entree

Easy Schnitzel and Arugula

November 7, 2022 by hwhunter Leave a Comment

Before we launch into the heavy holiday consumption season, I am intentionally dialing it back a bit so I can make room for what is inevitably to come. But since we have already had our first snowfall last week, chilly weather calls for something a bit more substantive than silly summer salads.

10-Minute Dinner

One of my favorite quick meals comes together in 10 minutes but presents like a thoughtful dining experience that everyone loves. Thin cutlets–pork or chicken cutlets–save the day and only require a light battering of flour, beaten egg and a dredge in panko finished by a surprisingly quick saute in a pan.

Within minutes, the cutlet is cooked through and golden brown. After seasoning the cutlet with a bit more salt and pepper, top with an enormous handful of arugula (the more the better), a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, squeeze of lemon juice and a generous grating of parmesan. A light sprinkle of a bit more salt and pepper ensure everything is perfectly seasoned.

You’ll know why I love this dish at first bite and why it’s a meal I have on repeat. It’s great for one person or four people. If making for a group, just pop the cooked cutlet onto a baking sheet and slide it into the oven to keep hot while additional cutlets are cooking. Or use two skillets to make this cooking process even quicker.

However many people you are feeding, I think everyone will agree this is a tried and true go-to meal when you want to get a healthy but simple dinner on the table quickly.

Buen provecho!

Easy Schnitzel and Arugula

Pork or chicken cutlets are all you need to get dinner on the table in minutes. Dredge the cutlets in flour, egg and then panko and drop the in some oil in a skillet. They will cook in a few minutes and top with arugula and parmesan. Heavenly and oh so simple. You'll love this new recipe to add to the mix.

Course entree

Cuisine American, Italian

Keyword arugula, chicken, pork

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes

Total Time 10 minutes

Servings 2

Author The Cowgirl Gourmet in Santa Fe

Ingredients

2 pork or chicken cutlets
1/4 cup brown rice flour or all-purpose flour
1 egg lightly beaten
1/2 cup panko I use gluten-free panko
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 lemon halved and juiced
1 tablespoon butter
sea or kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 lb arugula

Instructions

Make sure you get the cutlets that are super thin, as this is why these cook so quickly.
Get three plates or pie pans and place the flour, egg and panko in each and set aside.
Lightly season the flour, egg and panko with salt and pepper.
Begin to dredge the cutlet on both sides into the flour, then the egg and then the panko, making sure the panko coats the meat and set aside on a plate. Repeat until you have coated the cutlets.
In a big skillet, add the olive oil and place over medium-high heat. Once it's hot, add the first cutlet and if the skillet can handle two, add the second cutlet, if using.
When the cutlet is golden brown on the underside, flip and all to cook until golden on the other side. This should take 2-3 minutes.
When fully cooked, sprinkle with salt and pepper and place the cutlet on a baking sheet and place in a 300 degree oven until the remaining cutlets have been cooked.
To the pan, add the juice of half a lemon and a tablespoon of butter to make an au jus, scraping the bottom of the pan to get up all the sticky bits. Turn the heat off and place one cutlet on a plate and drizzle some of the pan sauce over each cutlet.
Top each cutlet with a heaping handful of arugula, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, squeeze the other half of a lemon and shave plenty of parmesan on top. Sprinkle with a bit of salt and freshly ground black pepper and serve.

Kicked-Up Tabouli

April 26, 2022 by hwhunter Leave a Comment

Now that spring is here, we can turn up the volume on our favorite salads. While a lettuce salad can be super satisfying (like this one), what I really dig is a “salad” that kicks lettuce to the curb and incorporates other ingredients.

Creating this kind of “salad” calls on what you have on hand and what you love. Choose a grain for the base and add anything you want to make it yours. Roasted veg. You bet. Chopped raw vegetables, absolutely. Herbs, of course. Toasted nuts, it goes without saying. Cheese crumbles, please. And a simple vinaigrette.

Kicked-Up Tabouli

Known as “Jennifer Aniston’s favorite salad,” this recipe caught my attention for a few reasons. No, I am not a fan girl. But I think it’s fair to say she has aged gracefully and looks as good today as she did when she was Rachel on “Friends” from 1994-2004. Legend has it this was the salad she ate every day on set.

The recipe is a contemporary spin on tabouli, which I love, and has a kicked-up feel, which I also love. And I have adapted the recipe a bit. Though tabouli uses cracked wheat, I prefer quinoa because it’s gluten-free and packed with protein. Add assorted colors, textures and flavors to make this an addictive salad worthy of eating every day.

Add parsley and mint for fresh and herbaceous undertones, red onion for a sweet bite and texture, cucumber just because we love cucumbers, garbanzo beans for protein and pistachios for crunch and color while a lemon vinaigrette brings it together.

If you are making this recipe in advance, leave out the cucumbers and nuts as they will get soggy if added to the entire batch. I add them to each plate before serving, along with a few cherry tomatoes for color.

Add Protein

Feel free to add a slab of protein. Grilled salmon, shrimp or chicken pair well with this dish. And if you feel the meal needs another side, serve a simple green salad to make this a well-rounded meal for the whole family.

