This recipe hails from a restaurant in Asheville, NC.  It has just a hint of cheddar that pairs deliciously with a little salt and the nuttiness of the whole wheat flour.  This was wonderful served with breakfast.  
Source: Food and Wine Mag

2 cups whole-wheat flour
1 tablespoon turbinado sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 stick cold unsalted butter, cubed
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons buttermilk


  1. Preheat the oven to 450°. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Whisk in the cheddar cheese. Using your fingers or a pastry blender, rub or cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal with some pea-size pieces remaining. Mix in the buttermilk, stirring, just until the dough holds together.
  2. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough to a 7 1/2-inch square that's 3/4 inch thick. Cut the dough into nine 2 1/2-inch squares and transfer the squares to an ungreased baking sheet. Bake the biscuits for about 12 minutes, until golden brown on top. Let the biscuits cool slightly and serve.
 
This is great fall vegetarian dish.  I haven't eaten a whole lot of kale but I'm not sure why.  It's a delicious green that is very good cooked.  I couldn't find any wheat berries so I used barley instead.
Source: Food and Wine Mag
  • 1 pound peeled butternut squash, cut into 1/2-inch dice (3 cups)
  • 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • Salt
  • Freshly ground pepper
  • 2 cups whole einka or other wheat berries
  • 10 ounces Tuscan kale, stemmed, leaves sliced crosswise 1/4 inch thick (4 cups)
  • 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
  • 1/2 cup minced shallots
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped sage
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/3 cup dry white wine
  • 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the squash with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast the squash for 20 to 25 minutes, until tender. Transfer to a large bowl.
  2. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, cover the wheat berries with 5 cups of water and 1/4 teaspoon of salt and bring to a boil. Simmer over moderate heat until tender, 25 minutes.
  3. Add the kale to the wheat berries, cover and remove from the heat; let stand until the kale is wilted, 5 minutes. Drain well and add the wheat and kale to the squash. Add the vinegar and 2 tablespoons of the oil to the salad, season with salt and pepper and toss.
  4. In a medium skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil. Add the shallots and a pinch of salt and cook over moderately high heat until just starting to brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the sage and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the wine and simmer, stirring, until evaporated. Scrape the shallot and garlic into the salad and toss. Season with salt and pepper, garnish with parsley and serve.
MAKE AHEAD The salad can be refrigerated overnight. Bring to room temperature before serving. NOTES Einka berries are available frombluebirdgrainfarms.com.
SUGGESTED PAIRING
 
Here's another great recipe from Aunt Janet.  This is delicious way to grill chicken.  The marinade/sauce is very flavorful!
  • 2 Large limes
  • 1/2 C. Rice vinegar
  • 1/3 C. chunky peanut butter
  • A handful of fresh cilantro
  • 1 Tbsp. minced fresh ginger 
  • 3 cloves minced garlic 
  • 3 Tbsp Soy Sauce
  • 3 Tbsp firmly packed brown sugar
  • 1 Tbsp Asian sesame oil
  •  4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves (approx 1.5 lbs) cut into thick strips
 
1.  Grate 1 tsp lime zest and squeeze 1/4 C juice from limes.  Whisk together the lime zest and juice, vinegar, and peanut butter until smooth in a glass or ceramic bowl.  Stir in the cilantro, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, brown sugar and sesame oil.  Reserve about 1/2 C of the mixture in a separate bowl for use as a sauce.  Add the chicken to the marinade and turn to coat. Can marinade for 30 minutes at room temp or cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or more.
 
2.  Oil your BBQ grill rack or preheat a broiler in your oven.  Oil the pan if using the oven.  When ready, remove the chicken from the marinade and discard it.  Divide strips among 8 skewers, threading the strips on lengthwise.  Place skewers on grill or put them on a baking sheet if using the oven broiler.  Cook, turning once, until seared on the outside and cooked inside, probably 6-8 minutes or so (depending on heat).  Drizzle with separately reserved sauce and serve, passing any additional sauce at table.
 
