Healthy Snack Wednesday: Visit the Farmers Market

Here in Massachusetts, it's farmers market season all year long. But now that it's June you can visit wonderful markets every day of the week! From downtown to MetroWest to North and South shores there are markets to explore.

Local farmers markets aren’t just for freshly harvested fruits and vegetables. Stop by any market and there will be a wide variety of vendors. There will be traditional farm stand booths with produce and farm raised products. Almost every market around the Boston area has booths with freshly made cheese and locally raised meats. In addition to the growers and farmers, there will also be food entrepreneurs with prepared salads, jams, baked goods, smoked fish, and more locally made products.

Smaht Fahm honeys and jams at the Boston University Market

Seta and her delicious prepared foods
 at the Copley Market

Now, I can't guarantee that the pastries and sweets you pick up from Danish Pastry House or Tatte Cookies and Cakes are a healthy Wednesday snack. But combined with fresh fruits, vegetables, and healthy dairy they go perfectly. I'm a believer in moderation. If you walk to the market and pick up a healthy selection of items, I see nothing wrong with an almond macaroon (just $1!) or a cinnamon brioche rose.

So check out the list of Farmers Markets in your area (http://www.localinseason.com/markets.htm\ or http://www.mass.gov/agr/massgrown/map.htm), get up from the computer and get outside! Happy healthy snacking!

Healthy Snack Wednesday: Bright, Fresh, and Healthy

I just came back from a fantastic weekend in Washington DC at Eat Write Retreat filled with wonderful people, inspirational seminars, and plenty of food. This food blogger conference was full of practical, hands-on activities mixed with a good dose of expert panels and networking.  I'm still trying to process all of the great information I took in, so a full recap will follow later.

Not all of the weekend eats (chili cheeseburger) make the cut for Healthy Snack Wednesday, but there was one dish that fits perfectly! On Saturday afternoon we had the opportunity to attend a cooking demonstration and class at CulinAerie, a cooking school in the heart of downtown DC. Founder Susan Holt created three delicious and easy recipes using endive and other fresh ingredients.

Left to Right: Me, Maisha, Christina, and Isabelle

My fellow participants and I learned proper knife skills techniques and tips to create beautiful and flavorful dishes.

The dish that makes the Healthy Snack Wednesday cut is a salad of endive, avocado, tarragon, and grapefruit. This was bright, fresh, and healthy! Depending on how adept at supreming a grapefruit you are, this is a quick and easy recipe (I was not very smooth...).

As I was thinking about this recipe tonight, I realized that it fits in perfectly with the celebration of May as National Mediterranean Diet Month. I've been checking out recipes and information from Oldways since I found them through twitter last year. Oldways has been promoting the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet since 1993 and are continuing to spread the word. I'm not a believer in diets - but what they really promote is eating fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meats, and healthy fats. That is something that I believe in!

Take a look at their Mediterranean Diet Pyramid (you can download a copy here) - there are great tips to keep in mind for healthy eating. Looking at it, I realize that I actually do most of their recommendations. I ALWAYS eat breakfast, try to add fruits and vegetables to every meal, and include healthy dairy in my diet.

As part of National Mediterranean Diet Month, Oldways offered to give one of my readers a signed copy of “The Oldways Table,” by K. Dun Gifford and Sara Baer-Sinnott. All you need to do to win is leave a comment with your favorite Mediterranean inspired dish or tell me how you incorporate healthy habits into your diet. I'll pick the winner next Tuesday and announce the winner on Wednesday. For now, I hope that you enjoy this recipe.

Salad of Endive, Avocado, Tarragon, and Grapefruit
Recipe Created by Susan Holt, Chef/Instructor at CulinAerie
Serves 4


8 bulbs red endive
1 large grapefruit
1 medium ripe avocado
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons chopped tarragon leaves (I forgot to add this!)
Finishing salt and fresh pepper

Cut the endive bulbs on a bias into 1 inch pieces, discarding the core
Supreme the grapefruit by removing the rind with a sharp knife and separating the segments from the membrane
Set segments aside in a bowl and juice remaining membrane over the segments
Slice the avocado open lengthwise and remove the pit
Using a large spoon, remove the avocado half from the skin
Using a sharp knife, slice the avocado lengthwise into thin slices, leaving them attached at the root end
Use your hand or the back of the knife to gently press down and fan the avocado on a serving plate

Sprinkle the chopped endive around the avocado and place grapefruit segments on the avocado
Combine the olive oil with the grapefruit juice and tarragon
Spoon over the avocado, endive, and grapefruit
Sprinkle plate with finishing salt and pepper
Enjoy!

