Four Years Young and Roasted Leek and Potato Salad

Since I was away on my birthday this year, I had some of my friends over for a little get together at Wes’s place a week or so before we headed East.

The older I get, the less I feel the need to celebrate my own birthdays. So I was really trying to get attendees to think of the party as more of a welcome spring type get together and less of an Angela is getting one year older party.

But my wonderful friends pretty much ignored me and managed to make me feel really special for my birthday (I really am the luckiest lady).

My personal favorite new addition is this New Food Tuesday pillow from Lish. It was just in time for NFT’s fourth birthday!

We celebrated this little blogger milestone the best way we know how. Cooking and eating with friends and loved ones.

This is a quirky little salad fitting of a celebration. It is equal parts hearty and refreshing. And is an unexpected crowed pleaser.

You will need…

3 leeks, white and light green parts halved lengthwise

1 lb baby yucon gold potatoes, halved

2 hardboiled eggs, thinly sliced

4 cups mixed greens

¼ cup olive oil plus 2 tablespoons

1 tablespoon whole grain mustard

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by preheating your oven to 425 degrees F.

Drizzle the leeks and potatoes with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and season well with salt and pepper.

Lay the leeks and potatoes flat side down until the leeks are starting to brown and are tender. About 20 minutes.

Remove the leeks from the oven and set them aside to cool so you can handle. 

Continue cooking the potatoes until they are golden brown. About 10 to 20 more minutes.

In a mason jar or bowl, whisk together the remaining olive oil, mustard, vinegar and season well with salt and pepper.

Drizzle the dressing over the mixed greens and lay them out on a platter.

Chop up the leeks into bite sized pieces and top the greens with leeks, potatoes and egg.

Serve warm or chilled.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela  

Roasted Leek and Potato Salad

3 leeks, white and light green parts halved lengthwise

1 lb baby yucon gold potatoes, halved

2 hardboiled eggs, thinly sliced

4 cups mixed greens

¼ cup olive oil plus 2 tablespoons

1 tablespoon whole grain mustard

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by preheating your oven to 425 degrees F.

Drizzle the leeks and potatoes with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and season well with salt and pepper.

Lay the leeks and potatoes flat side down until the leeks are starting to brown and are tender. About 20 minutes.

Remove the leeks from the oven and set them aside to cool so you can handle. Continue cooking the potatoes until they are golden brown. About 10 to 20 more minutes.

In a mason jar or bowl, whisk together the remaining olive oil, mustard, vinegar and season well with salt and pepper.

Drizzle the dressing over the mixed greens and lay them out on a platter.

Chop up the leeks into bite sized pieces and top the greens with leeks, potatoes and egg.

Serve warm or chilled.

Crispy Potato and Radish Halibut with Pomegranate and Roasted Carrot Salad

Happy Friday Foodies!

Friday. The word is so sweet! And it is made even sweeter this week with only two Friday’s before the Christmas holiday.

It has taken me a while, but I’m finally starting to feel a bit in the holiday spirit. With commercials on like this one, it is hard not too.

Now that I’m feeling the holiday inspiration, it’s carrying through to my cooking.

Mix up your holiday dinner party with this festive and tasty dish.

You will need…

4 halibut filets, about 6 oz each

1 large russet potato, peeled and grated

4 radishes, grated

1 bunch of carrots, ends trimmed and chopped into 1 inch pieces (I used heirloom carrots)

1 cup pomegranate seeds

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

5 tablespoons olive oil, divided

4 tablespoon brown sugar, divided

6 cups arugula

1 cup flour

1 egg

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by preheating your oven to 400 degrees F.

In a bowl, toss together the vinegar, 3 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons brown sugar and carrots. Season well with salt and pepper and lay the carrots out on a rimmed baking sheet.

Roast the carrots until they are tender. About 30 to 40 minutes.

While the carrots are roasting, combine the potato, radish and remaining brown sugar in a bowl and season the mixture well with salt and pepper.

