Roasted Brocollini with Leeks and Cranberries

Greetings from a lovely little studio apartment on west 14^th street in lower Manhattan. This week’s home away from home.

I’m eight days into sixteen days on the road. SIXTEEN DAYS. WHO AM I?

Let me stop you before you go on your internal rant on how lucky I am to travel for work. How can I be complaining while I’m seeing the country on someone else’s dime?

I am VERY lucky. I’m also very tired. Work travel is fun and exciting and stimulating. But its can also be lonely. There is a reason I do not live alone people!

It’s not all bad though. I get to see good friends and family and eat tasty food and pseudo live in places like New York and Colorado.

But in in the down moments, my mind always wanders to what Lish and her daughter Brielle are doing on this pretty California Saturday. Or to my spot on Wesley’s couch watching football between him and Junior. Or what Mom and Dad will have for Sunday dinner with out me. And now I’m tearing.

In these moments when I’m missing my life back home, I focus my thoughts back to what is really important after I get home.

ALL THE FOOD.

Of course the people are more important than the food, but the food is pretty damn important.

Thanksgiving this year will be at my aunt and uncle’s new San Clemente abode (they recently moved down south from northern California) and I’ve already gotten this dish approved to bring.

This is an easy twist on a festive Turkey Day side dish to take to a Thanksgiving dinner where you may not be able to do much in the kitchen. If you are making it at home it is perfect to pop in while the turkey is resting.

You will need…

1 lb broccolini, chopped into bite (you could sub broccoli if you can't find broccolini)

1 leek, white and light green parts julienned

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 tablespoons olive oil

½ cup dried cranberries

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by preheating your oven to 400 degrees F.

In a large bowl, toss together the broccolini, leek, garlic, cranberries and olive oil.

Toss till everything is lightly coated with olive oil.

Spread the veggies out on a rimmed baking sheet and season well with salt and pepper.

Roast in the oven till the leeks are starting to brown. About 10 to 20 minutes, stirring once.

Remove from the oven and serve hot.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela

Roasted Brocollini with Leeks and Cranberries

1 lb broccolini, chopped into bite sized pieces (you could sub broccoli if you can't find broccolini)

1 leek, white and light green parts julienned

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 tablespoons olive oil

½ cup dried cranberries

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by preheating your oven to 400 degrees F.

In a large bowl, toss together the broccolini, leek, garlic, cranberries and olive oil.

Toss till everything is lightly coated with olive oil.

Spread the veggies out on a rimmed baking sheet and season well with salt and pepper.

Roast in the oven till the leeks are starting to brown. About 10 to 20 minutes, stirring once.

Remove from the oven and serve hot. 

Roasted Asparagus Soup with Crispy Prosciutto

I’ve let you down my friends. Where was I this week when I could have been blowing up your news feed and inboxes with an influx of Thanksgiving recipes?

The last week has been spent in the kitchen working on some great dishes and some serious quality time with family.

This year, I was not in charge of the Thanksgiving meal so I decided to really embrace my Wednesday and Thursday outside of the kitchen.

That doesn’t mean I didn’t spend Tuesday in the kitchen and that I won’t be cooking for hours after yoga today.

You better believe that there will be more amazingly tasty dishes being born today. Just like this one.

You will need…

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 lb asparagus, rough ends trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces

1 medium onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons rice

4 cups chicken stock

1 teaspoon nutmeg

4 slices prosciutto

½ lemon, juiced

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by preheating the oven to 400 degrees F.

Toss together the asparagus, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and salt and pepper.

Lay the asparagus out on a rimmed baking sheet and roast them for 20 to 30 minutes. Just until they are browning.

In a large pot, heat the remaining olive oil and add in the onions.

Cook until the onions have softened, about 7 minutes.

Add in the asparagus, nutmeg and the garlic and cook until the garlic is fragrant. About 1 minute.

Pour in the rice and chicken stock and season well with salt and pepper.

Bring the liquid to a boil and simmer the soup until the rice has cooked. About 20 to 30 minutes.

While the soup is simmering, spread out the prosciutto on an aluminum foil lined baking sheet and bake in the oven until crispy. About 7 to 10 minutes.

When the rice has booked, remove the soup from the heat and squeeze in the lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper and blend the soup in batches in a food processor or blender or use an emersion blender.