Cutting board, knives, bowl, measuring cups and spoons, serving plate and utensils


Don't forget! Leave a comment with your favorite Mediterranean inspired dish or snack to be entered to win a signed copy of the Oldways Table. Happy health snacking!

Wine From California, By Way of Social Networking

I love networking – in person or online. I love to meet new people, share stories, and often find out what a small world it is! Online networking and social media let you really see the connections like friends of friends, shared interests, and new opportunities. Over the past year, I’ve connected with many of my twitter and blog friends on LinkedIn. I noticed a few months ago that many of them started joining food related networking groups and thought that it would be a good idea to join too.

Not long after joining the Food Blogger Connection group on LinkedIn I saw a post from Jonathan Boring, Social Media Marketing Manager from the California Wine Club. He was looking for everyday wine drinkers who would be interested in trying out some of their wine selections. The criteria for reviewers were pretty simple; bloggers without expert wine knowledge. That’s me! While I’ve been honing my tasting skills, I do not consider myself an expert in any way. I generally know what I like and have a preference for roses, cabernet francs (or blends with it), and whites on the drier or grassier/citrusy side (very technical description). And after my trip to Spain last year, I’ve been seeking out new and interesting Spanish wines to try.

Back to the California Wine Club - a family business that has been shipping wines since 1990. A quick look at the website will give you a great overview and history of the business. Bruce and Pam Boring select wines to send out as part of their monthly wine club. They have a variety of different memberships – from all California producers to small international wines to aged cabernet. They work with smaller wineries that produce limited quantities. For us here in the Northeast, that might mean wines that aren’t available regularly in our neck of the woods.

I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to participate, due to the restrictions on wine shipping to MA. However the California Wine Club ships by certified freight carrier, so the wine was promptly delivered right to my door. For my first review, I received two bottles from the Robledo Family Winery in the Sonoma/Carneros area of Sonoma. The well packed bottles came with a 12-page booklet describing the wines, the winery and winemakers, recipes, and information about more wine club offerings. This shipment included a 2005 “Los Braceros” Red blend and a 2007 “The Seven Brothers” Lake County Sauvignon Blanc.

This post will cover the red wine, Los Braceros Red Blend. The wine is a blend of equal parts Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah. The tasting notes in the booklet were extensive noting awards, the color, flavors, aromas, weather conditions, aging process, recipes and more. The suggested retail for this wine is $30 and the restaurant price is listed as $45-$50. The wine was bottled in July 2007 and released in September 2008. Only 3000 cases of the wine were produced. I decided to taste the wine alone, and then incorporate into a recipe and enjoy it with the meal.

Using skills I’ve picked up at various wine tasting events, I started first by pouring a glass and observing the color. A nice, deep red (almost a self portrait up there!). Next, I swirled and sniffed. Then a small sip to let it spread over my tongue. Spicy, peppery, and tangy with a little bite. Using a very scientific explanation – it made my tongue tingle and want to take another sip. Not my favorite in terms of red as a sipping wine, but I could see how you would like this wine if you liked a spicy and peppery red. For me, I thought I would like it better with food (and I did). I could imagine it paired with a nice juicy steak right off the grill.

The recipe included in the booklet was a recipe from Maria Robledo for Chiles Rellenos. She picked a bold and spicy dish to pair with the family’s red wine blend. I decided to make a bold red wine tomato sauce and meatballs to pair with the wine. I started by pulling all of the vegetables out of the refrigerator and chopping them into equal sizes for sautéing. In incorporated the wine while sautéing sliced mushrooms. I let the wine come to a bubble and reduce with the mushrooms. The mushroom sauce would have been delicious on its own topping grilled chicken or steak (note for next time!). It had a beautiful color, aroma, and flavor.

I paired the sauce with homemade meatballs over spaghetti and served with toasted bread. The wine gave the sauce a great kick and depth of flavor and paired well as a drink.

I’m excited to open up the Sauvignon Blanc next and share my review. I think it will be a perfect companion to some of my favorite spring dishes.