Whisk the egg and pour it onto a plate. Lay out the flour on a second plate and season the flour with salt and pepper.

Pat down the fish well with a paper towel and season well with salt and pepper on both sides.

Dip one side of the fish in the flour and then in the egg wash. Top the egg wash with the potato mixture in a thin layer. Repeat until all the fish have little potato tops.

Heat the remaining olive oil over medium high heat in a skillet until it is hot. Sear the fish non potato side down first. Sear it just until it is browned and easy to flip. About 2 minutes. (Yes I realize the photo shows the opposite of my description. Cooking the potato side down first like I foolishly did will not yield as crispy a potato top as doing it the correct way will.)

Flip the fish and continue to cook until the potatoes are golden brown and the fish is cooked through. About 3 to 4 minutes.

Toss together the roasted carrots, arugula and pomegranates and divide it all among four plates.

Top each plate of arugula with a piece of fish and serve hot.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela 

Crispy Potato and Radish Halibut with Pomegranate and Roasted Carrot Salad

4 halibut filets, about 6 oz each

1 large russet potato, peeled and grated

4 radishes, grated

1 bunch of carrots, ends trimmed and chopped into 1 inch pieces (I used heirloom carrots)

1 cup pomegranate seeds

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

5 tablespoons olive oil, divided

4 tablespoon brown sugar, divided

6 cups arugula

1 cup flour

1 egg

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by preheating your oven to 400 degrees F.

In a bowl, toss together the vinegar, 3 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons brown sugar and carrots. Season well with salt and pepper and lay the carrots out on a rimmed baking sheet.

Roast the carrots until they are tender. About 30 to 40 minutes.

While the carrots are roasting, combine the potato, radish and remaining brown sugar in a bowl and season the mixture well with salt and pepper.

Whisk the egg and pour it onto a plate. Lay out the flour on a second plate and season the flour with salt and pepper.

Pat down the fish well with a paper towel and season well with salt and pepper on both sides.

Dip one side of the fish in the flour and then in the egg wash. Top the egg wash with the potato mixture in a thin layer. Repeat until all the fish have little potato tops.

Heat the remaining olive oil over medium high heat in a skillet until it is hot. Sear the fish non potato side down first. Sear it just until it is browned and easy to flip. About 2 minutes.

Flip the fish and continue to cook until the potatoes are golden brown and the fish is cooked through. About 3 to 4 minutes.

Toss together the roasted carrots, arugula and pomegranates and divide it all among four plates.

Top each plate of arugula with a piece of fish and serve hot. 

Roasted Beet and Garlic Pasta

Let’s have a moment of honesty. Even though I make pasta regularly now, and think I’m pretty talented with these tasty carbs, I was really bad at it when I first started.

I would venture to say that the first ten times I attempted pasta in one form or another, it was pretty bad. Not even ok. Bad.

So when I decided to challenge my pasta talents, I was a little nervous. There were so many variables I couldn’t seem to master on the first attempts that I was worried it would be like starting over.

The whole family was home when I made my first attempt at beet pasta, and the whole day I kept warning them that it might not work out. I even had a back up package of dried pasta just in case.

But this was an amazingly easy adjustment and the pasta was even better than we had all hoped for.

You will need…

3 large red beets, peeled and chopped

5 garlic cloves

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

4 cups all purpose flour plus extra for rolling the dough

4 large eggs

½ cup hot water

Start by preheating your oven to 400 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, toss together 2 tablespoons olive oil, the salt, pepper, garlic and beets. Toss until the beets are all lightly coated with oil.

Spread the beets out on a rimmed baking sheet and roast in the oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Until the beets are slightly crisped on the outside.

Set the beets aside to cool.

When the beets have cooled, place them in the bowl of a food processor and blend until smooth. 

Blend in 1 tablespoon olive oil with the beets.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour and about 1 cup of the pureed beets. Using your dough hook, blend together the beets and flour. While the mixer is running, add in the eggs one at a time.

