Summer – Page 2 – Gastography

Dilled Kale Salad

June 10, 2017June 9, 2017CSA Shares, keto, Recipes, Whole30Leave a Comment

This summer salad utilizes fresh baby greens and an unusual ingredient in salad – fresh dill. Makes a great dish to bring to a potluck on short notice.

gluten-free, paleo, whole30, vegan, vegetarian, keto

Dilled Kale Salad

Roughly 1/2 a pound baby kale

1/3 c. avocado oil mayo (I use Sir Kensington’s)

1 Tbsp. whole grain mustard (Maille is my favorite)

2 Tbsp. chopped fresh dill

2 big cloves garlic, grated

2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar

Juice of 1 lemon

Sea salt & black pepper

1/3 c. toasted pine nuts

1/4 c. shaved parmesan (optional)

In a large bowl, combine: mayo, lemon juice, dill, grated garlic, and apple cider vinegar. Hit with salt and pepper – taste. You’re looking for a robust dressing – something bright and acidic (maybe a hair too acidic, it’ll tone down when you add the kale).

Add the kale and toss to coat, taking care to massage the dressing into the leaves so it really soaks in.

Add the pine nuts and cheese if you’re using.

Serves 4 as a nice side; makes a good potluck dish

Plum And Cucumber Salsa

September 5, 2015September 4, 2015Recipes1 Comment

What to do with an overabundance of stone fruit? Make salsa, of course. This salsa makes a fantastic salad base for a light lunch – just throw on your favorite protein, maybe a hand full of baby spinach or some shredded cabbage, and you’re good to go.

Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, paleo

Plum And Cucumber Salsa

Plums – enough to total 2-3 cups when chopped
3 peaches
1 cucumber
1 red jalapeno (it doesn’t have to be red, they’re just prettier IMHO)
Juice of 1 lime
1/2 inch ginger
2 cloves garlic
Kosher salt & black pepper

De-pit and chop the fruit. De-seed and dice the jalapeño. Dice the cucumber. Peel and mince the ginger and garlic. Add everything to a large bowl and toss with the lime juice, a generous pinch salt & a few cracks black pepper.

This salsa is good straight after making, but the flavors are even better the next day.

Serves 3 – 4 as part of a nice lunch

A Mostly Paleo Riff On “La Mitraillette” – Sausage with Potato, Pickled Fennel and Spicy Mayo

April 4, 2015RecipesLeave a Comment

Instagram. Giving me ideas again. This recipe was inspired by the insanity above created by Josh Scherer, the evil genius behind @CulinaryBroDown. The colors. So bright. Burning into my retinas. I had to try and make it myself!

According to Wikipedia, Mitraillette (literally “submachine gun”) is a Belgian dish available in little shops consisting of a substantial bun (demi-baguette – which is roughly the size of a sub bun), some form of fried meat (sausage, burger, steak, etc.), fries, some sort of sauce (like mayo, ketchup, etc.), and often some sort of veggie (carrot, lettuce, tomato, etc.).

My version swaps diced sweet potatoes for the fries, and drops the bun. While it’s not quite “drunk food”, it is definitely delicious.

Gluten-free, paleo

A Mostly Paleo Riff On “La Mitraillette” – Sausage with Potato, Pickled Fennel and Spicy Mayo

For the pickled fennel

1/2 bulb fennel (about 1 cup when sliced)
1/2 roasted beet (about 1/4 cup when sliced)
1/2 c. rice vinegar
1/2 c. water
2 big pinches Kosher salt
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. pickling spice

To assemble

1-2 of your favorite sausages (I used hot Italian from my butcher)
1 Tbsp. aioli
1 tsp. sriracha
1 Tbsp. grainy mustard (my favorite is Maille)
1 small sweet potato
2 Tbsp. coconut oil
1.5 tsp. granulated garlic
1.5 tsp. onion powder
Kosher salt & pepper

First, make your pickled fennel. You’ll want to start this a day ahead (or at least 8 hours – I made mine before work).

Slice your beets and fennel wafer thin (I used a mandolin) and add to a large jar (or bowl). Cover with the rice vinegar and water (make sure to cover) and add the salt, sugar and spice. Lid and give a good shake. Ideally, you’ll be able to shake a couple times throughout the day.

When your fennel has pickled at least 8 hours and you are ready to serve, start by making the fried sweet potatoes.

Peel and dice your potato (I used 1 small potato – 1/2 a cup diced – for one person).

Add to a skillet over medium high heat with the coconut oil.

Sauté a few minutes, stirring frequently. Add a big pinch kosher salt, a few grinds black pepper, the onion powder and the granulated garlic.

Continue to sauté, stirring frequently to avoid burning, until the potatoes are browned and cooked through, 5 minutes or so. If your potatoes seem to be getting overly brown without looking like they’re cooking through, knock the heat back to medium.