Don’t forget to check out the California Club website. They have a few different membership options and a lot of fun information about the wineries that they work with. What’s nice about their membership is that you don’t have to commit to a full year – there are no joining fees and you can cancel at anytime. You can also pick all red or all white and pick shipments for monthly, every other month, or quarterly delivery. If you do decide to check them out, make sure to mention that I sent you. You can also keep up with them on their Facebook page.

Los Braceros Hearty Tomato Sauce

1 cup each chopped:
celery
carrots
onions
fresh spinach
mushrooms

Olive oil
3/4 cup Los Braceros red wine blend
2 cans fire roasted diced tomatoes, no salt added
1 can tomato paste
Salt and pepper

Set up a slow cooker or large pot with lid
Pour diced tomatoes and tomato paste into the pot
Assemble chopped celery, carrots and onions together
In a large sauté pan, cook celery, carrots, and onions over medium heat in a little olive oil until softened
Remove from the pan and add to the slow cooker or pot and return skillet to the stove
Add mushrooms to the pan and cook until they start to brown
Add wine, bring to a bubble and then let cook for 3-4 minutes until wine starts to reduce
Pour mushrooms and wine into the slow cooker or pot and return skillet to the stove
Add the spinach to the skillet and wilt
Add wilted spinach to the slow cooker or pot and mix together well
Set the slow cooker to the high 4-hour setting, put the lid on and let cook
I prefer a smoother sauce, so after 4 hours I used my immersion blender to blend the vegetables together


Quick and Easy Meatballs
I made these on a Sunday and had plenty of leftovers for lunches and dinners throughout the week. I served them with pasta, as subs, and just on their own.

Makes 24 tablespoon sized meatballs

2 lbs ground beef
2 eggs
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/4 cup finely diced onions
Salt and Pepper

Preheat oven to 325 degrees
Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with non-stick spray
In a large bowl, beat the two eggs together
Add ground beef, parsley, and onions and use your hands to combine
Add breadcrumbs, starting with 1/2 cup
Mix together, adding breadcrumbs until the meat is still moist, but holds together well
Using a tablespoon, gently form meatballs and place them on the baking sheet
Bake for 10 minutes, and then flip them over
Bake for 10-15 more minutes until fully cooked through
Serve with sauce and pasta or on a toasted roll with cheese!


Disclosure: I was sent two bottles of wine at no charge from the California Wine Club to review. I was not compensated financially. The opinions are completely mine!

Healthy Snack Wednesday: Strategic Snacking

Happy Healthy Snack Wednesday! When things get busy, I tend to rely on some of my favorite snacks to fuel me through the day. Today's post will feature a few of my favorite snacks and my newest go-to healthy breakfast. I hope you enjoy!

Before we get to the snacking, first is the winner of last week's delicious giveaway from Jody Maroni's Sausage Kingdom. Congratulations to MaryBeth, who said "I'd love to try the smoked chicken mole... sounds intriguing :-)!" I hope you and Timmy enjoy the 5lbs of sausage! I'll contact you with details on how to pick out your flavors.

Now on to the snacks. I'm a snacker at work, I tend to eat smaller breakfasts and lunches and supplement them with a snack around 10 am and 4 pm. I try to follow the guideline for 1-2-3 snacking that I learned from Boston University's Nutrition and Fitness Center. They are a great resource on campus for students, faculty, and staff. I took advantage of their nutritional counseling service for staff to help fine tune my meal planning and eating. What I like best about their nutritional advice is that it's easy to follow and leaves you with a lot of room to customize your own plan. Their 1-2-3 snack plan calls for foods that give you:

1. Energy You Need Right Now (whole grain crackers, bread, chips, cereal, etc.)
2. Filling Power (non-starchy vegetables or fruit like carrots, celery, apples, or grapes)
3. Protein to Make it Last (dairy/lean meat or plant protein like nut butter, yogurt, hummus, and nuts)

I took this information from a handout from Boston University Nutrition and Fitness Center. 


For example, yesterday I knew I had a meeting that was going to run past my normal lunch time. I made a snack of whole grain crackers, a medium apple, and a Laughing Cow mini-babybel cheese. It helped me make it to lunchtime without passing out from hunger.