While tabouli (also taboulleh) is a staple in Lebanese cooking and the national dish, changing it up with quinoa and adding mint (herb), garbanzo beans (protein), feta (cheese), tomatoes (color) and pistachios (crunch) gives this traditional dish a whole new feel. Consider this a kicked-up tabouli and another cold salad recipe to add to your repertoire.

Buen provecho!

Kicked-Up Tabouli

If you love tabouli, you're going to flip for this more contemporary version that uses quinoa, along with mint, garbanzo beans and feta. Easy to make, this dish comes together without a lot of effort and holds in the fridge for up to three or four days. Be sure to add the cucumbers and the pistachios to each serving, as they will get soggy if added to the whole batch. And feel free to add a few tomatoes as well.

Course entree, healthy snack, Main Course, Salad

Cuisine Lebanese, Mediterranean

Keyword quinoa

Prep Time 30 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 4

Author The Cowgirl Gourmet in Santa Fe adapted this recipe from Jennifer Aniston's favorite salad

Ingredients

1 cup uncooked quinoa this results in about 3 cups of cooked quinoa
kosher or sea salt to taste (I used 1/2 teaspoon)
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 cup parsley finely chopped
1/2 cup mint finely chopped
1/3 cup red onion diced
1 can garbanzo beans drained and rinsed
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 lemon juiced
Glug of champagne or white wine vinegar
1/2 cup feta crumbles
3 mini-cucumbers or 1 large cucumber chopped
cherry tomatoes sliced in half or quartered
1/2 cup pistachios chopped

Instructions

In a medium saucepan, cook quinoa according to the directions and allow to cool.
In a big bowl, add the cooked and cooled quinoa, add 1/4 teaspoon salt and stir to combine.
Add the parsley, mint, chopped red onion and garbanzo beans. Toss well.
In a small bowl, mix the lemon juice, olive oil and vinegar and blend together. Pour over the quinoa and toss to combine.
Add the feta, stir well and taste. Add 1/4 teaspoon more salt, if desired, and more black pepper and stir again.
Place in the fridge to chill.
When ready to serve, taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
Add the chopped cucumber, tomatoes and pistachios to the individual plates and enjoy.
Refrigerate any leftovers for up to three to four days, adding more cucumber, tomatoes and pistachios before serving.

The Best Tuna Salad

March 21, 2022 by hwhunter Leave a Comment

Growing up, tuna salad was one of our go-to’s when we needed a quick meal. My mother loved Miracle Whip and my father preferred Hellman’s. This was why she made two different batches. Because I was not into sweet mayo, I shared my father’s batch. Honestly, I think my mother was grateful because she could snack on hers for a few days.

Though tuna salad felt plebeian back then, it came together easily and was packed with protein. And my mother loved tuna melts–but who didn’t in the 70s? A toasted English muffin with tuna salad and melted cheese? Yes, please.

Kicked Up Tuna Salad

Fast forward to 2022 and tuna salad still feels like a humble dish, and it is. But, over the years, I have tweaked the recipe adding a bit of this and a bit of that to make it significantly more respectable and delicious. I love adding lots of celery for plenty of crunch factor. The juice of half a lemon for acid. A squirt of stoneground mustard for depth and parsley for freshness. But David recently made a new discovery that has officially taken this classic staple we all grew up on over the top.

A few weeks ago he came home with an upscale brand of canned albacore tuna, Wild Planet that was a game-changer. Sure, it’s twice the price of regular canned tuna, but it’s at least five times better. The first time we used this sustainably caught, hand-cut and hand-packed albacore tuna in water, we swore this is the only brand we will buy.

Wild Planet for the Win

The flavor is clean and bright and makes the best tuna salad. Seriously, the Wild Planet canned tuna is incredible and worth every penny. Now that we know what the best canned tuna tastes like, we continue to make this simple dish to remind ourselves of what we have been missing all these years. No longer is this a lowly dish, but a contemporary spin on an old favorite.

With these simple modifications, tuna salad can be served as a sandwich, with a lettuce wrap, over mixed greens or with crackers for a light snack. I highly recommend you add a side plate of your favorite raw vegetables–or whatever you have in the fridge, along with pickles and a spicy pickled cherry pepper for some heat.

Considering we have once again fallen in love with tuna salad, I am confident Wild Planet will make you a convert as well.

Buen provecho!

The Best Tuna Salad

This is not the tuna salad we grew up on. This is something entirely better, using a high-quality tuna and a few key ingredients. The first trick is Wild Planet canned tuna. Adding a dollop of coarse ground mustard also adds depth to the mayo and lemon juice. Once it chills and melds, I think you will agree that this is the best tuna salad you have ever had.

Course entree, healthy snack, Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword tuna, tuna salad

Prep Time 15 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Servings 4

Author The Cowgirl Gourmet in Santa Fe

Ingredients

2 5 oz. cans of Wild Planet albacore tuna drained thoroughly
2/3 cup celery chopped, about 2 ribs plus some leaves
1/3 cup red onion diced
1/4 cup parsley minced
3/4 teaspoon Kosher or sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper as much as you desire
1/3 cup mayo
1/2 teaspoon stoneground mustard
1/2 lemon juiced

Instructions

In a small mixing bowl, add the canned tuna and use a fork to break up the big chunks.
Add the celery, red onion and parsley.
Add the mayo, mustard, salt and pepper.
Add the lemon juice.
Blend well to combine.
Refrigerate for an hour or more to chill through and allow the flavors to meld.
Serve as a sandwich, over lettuce and a side of raw vegetables, such as carrots, radishes and cucumbers, along with your favorite pickles and a pickled cherry pepper.
If making a sandwich, add lettuce such as butter lettuce, red leaf lettuce or spicy arugula, if desired.

