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Lemony Bright Artichoke and Spinach Orzo

May 19 by Chef Hollie Greene 1 Comment

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Orozo cover shot and newletter shot Beautiful photography in this post by Nina Menconi.

I’ll never forget traveling through Italy during late May a few years ago and desperately searching for artichokes featured on any menu. Each time the waiter said, “I carciofi sono finiti”–artichokes are finished–and I would just sigh! How was it possible that we missed the window to enjoy my favorite spring vegetable “alla Romana, al forno, fritti, or in tasty little fried balls called polpette ghiotte?!”

Orzo ingredient shot

You see, I LOVE artichokes. The first time I truly realized that vegetables were cool was as a ten year old girl, and it was the artichoke that did it. My bonus mom, Debbie, was from California and she introduced artichokes to my dad and I–and it was love at first bite. I was fascinated by this foreign food that required not just eating the meaty leaves with your hands but also digging down until you found the golden heart. And so, I was of course dreaming of tasting the love Italians have for our shared favorite–the artichoke (as they call “carciofi,” which in Italian, also means “pine cone!”).

Orzo side by side both

Each May, when I have the chance to work with the local artichokes that are in season, I can’t help but think about how Mediterranean cooks might highlight them in one of their everyday simple pasta meals. Keeping flavors pure and springlike, I imagine they’d lean on staples like spinach, lemon, parsley, onions, garlic and feta and would pick a pasta like orzo that’s fun and fast to cook.

Orozo placing parsley

Orzo final tossing in bowl

Orzo squeezing the lemon While I’m actually using a jarred artichoke heart in this recipe versus fresh for the sake of convenience and speed, here are my tips on how to select and store fresh spring artichokes and help your child fall in love with artichokes the way my family did so many years ago! 

Spring Orzo final shot

How to pick a great artichoke and keep it fresh

  • Select artichokes that are deep green and feel heavy for their size. A good test of freshness is to press the leaves against each other which should produce a squeaking sound.
  • To store artichokes: sprinkle (but do not wash) artichokes with a little water and refrigerate in an airtight bag or container. They can last up to a week when stored properly.
  • If you are looking for a good artichoke outside of their peak season during spring, you may find fall or winter artichokes “touched by frost – winter-kissed with a whitish, blistered appearance.” These are considered to be tender, tasty and premier–so don’t let their ugly exterior leaves deter you!

Artichoke fun facts about this thistle we adore

    • Ask your child what part of the plant they think an artichoke comes from. The artichoke is a flower that has not yet bloomed. If allowed to flower, the buds develop into magnificent purple-blue blooms.
    • Did you know that California produces 100% of the United States artichoke crop? Castroville, California, calls itself the “Artichoke Center of the World.”
    • Do you know where the word artichoke comes from? The Italian words—articiocco and articoclos—which means pine cone.
Lemony Bright Feta, Artichoke and Spinach Orzo
2016-05-11 23:56:57
Serves 6
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Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
20 min
Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
20 min
Ingredients
  1. Onion (yellow), 1
  2. Garlic, 3 cloves
  3. Olive oil, ¼ cup (divided)
  4. Salt, 1 tsp (divided)
  5. Black pepper, ¼ tsp
  6. Artichoke hearts (quartered), 14 oz
  7. Spinach (baby, pre-washed, bagged), 1 bag (8 cups)
  8. White wine, ½ cup
  9. Vegetable broth, ½ cup
  10. Lemon, ½ large or 1 small
  11. Orzo pasta, 1lb
  12. Feta cheese, 7 oz
  13. Parsley, ½ small bunch
Get Organized
  1. Take 5 minutes to get out all your ingredients, measuring and cooking equipment needed, and place them on a cookie sheet within easy reach.
  2. Bring a large pot of salty water up to a boil for the orzo.
  3. Dice onion.
  4. Empty the quartered artichoke hearts, rinse them, drain and set aside.
  5. Crumble the feta and set aside.
  6. Rough chop parsley (stems and leaves).
To Cook
  1. When water begins to boil, add orzo pasta and cook according to package instructions (about 7-9 minutes). Note: we like to undercook the orzo as we’ll add the pasta to the sauce to finish cooking.
  2. Saute onion in two tablespoons olive oil and ½ teaspoon salt on medium high heat until translucent (3-4 minutes).
  3. Add artichoke hearts and continue sauteing for another 3 minutes.
  4. Next add spinach, garlic, and two more tablespoons olive oil. Stir well to combine.
  5. Deglaze pan with white wine by pulling the pan off the heat, adding the wine, and then placing the pan back on medium high heat. Use your wooden spoon to scrape the bottom of the pan to stir up any of the good onion bits that stuck to the bottom.
  6. Add vegetable broth and continue simmering for about five minutes to help concentrate sauce.
  7. Add another ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper and stir.
  8. Turn off the heat. Add lemon, parsley, and feta and stir.
  9. Serve in bowls garnished with extra parsley.
JoyFoodly http://www.joyfoodly.com/

Filed Under: Meatless Monday, Seasonal Recipes Tagged With: artichokes, dinner, lunch, meatless monday, spinach, spring, vegetarian

Bursting with Spring Buckwheat Noodles

May 5 by Chef Hollie Greene Leave a Comment

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Beautiful photography in this post by Nina Menconi.

 

Spring makes me happy. It’s not just the sweet strawberries and ripe cherries that start popping up everywhere this time of year, or the yellow daffodils and tulips that tell me that winter is a distant memory. It’s the baby carrots and happy easter radishes, crunchy sweet sugar snap peas, and tender stalks of asparagus that make me want to cook and play in the kitchen. From radish dips to noodles bursting with spring produce, I’m energized to find ways to easily work in these yummy seasonal treats into my weekly meals.

soba noodles ingredients shot

And it’s not only because I love the taste of spring. Do you know how many nutritious goodies (including energy!) these vegetables and fruits provide?! I love looking at Ashley Koff’s spring vegetable “picks” list to feel great knowing that I’m treating my body and my family’s health right! The key of course is to “try” not go overboard–playing with new recipes should be fun, not stressful. That’s why I love simple one dish meals like soba noodles. I use my go-to sauce from the Joyful 12 kitchen learning lab and just mix up the seasonal produce on hand.

soba noodles up close asparagus

One of my new favorite things to add to soba noodles is roasted tofu. It sounds a little crazy, but I’m a newcomer to tofu as a protein source that makes it home in my shopping cart! I just never played with it much until recently when I was trying out a recipe that called for roasting it. In just 20-minutes, roasted tofu develops the most beautiful brown color and deep flavor without having to pan sear or fry it in a bunch of oil. And while I have the oven on anyway, I throw in some diced asparagus for ten minutes–just long enough to develop flavor but not lose the vibrant green hues.

