Month: September 2020

Think arugula, feta and a beautiful Greek Island🧿😍. As you all know, I’m obsessed with Greece and have been twice already. It’s my go to summer vacation spot🇬🇷. I’ve been a I’ve found myself gravitating towards salads and pasta lately out of convenience. I also love sweet and savory combinations, so this is perfect when you need to satisfy that craving. Try this salad and you won’t be disappointed!

• 2 cups of arugula, washed and dried
• 2 oz of feta, in brine
• 2 tbsp of black sesame seeds
• 10 walnut halves
• 3 tbsp of Lemon Fig Dressing

1. Place the sesame seeds in a flat plate and start by rolling the feta in the seeds, making sure to get all sides. Tap off the excess and set aside.

2. Add the arugula to a bowl with walnuts and dress with Lemon Fig Dressing.

3. Toss thoroughly, place the salad on a plate and top with the sesame rolled feta. Enjoy with a glass of vino🍷.

Figs, figs, figs……. 💗💗Think honey scented fruit, lots of cheese and yumminess. But salads are my go to meals these days, and I’m sure all of us could use more greens, post Covid😜😜. I’m absolutely certain that lemon based dressings last forever in the fridge (depending on what you add to them) and require no effort. This lemon fig dressing is an unusual combination, but pair it with feta and arugula and you’re all set for a light lunch! Bonus: this doubles as a marinade for chicken!

Lemon-Fig Dressing

• 1 lemon, Juiced and zested (yields about 3 tbsp of juice)
• 2 tbsp of fig preserves
• 6 tbsp of olive oil
• 1/4 tsp of oregano
• 1/2 tsp of salt
• 1/2 tsp of black pepper

1. Add lemon juice, zest, fig preserves and oregano to a bowl.

2. Slowly whisk in the olive oil, a tablespoon at a time.

3. Season with salt and pepper. Enjoy with a salad or even use as a marinade!

Hey everyone!! As you all know, I’m obsessed with seafood and always try my hardest to get it as fresh as possible🐟🐟. Well, cod was on sale at Costco and I couldn’t resist. I made my own breadcrumbs because I had some extra bread that needed to be used up, but feel free to use store bought. The panko breadcrumbs really make the dish though, so make sure to use them🤪!

• 4 fillets of cod, (about 1 lb)
• 6 cloves of garlic, plus 2 cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup of salt
• 4 cups of water
• 3 lemons, juiced and zested (set aside the zest!🍋🍋)
• 1/4 cup of olive oil, plus two tablespoons
• 1/2 cup of store bought or homemade breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup of Panko breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup of fresh parsley, chopped

Brining the Cod

1. Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add salt and lemon juice. Let the brine cool for 30 minutes (you can speed up the cooling process by adding about 8 Ice cubes to the brine)

2. Put the cod fillets in the brine and allow to brine in the refrigerator for 4 hours

3. Remove the cod fillets from the brine, rinse with cold water and pat dry. Season with the 1/4 cup of olive oil and minced garlic, black pepper and lemon zest.

4. Toast the breadcrumbs and panko in a skillet on medium high heat with the remaining two tablespoons of olive oil , until brown. Add the parsley and top cod fillets with breadcrumb mixture.

5. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.

6. Enjoy with a tomato salad!

Has anyone ever tried Pasta Zero??? It’s a faux pasta (konjac noodles) made of Konjac flour, chickpea flour, preserved in water, sold in a bag. I know, I know, this doesn’t sound very appealing, but I swear it’s soo yummy and reminds me of ramen noodles!🥰 The noodles are ideal for those looking to cut back on a few carbs. I paired it with spicy tofu , which takes no time at all to cook. The key to the konjac noodles is to dry them out as much as can after you cook them, so it doesn’t add any water to the dish. Try the noodles and let me know what you think!

• 2 eight-ounce packages of Pasta Zero
• 1 eight-ounce package of extra firm tofu
• 1 tbsp sriracha
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 2 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1/2 red onion, sliced
• 6 gloves of garlic minced
• 1 tbsp of canola oil
• 1 tbsp of brown sugar
• 1 tbsp of sesame seeds, toasted
• 1 bunch of scallions, chopped, for garnish

1. First, drain the Konjac noodles in a colander and rinse for about 2 minutes under cold tap water, separating the strands as you rinse.

2. Full a large bowl with about 3 cups of hot water (just hot water from the tap; no need to boil water!) Add the noodles and let it sit for 10 minutes.

3. Drain the noodles and use scissors to cut the noodles. It’s optional to cut the noodles, but I think it better because it allows for more surface area in the frying pan.

4. Heat a large non-stick frying pan on medium heat and add the noodles. Let it cook on one side for 3-4 minutes, until you hear a “popping” sound. Turn of the burner. Remove the noodles and set aside.

5. Remove the tofu from the package and drain. Using paper towels, pat the tofu dry.

6. Cube the tofu in 1-inch pieces.

7. Heat the same non-stick frying pan used for the konjac noodles with the canola oil on medium high heat and add the tofu in a single layer (you don’t want the tofu touching each other, so make sure your skillet is large enough).

8. Allow the tofu to cook at least 5 minutes on the first side and 3 minutes on the other. Carefully turn the tofu pieces over with a pair of heat safe tongs.

9. Once the tofu is brown, add the garlic, red onion, oyster sauce, sesame oil, sugar, sriracha and reserved konjac noodles. Let the entire mixture simmer for 5-6 minutes, until the sauce has almost completely evaporated.

10. Garnish with scallions and sesame seeds.

Heyyy everyone! So because figs are so close to my heart, I’ve decided to create recipes featuring dried, preserved and fresh figs. It will be a part of a series in which I’ll be using my fire escape as the back drop. Now, my history with figs goes wayyy back… The love affair started in my 20’s. I was a new nurse, financially independent and I had finally moved to my own apt in NYC. I quickly realized that my neighborhood was teeming with diverse grocery stores, all of which had exotic produce, including figs. I was hooked. Figs then became everything that represented culture and sophistication to me. Stay tuned…

Hey everyone! So, citrus is always in my kitchen and in a lot of my recipes because they can wake up dishes that need a little bit of life. I use the zest, juice and actual fruit for both savory and sweet dishes. But what about whipping up a great salad with just oranges? It’s so easy to peel an orange and eat it, but it’s definitely a treat when you can make an orange into an experience. Try this fig orange salad for breakfast with coffee and granola or as a late night treat!

Orange Salad with Lime-Fig Dressing

• 4 navel oranges, peeled and sliced horizontally
• 1 tbsp of orange zest (from one of the oranges)
• 2 tbsp of Lime juice (juice from one lime)
• 1 1/2 tbsp of fig preserves

1. Zest one of the oranges. It should yield about a tablespoon or so zest. Set aside.

2. Peel the oranges, making sure to remove the pithe (all of the white stuff!). Slice the oranges horizontally. You should be able to get 3-4 slices.

3. Combine the lime juice and fig preserves. Whisk vigorously, until all of the fig preserve chunks are gone. Set aside

4. Arrange the slices on a flat plate, in a neat, circular pattern.

5. Drizzle the dressing over the oranges and sprinkle the orange zest over all of the slices.

Tips:

Warm the fig preserves in the microwave for 20 seconds to help breakdown the preserves.