Moroccan-Spiced Eggplant and Chickpea Stew

March 10, 2022 by hwhunter Leave a Comment

Santa Fe’s winter has been tepid this year and, much to my dismay, it felt like spring was already springing. And this is why we should never give up hope. It has snowed three times in the last two weeks and more snow is expected tonight. Even a thin blanket of snow is welcome as we need the moisture and I love the snow.

But before spring officially does arrive, I made an eggplant and chickpea stew with Morrocan spices to warm the fire within. Because what’s better than sitting in front of a fire with a hot bowl of stew while it’s snowing? And it may be the last stew to enjoy prior to diving into salad season. Truthfully, it was a beautiful eggplant that inspired this dish as well as a friend who recently made something similar that has lingered on my palate.

Benefits of Stews and Spices

This stew comes together quickly and easily and the flavor is heightened by the addition of assertive Moroccan spices. Cumin, paprika, coriander, turmeric, a pinch of cinnamon and red pepper flakes, this stew is not short on flavor. In fact, these spices come together brilliantly to make a balanced dish that you will want again and again. After simmering for one-hour on the stove, the eggplant and vegetables break down and soften while the aroma of the spices perfumes the entire house.

One thing I love about stews (and soups) is that they make even better leftovers. Store any leftovers in the freezer for those days when no one wants to cook or knows what to cook. Having something wildly delicious and ready-to-go in the freezer always makes me happy. Simply defrost, heat, serve over rice and dinner is done.

And It’s Vegan

Another benefit to vegetable stews is that they are inherently vegan, but we don’t have to mention this. The meatiness of the eggplant will fool them all into thinking that this stew is hearty enough and won’t leave anyone missing the meat.

Serve with turmeric rice and/or protein of your choice for a wholesome meal before we really do spring into spring.

Buen provecho!

Eggplant and chickpea stew plated and vert

Moroccan-Spiced Eggplant and Chickpea Stew

This stew is so hearty and wholesome--and vegan, most people won't even know it doesn't have any meat. It comes together easily and simmers on the stove to fill your house with an amazing aroma. The spices are what elevate this dish from a simple stew to something that is bold and flavorful. Serve over rice, couscous or with salmon or protein of choice.

Course entree, Main Course

Cuisine Moroccan

Keyword stew, vegan stew, vegetables, vegetarian

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Servings 6

Author The Cowgirl Gourmet

Ingredients

1 large eggplant peeled and cubed
1 teaspoon Kosher or sea salt for sprinkling over the cut eggplant
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil and more as needed for cooking
1 yellow onion diced
1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt divided into two half teaspoons
1 carrot diced
1 rib celery diced
1 bell pepper your choice of color, but I prefer red or yellow
3 cloves garlic minced
2 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch red pepper flakes
1 15 oz. can chickpeas do not drain, as you will use the liquid
1 15 oz. can water
1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes

Instructions

Peel and chop the eggplant and place in a colander with 1 teaspoon of salt. Set aside and let the eggplant sweat for 1 hour.
Once the eggplant has extracted liquid, rinse the eggplant and place on a dry kitchen towel to remove any excess liquid.
In a soup pot over medium heat, add olive oil.
Once hot, add the onion, eggplant and 1/2 teaspoon of salt and cook until soft, about 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add the diced carrot, celery, bell pepper and the remaining half teaspoon of salt. Stir well to coat and cook 5 minutes.
Add minced garlic and spices (paprika, cumin, turmeric, coriander, black pepper and red pepper flakes) and cook for 3 minutes, stirring so the spices don't burn.
Add chickpeas and the liquid and stir to blend the spices.
Fill the can that the chickpeas were in with water and add to the pot, stirring well to combine.
Add canned tomatoes and stir again to mix everything together. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook for about 10 minutes, bringing it to a simmer.
Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 1 hour.
Taste the stew and adjust seasonings if needed, adding a bit more salt to taste, if desired.
Turn off the heat and let the stew meld until ready to serve.
Reheat the stew and serve over turmeric rice, white rice, brown rice or couscous and/or your protein of choice.
Place any leftovers in the refrigerator for up to five days or put the stew directly into the freezer for a day when you don't want to cook.

Summer Garden Pasta

August 23, 2021 by hwhunter Leave a Comment

When summer tomatoes are at their peak, and super ripe and juicy, sometimes all that’s needed is a generous sprinkle of good-quality salt. But magic happens when you chop four ripe tomatoes, add the required salt, chopped garlic, basil, olive oil, freshly ground black pepper and red chile flakes. And then let all of these ingredients marinate for four hours.

Juicy Tomatoes Are The Key

As soon as you stir in freshly cooked and hot pasta and add a generous dose of cheesy Parmesan, this spectacular and simple summer garden pasta will make you wish it was the beginning of June and not the end of August.

