The Farm Chicks

Lunch for One

I love the days when I actually take a few minutes to make myself a good lunch, especially one that comes, in part, from my garden.

Polenta with Swiss Chard and Egg

Prepare one serving of polenta*, salting to taste

While polenta cooks, wash, chop and quickly fry a big handful of swiss chard over high heat. (Don't overcook the chard, you just want it to wilt and soften a bit).

Pour hot polenta onto your plate, top with swiss chard.

Fry an egg to your liking (I like over-easy), salt and pepper to taste, and add to the polenta and chard.

Garnish with fresh cilantro or any herb you like.

Enjoy!

Note:

*Polenta is very similar to grits, with the only difference being the type of corn. Both are equally delicious.

 

Sour Cream and Onion Zucchini Cakes

With zucchini in abundance this time of year, these tasty bites are a fun new way to put the veggie to good use. (This recipe is from my first book, The Farm Chicks in the Kitchen and is shown here with another recipe from the book, Tangy Cucumber Cups).

Sour Cream & Onion Zucchini Cakes

2 cups grated zucchini (about 3 medium zucchini)

1 large egg, lightly beaten

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, plus 1/2 cup for coating cakes

3/4 cup Japanese style panko bread crumbs

1/4 cup finely diced onion

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Vegetable oil, for frying

Sour cream, for serving (about 1/2 cup)

Chopped fresh chives, for garnish

Place the grated zucchini on a paper towel-lined plate and let sit for an hour; occasionally change the paper towel.

With your hands, transfer the zucchini to a medium-size bowl, tightly squeezing as you do so to remove as much liquid as possible. Add the egg, the 2 tablespoons flour, bread crumbs, onion, salt, and pepper; mix to combine.

Place the remaining 1/2 cup flour on a plate. Add enough oil to a medium-size skillet to be 1/8-inch deep; heat over meium-high heat until hot. Meanwhile, formthe zucchini mixture into tiny (2-inch) bite-sized cakes. Working in three batches, pat each side of each cake in the flour and place in the hot skillet. Fry on each side until golden brown - 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Arrange the cakes on a serving plate, top each with a dollop of sour cream, and sprinkle with chives. Serve warm.

Sources:

Fabric on tray and fabric on apron: Sandi Henderson. (You can purchase her super wonderful fabrics here).

Butter Pats: Vintage (Purchased from The Vintage Rabbit).

Image: John Granen, from my book: The Farm Chicks in the Kitchen. To purchase, click here.

P.S. If you already have a copy of the book, I'd love it if you could provide a review here.

 

Grilled Pizza

I love when the weather begins to take a turn for the warmer and it seems like every meal is done on the grill. One of my favorites is pizza.

You'll need to start with a batch of your favorite pizza dough. I like this recipe from Better Homes & Gardens:

Pizza Dough

2 1/2 to 3 cups all-purpose flour

2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup warm water (not hot)

2 tablespoons olive oil

In a large mixer bowl combine 1 1/4 cups of the flour, the yeast, and salt.  Stir in warm water and oil. Beat at low speed of electric mixer for 30 seconds, scraping bowl constantly. Beat 3 minutes at high speed. Stir in as much of the remaining flour as you can mix in with a spoon. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead in enough remaining flour to make a moderately stiff dough that is smooth and elastic. (6 to 8 minutes total).

Cover dough and let rest 10 minutes. Divide dough into as many pizzas as you'd like to make and roll out on a floured surface. (I recommend starting out with small pizzas while you get the hang of cooking them on the grill).

Place dough on floured pans.

Lightly cover the top of each crust with olive oil. (I like to use olive oil that can be sprayed on for this). Light grill and set at low-medium low. Hold pan over grill and carefully flip the dough (the side that you've oiled) onto the grates. If the dough gets crinkled, quickly use a spatula to straighten it out, by placing the spatula under the dough and using your hand on top of the dough to guide the dough out. Transferring the dough to the grill is the trickiest part and takes some practice. (This is why I recommend starting out with small crusts). Spray the side facing up with olive oil. Once the crust has very lightly browned and is stabile enough to turn, flip it with your spatula and lightly brown the other side. (You are not trying to completely cook the dough at this point, just giving it a light grilling). Place crusts back onto pans and return to the kitchen for toppings.

Now comes the fun part: your favorite toppings. Add anything you'd like. Here are some ideas:

Pesto, spinach, and parmesan:

Olive oil, garlic, tomatoes, fresh oregano and mozzarella: (fresh basil is even tastier, but I was out at the time)

A sudden windfall of 5 pounds of asparagus from my neighbor inspired this one: olive oil, asparagus, marinated feta, and pine nuts. (I should have added some ricotta or mozzarella too, as it was tasty, but a bit too dry).

And of course, kid favorites like cheese and ham with olives:

Take pizzas back to the grill and cook until the cheese is melted and the crust is browned to your liking:

Then remove from the grill, slice, and serve immediately.

Tips: I buy my pizza pans from a local restaurant supply store in Spokane. (Most cities have these stores). It's really helpful to have a lot of pans when feeding a crowd.