soba noodles roasted tofu soba noodles roasted asparagus shot

When it comes to play, my motto is always to have fun making mistakes. Take this goof for example. I put my cooked soba noodles into my pan, along with the sauce and veggies and stirred and stirred and stirred, and guess what. The noodles broke! So much for long beautiful soba noodles–more like soba rice! But that just gave me the chance to make this recipe one more time for my husband, Jim, who adores soba noodles. After a little research, I discovered that the trick to not breaking your cooked noodles is to first wash them after cooking them in a big bowl of cold water (to remove some of their starch) AND to add your sauce and veggies off the heat and gently toss them just before serving. Version one was still delicious!

soba noodles sidebyside

If you’re looking for a seriously happy and delicious spring meal, perfect for Meatless Monday, grab some sugar snap peas and asparagus and let the soba noodle party commence!

soba noodles twitter pic

Bursting with Spring Buckwheat Noodles
2016-05-03 21:07:09
Serves 4
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Prep Time
30 min
Cook Time
10 min
Total Time
40 min
Prep Time
30 min
Cook Time
10 min
Total Time
40 min
Ingredients
  1. Asparagus, 1 bunch
  2. Olive oil, 3 TBS (divided)
  3. Salt, ½ tsp (divided)
  4. Tofu, firm, 14 oz
  5. Black pepper, ⅛ tsp
  6. Green onion, 1 bunch
  7. Sugar snap peas, 1 cup
  8. Ginger (fresh), 1tsp finely chopped
  9. Soba noodles (100% Buckwheat) 7 oz
Noodle Sauce
  1. Hot pepper flakes, 1/4 tsp
  2. Rice wine vinegar, 2 TBS
  3. Tamari (gluten free soy sauce), 1/4 cup
  4. Sesame oil, 1/4 cup
  5. Ginger (fresh), 2 tsp finely grated
Instructions
  1. Take 5 minutes to get out all your ingredients, measuring and cooking equipment needed, and place them on a cookie sheet within easy reach.
  2. Preheat oven to 425F.
  3. Cut asparagus on the bias into medium sized pieces. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil, and sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon of salt.
  4. Dry off tofu and cut into medium sized (bite-sized) cubes, drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil, and sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon of salt and ⅛ teaspoon black pepper.
  5. Place tofu and asparagus on two different baking pans lined with parchment paper--roast the tofu for 20 minutes and the asparagus for 10 minutes at 425F.
  6. Cut green onion into small pieces. Set aside some of the green tops to use as a garnish on the noodles when you serve them.
  7. Cut the sugar snap peas into bite sized pieces.
  8. Chop 1 teaspoon of ginger and set aside for the vegetable saute. Finely grate 2 additional teaspoons ginger for the noodle sauce.
  9. Make the pasta sauce by combining all the ingredients in a bowl and stirring together.
Cook
  1. Cook noodles separately, according to their package instructions (approximately 5-7 minutes in boiling water--DO NOT salt!). Get a colander ready so you can rinse the noodles right after they are done cooking in cool water. Note: soba noodles should not be al dente, but you also don’t want to overcook them so taste one before pulling the pot off the heat. Once they have been rinsed, you’re now going to dunk the cooked noodles in a big bowl of cold water and “wash them” of their starch. Use your hands and rub them in the water. Drain again in the colander. Now they are ready to be used.
  2. In a pre-heated pan, saute green onion, peas and ginger in 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium high heat for 3 minutes.
  3. Add roasted asparagus, tofu, and your sauce to the saute and continue cooking another 2 minutes.
  4. Gently toss sauteed vegetables and sauce with the noodles in a bowl (off the heat).
  5. Serve in bowls garnished with a little extra green onion and sprinkled with hot pepper flakes, if you like it extra spicy!
JoyFoodly http://www.joyfoodly.com/

Filed Under: Meatless Monday, Seasonal Recipes Tagged With: asparagus, dinner, lunch, meatless monday, peas, spring, vegan, vegetarian

Dreaming of Italy–Orange Basil Strawberries with Yogurt

Mar 31 by Chef Hollie Greene Leave a Comment

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strawberry-medium1 (1)

About this time every year, I start daydreaming. There’s something about springtime that makes me yearn for new ideas. How can I work peas, artichokes, spinach, and strawberries into my everyday meals in new and exciting ways! This generally means I also reminisce about flavors I’ve discovered through travel.

strawberry-medium6

I can still smell the fragrance those macerated orange basil and mint strawberries gave off. We were traveling in Rome. It was the very end of spring, and we kept seeing strawberries on every menu. One of the things I most admire about Italians is that they are purists in their approach to cuisine. I adore the way they elevate everyday produce in the most simple ways.

strawberry-medium2

Imagine an American restaurant featuring macerated strawberries–by themselves–on their dessert menu. I’m talking no whipped cream, no ice cream! Our Italian waiter insisted we try them. He couldn’t leave it up to us to make a bad choice. This light and refreshing dessert was in our future. Out came a small bowl of sliced strawberries swimming in a simple syrup decorated by curled orange peels speckled with bits of mint and hints of fresh basil. With our spoons, we tried to slowly savor every last bite.

strawberry-medium7
I’ve never been able to replicate that exact experience, but I’ll promise you this interpretation is as close as you can come to a starlit night under Italian stars, sharing a meal with someone you love. I hope you’ll enjoy them as is, with yogurt, and whatever other way you find to be exciting and fresh this spring!

Dreaming of Italy--Orange Basil Strawberries with Yogurt
2016-03-30 19:55:31
Serves 4
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Prep Time
20 min
Cook Time
5 min
Total Time
25 min
Prep Time
20 min
Cook Time
5 min
Total Time
25 min
Ingredients
  1. Strawberries (fresh), 16 oz container
  2. Orange, 1
  3. Basil (fresh), 1 small bunch
  4. Mint, 1 small bunch
  5. Sugar (organic turbinado), 1/2 cup
  6. Water, 1/2 cup
  7. Yogurt (plain full fat organic), 2 cups
Get Organized
  1. Take 5 minutes to get out all your ingredients, measuring and cooking equipment needed, and place them on a cookie sheet within easy reach.
  2. Cut off 2-3 big pieces of the orange peel by using a sharp pairing knife and running it closely along the orange’s skin. This will be used in the simple syrup.
  3. With the remaining skin of the orange, zest it and place zest into a bowl. Juice the orange and add it to the bowl. Set aside.
  4. Make the simple syrup by heating the water and sugar together at a simmer until the sugar melts. Add the orange peels to add flavor. Let cool before using.
  5. Wash strawberries, remove green tops, and cut into any shape you like (slice, quarters, etc.).
  6. Wash herbs and dry with a paper towel. To cut into thin ribbons, stack the leaves on top of each other, roll up like a cigar, and cut across the roll in thin strips.
To Cook
  1. Combine cut strawberries, simple syrup, orange juice and herbs in a bowl. You can use immediately or let sit 30 minutes to an hour before serving.
  2. We love to serve these over yogurt. They are also delicious over ice cream, with a rich chocolate dessert, or in your morning oatmeal!
JoyFoodly http://www.joyfoodly.com/

Filed Under: Joyful Updates, Seasonal Recipes Tagged With: basil, dessert, italian, spring, strawberries

Ashley Koff’s Approved Spring Veggies

May 25 by Chef Hollie Greene Leave a Comment

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Spring is wrapping up now, and while I’m looking forward to sharing some fine summer recipes with you all, I will miss the spring lineup. We’ve spent plenty of time talking about the histories, both public and personal, behind our favorite spring vegetables, but hey- what about the nutrition?