Thanks to Ina Garten for the recipe that I adapted after I made this dish last summer (pictured below). The original recipe calls for cherry tomatoes, which aren’t always the juiciest–or the most flavorful. But I always try the recipe first and then make adjustments as needed. This summer, I used big and juicy beefsteak tomatoes and now it’s good enough to share with you.

Last year’s dish when I followed Ina’s recipe. But, this time, I used beefsteak tomatoes instead of cherry tomatoes and the flavor and sauce are mind-blowingly delicious.

Let Simple Ingredients Shine

This five-ingredient (tomatoes, garlic, basil, olive oil and Parm), pasta sauce requires no-cooking and allows the fresh ingredients to shine. The trick is to use the best tomatoes you can find. In a big bowl, you’ll love how the salt slowly extracts the juice from the chopped tomatoes as they are left at room temperature for four hours.

During this time, the tomatoes melt with garlic and basil, and everything permeates the fruity olive oil. The freshly ground black pepper and red chile flakes add a thin veil of heat. As you wait for the four hours to pass, the pungent and beautiful aroma of Italy draws you back into the kitchen and tells everyone in the house a savory summer supper awaits.

This picture is also from the first time I made the recipe last summer. Replacing chopped beefsteak tomatoes for halved cherry tomatoes makes all the difference in the world.

Top with Parmesan and More Basil

When you are ready, add the hot pasta into the big bowl where the tomato concoction has become saucy and almost like a confit. The hot pasta soaks up the saucy olive oil and tomatoes. The Parmesan melts into the dish as you generously grate it over the top of the bowl. Gently toss everything together and the smell will remind you how good this is going to be. (Note: if you are a crusty bread lover and can eat gluten, be sure and get a baguette because the sauce that’s left in your pasta bowl will beg for sopping it up. Or drinking it. Your choice. But don’t let it go to waste.)

As we near Labor Day, it may be prudent to stock up on our favorite tomatoes so we can make this easy summer garden pasta dish a few more times before tomato season ends.

Buen provecho!

Summer Garden Pasta

In Garten knows food and this supremely simple pasta dish is ideal for hot summer nights when tomatoes and basil are at their peak. This no-cook tomato sauce with garlic, basil and olive oil meld together to become a sensational sauce to toss with pasta. Beware--if you love raw garlic, you're fine. If you don't love raw garlic, consider cutting back to three garlic cloves instead of six.

Course entree

Cuisine Italian

Keyword basil, pasta, summer, tomatoes

Prep Time 10 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 4

Author The Cowgirl Gourmet in Santa Fe adapted this recipe from Ina Garten

Ingredients

For the No-Cook Tomato Sauce

4 large beefsteak or homegrown tomatoes chopped
1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
6 garlic cloves chopped
20 leaves basil chiffonaded, reserve some for garnish
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cup Parmesan cheese grated, divided
Maldon salt for serving
Pasta I use gluten-free; angel hair would be lovely

Instructions

In a big bowl, add the chopped tomatoes and any juice on the cutting board and then sprinkle with salt.
Chop the garlic and basil and add to the tomatoes.
Add the black pepper and red chile flakes.
Pour the olive oil over and stir well to combine.
Cover with plastic wrap, kitchen towel or reusable cover and set on the counter for four hours.
When ready, add water to a pot and bring water to boil. Add salt to the water.
When the water boils, add the pasta and cook according to the directions.
Drain quickly and add pasta to the big bowl of tomato-garlic confit.
Add 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese and toss to combine. Plate the pasta and divide remaining Parm on each serving, top with fresh chopped basil, a sprinkle of Maldon salt and enjoy.
Refrigerate any leftovers.

Bok Choy with Brown Sauce and Crispy Garlic

May 10, 2021 by hwhunter Leave a Comment

Ever since nailing our first Chinese dish at home last year–thank you pork and asparagus stir-fry–our cravings for homemade Asian dishes have not waned. In fact, with our collective boost in confidence that we can make successful Asian recipes, our interest has swooned.

Perhaps this is why the bok choy with brown sauce and crispy garlic recipe in this month’s Bon Appetit caught both David’s and my attention. And while I was strolling through the Santa Fe Farmers Market last Saturday, the bok choy from one of my fave farms, Ground Stone Farm, caught my attention and I was fully committed to attempting to make my second Chinese dish. With bok choy this gorgeous and fresh, how could it not turn out well?

Yes to Bok Choy with Brown Sauce and Crispy Garlic

It wasn’t until I read the recipe that I learned it was a bit more effort than a typical stir-fry. But, I trusted Bon Appetit and recipe developer Justin Lee, chef and owner of Fat Choy, a fast-food vegan Chinese restaurant in New York City with plenty of praise and fans. I followed the instructions–made the mushroom sauce, blended it, steamed and sauteed the bok choy and separated the crispy garlic for sprinkling on top. Simple.

What resulted was a dish that is stunning enough to serve as an entree, but solid enough to stand in partnership with any protein of your choice. The unctuous brown sauce is smooth from blending the cooked and softened shitake mushrooms with wine and tamari. I poured the brown mushroom gravy on the platter, topped it with gorgeous sauteed bok choy and sprinkled generously with crispy garlic, as instructed.