With those guidelines in mind, here are some of my favorite snacks!

I love to mix crunchy cereal like grape-nuts or granola into my yogurt. Earlier this year I found a fantastic lactose-free yogurt and haven't stopped buying it! This is great afternoon snack to fuel my train commute home. If you don't have yogurt, you can also mix grape-nuts into a cup of applesauce.

I don't eat these snacks together, but wanted to show a picture of some of my favorites. I will often make my own trail mix with dried cherries, dried cranberries, pepitas, and nuts. This way you can add exactly what you like.

One of my all-time favorite snacks is olives. Yes, they are high in fat (if you eat the whole can like my hubby). But I like to have olives and carrots mixed together along with some crackers or cheese.

And LARABARS are great! They are all fruit and nuts and they taste great! I always go for the apple pie and cherry pie flavors. This week I decided to give the cinnamon roll flavor a try. Some of my other favorites include Clif Z bars (the kid bars) and Kashi Pumpkin Spice Flax crunchy granola bars.

When I'm snacking at home, I love to pop up a fresh bowl of popcorn. My popcorn maker requires minimal oil, which keeps the popcorn light and healthy. Since I was a little girl, I've always paired my popcorn with a large, ice cold glass of orange juice. What's your drink of choice with popcorn?

And last for this week's post, my newest go-to breakfast! I usually eat in the car on the way to getting dropped off at the train station. Keeping the 1-2-3 principles in mind, I put together a healthy breakfast that is ready in less than 3 minutes! Spinach, egg and cheese wrapped in a whole wheat tortilla.

I tried to get an interior picture on the way to work, but the roads were pretty bumpy and they all came out blurry. This breakfast is a great start to the day! But you can see that it isn't enough to make from 7:30 a.m. all the way until 12:00 or 12:30 pm. That's where the snacks come in.

3 Minute Breakfast Wrap
1-2 eggs (I usually do 1)
Handful of fresh spinach, stems removed
1 inch block of cheddar, cut into small pieces
1 8-inch whole wheat tortilla

Spray the bottom of a small microwaveable bowl with cooking spray
Crack the egg into the bowl and break up the yolk a little bit
Cover the egg completely with the spinach leaves
Microwave for 1 minute on Power-level 8 (this may vary by microwave)
The egg will be just set and the spinach will have wilted
Place the egg & spinach onto the tortilla and top with the cheese pieces
Wrap like a burrito and then wrap in a paper towel
Microwave for 15 additional seconds to warm the tortilla and melt cheese
Enjoy!

The Return of Healthy Snack Wednesday (and a giveaway)

Healthy Snack Wednesday is back! I had class on Wednesday nights this semester and that made it difficult to post a new healthy snack idea each week. I still had plenty of snacks, just no time to share them with you! Now that class is done for the semester, I’m excited to bring back Healthy Snack Wednesday (HSW)! For the return to HSW, I have a delicious new treat to share (plus a giveaway!). Take a look at past HSW entries here.

Back in March I was contacted by the marketing manager at Jody Maroni’s Sausage Kingdom. She asked if I was interested in trying out their new low-sodium sausage minis. They sounded like the perfect match for HSW – 75% less sodium than their full-size counterparts and just 40 calories per serving. Here's a look at the nutrition information.

First, have you heard of Jody Maroni’s Sausage Kingdom? I had never heard of them so I headed over to their website to find out. It turns out that Jody Maroni’s Sausage Kingdom has been serving up gourmet sausages and hot dogs on Venice Beach since 1979. Now they have multiple franchise locations and sell their products online on their website. And last week I saw them featured in one of those fun Cooking Channel shows featuring great eats (I can't remember which one)! According to their website, their “gourmet sausage is made the old-fashioned way coarsely-ground with love, care and only the finest, freshest ingredients; and it is made the new-fangled way reflecting contemporary cuisine, new health concerns and a desire and demand for more flavor and value in every bite.”

Logo from jodymaroni.com

I could definitely see that in the sausage minis that I sampled. I received three flavors to try – chicken mango, chicken apple, and turkey maple. Here’s a close-up look at the chicken apple. You can see the chunks of apple and the spices. All of the sausage minis are made with a natural lamb casing. It had a good snap and kept in the the juiciness of the ingredients.