Here then is a rundown of the nutritional benefits behind some perennial spring faves from Ashley Koff Approved, reprinted with her permission. Ashley Koff RD is an award-winning dietitian and creator of the Better Nutrition, Simplified program. You can read the original post and many others, here.

ASPARAGUS

asparagus-field

Asparagus is one of the most versatile spring vegetables with a long list of health benefits. Asparagus contains the antioxidant glutathione (GSH), which can help reduce the risk of chronic diseases like Type 2 diabetes and heart disease. It also contains inulin, which is a carbohydrate that is not broken down by the human body. Inulin is considered a prebiotic, which becomes a food source for probiotics in the large intestine and supports digestive health. Asparagus is also a good source of Vitamins C, E, and K, folate, and zinc. Asparagus is great roasted, grilled, steamed, pureed into soups or baked into frittatas.

RADISHES

May 11 types of radish

This crunchy spring root vegetable varies in flavor from sweet to peppery can be eaten raw, pickled, or cooked. Radishes are a good source of vitamin C, which help detoxify your body and support a healthy immune system. Radishes are also a good source of potassium, which has been to shown to relax blood vessels and helps to reduce blood pressure. Radishes are a great way to add crunch and texture to your food for very few calories (25 calories/cup, sliced).

SUGAR SNAP PEAS

3-30 Inside of the three peas

Sugar snap peas are a cross between green peas and snow peas. Sugar snap peas are a great low-calorie snack option and are a good source of folic acid, which is required for DNA synthesis – and Vitamin K, which plays a key role in the blood clotting. We love snacking of sugar snap peas raw, with dips, and used in stir-fry recipes.

BROCCOLETTE

This hybrid vegetable of Chinese kale and broccoli is similar in flavor to asparagus. Like other members of the cruciferous vegetable family, broccolette is a good source of dietary fiber, which supports a healthy digestive system. It also contains glucosinolates, which are antioxidants that may have a role in reducing the risk of certain types of cancers. Broccolette can be enjoyed similar to broccoli – steamed or roasted as a side dish, tossed into your favorite pasta recipe, or even made into a pesto like this recipe courtesy of Earthbound Farm Organics.

RHUBARB

5-18 bowl of strawberrie and rhubarb stalks

Rhubarb is most popularly known for it’s role in baked goods like pies and often paired with sweeter fruits like strawberries to compliment its tartness. Though it is normally treated like a fruit, rhubarb is actually a vegetable. Rhubarb is high in fiber, and high in vitamin A, which is an important vitamin for eye health. Rhubarb when it is cooked is also one of the best plant sources of calcium. Rhubarb is a great addition to any baked pies or cakes or thickened to a sauce. Make sure to remove the leaves of the rhubarb plant, they contain a poisonous substance called oxalic acid.

MANGOS

“King of Fruits” – Mangos provide just 100 calories per cup and 100% of your daily value of vitamin C. Mangos are also high in vitamin B6, which is necessary in the production of the inhibitory transmitter in the brain, GABA. Mango can be added to sweet and savory dishes. We love adding mangos to our smoothies and making salsas with it to pair over fish. When choosing a ripe mango, the skin should be firm but give a little when pressed with your thumb.

HONEYDEW

There is nothing more refreshing than biting into a juicy piece of melon as the days become warmer. Honeydew is nature’s candy with many nutrient benefits. Honeydew is roughly 90% water, which makes it a filling snack at just 60 calories per cup. Paired with potassium, honeydew may have a role in regulating blood pressure levels. Like other melons, honeydew is also a good source of vitamin c, which helps produce collagen for healthier looking skin. Honeydew can be paired with protein-rich Greek yogurt or in a tomato salad with feta cheese.

These are just a few of our favorite flavors of spring. Take a stroll to your local farmers market and see what else spring has to offer. Eating seasonally and locally tastes better and is easier on the wallet, as farmers are usually willing to strike a deal – even on organic!

Filed Under: Guest Post Tagged With: asparagus, favorites, nutrition, peas, radish, rhubarb, spring

Amazingly Simple Strawberry Rhubarb Gluten Free Crepes

May 14 by Chef Hollie Greene Leave a Comment

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5-18 top shot of fished crepe

Thin and delicate, coated with a gentle amount of melted butter and overstuffed with sweet seasonal compote, that is the crepe I know well. It’s more than a thin pancake. It’s a delightful treat that’s simple yet complex and beloved across continents.

5-18 stack of crepes

The crepe, for me, is a story of my year living in France. It’s when I discovered that other cultures knew the art of living well through the foods they ate and how they chose to eat them. Time spent at the table with the French family I lived with was my daily treat, and the full-fat mountain cheeses, yogurts, and seasonal treats I learned to enjoy broke me of a trend that was sweeping my own nation—fast, convenient, and void of taste. It was the mid 90’s and back at home we were in full swing calorie counting and dieting mode—void of pleasure and high on guilt.

5-18 bowl of strawberrie and rhubarb stalks

My host mom was crazy. And I adored her. Most of the time, you could hear her yelling at her fifteen-year-old son for showering too often and not putting his fork and knife down between bites (both considered savage acts). But beneath this rough exterior, she shared with me her rich culture by teaching me the art of slowing down. It was with Charlotte that I learned once again to enjoy the simple treats in life, realizing that by investing just a little extra time and care into the products I was consuming I could change not only my health, but also learn to think of food as time spent with those I love.

5-18 compote and syrup

Whenever I make crepes with kids today, I can hear Charlotte walking me through the steps. The kitchen lessons I can pass along to the kids in making crepes are numerous.

First, there’s the batter–not too thick and not too runny. Inevitably there will be some adjustments to make after testing the first crepe in the pan.

5-18 crepe grid

There’s the drop and swirl.

With just the right heat on the pan and a little butter, work quickly once that batter hits your pan–swirl, swirl, swirl with your wrist to coat the pan quickly!”

And then, we watch and smell. Have enough bubbles formed to let us know it’s almost time to flip? Can we smell that buttery, almost cookie like smell that tells us just the right amount of browning has happened without burning?

Maybe one of my favorite lessons about crepe making is that they will never be perfect.

  5-18 stuff a crepe 0

In fact, the first crepe is usually the sacrificial one, and that’s to be expected so that you can test the temperature of the pan, if the batter is thin enough or needs more milk, and whether you’re using the exact amount of fat needed.