In a separate skillet over medium – medium high heat, brown your sausages (making sure to slash first so they don’t explode under pressure) and cook through.

While the potatoes and sausages are working, assemble your spicy mayo by stirring the mayo & sriracha together.

To serve, lay out a nice bed of potatoes, top with sliced sausages and some of the drained pickled fennel. If you’re feeling frisky, drizzle with the spicy mayo and mustard; if not, place alongside the potatoes for dipping.

Serves 1 as written, easily scaled up to feed more (the fennel quantity listed can feed 2-4).

Spicy Crab Cakes with Sriracha Aioli & Pineapple Kiwi Salsa (paleo, Whole30)

August 24, 2013December 29, 2014Life, Recipes2 Comments

This not your momma’s polite little garden party crab cake. This crab cakes sits legs splayed in a skirt, puts its cigarette out in your sweet tea, and gives you a snarl.

A note here on making aioli. For the love of all things holy, follow the instructions. Your instructions using a whisk? Break that bad boy out. Found instructions for a Vitamix? Use that. I am aioli-retarded and can’t seem to make it – ever – to save my life. Why? Because I don’t listen. I started out this meal’s mayo sojurn with an immersion blender using a recipe written for a whisk-using over-achiever – and made a runny, kinda broken mess. I then Googled ways to fix the mess – and ended up wasting another 2 eggs in the process. I threw the whole batch out, grabbed my Vitamix, Googled Vitamix-specific instructions, and went to town. I waited until the noise of the aioli whipping around the blender changed – until it sounded like slaps instead of whirring madness – and I still thought I’d screwed something up – until I let the mayo sit and it firmed up on its own. So, take it from me: calm the crap down. Calm down and follow directions and your aioli will turn out just fine. No need to use half a bottle of grapeseed oil & over half a dozen eggs in the process.

Spicy Crab Cakes with Sriracha Aioli & Pineapple Kiwi Salsa (paleo, Whole30)

8 ounces crab (lump or claw, canned is perfect here)
2 tsp. brown mustard (I use Gulden’s spicy)
1/4 c. paleo aioli
2 Tbsp. coconut flour
1.5 tsp. chipotle powder
1 scallion
1 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. white pepper

Drain the crab and pick through for errant shells. Drop into a large bowl. Slice the scallions thinly and add to the bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir to combine.

Form into patties and place on a parchment-lined plate. Chill 30 minutes to let firm up a bit.

While your patties are chilling, make the salsa.

1 kiwi
1/4 pineapple
1 shallot
2 Tbsp. cilantro
1/2 jalapeno, seeded

Scoop the kiwi out of its fuzzy jacket and chop finely. Chop the pineapple finely. Dice the shallot. Chop the cilantro. Dice the jalapeno. Combine all in a small bowl and store in the fridge until dinner is ready – you want this to sit about half an hour, so the flavors have a chance to mingle.

While everything else is chilling, take about a 1/4 of a cup aioli and add a teaspoon or two of Whole30 sriracha to make your sauce. Set aside in a small dish.

When it’s time to cook the patties, heat 1-2 Tbsp. coconut oil over medium heat. Add the patties and cook about 4 minutes per side, or until nicely browned.

Serve topped with the salsa and aioli.

Serves 2 for dinner.

Caramelized Peach, Chicken & Tomato Salad with Sriracha Lime Vinaigrette (paleo, Whole30)

August 17, 2013December 29, 2014Life, RecipesLeave a Comment

Yum. Yuuuuummmmmmmm. Y-U-M. This salad is frickin delicious. On a random Tuesday, I was craving grilled peaches but was too lazy to bust out the grill for a quick lunch, so tossed some peaches along with some cheater roasted chicken from Trader Joe’s and this dish was born. Peaches + heat is a match made in heaven. Why have I been eating them straight all these years?! (oh yeah, because peach juice running down your chin is one of summer’s great touchstones)

Caramelized Peach, Chicken & Tomato Salad with Sriracha Lime Vinaigrette (paleo, Whole30)

1 breast roasted chicken (or about a fourth of a package pre-roasted olive oil & black pepper sliced roasted chicken from Trader Joe’s)
1 peach
1 tsp. fat of choice (I’ve used both pork fat and coconut oil, and I must say the pork fat was a touch better here. big shocker)
1 c. (or about a third of a pint) grape or cherry tomatoes
A hand full dry toasted pecans
1 scallion
A few leaves fresh mint
A few leaves fresh basil
Juice of half a lime
1 Tbsp. grapeseed oil
2 tsp. Whole30 sriracha (aka: food of the gods)
Big fat finishing salt

Cut your peaches and chicken into bite-sized pieces while you’re waiting for a medium pan over medium high to reach temperature. Add a teaspoon fat of choice to the pan and follow with the peaches. Sautee, stirring a minute or two and add the chicken. Continue cooking, stirring every minute or two to prevent too much burning until the peaches are caramelized and everything smells heavenly.