I'm obsessed with making my own pasta. At the moment, I'm going through a ravioli stage because of my new ravioli plaque I bought on Amazon for $13.  The plaque consists of a little metal frame with indentations and a plastic tray with wells.  This recipe featured here is a take on the previously posted ravioli recipe.  I found some delicious handmade goat cheese of assorted flavors at my farmer's market so I filled these babies with that.  No, I did not mix in ricotta (which you could do in equal parts with the cheese) because I wanted to really taste the goat cheese.  YUM!
First, make the dough.  For 24 ravioli, mix 1 1/2 cups of flour with two egg yolks, 2 tablespoons of oil, and 1 teaspoon of salt in a stand mixer with the flat beater.  Switch to the dough hook and knead for a minute or so.  Slowly, add in water 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough becomes a ball.  If it's sticky, just flour the outside of the ball.  Cut into four equal parts with a bench scraper.  Remember to coat all surfaces with flour.
Roll out into sheets and keep throwing on the flour.  Roll out the sheets about 1 inch longer than the plaque in length on both ends.
Spray the plaque with cooking spray.  Lay down a pasta sheet on the plaque.  Then press the plastic part into the dough to make little wells.  Fill these with no more than 1 teaspoon of filling.  This picture shows local goat cheese with sundried tomatoes.  Five to six oz of cheese or filling will make 1 whole plaque.    
Next, lay down another pasta sheet over the plaque.  Use a rolling pin to press the dough into the plaque.
Make sure you can see all of the little ridges of the plaque, especially between the ravioli.  Remove excess dough.  Then flip the plaque over and carefully poke the ravioli out onto your working surface.
Flour a cutting board or baking sheets and place your ravioli on that.  DO NOT let them touch or they will stick.  Repeat this process until you have your desired amount of pasta.
Place a pot of salted water on to boil.  To finish, you will want to make a light sauce that augments the flavor of the ravioli without covering up its delicious flavor.  I usually mince 3-5 cloves of garlic (plus or minus a shallot or so) and cook for about 60 seconds in 3 tablespoons of butter or extra virgin olive oil. Allow pasta to cook for 2-3 minutes and scoop out with a slotted spoon directly into the garlic butter. Toss and serve immediately with crisp white wine. Bon appetit!  
 
This was supposed to be a soup served on a crisp fall night.  Instead it was 90 degrees today.  So I turned up the air conditioner a little bit.  This was great and I will definitely make it again.  When I do so, I think I am going to reserve some of the potatoes before pureeing them and I will add them with the roasted veggies and herbs at the end. 
Source: Food Network Mag
  • 3 large leeks
  • 1 large bulb fennel, diced (stems and fronds reserved)
  • 3 large carrots, diced
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
  • Cooking spray
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 1/2 cups skim milk
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley and/or dill
  • 1/2 cup low-fat ricotta cheese
  • 4 slices crusty Italian bread, toasted

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Make the broth: Cut off the dark green tops of the leeks and put in a large pot along with the fennel stems and fronds; add 8 cups water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium, cover and simmer 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, halve the remaining leeks lengthwise, then thinly slice and rinse. Put the carrots and half each of the sliced leeks and diced fennel on a foil-lined baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper, coat with cooking spray and toss. Roast until golden, about 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a Dutch oven or pot over medium-high heat. Add the remaining leeks and fennel and cook, stirring, until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the potatoes and 2 cups of the prepared broth. Cover and cook until tender, 15 minutes. Add 4 more cups broth and the milk; bring to a boil. Working in batches, transfer to a blender and puree; season with salt and pepper.

Ladle the soup into bowls; top with the roasted vegetables and chopped herbs. Spread the ricotta on the toasted bread and season with pepper; serve with the soup.