5-18 stuff a crepe 1

The more you make the crepes, the better you’ll get your technique down of swirling them quickly in the pan, waiting for the perfect amount of bubbles to appear before flipping, and when to take the flipped crepe from the pan to add to your growing stack.

In my home, we prefer a sweet stuffing over the choice of a savory one.

5-18 stuff a crepe 2

Classic French crepes may have cheese and ham, or Nutella, or just a simple jam sprinkled lightly with powdered sugar. With rhubarb and strawberries in our local markets, this week I’m filling my crepes with my sweet-and-tart Strawberry Rhubarb Compote—from my Joyful 12 Spring Classroom.

5-18 stuff a crepe 3

5-18 stuff a crepe 4

5-18 stuff a crepe 5

Every time I have the chance to pass along the joy of making the beautiful crepes from my French food adventure, I jump at the chance. After all, falling in love with the simple pleasure of food made and shared together is a gift we can all attain.

Amazingly Simple Strawberry Rhubarb Gluten Free Crepes
2015-05-12 10:54:42
Serves 4
Culinary Note: Yields approximately 4 cups cooked compote and 2-3 cups liquid rhubarb syrup. We love to use the extra compote on top of our oatmeal, to make ice cream floats, and on top of yogurt as a snack. The rhubarb syrup makes a very refreshing sparkling water drink as well.
Save Recipe
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Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
35 min
Total Time
50 min
Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
35 min
Total Time
50 min
For the compote
  1. Rhubarb, 2 lbs.
  2. Strawberries (fresh), 2 quarts
  3. Sugar (organic turbinado), 1 cup
For crepe batter
  1. Whole organic milk, 1 ½ cups, room temperature
  2. All purpose gluten free flour, 1 cup
  3. Eggs, 2
  4. Unsalted organic butter, 3 TBS, melted (plus extra for cooking)
  5. Salt, ¼ tsp.
  6. Powdered sugar, 2-3 TBSP (optional)
Prep
  1. Take 5 minutes to get out all your ingredients, measuring and cooking equipment needed, and place them on a cookie sheet within easy reach.
  2. Wash rhubarb and strawberries.
  3. Take stems off strawberries and cut into quarters.
  4. Remove any woody ends from rhubarb. For thicker pieces cut in half and then cut ½ inch pieces.
Cook compote
  1. In a large soup pot, place strawberries, rhubarb and sugar.
  2. Stir together.
  3. Cover pot and cook on medium low heat for 20 minutes.
Prep crepe batter
  1. Break eggs into a bowl; add salt and whisk together until eggs are yellow.
  2. Measure gluten free flour; slowly add about half into egg mixture, whisking small amounts as you go to help fully incorporate into egg mixture.
  3. Add the milk and whisk out the lumps; continue adding the rest of the flour and milk until you have a smooth batter.
  4. Add the melted butter and whisk.
  5. Cover the batter and place in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Bring it all together
  1. When the compote has cooked 20 minutes, place a strainer over a bowl. Pour compote into strainer. Keep the juices that drain through, as they make great syrup.
  2. Set aside enough compote for your crepes and store the remaining compote and syrup in containers in the refrigerator for up to a week.
  3. In a pre-heated non-stick pan, add just enough butter (or your favorite cooking oil) to barely coat the pan. Pour 1/3 cup batter into pan and swirl to coat bottom.
  4. Cook until edge of crepe is light brown and bubbles have formed, about 1-2 minutes. Loosen edges gently with spatula. Carefully turn crepe over. Cook until bottom begins to brown in spots, about 30 seconds. Transfer to plate. Cover with paper towel or wax paper.
  5. Repeat with remaining batter, oiling pan as needed and covering each crepe with paper towel.
  6. Fill crepes with rhubarb and strawberry compote. Sprinkled powdered sugar on top for fun!
By Chef Hollie
JoyFoodly http://www.joyfoodly.com/

Filed Under: Seasonal Recipes Tagged With: breakfast, gluten free, rhubarb, spring, strawberry

Take Back Lunch—With My Spring Build-a-Veggie-Toast Bar!

May 6 by Chef Hollie Greene Leave a Comment

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May 11 cover shot take back lunch

We’re joining Healthy Planet US this month to “take back lunch!” During May, you can join in this deliciously fun 21-day healthy cooking challenge. It’s easy to join: register at https://healthyplanetus.org/21daychallenge/. On May 11th, they will be giving away three Joyful 12 memberships, so be sure to register to receive daily updates and inspiration!

I was never a PB&J kid. I didn’t like sandwiches at all. Orange squares of cheddar cheese, atop salty crunchy Triscuits with a medley of fruit—this, I relished. But the sad bologna squares my friends ate with their Cheetos were not for me.  From a very young age, I knew lunch was more than calories to fill my stomach.  It was a chance to laugh and talk with my friends while munching on a small meal that satisfied my precocious need for variety, texture, and colorful bites to sample.

May 11 toast bar ingredients

Not much has changed. When I’m cooking with kids or teaching adults in a class, I love to expand their ideas of what a tasty but simple lunch can look like.  Ingredients are paramount, and my preference is to start with the vegetables first and build the rest of the meal around them. That’s fairly easy, when you begin with what’s in season. Right now, I’m seeing peas, radishes, and strawberries everywhere, so that’s where I begin.

May 11 strawberry radish dip

May 11 types of radish

When our partners and good friends at Healthy Planet US, Bryan Jersky, Chief Grower and CEO, and Erinn Butulis, Head of Storytelling, asked me if I’d like to share a fun recipe for their take back lunch challenge, I knew I’d need to channel my inner child to share a simple yet fun way to incorporate vegetables into the beloved sandwich—with an open-faced twist. My dislike for sandwiches hasn’t budged much in twenty years (or so!), but my love of savory and sweet spreads on artisan breads has just begun.

May 11 bread for toast

Toast bars and featured specialty toast menu items are all the rage now, and not just in San Francisco. Thick slices of homemade breads perfectly toasted with rich, creamy, and crunchy toppings satisfy customers’ basic needs to feel nourished and delighted. While, I’m a huge fan of supporting these restaurants, as a cook I know that in my own home kitchen, I can recreate these experiences, get more value for my dollar and even make them more vegetable focused.

Cream cheese savory dip

This spring I’m making two cream cheese based spreads in the Joyful 12 that are made with radishes and are perfect on toasts and to dip spring veggies into as a snack for kids. Bringing back one of my childhood favorites, strawberry cream cheese, I mix fresh radishes, strawberries, and cream cheese together with just a hint of honey to produce a creamy pink spread that’s perfect on bagels and toasts alike. Using the same method, I can quickly switch up the flavors by using the ranch flavorings in my “Easy Homemade Ranch Dip”, mixing dried parsley, granulated onion, salt and pepper, with cream cheese and grated radishes. Just a warning—this dip can be very addictive!