In less than thirty minutes, I felt victorious at delivering another sensational Asian dish that impressed us both. Since David isn’t a vegetarian, it wasn’t until he went for seconds that I knew his compliments were legit. But, seriously, the mushroom sauce will make anything taste good. Especially sauteed bok choy.

Buen provecho!

Bok Choy with Brown Sauce and Crispy Garlic

While this simple dish is strong enough to stand alone as a vegetarian meal, it can also be paired with a protein of your choice. The sauce is what makes this dish and the meatiness of the mushrooms is why it soars. The recipe makes plenty of sauce, so serve some on the side as well for spooning liberally over each plate.

Course entree, Side Dish

Cuisine Chinese

Keyword bok choy, mushrooms

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 18 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 4

Author The Cowgirl Gourmet in Santa Fe found this recipe in Bon Appetit's May 2021 issue

Ingredients

For the brown mushroom sauce

3 tablespoons grapeseed oil
8 oz shiitake mushrooms stemmed and thinly sliced
1/4 cup medium-dry sherry or Shaoxing wine (Chinese rice wine)
3 tablespoons tamari, which is gluten-free or soy sauce, if you aren't gluten-free
3/4 cup water
Kosher or sea salt to taste

For the bok choy

6 cloves garlic thinly sliced
3 tablespoons grapeseed oil
1 lb baby bok choy depending on their size, quartered or halved, lengthwise
2 tablespoons water
Kosher or sea salt to taste

Instructions

To make the brown mushroom sauce

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the oil. Once it's hot, add the sliced mushrooms and allow to cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring as needed. You'll want them to brown, if possible, though they will steam first.
Pour in wine, tamari and water and stir well. Reduce heat to a simmer, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms have softened, about 8-10 minutes.
Transfer mushrooms and liquid to a blender and puree. If needed, add more water by the tablespoon, until the sauce is smooth.
In a wok over high heat, add the oil and drop in the garlic so it sizzles. Stir frequently so the garlic doesn't burn, and cook until it's golden and crisp, about 3 minutes.
Remove crispy garlic and set aside.
Add the baby bok choy and the water to the hot wok, cover with a lid and cook 1 minute.
Uncover the wok, toss the bok choy and put the lid back on and cook 2 more minutes, or until tender, but not overcooked. Season with salt when cooked.
On a large platter, spoon a generous amount of the brown mushroom sauce and arrange bok choy over. Sprinkle with crispy garlic and serve immediately over rice and with or without protein.
Expect some leftover brown sauce, which can be refrigerated for up to 1 week.

Pasta alla Norma

September 2, 2020 by hwhunter Leave a Comment

As our summer of confinement–aka the summer that never was–comes to a close this weekend with the Labor Day holiday, I seek to find the good in these bizarre months. It hasn’t always been easy, but it’s been fruitful. And, like so many of you, I have been making lemonade with these lemons. Lots and lots of lemonade.

I have also made a few tomato-centric dishes with the abundant tomatoes gifted to me from a friend’s garden. Ripe and tasty, these were some of the better homegrown tomatoes I have ever had. Sadly, my own experience with growing tomatoes has not been so fortuitous. Typically, I harvest a maximum of two tomatoes–no matter how many plants I start with. This becomes some expensive tomatoes, so I have learned it’s easier, cheaper and more successful for me to buy tomatoes from my favorite farmers.

Unless a friend wants to share her prolifically impressive bounty with me.

Victory Gardens

One of the gifts of these last six months is the ease with which we are supporting one another. The ease with which we call and check-in and share herbs, leftovers, cookies, hikes, laughs, reality checks and ripe tomatoes from a victory garden.

Gardens are the salve to what ailed us this spring. Gardens need constant attention and tending. And we have had plenty of extra time to prep the beds and nurture the seeds. Gardening allows us to feel responsible for bringing something good to life and when we can’t have people over to celebrate the bounty, sharing the joy with friends who appreciate good ingredients feels right.

Gratefully, I had enough tomatoes to make three tantalizing dishes that highlighted the beauty of these summer jewels–and these are three delicious reasons we all should be growing our own food.

Many Tomatoes, Three Dishes

Initially, I was inspired to make Ina Garten’s summer garden pasta so the tomatoes could shine. And did they!

This recipe only required cooking the pasta. The tomatoes, garlic, basil and olive oil marinated for up to four hours and were served raw with the pasta. It didn’t take long for the intoxicating smell of garlic and oil to permeate the house.

This was an unexpected joy in this dish. It was insanely easy to make and absolutely something we will lean on again–the next time a friend generously bestows her overflow of tomatoes with me (hint, hint).

To spice up our Saturday night fish tacos, I roasted some of these garden-fresh tomatoes with half an onion and a jalapeno. Then I blended it with lime juice, a generous dose of salt and a handful of cilantro for a homemade salsa that made us start thinking about what else we could spoon the salsa over.

With still more homegrown tomatoes waiting their turn, I decided to combine those remaining with the two farmers market eggplants and make Pasta alla Norma. Even as an eggplant lover, I had never made this dish. Any time we have eggplant in the house, our minds go directly to eggplant parm or an Asian dish, so I was eager to try something new.