I usually double the dough so there's plenty to go around and to enjoy for leftovers the next day.

Pon Pon Tofu

This recipe goes all the way back to my high school home economics class with Miss Goughnour. Miss Goughnour had a really big impact on my love of domesticity, especially cooking. The original recipe from school called for chicken, but I've adapted and tweaked it over the years because I love tofu. However, if tofu scares you, you can always substitute 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced.

1 package firm tofu*, cut into cubes, (about 1/2" x 1") or crumbled

3 tablespoons peanut butter

2 tablespoons sesame oil

2 teaspoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

2 teaspoons fresh ginger, minced

2 green onions, sliced thin

2 cloves fresh garlic, minced

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)

Place tofu in a medium-sized mixing bowl and set aside.

Combine all remaining ingredients in a small bowl or measuring cup and whisk together until smooth. Pour mixture over the tofu and stir to coat all of the tofu. Marinate in fridge for about 10 minutes.

Heat a large non-stick frying pan over high heat. Once hot, add tofu mixture. Cook until one side is nicely browned. Then reduce heat to medium-high, flip the tofu and cook a few minutes more, until the other side is browned and heated through.

Serve with steamed rice and veggies of your choice.

Notes:

*I'm a huge fan of Small Planet Organic Tofu, which is made right here in Washington State. It's the best tofu I've ever had. And, it's now available in many states and also online. (And no, I am not affiliated with Small Planet in any way. I just love their product).

Colin and I love using ground fresh chili paste as a condiment, especially with this meal. If you enjoy spice, you might enjoy it too.

Have you ever tried seasoned rice wine vinegar on rice? It's a tasty alternative to soy sauce.

Roasted Corn Pasta Salad

This delicious pasta salad is the perfect accompaniment to Black Bean Burgers and it's always the side that I order with my meals at the Elk in Spokane. I've adapted their recipe to make at home. And although I'm definitely not a fan of chipotle peppers, the flavor works perfectly here, adding just the right kick of spice, yet staying anonymous, making everyone ask the question: What's in here?!

Roasted Corn Pasta Salad

1 tablespoon melted butter

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1/2 cup diced onion

1 1/2 cups frozen corn

1 lb uncooked curly or twisty pasta such as Gemelli or Fusilli

1 cup lowfat mayonnaise

2 cups packed fresh cilantro, roughly stemmed

2 tablespoons chipotle puree

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine corn, onions, butter, and oil together on a baking sheet. Using a spatula, mix together to coat corn and onions. Roast until corn and onions begin to brown, approximately 15 minutes. Once cooked, remove from oven and cool on a cooling rack until ready to use.

 

Meanwhile, puree a can of chipotle peppers. (Use the entire contents of the can). Once pureed, measure out 2 tablespoons and set aside. Reserve leftovers by freezing them for later use.

  

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water. (Yes, this goes against everything you've ever read about not rinsing pasta but it's necessary here). Once pasta is completely drained, add into a large mixing bowl and set aside.

Combine cilantro, chipotle puree, and mayonnaise in a food processor (or blender). Once throughly combined, add mixture to pasta in bowl. Add roasted corn and onions and stir to mix all together. Salt to taste.

Serve immediately or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed. Please note: If not served immediately, you'll need to add more of the mayonnaise mixture or it will taste too dry).

Black Bean Burgers

One of our favorite Spokane restaurants is the Elk, which is a great spot to enjoy brewpub style food in a neighborhood setting.  And one of the great things about living in the Pacific Northwest is the "come-as-you-are" attitude.  Things are relaxed here, but the food is great.  One of my all-time favorite meals at the Elk is the Bean Burger.  I've adapted their recipe to be quick and simple, yet still tasty.

Black Bean Burgers

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 cup onion, diced

1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced

1/4 cup carrots, diced

1 15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 1/2 teaspoons cumin powder

salt and pepper to taste

1 egg

1 cup dried bread crumbs

1 tablespoon canola oil

4-5 slices of provolone or pepper jack cheese

Add the olive oil and veggies to a frying pan, and cook at medium-high heat until veggies begin to soften.  While the veggies are sauteing, add  the beans into a medium-sized mixing bowl.  Mash them up a bit with a potato masher, leaving about 1/4 of the beans whole.

Add the sauteed veggies to the bean mixture and stir to combine.  Add the remaining ingredients (reserving the canola oil for frying the patties in) and mix together.  (It's best to use your hands to mix everything together at this point).

Divide mixture into 4 or 5 patties, depending on your preference of patty size.  After forming the patties, fry them in the canola oil until golden, about three minutes per side, over medium-high heat.  Top with the cheese of your choice, once bean burgers are flipped.

Serve on hamburger buns, with mayonnaise, greens of your choice, and tomatoes.

Tip:

The chefs at the Elk recommend starting your patties in a cold pan to give the patties a nice crunch on the outside.

For delicious go-to lunches at home, wrap patties individually and freeze.  When you need lunch in a hurry, just grab a patty, microwave until hot, and assemble as usual.