May 11 pea butter

The really fun part of making your own food is the twists and turns that can happen when you start with a recipe you know and trust but then deviate with whatever is on hand. This is exactly what happened with my pea toasts. I figured if radish spreads were delicious on toast, why wouldn’t a pea spread work as well! The French adore the simple pleasure of fresh, organic butter on toast topped with spring radish and a sprinkle of salt. Thus, my pea butter was created as a deviation from a classic that works—but with a pea perfect twist. Believe me, when you eat one of my creamy sweet pea butter toasts with crunchy sugar snaps on top, you’ll be glad you took back lunch by making it yourself!

May 11 toast up close artistic

A Rainbow of Radish and Spring Pea Toasts
2015-05-05 16:07:54
Serves 4
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Print
Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
20 min
Total Time
35 min
Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
20 min
Total Time
35 min
Ingredients
  1. Red radish, 1 bunch (divided)
  2. Breakfast radish, 1 bunch
  3. Sugar snap peas, 1 cup
  4. Bread, your favorite toast bread (4-6 slices)
Sweet Strawberry and Radish Cream Cheese Dip
  1. Strawberries (fresh), 5
  2. Cream cheese, 8oz
  3. Red radish, 5 (from your bunch)
  4. Honey, 1/2 TBS
Savory Red Radish Cream Cheese Dip
  1. Red radish, 5 (from your bunch)
  2. Cream cheese, 8 oz
  3. Parsley (dried), 1 tsp
  4. Onion (dried), 1 tsp
  5. Salt, 1/4 tsp
  6. Black pepper, 1/4 tsp
Sweet pea butter
  1. Unsalted organic butter, 4 TBS
  2. Organic frozen sweet peas, ½ cup
  3. Tarragon (fresh), 2 tsp.
  4. Salt, ½ tsp
  5. Zest of 1 orange
Prep
  1. Take 5 minutes to get out all your ingredients, measuring and cooking equipment needed, and place them on a cookie sheet within easy reach.
  2. Wash all produce.
  3. Bring cream cheese and butter to room temperature.
  4. If using fresh peas, blanch them in boiling salted water for 1 minute, remove and drain before using to make the pea butter. If using frozen peas, bring to room temperature before using to make the pea butter.
  5. For the mixture of radishes you’ll use to top the toasts, cut into thin rounds and set aside.
  6. Snap peas used for topping your pea butter toasts can be left whole or sliced down the middle to reveal their interior peas.
Assemble
  1. For either of the radish dips, blend the 5 radishes that go into the dip in the food processor until finely grated.
  2. Then, add all other ingredients, depending on which dip you’ve chosen, and room temperature cream cheese. Blend until smooth in a bowl with a fork or spatula.
  3. To make pea butter: smash peas with a fork. Smash butter until creamy with a fork (or use your food processor). Combine peas, tarragon, butter and salt and set aside.
  4. Toast your bread and build your toasts using the pea butter topped with sugar snaps, or a radish toast with either radish dip topped with thinly sliced radishes. Enjoy these delicious toasts as a lunch, a healthy snack, or use the dips with fresh veggies in your packed lunch!
By Chef Hollie
JoyFoodly http://www.joyfoodly.com/

Filed Under: Enthusiastic Eater, Seasonal Recipes Tagged With: favorites, lunch, peas, radishes, spring, strawberries, vegetarian

Lemony Artichoke Mini Polenta Pizzas

Apr 27 by Chef Hollie Greene Leave a Comment

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Mini polenta pizzas top shot 2

When I was just a little Southern girl who knew nothing about artichokes, my bonus mom Debbie, who had grown up in California, showed me the light. I haven’t met a vegetable since that tickles my heart so much. Peeling back those meaty leaves, one-by-one, to finally reach the golden heart of the artichoke was truly exciting and helped me see vegetables in a whole new light as a kid. To this day, it is one of my fondest memories. Dunking and dipping those leaves into a lemony homemade sauce was pure joy (and yes–it was Duke’s mayonnaise with some extra lemon mixed in–we’re Southern afterall)!

4-30 artichokes side by side 1collage

Nowadays, I always have jarred artichoke hearts in my pantry year round. They are certainly not the same as a fresh artichoke, but if I can’t find good chokes in season, I can at least relish their perfect hearts in my pastas and pizzas.

4-30 artichoke heart topping sauteed

The thing about working with fresh artichokes is that you need just a little bit more time to prepare them, and I like to give families an option to still enjoy this seasonal spring vegetable but in a way that’s fast and easy. I love to work with polenta as my pizza base because its creamy texture is divine with the texture of artichoke hearts. It’s also a great way to create a gluten free version of pizza and not feel deprived in the least.

4-30 polenta pizza base 1collage

Whether you have small kids or teens in the house, this recipe is perfect for allowing each family member to cut their own mini pizza with a cookie cutter and decide how much of the sauteed topping and grated cheese they’d like to enjoy.

4-30 meet Elena Dennis intern

4-30 finishing touches 1

4-30 finishging touches 2

4-30 before going into the oven

This spring, we’re lucky to have a high school senior joining our team to complete her Capstone project. Elena Dennis is one of the most inspirational young women I’ve ever met. She is the founder and director of a free summer cooking camp for kids, Camp Cauliflower, that teaches children in the Novato California school system how to prepare fresh, healthy meals that are delicious. I know the impact she’s had, as we had many of her campers in our Joyful 12 School Project this spring, and they were some of our most eager students.

Please join me in welcoming Elena to the team by leaving a comment on this post. And if you’re feeling extra generous, check out her Kickstarter campaign to make year two of Camp Cauliflower even more successful.