While your peaches + chicken are doing their thing, slice the scallions and herbs thin and add to a large bowl with the pecans. Slice the tomatoes in half and add to the bowl.

In a separate small bowl, whisk together the sriracha, grapeseed oil and lime juice.

When the chicken & peaches are done, add to the large bowl. Toss with the dressing and finish with a sprinkle of big fat salt.

Serves 1 for lunch – there may be growling.

Summer On A Plate – Bacon, Tomato & Peach Salad (paleo, Whole30*)

August 3, 2013December 29, 2014Life, RecipesLeave a Comment

I read something enchanting a few weeks ago: grilled bacon. I saw it somewhere, in some recipe header, and the concept lodged in my brain; unwilling to let go.

Grilled bacon, brain said, in the middle of the night. GrilledBacon, it said, in the afternoon. GRILLED BACON, it screamed, while trying to think of what to have for dinner. So I tried grilling bacon. And … ???? It was just like pan-fried bacon, only more burnt. Still fantabulous, mind you, since I happen to *like* bacon that’s been on fire – but not the best use of my bacony buck. Maybe I should have read the recipe afterall.

Summer On A Plate – Bacon, Tomato & Peach Salad (paleo, Whole30*)

2 strips bacon (check your source for Whole30!)
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes
1 Saturn peach (or any variety, I just so happen to be addicted to the Saturn variety from Trader Joe’s)
3 leaves basil
Citrus salt
Balsamic vinegar (the best quality, thickest you can find)

Crisp your bacon however you see fit, drain on paper towels and chop. Chiffonade the basil, slice the cherry tomatoes in half, and the peaches in thin slices. Combine all and drizzle with balsamic. Finish off with some nice citrus salt.

Serves 1 as a side for dinner or lunch. Easily scaleable to feed more.

*This recipe can be made Whole30 compliant. Bacon isn’t completely verboten, just mostly. According to the Whole30 edict, bacon that is made with no added sugar is clear, which you’re most likely not going to find in the regular grocery store. US Wellness Meats sells Whole30 approved bacon, and your local natural food store, butcher or farmers would be a good place to look as well.

Sweet Summer Sunshine – aka Tomato, Peach & Basil Salad with Chili

August 26, 2012December 29, 2014Life, RecipesLeave a Comment

Sometimes I try to pretend that I don’t wait for this season all year long with varying degrees of patience. Some years, I’d like to think that it’s the corn I’m really after. The berries. Burgers on the grill. But who am I kidding? It’s tomatoes. Tomatoes are what I crave in the deep recesses of winter – tomatoes are what I pine for. Sweet, umami-laden globules of liquid sunshine.

This salad highlights their peak season glory perfectly – and lucky for me, I’m the only tomato worshipper in the house. It’s a dead simple thing to whip up for lunch – barely a recipe, really.

Sweet Summer Sunshine – aka Tomato, Peach & Basil Salad with Chili

Mixed heirloom tomatoes – a cup, cup and a half – thinly sliced
1 ripe peach, pitted and sliced thinly
1 tsp. thinly sliced basil ribbons
1 Tbsp. grapeseed oil
1 tsp. sambal oelek (hot garlic chili sauce – I use the brand with the white chicken – it should be located near the squeeze bottle sriracha with the same chicken and comes in a clear plastic jar with a green lid) – sub for Whole30 sriracha if going that route

Your favorite finishing salt – I used some grey sea salt, but I could see black or Maldon salt being fabulous here, or even citrus-infused kosher

Arrange your tomatoes on a plate. Scatter peaches about until you have something that looks exciting and alive. Sprinkle with basil.

In a small bowl, mix the grapeseed oil and sambal oelek. Beat with a fork to combine.

Drizzle oil mixture over salad. Sprinkle with salt to finish.

Serves 1 for lunch. Feel free to scale up to feed a crowd. If you are making for a party, prepare as close to go time as possible. This salad is best at room temperature (I would never suggest refrigerating fresh tomatoes as it kills some of their taste) or even a little above.

Update: After writing this, my DH came home from work not hungry in the slightest for dinner. I ate this salad again for dinner beefed up with slivers of fennel, crumbles of feta and citrus salt. Yum. I might just have to hit the greenmarket this weekend so I can try a version with rosemary-infused olive oil, smoky cheese and orange….