Time for a confession – I don’t know how to cook sausage! We never buy it, since we don’t eat pork in the house and haven’t fallen in love with any turkey or chicken sausage from the grocery store. I turned to my favorite sources (Joy of Cooking and other books in my collection) with no luck. Why would anyone just write “put it in a hot pan and cook until done”? So I heated up my skillet to medium, added a few sausage minis and kept turning until they seemed completely cooked. I also may have used my instant-read meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the sausage mini. Hey, I’ve never cooked it before and just wanted to be sure!

We tried the turkey maple first for breakfast. I served it on the side of scrambled eggs and whole wheat cheese quesadilla. Yes, that would make for a great breakfast burrito but I love lots of components to my meal.

The turkey maple was my favorite – I loved the maple flavor and I especially loved that it wasn’t terrible for me! The chicken apple was filled with juicy chunks of apple. All of the flavors were juicy and full of flavor. These are great to add extra protein to breakfast (or really any meal). This weekend I plan to turn the chicken sausages into 'pigs' in a blanket for a get together. I think they will be delicious! Thanks to Jody Maroni’s for letting me sample their new products!

Giveaway!
Jody Maroni’s Sausage Kingdom has generously offered to give one lucky winner a t-shirt and 5 lbs of  sausages (your choice of any flavors, including the minis)! You can enter up to four times – be sure to leave a separate comment for each entry. Winner will be selected by Random.org and announced next Wednesday, May 11. All entries must be received by 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday, May 10. Winner must be in the continental U.S. The prize will be shipped directly from Jody Maroni’s Sausage Kingdom.

How to Enter:
Leave a comment below letting me know your all-time favorite sausage flavor or what sausage flavor you'd try if you win (check out https://www.jodymaroni.com/catalog/ for all their flavors). (1 entry)

Like Jody Maroni's Sausage Kingdom on Facebook. (1 entry)

Follow Jody Maroni's Sausage Kingdom on Twitter and tweet, “I just entered to win from @GoodCookDoris & @JodyMaronis - you can too at http://goo.gl/06Jm8” (1 entry)

Subscribe to Good Cook Doris by email or become a follower via the Google Friend Connect widget on the right sidebar.

Full disclosure: I was contacted by Jody Maroni’s and provided with complementary samples of sausage minis. I was not compensated monetarily or obligated to review the products. All opinions are completely my own!

Great for Passover, or Year Round!

For our second night Passover dinner, we enjoyed dinner with the hubby's sister, her husband, and our three nephews. I cooked up a mix of old and new recipes for us to enjoy. Everything we had for dinner is great for Passover, but would be wonderful any time of the year!

I love to make roasted turkey breast. It is easy and it lends itself well to being creative with flavorings. Using some of the herbs leftover from the lamb recipe and my favorite ingredient for flavoring turkey (oranges) I roasted a flavorful main dish! I used a boneless turkey breast, because it was on sale at the grocery store. My preference is a bone-in breast as it stays more moist, but with a little extra juicing liquid the boneless breast comes out just as well. I followed the cooking instructions in my trusty Joy of Cooking book, so I won't repeat them here. Here's a link to a past turkey breast recipe that I've made - and my best advice is to use an instant read thermometer to check for the appropriate internal temperature.

Roasted Turkey with Sage and Orange

1 orange, sliced into rounds
1 orange, rind removed and juiced
4-6 fresh sage leaves
1-2 sprigs of fresh thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil

In a shallow roasting pan, spread a thin layer of olive oil on the bottom
Arrange the orange slices in a row and place the turkey breast directly on top
Pour the juice from the second orange on top of the turkey breast
Place the orange rind, sage, and thyme on top of the turkey
Season with salt and pepper
Roast until done
Let turkey sit for 15 minutes before slicing

I served the turkey with leftover roasted potatoes from the night before and a delicious mix of roasted white and green asparagus.

For dessert, I found a delicious recipe for Passover Almond Macaroons in Joan Nathan's Quiches, Kugels, and Couscous. I have a few issues with Passover desserts. They can be heavy - and chocolate! We're not huge chocolate lovers here in the Good Cook Doris kitchen which means the standard flourless chocolate cakes won't do it for us. Canned macaroons and boxed Passover cakes aren't bad, but they aren't great either. This recipe was simple and delicious. I consulted my KitchenAid Mixer book for assistance on whipping the egg whites to the correct almost-stiff temperature and channeled my inner pastry chef to try to fold in the almond flour without totally ruining the perfectly whipped egg whites. I'm happy to say that these were a success! With only 4 ingredients these macaroons are the perfect light treat to whip up anytime!