Serve hot with crispy proscuitto on top.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela

Roasted Asparagus Soup with Crispy Prosciutto

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 lb asparagus, rough ends trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces

1 medium onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons rice

4 cups chicken stock

1 teaspoon nutmeg

4 slices proscuitto

½ lemon, juiced

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by preheating the oven to 400 degrees F.

Toss together the asparagus, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and salt and pepper.

Lay the asparagus out on a rimmed baking sheet and roast them for 20 to 30 minutes. Just until they are browning.

In a large pot, heat the remaining olive oil and add in the onions.

Cook until the onions have softened, about 7 minutes.

Add in the asparagus, nutmeg and the garlic and cook until the garlic is fragrant. About 1 minute.

Pour in the rice and chicken stock and season well with salt and pepper.

Bring the liquid to a boil and simmer the soup until the rice has cooked. About 20 to 30 minutes.

While the soup is simmering, spread out the prosciutto on an aluminum foil lined baking sheet and bake in the oven until crispy. About 7 to 10 minutes.

When the rice has booked, remove the soup from the heat and squeeze in the lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper and blend the soup in batches in a food processor or blender or use an emersion blender.

Serve hot with crispy prosciutto on top. 

Roasted Brussels Sprouts Almondine

Due to too much travel and genuine exhaustion, I am pretty much skipping Halloween this year. If the fact that I am not dressing up for Halloween isn’t a clear indicator that I’m overworked, I’m not sure what is.

I love dressing up, but I’m dreading the fact that we are supposed to dress up at work tomorrow. The thought of wearing my Lulu Lemon gear and going as a yoga instructor has crossed my mind more than once.

Fingers crossed something brilliant comes to me in the morning. If not I’m going to not brush my hair, wear my pajamas and go as bed head.

But no matter how tired I am, I still want to eat well. So I’m queuing up a flavor packed dish.

You will need…

2 tablespoon butter

1 lb Brussels sprouts, halved and thinly sliced into lettuce like pieces

3 ounces proscuitto, diced

3 garlic cloves

1 small red onions

1 cup sliced crimini mushrooms

½ cup sliced almonds

1 teaspoon fresh oregano, finely chopped

½ cup shaved Parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by preheating your oven to 400 degrees F.

In a large bowl, toss together the Brussels sprouts and olive oil. Season well with salt and pepper.

Spread out the sprouts on a large rimmed baking sheet and roast them until golden brown. About 20 to 30 minutes. Stir about halfway through.

While the sprouts are roasting, heat a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the proscuitto to the pan and cook it until it starts to crisp up. Add in the mushrooms and onions and cook until they are soft. About 5 minutes.

Toss in the almonds, oregano and season with salt and pepper.

When the sprouts are golden brown, toss them in with the almond mixture, top with cheese and serve hot.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela  

Roasted Brussels Sprouts Almondine

2 tablespoon butter

1 lb Brussels sprouts, halved and thinly sliced into lettuce like pieces

3 ounces proscuitto, diced

3 garlic cloves

1 small red onions

1 cup sliced crimini mushrooms

½ cup sliced almonds

1 teaspoon fresh oregano, finely chopped

½ cup shaved Parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by preheating your oven to 400 degrees F.

In a large bowl, toss together the Brussels sprouts and olive oil. Season well with salt and pepper.

Spread out the sprouts on a large rimmed baking sheet and roast them until golden brown. About 20 to 30 minutes. Stir about halfway through.

While the sprouts are roasting, heat a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the proscuitto to the pan and cook it until it starts to crisp up. Add in the mushrooms and onions and cook until they are soft. About 5 minutes.

Toss in the almonds, oregano and season with salt and pepper.

When the sprouts are golden brown, toss them in with the almond mixture, top with cheese and serve hot. 

Garlic and Jalapeno Carnitas Tacos

It has been touched on before in the blog. These webpages have been scrawled with tales of the days of ole when I was a super picky eater.

Seriously, Diet Coke, Caesar salad and cheesecake were my three food groups.

I’ve always loved Mexican food, but until I was in high school I would eat nothing but crispy shredded beef tacos. Not chicken. Not ground beef. Not soft. Crispy. Beef. Tacos.

And there is still a beautiful place in my heart for my old favorite.

But these days, I find myself craving pork carnitas more and more.

I finally decided it was time to get in the kitchen and try my hand at this tasty shredded pork treat.

Mexican places are great, but they ain’t got nothing on my carnitas.