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/potato-fennel-soup-recipe/index.html?oc=linkback
 
This was great!  The recipe was published in the October edition of Food & Wine magazine and I couldn't wait to try it.  I made my own whole wheat pappardelle for this dish.  To do so, mix white and whole wheat flour (3/4 c each) with 3 eggs, roll out into sheets, and cut into 1 inch wide strips with a pizza cutter.  We finished it off with a sparkling pinto grigio.
  • 2 cups loosely packed wild arugula (about 1 ounce), plus more arugula for garnish
  • 1 medium garlic clove, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons toasted sliced almonds
  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • Salt
  • 1/2 pound dried whole-wheat pappardelle
  • 3 ounces pancetta, sliced 1/8 inch thick and cut into 1/2-inch strips
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
  • Kernels cut from 2 ears of corn (1 cup)
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, for serving

  1. In a pot of salted boiling water, blanch the 2 cups of arugula for 30 seconds. Using tongs, transfer the arugula to a colander and rinse under cold water. Squeeze the arugula dry and transfer to a blender. Add the garlic and almonds and pulse until finely chopped. With the blender on, gradually add the olive oil in a slow steady stream; season with salt.
  2. Add the pappardelle to the boiling water and cook until al dente. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta water.
  3. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook the pancetta over moderate heat, stirring, until browned, 5 minutes. Spoon off most of the fat. Add the onion to the skillet and cook until translucent, 5 minutes. Add the corn and cook until crisp-tender, 1 to 2 minutes.
  4. Add the pasta, reserved pasta water, pesto and butter to the skillet and cook, tossing, until the pasta is hot and evenly coated. Season with salt and transfer to a bowl. Garnish with arugula leaves and serve, passing grated cheese at the table.

SUGGESTED PAIRING: Ripe, full-bodied Chardonnay.

 
I'm posting this in an attempt to hang on to summer.  Ceviche is typically a seafood dish that is "cooked" with only the acidity of citrus fruit.  This recipe plays on that idea with summer's best fruits and veggies.  I substituted edamame for the lima beans.  While this could be served as a very healthy main dish, it will also make an impressive side.
Source: Food & Wine Magazine


1 cup fresh baby lima beans (from about 1 1/2 pounds in the pod) or other shelling bean
1 teaspoon finely grated lime zest
1/3 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 scallion, thinly sliced
1 jalapeño, seeded and thinly sliced
1 small shallot, thinly sliced
Sea salt
1 1/2 cups fresh corn kernels (raw, from 2 ears)
2 nectarines, cut into thin wedges
1 Hass avocado, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 large orange bell pepper, finely julienned
1 pint heirloom cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup coarsely chopped cilantro

  1. In a small saucepan of salted boiling water, cook the lima beans until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain the beans and rinse under cold water.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk the lime zest and juice with the olive oil, scallion, jalapeño and shallot; season the dressing with salt. Gently fold in the lima beans, corn, nectarines, avocado, orange pepper and tomatoes. Refrigerate the “ceviche” for at least 2 hours. Fold in the cilantro just before serving and serve the “ceviche” chilled. 
MAKE AHEAD: The salad can be refrigerated for up to 8 hours.
SUGGESTED PAIRING: Tropical-fruity Sauvignon Blanc from South Africa is a nice accompaniment to this nectarine-studded take on ceviche.

 
"Una de cada" is Spanish for "one of each."  It's used in this recipe to refer to the fact that it contains both chicken and beef.  This is like meat lovers' enchilada casserole.  The dish was so full I didn't think it was going to all fit.  It was delicious!  Be careful that you are using equal amounts of chicken and beef.  If your chicken is meatier than you need, you can always freeze the rest to make a lovely chicken salad later (recipe to follow).  
Source: Food Network Magazine

For the enchilada sauce:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped Vidalia or other sweet onion
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 clove garlic, grated on a rasp or finely minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
3/4 cup beef broth