Lemony Artichoke Mini Polenta Pizzas
2015-04-23 14:11:59
Serves 4
Culinary note: you’ll need to make the polenta ahead, and let it sit in the refrigerator to cool and firm up for 30 minutes before you’re ready to bake these little mini pizzas. I like to make polenta as our starch for a meal and then use the leftovers the next day to make pizza!
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Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
25 min
Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
25 min
Ingredients
  1. Polenta, 1 cup
  2. Bay leaf, 1
  3. Olive oil, 3 Tbsp. (divided)
  4. Salt, 1 ½ tsp. (divided)
  5. Black pepper, ¼ tsp.
  6. Cheddar cheese, 5 oz. (divided), grated
  7. Yellow onion, ½
  8. Rosemary, 4 sprigs
  9. Artichoke hearts, 11 oz.
  10. Aleppo pepper (or red pepper flakes), 1 tsp.
  11. Lemon, ½
Prep
  1. Take 5 minutes to get out all your ingredients, measuring and cooking equipment needed, and place them on a cookie sheet within easy reach.
  2. Place 4 cups of water, ½ -tablespoon olive oil, 1-teaspoon salt and the bay leaf in a medium sized pot and bring to a boil.
  3. When the water comes to a boil, start adding the polenta slowly, like it’s raining.
  4. When all the polenta has been added to the water, bring back down to a low simmer and keep stirring for about five minutes. Cover and let cook on low heat another 7-10 minutes (about 15 minutes total cooking time depending on how fine or coarse the polenta is that you are using).
  5. To finish the polenta: turn the heat off and add 1/2 cup of the grated cheese and stir again. Check for seasoning; add ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Pour the warm polenta out on a cookie sheet and spread until you have an even medium thickness shaped in a rectangle. Place in the refrigerator to speed up the process of setting the “crust.”
  6. While polenta is setting, drain artichoke hearts from their can, chop rosemary, and dice onion.
  7. Preheat oven to 450F.
Cook
  1. In a preheated sauté pan, use 2 tablespoons olive oil and sauté diced onion with ¼ teaspoon salt and chopped rosemary for two minutes.
  2. Add artichokes and Aleppo pepper flakes, along with the juice of ½ lemon and continue cooking another 2-3 minutes.
  3. To make pizzas: 1) cut out polenta with a cookie cutter and place on a parchment lined cookie sheet, 2) spread some grated cheese on top, 3) top with artichoke heart mixture, 3) sprinkle a little more cheese and drizzle lightly with olive oil, and 4) you can sprinkle a little more fresh rosemary on top, as desired.
  4. Bake for 12-15 minutes at 450F.
By Chef Hollie
JoyFoodly http://www.joyfoodly.com/

Filed Under: Meatless Monday Tagged With: artichoke, dinner, favorites, gluten free, lunch, meatless monday, spring, vegetarian

Meatless Monday Curried Quinoa Cakes with a Minty Pea Dipping Sauce

Apr 20 by Chef Hollie Greene 2 Comments

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4-20 cover image option 1

Everywhere I look, glorious peas abound. Sugar snaps are overflowing in my local grocery store, shelling peas are perfectly packed in tiny bags at the farmers market, and snow peas have been making my fried rice dishes even sweeter. But what do you do in your home kitchen when you run out of ideas for how to fit them into your Meatless Monday meals?

4-20 peas in blender

This week, I’ve got a fun and filling main course that take spring peas to a saucy level. What inspired me to create this recipe was a delicious veggie burger I recently enjoyed at a food and health conference at the Culinary Institute of America in Napa, California. Those little black eyed pea patties I sampled were not only moist and flavorful, but they also had great texture and mouthfeel.

4-20 quinoa patties before being cooked

My Meatless Monday meals generally revolve around what I’ve purchased from my Sunday farmers market and what’s at home in my pantry. Quinoa and chickpeas are always on hand in my kitchen, so my idea for little veggie burgers turned into quinoa cakes before I knew it. The next question I had to resolve was “in the burger” or “on top of it?” I adore pureeing peas and adding them to my risotto and my baked goat cheese dip, so I figured I could easily make them into a delicious and bright sauce in a matter of minutes–and that’s exactly what I did!

4-20 quinoa patties first in pantwofer

With kids, I adore helping them discover the joy of cooking a meatless meal by taking them on an adventure and telling the story of the dish we are making together. In my case, I lucked out with a fun story about the very first veggie burger. K. Annabelle Smith, from Smithsonian.com, just ran a story about the 32nd anniversary of the very first commercially sold “VegeBurger” by Gregory Sams of the London based restaurant, SEED.

4-20 after flipping patties

We youngsters take it for granted that eating plant based has always been in vogue, but actually, Gregory and his brother helped pave the road for a vegetarian diet to go mainstream in their country.

“Though vegetarianism has a history that dates back to ancient Egypt, in the late ’60s a no-meat diet was less common in the UK than today—it was reserved for the hippies. Growing up, Sams was the only vegetarian in his class. In the United States, vegetarianism wasn’t trendy until 1971 when Frances Moore Lappé’s bestseller Diet for a Small Planet hit shelves.”

I would like to dedicate this post to Gregory Sams for making veggies the stars of the dinner plate way back in the early 80’s, because I’m pretty sure my mom was considered a “hippy” at times when she filled my plate up with an abundance of peas and other veggies as my main course.

4-20 plate of veggie quinoa patties option 2

This Meatless Monday, I hope you’ll enjoy making our Curried Quinoa Cakes with your little budding chefs, and make sure to let the peas become the special sauce to your veggie burgers!

Curried Quinoa Cakes with a Minty Pea Dipping Sauce
2015-04-15 18:26:54
Serves 4
Culinary note: when peas are fresh, we prefer using them. Just quickly blanch them, submerge in boiling salty water for 30 seconds to 1 minute, and drain before placing them in the blender for our minty sauce. If using organic frozen peas, let them come to room temperature before adding them to the blender.
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Prep Time
20 min
Cook Time
30 min
Prep Time
20 min
Cook Time
30 min
Ingredients
  1. Quinoa, 1 cup
  2. Chickpeas, 15 oz
  3. Plain Yogurt, organic, ½ cup
  4. Curry powder, 3 tsp
  5. Cayenne, ¼ tsp
  6. Cilantro, 1 cup (packed)
  7. Salt, 1 ½ tsp
  8. Egg, 1
  9. GF Quinoa flour (or regular AP), ½ cup
  10. Coconut oil, 2 tablespoons (divided)
Minty Pea Dipping Sauce
  1. Shelled green peas, fresh (or frozen), 1 cup
  2. Plain yogurt, organic, ½ cup
  3. Mint, fresh, ½ cup (packed)
  4. Salt, ¼ tsp
Prep
  1. Take 5 minutes to get out all your ingredients, measuring and cooking equipment needed, and place them on a cookie sheet within easy reach.
  2. Wash all produce.
  3. Preheat oven to 425F.
  4. If using fresh peas for the dipping sauce, blanch them (submerge in boiling salty water for 30 seconds to 1 minute) before adding to the blender. If using frozen green peas in place of fresh, allow them to come to room temperature before placing in blender.
  5. Cook quinoa according to the package instructions. Let air dry on a cookie sheet.
  6. Drain chickpeas and rinse.
  7. Rough chop cilantro.
  8. Make the minty pea sauce by placing all ingredients in a food processor or blender and pulse until chunky. Set aside.
Cook
  1. Mix together chickpeas, yogurt, curry powder, cayenne, and cilantro in a food processor or blender.
  2. In a bowl, mix the cooked quinoa and chickpea-yogurt blend, along with one egg and the quinoa flour.
  3. Using a ⅓ cup measurer, make 8 portions. Roll each into a ball with your hands. Place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet to rest for 30 minutes in the refrigerator, which will allow the patties to come together.
  4. Preheat a nonstick pan. Add one tablespoon coconut oil. When hot, add four of the patties to the pan. Gently press down with a spatula. After 2-3 minutes, flip each patty and let cook another 2 minutes on the other side. Place on a cookie sheet and set aside while you cook the remaining 4 patties in an additional tablespoon of coconut oil.
  5. Place all 8 patties in the oven for 5-7 minutes to finish cooking.
  6. Serve with minty pea sauce on the side and additional chopped cilantro or mint, as you desire.
By Chef Hollie
JoyFoodly http://www.joyfoodly.com/

Filed Under: Meatless Monday Tagged With: dinner, lunch, meatless monday, peas, quinoa, spring, vegetarian, yogurt

My love for Aglaia Kremezi’s Mediterranean Vegetarian Feasts

Apr 6 by Chef Hollie Greene 2 Comments

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4-6 cover image Aglaia's book

When you taste Aglaia’s “Lazy Woman’s Pie” fresh from the oven, you are struck with the taste of love. Oh, the aroma of her crumbled feta Crispy Cheese Pie coming out of the oven is a sensory memory I’ll never forget. I’m transported back under that fig tree, taking Aglaia’s outdoor cooking classes at Kea Artisanal on making homemade phyllo dough at her home in Kea, Greece.