Passover Almond Macaroons
Adapted from Joan Nathan in Quiches, Kugels, and Couscous

4 large egg whites
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 cups almond flour
1/4 teaspoon almond extract

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (I had 2 baking sheets)
In a small bowl, mix sugar and almond flour together well
Add egg whites to the bowl of an electric mixer
Whip until almost-stiff peaks (stands up straight when whisk is lifted, but not too stiff)
Fold sugar and almond flour mixture into the egg whites in three batches
Drop teaspoons of batter onto the baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes, or until just dry (mine took closer to 20 minutes)

A look at the golden brown bottom of the macaroon:

Passover Eats: Part 2

Seder plate with traditional shank bone, charoset, parsley,
two bitter herbs and a roasted egg.

In keeping with this year's theme of combining traditional with modern, I chose to shake up Seder menu. The hubby had our own Seder on Monday night and had a lovely Passover dinner with family on Tuesday.  For our meal, I wanted to cook something new and decided to turn to one of my newest cookbooks. Joan Nathan's Quiches, Kugels, and Couscous is a wonderful book about Jewish cuisine in France. I'll call it a book - more than a cookbook - because of the wonderful stories and history that accompany the recipes. After reading through a number of recipes I chose Membre d'Agneau a la Judaique (Roast Lamb Jewish Style). Joan describes the origin of the recipe was from a 1656 cookbook and that this was one of the first known uses of "Judaique" or "Jewish style" in a French recipe. This recipe gave me an opportunity to use the tin of anchovies I impulsively purchased in my Passover shopping spree. And since the anchovies are chopped and tucked into the lamb to melt away, the hubby wouldn't even notice!

Also new for the Seder was homemade horseradish, which was used in my new Passover deviled eggs, and New England style charoset. I went into my files of saved magazine recipes and found a Cooking Light recipe for a New England charoset that used concord grape wine, maple syrup, and cranberries. Perfect for a local food enthusiast like me! Recipes for the horseradish and deviled eggs were already posted, here I'll include the recipe for lamb and charoset along with a photo recap of all of our dishes.

Fresh horseradish - I don't think I'll ever buy it again!

Slicing the horseradish root into thin slices before processing

Fresh horseradish spicing up the gefilte fish

The beautiful bright red of the beet horseradish made equally beautiful horseradish deviled eggs topped with parsley!

After all these delicious appetizers, we still had room for the lamb. The recipe called for a top round or shoulder roast of lamb. I wasn't able to find that cut at my store, so I substituted a boneless leg roast of the same weight.

Membre d'Agneau a la Juadaique
Adapted from Joan Nathan in Quiches, Kugels, and Couscous

3.5 pound boneless leg of lamb, tied together (the store did this for me)
Salt and Pepper to season the meat
3 anchovy filets, cut into three of four piece each
6 cloves of garlic, peeled and cut into slivers
4 springs fresh thyme
3 springs fresh sage
Small potatoes, I used a bag of small red potatoes - about 18 small potatoes
1 pound zucchini, cut into chunks
1 cup of water
3 tablespoons olive oil
Juice and grated peel from 1 orange

Preheat oven to 450 degrees
In a roasting pan, spread 1 tablespoon of olive oil on the bottom
Add the roast and season with salt and pepper on all sides
Using a small sharp knife, pierce the lamb in a few spots creating small slits
Insert the pieces of anchovies and garlic into the slits
Add the potatoes and zucchini to the roasting pan
Add 1 cup of water to the pan
Pour the remaining olive oil over the vegetables
Top the lamb and vegetables with the remaining olive oil
Place in the oven and roast at 450 for 20 minutes
Lower the heat to 350 degrees and contine to cook for 1.5 hours or until the internal temperature measures 140 degrees
Remove from the oven and place the roast and vegetables on a separate plate
Pour pan juices into a medium skillet and add orange juice and orange zest
Cook, until reduced by half
Adjust salt and pepper to taste and serve

Summary:
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: Approximately 2 hours
Roasting pan, sharp knife, cutting board, platter, skillet, measuring cups and spoons


New England Style Charoset

This recipe was from a Cooking Light magazine clipping I saved from back in 2003, celebrating local New England ingredients. I like chunky charoset, so I did not finely dice the apples, mince the cranberries, or grind the walnuts. Adjust the size of the cuts for your preferred consistency.