Slowly add in the hot water. Just a little at a time. Until the dough is completely combined but not dry. About 7 minutes.

Lay out some plastic wrap and lightly brush it with the remaining olive oil.

Wrap up your dough in the plastic wrap and set aside for 30 minutes.

After the pasta dough has rested. Roll out to your desired thinness for your desired use.

Cook for 2 minutes in salted boiling water and serve hot.  

Love and Beer Floats

Angela

Roasted Beet and Garlic Pasta 

3 large red beets, peeled and chopped

5 garlic cloves

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

4 cups all purpose flour plus extra for rolling the dough

4 large eggs

½ cup hot water

Start by preheating your oven to 400 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, toss together 2 tablespoons olive oil, the salt, pepper, garlic and beets. Toss until the beets are all lightly coated with oil.

Spread the beets out on a rimmed baking sheet and roast in the oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Until the beets are slightly crisped on the outside.

Set the beets aside to cool.

When the beets have cooled, place them in the bowl of a food processor and blend until smooth. Blend in 1 tablespoon olive oil with the beets.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour and about 1 cup of the pureed beets. Using your dough hook, blend together the beets and flour. While the mixer is running, add in the eggs one at a time.

Slowly add in the hot water. Just a little at a time. Until the dough is completely combined but not dry. About 7 minutes.

Lay out some plastic wrap and lightly brush it with the remaining olive oil.

Wrap up your dough in the plastic wrap and set aside for 30 minutes.

After the pasta dough has rested. Roll out to your desired thinness for your desired use.

Cook for 2 minutes in salted boiling water and serve hot.  

Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

It’s been six months now since I left my job of ten years to embark on a new path.

Not only has it been a totally crazy blur, it has been an amazing ride. I’ve learned so much at my new job both about my industry and about my life. Travel has become a major part of my work life and for that reason, I haven’t been able to get wild and crazy in the kitchen lately.

Since my brother gave it to me for Christmas, I have been DYING to play around with my ice cream maker attachment for my stand mixer. I’ve contemplated all the crazy combinations I would make like raspberry with chocolate chips and vanilla wafer crumbles or pistachio with bacon.

But alas, when it came time that I had time, I realized I need to crawl before I could walk. It became clear that I needed to tackle something that was pretty simple before I went and got crazy with expensive ingredients and silly techniques.

And while I can’t wait to get crazy with frozen treats, I highly recommend trying this home made vanilla classic. Everything is better homemade!

You will need…

3 cups half-and-half

½ cup sugar, heaping (not leveled off the top)

8 egg yolks

1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise

Start by scraping the seeds out of the vanilla beans and adding the seeds and the pods to a medium saucepan.

Add the half-and-half and sugar to the saucepan with the vanilla. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and stir until the sugar is dissolved. When the sugar has dissolved, cover with a lit and let steep off the eat for 30 minutes.

In a large stainless-steel bowl, whisk the egg yolks. Very gradually, whisk in ½ cup of the hot cream.

Once the ½ cup is incorporated, slowly whisk in the rest of the cream.

Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the custard chickens. About 10 minutes. The custard should be thick enough that it coats the back of a spoon.

Strain the custard into a large stainless-steel bowl that is set in an ice bath and discard the vanilla beans.

Stir occasionally until the custard is thoroughly chilled. Pour the custard into an ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Churn until the ice cream is set but not hard. It should be the consistency of soft serve.

Pour into an airtight container and freeze for 2 to 3 hours.

Serve solo or with your favorite apple pie.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela  

Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

3 cups half-and-half

½ cup sugar, heaping (not leveled off the top)

8 egg yolks

1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise

Start by scraping the seeds out of the vanilla beans and adding the seeds and the pods to a medium saucepan.

Add the half-and-half and sugar to the saucepan with the vanilla. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and stir until the sugar is dissolved. When the sugar has dissolved, cover with a lit and let steep off the eat for 30 minutes.