I’ve always felt I should have been Greek, but with my strong Southern upbringing, I had to wait until much later in life to connect with my mentor, dear friend and adopted Greek aunt, Aglaia Kremezi.

4-6 final shot of soup

This past fall, Aglaia visited San Francisco to promote her latest book, Mediterranean Vegetarian Feasts. I had the great pleasure of helping her with her cooking demo at CUESA (Center for Urban Education about Sustainable Agriculture) at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market, and attended her beautiful dinner at 18 Reasons where her Nettles Soup was one of our starters. I’m excited to share with you my recreation of this divine recipe from spring nettels we discovered at the farmer’s market in March.

Of her six cookbooks on Mediterranean cooking, this one is my favorite. She has not only gone back to her roots, with the seasonal vegetarian foods she was raised on, but she has also opened a window into a world for cooks across the globe to learn how to make simple, yet extremely flavorful plant based meals to nourish even the most discerning palettes.

4-6 option two for stinging nettles bowl

If you have never tried them, nettles are amazing. As Langdon Cook refers to them in his book on foraging wild edibles, Fat of the Land, stinging nettles are the kryptonite of the plant kingdom. Loaded with more iron than spinach, rich in calcium, protein and a whole host of vitamins, nettles have been used for medicinal purposes for ages. These wild greens are among the many Aglaia explores in her book and are favorites of Balkan foragers for their deep, sweet flavor.

Even a boy scout will tell you, the fine thin hairs on these wild greens hurt if they brush against your skin. Be sure to handle the uncooked nettles with gloves or tongs to avoid a sting when washing and removing the stems. Once you’ve blanched them, they are no longer treacherous and can be handled with your bare hands. As Aglaia suggests in her book, don’t throw out their cooking liquid. Instead, drink this lovely tea with a fresh squeeze of lemon.

4-6 ingredients

4-6 blanching the nettles

4-6 draining the nettles

What I adore about learning from Aglaia is that she takes us back to how it was always done, while also reminding us of how we can explore both old and new ways of cooking Mediterranean dishes. Her ancestors cooked and ate what was in season. Meat was expensive and greens, called horta, were plentiful. They built upon these basic components with staples like beans, nuts, grains, good olive oil, olives, capers, local cheeses, and yogurt–and occasionally cured or fresh fish.

Aglaia’s advice is practical and empowering for every home cook that wants to eat delicious food and make it good for their family.

Shop with your head up, not buried in a list; look, touch, taste, and smell what the market has to offer. Go to your local farmers market without a recipe or shopping list in hand; choose the seasonal produce that inspires you, and only then search the pages that follow for recipes that will showcase your fresh ingredients.

mushrooms two shot

greens two shot

If you want to learn how to build your pantry with essential Mediterranean ingredients and how to cook from scratch in well-planned stages, these sections are beautifully laid out with stories from her experiences and those of her ancestors. Aglaia takes you on a trip to a time when cooks wasted nothing and grandmothers lived to 98 years-old, giving and taking their own advice for daily doses of yogurt to ensure good health.

What I love most about cooking Aglaia’s recipes is also what I love about teaching kids to explore new foods. They take me to a far away place that I can recreate easily in my own kitchen, using the same ingredients she would on her beautiful Greek island. It’s an adventure that’s not only fun but also sensorily delightful.

4-6 pureed green soup

When you open Aglaia’s gorgeous book, don’t miss her dedication to her mother, Frossoula Kremezi, and “to the Mediterranean women who bring love and joy to the table, the two secret ingredients that elevate even the humblest meal to an amazing feast!”

Aglaia and Hollie

As I teach kids and families to love eating vegetables and fruits each season, I always feel Aglaia with me in spirit, looking over my shoulder saying “bravo,” and reminding me that to teach and bring the joy of cooking to others is the greatest expression of love I can bring into this world. Thank you, Aglaia!

Nettle Soup with Mushrooms and Yogurt
2015-04-01 17:18:12
Serves 4
recipe by Aglaia Kremezi, adapted from Mediterranean Vegetarian Feasts
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Ingredients
  1. Nettle tops, 1 pound, (thick stems discarded)
  2. Olive oil, ⅓ cup
  3. Garlic, 1 ½ tsp
  4. Porcini Mushrooms, dried, 50 grams
  5. Morel Mushrooms, fresh or dried, 6 to 12
  6. Dry white wine, 1 cup
  7. Romaine lettuce, 6 large outer green leaves
  8. Parsley, 3 bunches (fresh)
  9. Salt, approximately 2 ½ tsp
  10. Vegetable broth, 1 cup
  11. Greek-style yogurt, 1 cup (plus more than serving)
  12. Black pepper, approximately ¼ tsp
  13. Good fruity olive oil for drizzling
  14. Cilantro, ½ cup, for garnish
Prep (How I got organized before cooking this recipe)
  1. Take 5 minutes to get out all your ingredients, measuring and cooking equipment needed, and place them on a cookie sheet within easy reach.
  2. Wash all produce.
  3. Soak dried mushrooms in hot water for 30 minutes to rehydrate. Note: this recipe calls for using the soaking liquid which is full of flavor. I like to pass that liquid through a mesh strainer lined with a coffee filter to ensure I capture any remaining dirt that was on the dried mushrooms. The recipe calls for 1 cup of hot water for the porcini and one cup for the morels, if dried.
  4. Rough chop romaine and parsley. Discard stems from parsley.
  5. Bring a large pot of water (1.5 quarts) up to a boil.
Cook (Recipe instructions written exactly as in Aglaia’s book)
  1. Blanch the nettles in 1 ½ quarts boiling water for about 3 minutes, until well wilted. Remove with tongs or a slotted spoon and let drain in a colander. Reserve the cooking broth.
  2. In a medium pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and saute for one minute. Add the porcini and their soaking liquid as well as the morels (if using). Saute until tender, 3 to 4 minutes, then carefully remove the morels only and set them aside. Pour in the wine and add the romaine, parsley, and salt. Toss several times, until the greens are wilted and soft.
  3. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the greens-and-porcini mixture from the pot with the drained nettles. Add a few teaspoons of the reserved nettle broth and pulse several times to make a paste. You will have to scrape down all the bits that stick to the sides of the bowl as you process. At this point, classic French cuisine would have you pass the paste through a fine sieve in order to make a perfectly smooth soup. I love a chunky texture so I omit this step, but it is up to you.
  4. Pour the green pulp back into the pot and add the vegetable broth and 1 cup of the reserved nettle broth. Bring the soup to a slow boil, and then reduce the heat. Simmer, half-covered, stirring every now and then, for about 15 minutes, until the soup thickens.
  5. Remove from the heat and stir in the yogurt and plenty of pepper. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
  6. Serve in bowls, adding 1 to 2 morels to each serving, if using. Drizzle with good, fruity olive oil and garnish with the chervil leaves. Serve extra yogurt on the side.
Note on substitutions
  1. If nettles are not available, replace them with ⅔ pound tender spinach leaves. The taste will be different but still delicious. Serve warm or cold.
  2. As Morel mushrooms were not available at my store, I used two packages of dried porcini mushrooms, which were both 28 grams in weight. For garlic, I used 4 small-medium sized garlic cloves, and slightly more white wine, 1 ⅓ cups, so I could use up a bottle!
By Aglaia Kremezi
Adapted from Mediterranean Vegetarian Feasts
Adapted from Mediterranean Vegetarian Feasts
JoyFoodly http://www.joyfoodly.com/