You will need…

3 ½ pounds boneless pork shoulder (pork butt)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 tablespoon ancho chile powder

20 unpeeled garlic cloves

3 jalapenos, seeded and diced

½ cup chicken stock

½ cup fresh orange juice

Salt and pepper to taste

8 tortillas, warmed on the stove or grill

1 cup pineapple, diced

Your choice of toppings (shredded jack cheese, diced tomato, diced onion, cilantro, avocado)

Start by preheating the oven to 325 degrees.

In a roasting pan, rub the pork down with the oil and chile powder. 

Season with salt and pepper and fill the bottom of the roasting pan with the chicken stock and roast for 1 hour.

After the hour, scatter the pork with the garlic and jalapeno and bake for another 2 hours. Rotating once.

Up the oven to 375 degrees F.

Chop the pork into large chunks and then use 2 forks to pull apart the pork.

Add the shredded pork back into the roasting pan. Remove the peals from the garlic and add it back to the pan.

Roast for another 30 minutes until well browned and crisp.

Stir the pork and continue to roast for a final 30 minutes.

Pour the drippings from the pork to a medium saucepan and add in the orange juice.

Bring the juices to a simmer over medium heat until slightly reduced. About 4 minutes.

Drizzle over the pork and serve with pineapple, & your favorite toppings on a warmed tortilla.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela

Garlic and Jalapeno Carnitas Tacos

3 ½ pounds boneless pork shoulder (pork butt)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 tablespoon ancho chile powder

20 unpeeled garlic cloves

3 jalapenos, seeded and diced

½ cup chicken stock

½ cup fresh orange juice

Salt and pepper to taste

8 tortillas, warmed on the stove or grill

1 cup pineapple, diced

Your choice of toppings (shredded jack cheese, diced tomato, diced onion, cilantro, avocado)

Start by preheating the oven to 325 degrees.

In a roasting pan, rub the pork down with the oil and chile powder.

Season with salt and pepper and fill the bottom of the roasting pan with the chicken stock and roast for 1 hour.

After the hour, scatter the pork with the garlic and jalapeno and bake for another 2 hours. Rotating once.

Up the oven to 375 degrees F.

Chop the pork into large chunks and then use 2 forks to pull apart the pork.

Add the shredded pork back into the roasting pan. Remove the peals from the garlic and add it back to the pan.

Roast for another 30 minutes until well browned and crisp.

Stir the pork and continue to roast for a final 30 minutes.

Pour the drippings from the pork to a medium saucepan and add in the orange juice.

Bring the juices to a simmer over medium heat until slightly reduced. About 4 minutes.

Drizzle over the pork and serve with pineapple, & your favorite toppings on a warmed tortilla. 

Roasted Carrot Soup

In my world, food never really has a set time or place. It’s all about what I’m feeling.

If that happens to be ice cream when it’s freezing in January, so bet. When I’m craving breakfast for dinner, I’m going for it. And I’ll be damned if someone tries to tell me I can’t eat soup in July.

I love soup, and I’m not afraid to show it. When I want to make something I know will be tasty and satisfying, I always to go with soup. Even if it is 85 degrees F in sunny southern California. That’s why we have air conditioning!

You will need…

2 pounds carrots, peeled and cut into chunks

1 onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, peeled

2 tablespoons olive oil

6 cups chicken broth

¼ cup chopped basil, plus 2 tablespoons for garnish

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by preheating your oven to 375 degrees F.

Spread the carrots, onions and garlic to a large baking sheet and toss them with the olive oil. Season well with salt and pepper.

Roast the carrots and company for 45 minutes, until tender.

Combine the roasted veggies and the chicken broth and bring to a boil.

When the soup boils, reduce and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.

Season with salt and pepper and add in the basil.

Cook for an additional 1 minute.

Working in batches in a blender or with an emersion blender, work to puree the soup until smooth.

Top with fresh basil and serve hot.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela 

Roasted Carrot Soup

2 pounds carrots, peeled and cut into chunks

1 onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, peeled

2 tablespoons olive oil

6 cups chicken broth

¼ cup chopped basil, plus 2 tablespoons for garnish

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by preheating your oven to 375 degrees F.

Spread the carrots, onions and garlic to a large baking sheet and toss them with the olive oil. Season well with salt and pepper.

Roast the carrots and company for 45 minutes, until tender.

Combine the roasted veggies and the chicken broth and bring to a boil.

When the soup boils, reduce and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.

Season with salt and pepper and add in the basil.

Cook for an additional 1 minute.

Working in batches in a blender or with an emersion blender, work to puree the soup until smooth.

Top with fresh basil and serve hot.