a mound of grits topped with shrimp and grilled zucchini, hot sauce on the side for the boy.

-Emily

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orzo with spring peas and burrata

Jordan surprised me with this delicious meal a while back. It is light but still flavorful—a perfect summer dish.

Burrata is a fresh Italian cheese made from mozzarella and cream. The outer shell of the cheese is mozzarella and the inside is a mixture of  mozzarella and cream. It is amazing—sweet, milky and soft—perfect for topping pastas or salads. If you can’t find burrata, use fresh mozzarella instead. A poached egg would also be lovely with this pasta.

Orzo with Spring Peas and Burrata 
1/2 lb orzo pasta
1/2 cup parmesan, grated
2 T mint, sliced thinly
1 lemon, juiced
olive oil, salt, pepper
1 cup spring peas
2 T butter

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, shell the peas. Cook the pasta until al dente and drain. Rinse with cold water to cool the pasta. Once cool, toss with olive oil, lemon juice, parmesan, salt, pepper and mint.

In a saute pan over medium-low heat, melt the butter. Cook the peas until cooked through, but still quite fresh tasting, about 5 minutes. Pour over the pasta mixture and toss to combine. Top with half of a ball of burrata and serve.

This pasta dish can be a main course or a side dish. We had ours with a fennel sausage and sautéed Russian red kale.

-Emily

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asparagus with parmesan and poached egg

Asparagus season is in full swing and I couldn’t be happier. I love asparagus and this is one of my favorite ways to prepare it. This dish is incredibly quick and easy and can be either a side dish or a main course, depending on what else you’re serving. We had it along with a cheesy pasta with fiddlehead ferns that Jordan imagined. The pasta was great, but fiddleheads are more of a novelty ingredient. I’m happy we tried them, but more asparagus in their place wouldn’t have disappointed me.

Asparagus with Parmesan and Poached Egg
1 bunch asparagus, woody parts of the stem removed
1 egg per person
Parmesan cheese
olive oil
salt and pepper

Turn your oven to broil. Put a shallow pot of water to boil and bring it to a simmer. Break off the tougher part of the asparagus. Toss the asparagus with some olive oil and spread them in one even layer on a baking sheet. Once your water is simmering, put the asparagus under the broiler. Broil for 5 – 7 minutes, shaking the baking sheet occasionally to toss the asparagus. You want the asparagus to brown slightly, but not overcook.

When the asparagus is nearly done, poach one egg per person. I’ve had the most success using a shallow pan with just a few inches of water, plus a tablespoon of white vinegar. Crack the egg in a small cup. Before you add the egg, swirl the water. Slowly pour the egg into the water and let it sit for about 30 seconds, then carefully brush the white around the yoke using a spoon. Cook the egg for another 2 minutes and then remove it with a slotted spoon.  If poaching eggs just isn’t your thing, a fried egg would be delicious also.

Place the asparagus on a plate. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place the egg over the asparagus. Grate a generous amount of parmesan cheese over the entire dish and enjoy immediately.

-Emily