Pasta alla Norma is a classic Sicilian pasta dish that is hearty but also vegetarian and wholesome. It’s easy enough for a weekday meal, but impressive enough to pass for a weekend gathering. There is a heft to the dish, which will go a long way in pacifying the carnivores at the table. A handful of basil reminds you this dish is puro Italiano, while the grated ricotta salata adds a hint of salt and texture to make it irresistible.

This is an ideal dish to make for a group, as it can be prepared in advance and warmed up before serving. For a party, grill up some Italian sausages for those who eat and need to have meat, with a vegetable and salad and everyone will be happy with this impressive Sicilian spread. Start the feast with a spectacular charcuterie tray and this dessert and your guests may never leave.

Buen provecho!

Pasta alla Norma

When eggplants and tomatoes are bursting in the garden (or a friend's garden or the farmers market) let this dish help you use them both. Eggplants and tomatoes are soul sisters or brothers and bring rigatoni or penne pasta to life. Simple, satisfying and savory, this recipe will be in constant rotation in your summer repertoire.

Course entree, Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Keyword eggplant, pasta, tomatoes

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Servings 4

Author The Cowgirl Gourmet adapted this recipe from Leite's Culinaria

Ingredients

For the eggplant

1 lb eggplant diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/8 teaspoon kosher or sea salt

For the tomato sauce

2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic thinly sliced or diced
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes plus more for plating
1 lb homegrown tomatoes this is about 3 large tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
1/3 cup fresh basil chopped, plus more for garnish
1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley chopped
1 cup ricotta salata grated
Parmesan cheese grated, for garnish

For the pasta

1 lb rigatoni or penne pasta

Instructions

Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

To make the roasted eggplant

Using a vegetable peeler, peel some of the skin off the eggplant in stripes, so only half of the eggplant skin remains.
Cut eggplant into 1-inch dice, place in a big bowl and toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Mix well to combine and then place on baking sheet in the oven for about 20 minutes or until browned and very tender.

To make the pasta

Bring a big pot of salted water to a boil. Add your choice of pasta and cook, stirring frequently, according to the package.
When the pasta is almost cooked, remove 1 cup of pasta water from the pot and set aside, as you will use this to thin out the tomato sauce.
When the pasta is al dente, drain into a colander.

To make the tomato sauce

Meanwhile, warm a large skillet over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Toss in the garlic and crushed red pepper and stir a bit.
Add the chopped tomatoes and the juice, sprinkle with salt and cook until the tomatoes express their juice and the sauce thickens up a bit, about 15-20 minutes.
When the roasted eggplant is cooked, add it to the sauce, along with 1/2 cup of pasta water, and let it meld for 5 minutes. If the sauce tightens up and still needs thinning, add more pasta water and stir to combine.
Once the pasta has drained, add the pasta back into the pot and pour the tomato and eggplant sauce over the pasta.
Add the chopped basil and parsley and stir to combine. Add the grated ricotta salata, toss well and serve.
Once plated, sprinkle with crushed red pepper flakes, grated Parmesan cheese and a bit more chopped basil for garnish.
Refrigerate any leftovers for up to 5 days.

Grilled Corn Salad

August 2, 2020 by hwhunter Leave a Comment

Though it’s a quiet summer in Santa Fe, summer is peaking. The farmers’ tables overflow with an incredible array of colorful produce, which has reignited my appetite again. From juicy heirloom tomatoes to six varieties of melons to peaches and corn, now is the time to celebrate the bounty we wait all year for–before it disappears and we are forced to live on greens and root vegetables.

What I love about summer produce is that it merely requires slicing and dicing, maybe a little salt and almost zero cooking. There’s enough heat outside that we don’t want to turn on the stove or cooktop. Thankfully, my husband is a grill man and he can grill anything like a master. He has a simple trick to grilling corn that makes it even sweeter than you can imagine.

Sweet and Succulent Summer Corn Salad

David gently removes the silks of the corn and leaves the husk so a jacket remains. This steams the tender corn and then he chars it a bit to make the kernels even sweeter.

To transform this perfectly grilled and charred corn into an idyllic summer meal, all you need to do is dice a few brightly-colored heirloom tomatoes–go with yellow, orange, red and purple for a punch of color. Grab handfuls of fresh herbs from the garden–basil, parsley and mint, and thickly slice a nice block of feta so you can control the sizes of the chunks that drop onto the grilled corn. Bite-sized pieces of tomato and herbs are lightly dressed with a drizzle of olive oil, the juice of half a lemon and salt and pepper. Sweet corn and savory tomatoes pop with the herbs and the feta adds a delightfully salty note.

Add Protein for a Change

Because we served this salad as a light entree, we grilled shrimp alongside the corn which gave it another layer of summer and added a bit more heft so it felt like a meal. But you can add grilled chicken, beef or lamb would also be a good option and give it a Mediterranean spin.

Don’t feel obligated to have this salad as a meal, but know it will shine as a summery side everyone wants more of. Corn, tomatoes, herbs and feta, it’s a sensational celebration of summer in a bowl.

Buen provecho!

