Cauliflower take 2

Last year I made a cauliflower dish where you puree part and serve the rest as "steaks". It was good, but needed a little something else. Last night I tried adding some grilled corn and roasted peppers, and it definitely lifted the dish up.

Cauliflower * Corn * Peppers
Trim the out side of the cauliflower and with the stem attached cut into 2 or 3 thick slices. Chop the remaining pieces and boil or steam until soft in salted water. Puree the cooked pieces with some grilled corn and roasted pepper, thinning with the cooking liquid and season with salt and pepper.

Preheat oven to 400 deg. Heat oil in an oven proof pan and saute the steaks on one until brown then flip and put in oven to finish cooking through about 10 minutes.

Make a salad with some corn and peppers, oil and vinegar and season with salt and pepper.

To plate, place some of the puree on the plate, top with a steak and top with the corn salad.

Polenta and eggs

I am always up for eggs for dinner. They make a great addition to almost anything, they are simple to make and can jazz up leftovers.

Polenta * Eggs * Spinach

Prepare the polenta and reheat by grilling or pan frying.
Meanwhile fry or poach an egg.
Top with fresh, sauted or pesto spinach.

Season with salt and pepper.

Homemade Mustard

As anyone who follows this blog knows, my son is a huge mustard fan. So I figured it was about time to make our own.

I was painfully simple.

Mustrad * Vinegar * Salt
Mix about 1/4 cup mustard powder with 3 Tbs each yellow and brown mustard seeds with 1/4 cup warm water. Let sit about 20 minutes.
Add about 1/4 cup vinegar (red, white, sherry...) and 2 tsp salt.
Mix and place in a jar and refrigerate over night.

You can blend some or all of it to make smoother.




You can also add a range of flavors to enhance your mustard... honey, fresh or dried herbs, nuts... the options are endless.

Beans and Feta

Our kids love bean, so I figured this would be a hit... not so much for them, but was great for us.

Garbanzo * Feta * Cucumber
Mix beans, cheese and diced cucumber. Season with salt and pepper and top with extra virgin olive oil and red wine vinegar.




This salad could take many more flavors; try adding dill or cilantro or basil, add fresh lemon instead of vinegar.

Three is the magic number

Building recipes with three ingredients is becoming more and more fun. It allows for simple combinations that are easy to put together but make for great dishes.

Toast * Roaster Garlic * Goat Cheese
Roast garlic
Toast bread.
Spread garlic on bread, top with cheese and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and season with salt and pepper




Tomato * Mozzarella * Arugula
Slice tomatoes (from Lyons Farm)
Slice cheese
Arrange on plate and top with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic.
Dress greens (from Nichols) with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic, season with salt and pepper. Place on top of tomatoes and cheese.



Pimientos de Padrón * Oil * Salt
Heat oil until hot.
Fry pepper for about 3 - 4 minutes. Pat dry on a towel and season with salt




Pimientos de Padrón are a common tapa Spain, but are quite rare here. The fun part is that some (maybe one in five or so) are spicy, so you never know.

Corn and Beets

Remember that corn from yesterday, well I had a little left over...perfect to top some roasted beets.

Beets * Corn * Feta
Roast beets, let cool and cut into wedges.
Grill corn and cut from cob. Toss with extra virgin olive oil and red wine vinegar (about 3 to 1), season with salt and pepper.
Crumble the feta on top of the beets and top with the corn and dressing.

Spicy corn

One of my favorite summer foods is corn. I'll eat it almost any way it comes, but I especially like it grilled on the cob.

This simple preparation adds the sweetness of honey with the spiciness of hot sauce.

Corn * Honey * Hots

Grill the corn with a touch of oil, seasoned with salt and pepper
Melt some butter and add in honey to taste. Add jalapeños or hot sauce, season with salt.
Brush grilled corn with honey butter.

Feel free to squeeze a little lime on as well.