Risottoed Fresh Sweet Corn

August 11, 2012October 11, 2013Life, RecipesLeave a Comment

If your household is anything like mine, fresh ears of corn dominates the shopping list every week this time of year. And while I absolutely love my corn on the cob and various corn salad permutations, sometimes you just need something a little different. That’s where this creamy, risotto-like side comes into play. This dish takes the best summer has to offer and transports it to near fall amounts of decadence. It’s creamy, it’s hearty, and it makes the perfect accompaniment to a protein main (like the too-dry pheasant in the picture).

Risottoed Fresh Sweet Corn

4 ears corn
1/2 c. liquid – water, stock or milk
1/2 red onion
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp. half & half
Salt & pepper to taste

Dice onion and set to sautée in the oil over medium-low heat.

Over a large bowl, de-kernel the corn and then run the back of your knife down the empty cobs to extract the milk.

Add the corn & 1/2 c. liquid to a food processor; whiz until the mixture looks like risotto.

When the onion is softened, add the corn. Raise the temperature to a simmer and cook, stirring frequently to prevent sticking, 20 minutes or until the desired consistency is reached. You want a loose risotto texture.

Add the cheese and half & half. Stir and cook another couple minutes to fully incorporate. Salt & pepper to taste.

Serves 2 for dinner + 1 for lunch.

‘It’s Too Hot To Cook’ Watermelon Salad

July 28, 2012October 11, 2013Life, RecipesLeave a Comment

I don’t know about your neck of the woods, but in mine, we’ve been having a heat wave. And I thought it got hot in South Florida — It does, but this heat is something different. In Miami, you have a nice-to-annoying breeze continually wiping the land clean – dragging humid air in its wake. In NYC, you have humidity as well, but asphalt everywhere and tall buildings that alternately create wind tunnels and block all air from moving. It’s taking some getting used to, especially when the mercury tops out at 103, a temperature I haven’t seen since living in northern Florida.

So, what do you cook for dinner when going outside means flirting with immolation? Watermelon salad. This salad is cool, sweet, hot, savory, and delicious. I’ve been eating big bowlfuls by itself for lunch and dinner, but you could serve alongside some form of quick-cooking meat in tube or patty form to round out a meal for more than one if you can stand the heat.

A note on buying watermelon: This recipe is easiest when made with a seedless varietal, but I wasn’t thinking about that when selecting my melon – I was more excited by seeing something new – the deep green Sugar Baby Red variety – than I was concerned with practicality. If you don’t happen to remember seedless watermelon, no biggie, just more prep work will be involved to pick the seeds out.

‘It’s Too Hot To Cook’ Watermelon Salad

4 c. watermelon, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces (bite sized)
3 Tbsp. fresh basil, chopped fine
Most of a pint of cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cucumber, diced
5 scallions, sliced thin
2 jalapenos, de-seeded and diced
1/2 – 3/4 c. feta, crumbled if in a block (optional)
2 tsp. fresh lime juice
2 Tbsp. the best (thickest) balsamic vinegar you can find

Combine everything in a large bowl, stir to combine, and set back in the fridge for 20 minutes or so to marry.

Makes a ton – I’ve gotten at least 3 big bowls out of the batch I made.

Roasted Corn Salad with Avocado Mousse

June 30, 2012October 11, 2013Life, Recipes2 Comments

This dish makes the perfect accompaniment to any summer grilled entree, from veggie burgers to sausage or steaks. Yum.

Roasted Corn Salad with Avocado Mousse

4 ears corn, shucked
1 red bell pepper
1 avocado, halved and separated from its skin
2 limes, halved
1/4 red onions, diced
1 Tbsp. basil, diced
1 Tbsp. cilantro, diced
2 cloves garlic, diced
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
1/4 c. creme fraiche
1 squirt sriracha
Salt & pepper to taste

On a medium-high flame, grill the corn until blistered all over and burned in spots. Don’t worry – slightly burned corn tastes great.

Grill the pepper until the skin has blackened on all sides and is starting to split.

Grill the avocado until well marked.

Grill the limes until well marked and juicy. This is the perfect preparation for limes that have gotten a little hard, as the heat brings the juices right back out.

Remove everything from the grill as it is done and set aside to cool.

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the avocado, creme fraiche, juice of 1 lime, 1 squirt sriracha and half the garlic. Process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. If this mixture is thicker than you would like, thin with a little water. I wanted a mousse-like consistency.

When the veggies have cooled enough to handle, peel the pepper and chop. Stand the corn up on its cut-from-the-stalk end and run your knife slowly down the cob to separate the kernels, making sure to get down to the hard cob core. You may want to do this in a big bowl or on a big chopping board – things can get a little messy.

Combine the corn kernels, pepper, the juice of the second lime, basil, cilantro, second half of the garlic, cumin and chili powder in a bowl. Taste. Season accordingly and serve topped with avocado mousse.

Serves 2-4

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