Grilled Corn Salad

Everything you love about summer is in this salad and it's so easy to make, this salad will likely be made several more times while corn and tomato season are here. The herbs from your garden take this side over the top and the feta makes it a bit more hearty than a salad. Add protein and make it a meal. Serve over a few handfuls of spicy arugula and you have amped up your daily veggie consumption even more.

Course entree, Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword corn, feta, herbs, tomatoes

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Servings 4

Author The Cowgirl Gourmet in Santa Fe adapted this recipe from Serious Eats

Ingredients

4 ears corn remove the silk, but leave the husk intact
4 heirloom tomatoes (about 2 lbs.) choose multiple colors for an even more beautiful salad
3/4 cup summer herbs parsley, mint and basil
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 lemon juiced
Sea or kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
8 oz block of feta this allows you to control the size of the feta chunks and create big chunks and crumbles
Grilled protein of choice, optional shrimp, chicken, beef or lamb

Instructions

Get your grill started and, once it's ready, grill the corn and, if you are adding protein, grill it now as well. When the corn is charred, remove it and let it cool for about 5-10 minutes, so you can handle it. When it's cool to the touch, remove the husks.
In a big bowl, working one at a time, cut the corn off the cob. Hold the corn vertically inside the bowl and use a sharp knife to remove the kernels. (Now save the cobs and add them to your bag of veggie scraps in the freezer which you can then use to make a fantastic vegetable broth.)
Dice the heirloom tomatoes into bite-sized pieces and add them to the corn.
Chop the herbs and sprinkle them over the corn and tomatoes.
In a small bowl, whisk the olive oil and lemon together. Add salt and pepper and stir to dissolve the salt and blend well. Pour over the corn, tomatoes and herbs and toss to coat. Taste and adjust seasonings, if needed.
Place the chunks of feta over the top and add the protein, if using.
Serve and enjoy.

Nancy’s Chopped Salad

July 8, 2020 by hwhunter Leave a Comment

As we prepare to roll out of the fourth month of cooking at home and into our fifth month, my culinary creativity is tenuous at best. A few weeks ago, when we were already exhausted from cooking and meal planning, we survived on two weeks of sandwiches tossed with a few tuna salad plates. Now, with a new wave of coronavirus surging across the country, luckily, the prolific offerings of summer are here to help us out. And just in time.

Juicy watermelon, gorgeous and plentiful lettuce, zucchini, squash, spring onions, cucumbers and ripe heirloom tomatoes are in full swing at the Santa Fe Farmers Market–and hopefully at your farmers market as well. The summer bounty inspires so many potential meal ideas and many that don’t even require cooking, per se.

Salad Season

While I do love cooking, I love eating more which is why salads are my thing in the heat of the summer. In fact, every time I turn on the oven when it’s already hot outside, I cringe and it better be for a good reason–like this or this. That’s one of the reasons why I want salad as a meal. But most salads aren’t hearty enough to stand alone.

This is not one of those. This salad is a full-on meal and one that you won’t soon forget. Think antipasto plate bumps into an Italian salad. It’s big and bold and beautiful.

Salad as a Meal

The best part is its versatility. It can be made as-is or without the salami and cheese so vegans will love it just as much as omnivores, gluten-free and paleo types. Romaine hearts or iceberg? Your choice. Nancy Silverton’s original recipe from The Mozza Cookbook calls for iceberg, as does Deb Perlman’s version on smittenkitchen.com, but I choose Romaine hearts.

Two strong lettuces–romaine heart and radicchio–are combined with a colorful variation of substantive chickpeas, paper-thin slices of red onion, sliced and pickled pepperoncini peppers and juicy cherry tomatoes. An oregano and garlic-laden vinaigrette bring it all together while ribbons of provolone and salami turn this salad into a healthy summer meal you’ll want to enjoy long into the fall.

If you are leaving off the salami and cheese, add roasted red pepper strips and olives for a few more layers of flavor and drops of color. They say we eat with our eyes and this salad will bring everyone to the table.

Buen provecho!

Nancy's Chopped Salad

As much as I love salads, what I really want during the hot summer months is a salad that eats like a meal. And one that everyone loves--even the meat-eaters and vegans. This is the one. Trust me.

Course entree, Main Course, Salad

Cuisine Italian

Keyword mozza restaurant, nancy silverton, salad

Prep Time 15 minutes

Total Time 11 minutes

Servings 4

Author The Cowgirl Gourmet in Santa Fe adapted this recipe from smittenkitchen.com

Ingredients

For the oregano-garlic vinaigrette

4 cloves garlic
1 1/2 tablespoons dried oregano Sicilian variety is the best, if you can find it
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons kosher or sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice this is about 1 lemon
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

For the salad

1 can chickpeas drained
1 small red onion paper thin slices
1/2 lb provolone get a chunk and then cut it into 1/4" ribbons
1/2 lb salami get a chunk and then cut it in 1/4" ribbons
6 pepperoncini peppers sliced and stems removed
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes
2 heads Romaine heart or iceberg lettuce
1 head radicchio halved, cored and cut into 1/4" ribbons
1/4 cup roasted red pepper optional
1/4 cup black and green olives optional

Instructions

Roughly chop the garlic and then add the oregano, red pepper flakes, salt and up to 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper. Using a pestle, grind the mixture together to make a grainy herb paste. Add the lemon juice and red wine vinegar and, using a fork, stir well to combine so the salt dissolves. Then, using the fork, whisk in the oil until it's emulsified. The dressing should be thick with garlic and oregano.
In a large salad bowl, add the chickpeas, red onion, provolone, salami and pepperoncini (including seeds and juice). If using roasted red peppers and olives, add them also.
Gently add the lettuces and tomatoes to the salad bowl and dress with half the vinaigrette. Toss to combine, taste and add more vinaigrette, if needed, and adjust seasonings, if needed.
Serve immediately. Reserve any leftover vinaigrette in the refrigerator.