For the beef layer:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped Vidalia or other sweet onion
1/2 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
1/2 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
Kosher salt
3 cloves garlic, grated on a rasp or finely minced
1 pound 85 percent lean ground beef
1/2 to 1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 to 1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 packet (about 1/4 teaspoon) Sazon seasoning
2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/4 cup beef broth
Freshly ground black pepper


For the chicken layer:
1 rotisserie chicken, skin and bones discarded, meat shredded
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup shredded pepper jack cheese


For the casserole:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 1/2 cups shredded pepper jack cheese
20 to 24 six-inch corn tortillas, cut in half

Make the enchilada sauce: In a medium pot over medium heat, combine the oil, onion, a pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper. Cook until the onion is tender, about 6 minutes. Raise the heat to medium high and add the tomato paste; stir with a wooden spoon and cook until it deepens in color, 3 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin and thyme. Cook, stirring, until combined and fragrant, about 1 minute, then add the crushed tomatoes and beef broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook, covered, for 20 minutes. Cover and keep warm over low heat.

Cook the beef: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a large straight-sided pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and green and red bell peppers. Sprinkle with a nice pinch of salt and cook until the onion and peppers are tender but not browned, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute more. In this order, add the beef, onion powder, cumin, thyme, Sazon, tomatoes and broth, allowing time between each addition to stir and blend. Cook for another 8 to 10 minutes, stirring to break down the beef into bits. When the beef is cooked through, taste and season with a pinch of salt and a grind or two of pepper. (Sazon adds salt, so be careful not to over-season.) Set aside.

Prepare the chicken layer: In a large bowl, toss together the shredded chicken, 1/2 cup of the enchilada sauce and the cheddar and pepper jack cheeses. Set aside.

Assemble and bake the casserole: Use the butter to coat the bottom and sides of a deep 13-by-9-inch baking dish. In a small bowl, toss the shredded cheeses together. Pour 1 cup of enchilada sauce into the prepared dish. One at a time, dunk the tortilla slices in the still-warm enchilada sauce in the pot and layer them on the bottom of the dish using the straight edges to line the sides, overlapping where needed and covering the entire bottom of the dish. Next, add 1/2 cup of the shredded cheese blend, all of the beef, another 1/2 cup of the shredded cheese blend, a new layer of tortillas dunked in the enchilada sauce, all of the chicken and a final layer of tortillas dunked in the enchilada sauce. Pour the rest of the sauce over all of the layers and top with the remaining shredded cheese blend. Bake until the cheese is melted and the sauce bubbles, about 30 minutes. Let it rest a bit before you slice it, just like lasagna.

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/sunny-anderson/una-de-cada-enchilada-casserole-recipe/index.html?oc=linkback

 
Delicious!  Not exactly a simple recipe, but if you feel like spending an evening making something beautiful in the kitchen, give this a try.  The pasta is exceptional - like butter.  I am going to try it the next time I make other pasta shapes.  I paired this with a Cabernet Blanc, a light rose from Barboursville, VA.
Source: Adapted from Epicurious' Arugula and Goat Cheese Ravioli 

For Pasta Dough
  • 1 1/4 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour plus additional for kneading
  • 4 large egg yolks
  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon salt
For filling
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 5 oz of arugula salad blend 
  • 1/2 cup soft mild goat cheese (4 1/2 oz)
  • 1/2 cup ricotta (preferably fresh; 4 1/2 oz)
For sauce
  • 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt 
  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Make pasta dough:
Blend together all dough ingredients in stand mixer with the dough hook.  Add water 1 tablespoon at a time if needed.  Dough will form a ball when mixed.  Allow to stand covered with a dish towel. 

Make filling while dough stands:
Heat butter in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat until foam subsides, then add garlic, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until garlic begins to turn golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Add greens and cook, turning with tongs, until it is wilted, 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer mixture to a fine-mesh sieve and press with back of a wooden spoon to extract excess liquid, then finely chop.

Stir together mixture and cheeses in a bowl.