In a large stainless-steel bowl, whisk the egg yolks. Very gradually, whisk in ½ cup of the hot cream.

Once the ½ cup is incorporated, slowly whisk in the rest of the cream.

Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the custard chickens. About 10 minutes. The custard should be thick enough that it coats the back of a spoon.

Strain the custard into a large stainless-steel bowl that is set in an ice bath and discard the vanilla beans.

Stir occasionally until the custard is thoroughly chilled. Pour the custard into an ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Churn until the ice cream is set but not hard. It should be the consistency of soft serve.

Pour into an airtight container and freeze for 2 to 3 hours.

Serve solo or with your favorite apple pie. 

Bacon, Spring Greens and Manchego Frittata

You guys, I’m really excited.

Sure, I have a lot to be excited about. My good friends are getting married this weekend. Josh, my youngest brother is graduating from UCLA on Thursday. But the thing that I am most excited about is the fact that I don’t have to get on an airplane for at least six weeks.

As much as I love to travel, I do not love to fly. When I was a kid, I loved when there was turbulance and the excitement of airplane snacks and sodas.

But now, now I dread everything from the lines, to the slightest bump in the air, to the boredom.

Seriously, there is nothing worse than finishing all your reading materials on the plane and having no entertainment system. Especially when you still have hours to go.

For six weeks, I get to be on solid ground. I plan on spending most of those six weeks in and around the kitchen.

I started out with something I miss a lot when I’m on the road. Breakfast,  for dinner. I like to mix it up.

You will need…

3 slices thick cut bacon, diced

1 tablespoons olive oil

1 large shallot, thinly sliced

1 hot red chile (spice level of your choice), seeded and finely chopped

1 tablespoon yellow mustard seeds

1 pound young spring greens (dandelion greens, kale, spinach mustard greens), sliced into ribbons

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

8 large eggs, beaten

¾ cup Manchego cheese, grated

2 tablespoons canola oil

Salt and pepper to taste

In a large oven safe, nonstick skillet cook the bacon in the olive oil over moderate heat stirring until golden brown.

When the bacon is golden brown, add in the shallots, chile and mustard seeds.

Add in the greens and vinegar, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring frequently until tender. About 5 minutes.

Set the greens aside to cool.

Preheat the broiler of your oven.

Whisk together the cheese and the eggs together and season with salt and pepper.

When the greens have cooled, whisk them into the eggs.

In the same skillet you used earlier, heat the oil over medium high heat.

When the oil is hot, add in the eggs, creating an even layer of eggs in the pan. 

Cook the eggs until they are lightly browned and set on the bottom. About 3 minutes.

Broil the eggs for 1 to 2 minutes, just until the eggs are set and lightly browned on top.

Slice and serve hot.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela 

Spring Greens and Manchego Frittata 

3 slices thick cut bacon, diced

1 tablespoons olive oil

1 large shallot, thinly sliced

1 hot red chile (spice level of your choice), seeded and finely chopped

1 tablespoon yellow mustard seeds

1 pound young spring greens (dandelion greens, kale, spinach mustard greens)

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

8 large eggs, beaten

¾ cup Manchego cheese, grated

2 tablespoons canola oil

Salt and pepper to taste

In a large oven safe, nonstick skillet cook the bacon in the olive oil over moderate heat stirring until golden brown.

When the bacon is golden brown, add in the shallots, chile and mustard seeds.

Add in the greens and vinegar, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring frequently until tender. About 5 minutes.

Set the greens aside to cool.

Preheat the broiler of your oven.

Whisk together the cheese and the eggs together and season with salt and pepper.

When the greens have cooled, whisk them into the eggs.

In the same skillet you used earlier, heat the oil over medium high heat.

When the oil is hot, add in the eggs, creating an even layer of eggs in the pan. Cook the eggs until they are lightly browned and set on the bottom. About 3 minutes.

Broil the eggs for 1 to 2 minutes, just until the eggs are set and lightly browned on top.

Slice and serve hot.