Tuna Machaca

April 2, 2020 by hwhunter Leave a Comment

Living in Zihuatanejo, Mexico, gave us access to the freshest seafood, which is one of the reasons we are seafood snobs. The ocean was the centerpiece of our restaurant and every room in the mansion on the hill had stunning views of Zihuatanejo Bay and the Pacific Ocean.

Our resort restaurant, La Cala, was known for serving exquisite food, especially seafood. However, the Black Angus steaks we shipped in twice a week from Houston had people clamoring for high-quality beef in a country that wasn’t known for it. But back to the seafood. Robalo was the preferred fish in the winter, percebes revered during the Christmas holidays and, luckily, we had a constant supply of mahi-mahi and tuna all year long.

Fresh Fish Delivered to Our Doorstep

A few times each week, assorted fishermen would dock at our marina and summon us out to their panga filled with some of their best friends or family members and all kinds of freshly caught seafood that was maybe a few hours old. David and our chef, Sabino, would generally take most of what they caught. And they would always cherry-pick the smaller tunas for some of our top-selling tuna dishes in the restaurant.

We were almost famous for our tuna carpaccio which at least one person at every table ordered. Razor-thin slices of lightly frozen raw tuna, so it would cut easily, topped with twig-like slices of onions, doused with high-quality olive oil and lime juice and sprinkled with salt, pepper and briny capers. It was a plate of heaven that I can taste. The menu also featured a chunk of grilled tuna with a side of pasta and marinara sauce. Hearty, but not heavy, this was another dish we could never remove from the menu or havoc would ensue.

What to Make with Fresh Tuna

When I glimpsed at beautiful, bright red hunks of tuna at Whole Foods the other day, tuna machaca flashed in my mind like a neon light. It’s a recipe from Chuck Hughes when he had a show on the Food Network. This Baja California recipe takes the best of tuna and makes it even better with a few additional ingredients.

All you need is a poblano, white onion, a few garlic cloves, tomatoes and dried or fresh oregano to make tuna machaca come to life in your kitchen. If you have a grill, that is preferred, but we used a wok and it was almost as good as the smoky, grilled version. David cut the tuna in chunks while I thinly sliced the poblano and onions and, within 10 minutes, we were savoring one of our favorite meals, tacos.

We always serve tuna machaca on corn tortillas and with a salsa of sorts but concurred it would be equally good over a bed of Mexican or white rice. With so much time on our hands these days and having to cook at home, let this 10-minute meal be the one that happily brings everyone to the table. Because whether it’s Thursday or Saturday, tacos are a symbol of love and that’s what we all need more of these days.

Buen provecho!

Tuna Machaca

Being tuna and taco lovers, we gleefully found this recipe on Chuck Hughes's cooking show in about 2010. It's something we have been making for 10 years and I am finally sharing it with you. Really fresh tuna is seared with poblano, onion, garlic and tomatoes which come together to make a divine sauce. Serve on corn tortillas with your favorite salsa.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Mexican

Keyword tacos, tuna

Prep Time 3 minutes

Cook Time 7 minutes

Total Time 10 minutes

Servings 4

Author The Cowgirl Gourmet in Santa Fe thanks Chuck Hughes and Emiliano for this incredible recipe which has been modified

Ingredients

2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
2 cloves garlic minced
1 white onion thinly sliced into half-moons
1 poblano sliced into thin strips
1 1/2 lbs fresh tuna cut into small chunks
1 medium ripe tomato (or 6-8 small cherry tomatoes, cut in half) cut into chunks
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
kosher or sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
limes when serving the tacos
salsa we like salsa verde but you can use whatever salsa you prefer or have on hand
corn tortillas heat the tortillas over a low flame on your gas cooktop or place in a skillet

Instructions

Heat the grill or a wok or non-stick pan. If using the grill, put your vegetables in a grill pan with holes so the vegetables can cook through. If using a wok or a non-stick pan, add the oil and let it get hot.
Once it's hot, add the onions and poblanos and let them cook for 3-4 minutes, until they soften. If using a grill, this will take longer.
Once the vegetables are softened, add the chunks of tuna and let them sear. Do not move the tuna for 2 minutes. Then stir and let it sear again.
Once the tuna is seared on all sides, add the tomatoes and oregano and stir well to combine.
Season with salt and pepper.
Serve with lightly charred corn tortillas, a squeeze of lime, salsa verde or salsa of your choice and celebrate the joy of tacos.

Recipe Notes

This recipe can easily be halved or even doubled for a big group.

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