Filed Under: Enthusiastic Eater, Joyful Updates Tagged With: cookbooks, mediterranean, mushrooms, nettles, soup, spring, vegetarian, veggie

Pimento Cheese Deviled Eggs

Apr 2 by Chef Hollie Greene 2 Comments

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4-3 eggs happy

Pimento cheese is more than a spread. It’s a food with a rich history and a scrumptious taste that Southerners adore. Growing up, we’d eat pimento cheese on crackers, on sandwiches, and always when gathered with family and friends. This Easter, I’m highlighting this childhood favorite in a celebratory way–stuffed in my deviled egg filling.

4-3 collage

When I teach kids about new foods and dishes that are from different cultures, I love to tell them the story of how that food made it to our modern day tables. In the case of pimento cheese, it all started back in the late 1800’s when expensive imported pimento peppers from Spain and an American Neufchatel cheese from the Northeast was blended with cream to make cream cheese and these two foods were combined to make a delectable spread for tea party sandwiches, enjoyed by affluent families.

4-3 my mom's antique deviled egg holder-table setting

Fast forward to the early to mid 1900’s, when Kraft’s cream cheese became an industrialized food standard and pimentos were heavily grown in the South. These fancy sandwiches became a blue collar means to feed factory workers across the country. Even as this Southern spread didn’t technically originate in the South, it’s always been a humble favorite and a part of our historical food identity. If you walk into any Southern home today and you don’t find a container of pimento cheese, ask to see their id’s, cause I’d reckon they do not originally hail from those parts!

4-3 happy easter place setting shot

Each Easter, I especially enjoy pulling out my mom’s antique deviled egg plate, and I relish the process of making my homemade version of pimento cheese with my husband. We always save some on the side to dunk our crackers in as we work, and we most definitely ensure that those first deviled eggs go directly into our mouths before they get into the family’s–you know, quality control!

I hope you and your family enjoy your own traditions this holiday season, and may my family’s tradition of pimento cheese make your celebratory table just a little richer.

Pimento Cheese Deviled Eggs
2015-03-31 11:56:17
Serves 6
Culinary note: this dip is great as a sandwich stuffer, on top of hamburgers, or on top of your favorite cracker. If you loved deviled eggs, try adding a little pimento cheese to your regular recipe and see if people don’t scoop those puppies up!
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Prep Time
25 min
Cook Time
10 min
Total Time
35 min
Prep Time
25 min
Cook Time
10 min
Total Time
35 min
Ingredients
  1. Eggs, 1 dozen
  2. Cream cheese, 8 oz
  3. Cheddar cheese (white, sharp), 8 oz
  4. Sweet onion (Vidalia), 1/8
  5. Roasted red bell peppers, 8 oz jar
  6. Lemon, 1/2
  7. Mayonnaise, 1/2 cup
  8. Hot sauce, 1 tsp
  9. Salt, ½ tsp
  10. Chives, 1 bunch
Prep
  1. Take 5 minutes to get out all your ingredients, measuring and cooking equipment needed, and place them on a cookie sheet within easy reach.
  2. Wash all produce.
  3. Place eggs in a deep pot and cover with cold water. Bring up to a simmer. Once you see small bubbles form, set the timer for 11 minutes. Maintain temperature so that the water stays at a low simmer (not a boil).
  4. Bring cream cheese to room temperature. Cut into smaller pieces.
  5. Grate cheddar cheese on the big holes of a grater (or buy already grated).
  6. Take the piece of the onion you’ve cut off (⅛ of a whole onion) and grate it over the small holes of the cheese grater.
  7. Dice roasted red peppers; reserve 1 tablespoon of the juice from the jar and mix that in when ready to assemble the dip.
  8. Juice ½ lemon.
  9. Chop chives and set aside as a garnish for the deviled eggs.
  10. After the egg timer goes off, remove eggs and place in a bowl of cold water to stop the cooking process. Let cool. Peel eggs, cut into halves and scoop out yellow yolks into a large bowl. Mash yolks with a fork.
Assemble
  1. In a food processor or kitchen aid mixer, combine the pimento cheese dip ingredients: roasted bell peppers, cream cheese, cheddar cheese, lemon juice, mayonnaise, grated onion, hot sauce, and a tablespoon of juice from the roasted red pepper jar. Mix until smooth.
  2. Mix 1-½ cups of the pimento cheese with the egg yolks. Place in a pastry bag or Ziploc bag and push the mixture all the way down to one corner and twist the top of the bag closed.
  3. Snip off the tip with a pair of scissors. Squeeze out the pimento cheese filling into each half of the eggs. Garnish with chopped chives.
By Chef Hollie
JoyFoodly http://www.joyfoodly.com/

Filed Under: Joyful Updates, Seasonal Recipes Tagged With: appetizer, deviled eggs, easter, pimento, side dish, spring

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Hey, I’m Chef Hollie!

Here at JoyFoodly we help families joyfully eat more fruits and veggies each season. I am passionate about helping parents feel good about the food they feed their kids.

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The information on this website is designed for educational and entertainment purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for informed medical advice or care. You should not use the information found on this website to diagnose or treat any health problems or illnesses. Always seek the advice of a physician or other qualified healthcare providers (such as a pediatric dietitian) with any questions regarding a medical condition, nutritional issue or any eating/feeding problem.