Make ravioli:
Cut dough into 6 equal pieces. Cover 5 pieces with plastic wrap and pat out remaining piece into a flat rectangle. Generously dust with flour.

Set rollers of pasta maker on widest setting. Feed rectangle, a short side first, through rollers. Fold rectangle in thirds, like a letter, and feed it, a short side first, through rollers. Repeat 6 or 7 more times, folding dough in thirds and feeding it through rollers, a short side first each time, dusting with flour to prevent sticking. Turn dial to next (narrower) setting and feed dough through rollers without folding, a short side first. Continue to feed dough through without folding, making space between rollers narrower each time, until the second to narrowest setting is used. (Do not roll too thin or pasta will tear when filled.)

Put sheet of dough on a lightly floured kitchen towel (not terry cloth) with a long side nearest you. Drop 5 or 6 rounded teaspoon-size mounds of filling 1 1/2 inches apart in a row down center of right half of sheet, then lift left half of sheet and drape over mounds. Press down firmly but gently around each mound, forcing out air. (Air pockets increase the chance that ravioli will break during cooking.) Cut pasta (between mounds) with a sharp knife into roughly 2 1/2-inch squares. Line a large shallow baking pan with a clean dry kitchen towel (not terry cloth), then arrange ravioli in 1 layer in it. Make more ravioli with remaining pieces of dough and remaining filling in same manner, transferring to lined pan.

Make sauce:
Heat butter in cleaned 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat until foam subsides.  Add garlic, pepper, and salt and cook, stirring frequently, until garlic begins to turn golden, about 2 minutes. Add oil, swirling skillet to combine, and remove from heat. (Leave sauce in skillet.)

Cook ravioli:
Bring a 6- to 8-quart pot of salted water to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to a gentle boil. While water is heating, reheat sauce over low heat if necessary.

Add ravioli to gently boiling water, carefully stirring to separate, and cook, adjusting heat to keep at a gentle boil, until pasta is just tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Lift cooked ravioli with a slotted spoon, draining well over pot, then transfer to skillet with sauce and gently swirl skillet to coat pasta.  

Serve with grated Parmesan cheese if desired. 

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Arugula-and-Goat-Cheese-Ravioli-237194#ixzz2cB6AgeUp
 
Wow wow wow.  Really?  How can this be so simple and so good? Well first of all make sure you have some really nice, high quality fish.  The frozen stuff will probably be way too thin to grill.  I am so enthralled with Richmond's Relay Foods, an online grocery store that goes out and buys delicious, fresh responsibly procured meat and organic fruits and veggies from local farmers for me which I pick up in the neighborhood of my choice once a week (see the link below).  Second, make sure your other ingredients are super fresh (see the link below!) We were done with this from start to finish in no time.
Source: Rachael Ray Mag
  • 1 pound tilapia fillets, cut lengthwise into eight 1/2-inch-thick strips
  • 24 grape tomatoes
  • 4 jarred artichoke hearts, halved lengthwise
  • 1/4 cup chopped parsley (about 1/3 bunch)
  • 3 tablespoons EVOO
  • 1/4 cup of mayo
  • 1 teaspoon paprika 
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 cup orzo
  • 1 lemon, cut into wedges

  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
  2. Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium heat. In a medium bowl, toss tilapia strips, tomatoes and artichokes with 3 tbsp. of the parsley and 2 tbsp. EVOO. Season with salt and pepper.
  3. Thread tilapia strips, grape tomatoes and artichoke hearts on 8 skewers. Grill skewers, turning once, until fish is opaque, 9 to 11 minutes.
  4. Meanwhile, add the orzo to the boiling water and cook until al dente, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain, transfer to a bowl and toss with the remaining 1 tbsp. parsley and EVOO. Season with salt and pepper.
  5. Mix mayo and paprika together in a small bowl.
  6. Serve skewers with orzo, dipping sauce, and lemon wedges.



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