3 gala apples, cored and then diced
1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries
1/4 cup Concord grape kosher wine (like Manischewitz)
4 teaspoons maple syrup (I used Grade A medium amber)
1/3 cup chopped walnuts

Combine apples, cranberries, wine, and maple syrup in a bowl and mix
Stir in walnuts
Refrigerate for 2 hours in an airtight container

Summary:
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 0 minutes
Cutting board and knife, measuring cups and spoons, serving bowl, spoon


Coming up next:
Passover Eats: Part 3 will cover recipes good for Passover or any time of the year. Stay tuned for matzoh balls, roasted turkey breast with fresh sage and orange, roasted green and white asparagus, and almond macaroons.  And don't miss Part 4 - a Passover edition of snack dinner from the hubby.

Passover Eats: Part 1

Last year at this time, things were crazy and I didn't post anything for Passover! This year, things are equally crazy but I am setting aside time to prepare for Passover and think about the upcoming holiday. Passover starts on Monday night, April 18th. That means there is still time to work on your menus and stock up your house with Passover treats.

As I mentioned in my last post, I was thrilled to partner with The Urban Grape (a fantastic wine shop), Robin from Doves and Figs and Sara from Whole Foods Market in Brighton to put on a Passover Wine and Food Tasting. You can check out a recap of the event on their website. One of my contributions to the event was a write up of recipes to include in a booklet for all attendees to take home. I had fun putting together the recipes and want to share them with you as well. I hope you enjoy!

For Passover celebration, I focus on both honoring tradition and bringing a modern interpretation to the holiday celebration. For me, that means keeping the basic structure and menu that my family had at their Seder, but changing it to reflect where I am now. For example, keeping the same menu, but using ingredients from the local farmers market. That gives a sense of place, and community to the meal.

The recipes below take familiar Passover ingredients and put a new twist on them!

Roasted Beets & Asparagus Appetizer
Serves 6

Roasted beets and asparagus are bright, fresh spring flavors. Bright orange golden beets and the addition of orange infused olive oil ties the dish to the modern practice of including an orange on the Seder plate, to represent Miriam.

2 medium golden beets, unpeeled
6-8 spears of asparagus
1/8 cup toasted pecans, chopped
1 inch slice of fresh goat cheese, crumbled
2 tablespoons Orange infused olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
Kosher Salt

Preheat oven to 450 degrees
Line a baking sheet with foil and cover the foil with a thin layer of kosher salt
Place the unpeeled beets on the salt and put in the oven for 45 minutes
After 45 minutes, place the asparagus spear on top of the salt on the baking sheet
Return beets and asparagus to the oven for 15 additional minutes
After 15 minutes, remove from oven
Place asparagus in a small bowl and toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil and a pinch of salt from the baking sheet
Allow beets to cool for a few minutes and then peel
Slice beets into 1/8 inch thick slices
Arrange beets and asparagus on a serving platter
Evenly distribute toasted pecans and crumbled goat cheese on top
Drizzle lightly with balsamic vinegar and remaining tablespoon of olive oil
This dish is best served at room temperature

Passover Deviled Eggs with Horseradish and Parsley
This appetizer combines familiar items from the Seder plate in a new way. The bright red color of beet-horseradish contrasts beautifully with the bright green parsley and white hard boiled egg.

12 hard boiled eggs, peeled
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2-3 tablespoons red horseradish
3-4 tablespoons juice from red horseradish (to add color & additional flavor)
Pinch of salt and pepper
1/2 tablespoon chopped parsley

Slice eggs lengthwise, remove yolks carefully and place in a mixing bowl
Add mayonnaise, horseradish, and horseradish juice
Mash the yolks and ingredients until smooth
Season with salt and pepper
Using a spoon & spatula fill each egg white (or fill a plastic sandwich bag and cut the corner to pipe the filling into the eggs)
Sprinkle chopped parsley over the top as garnish
Serve chilled

I plan to serve these eggs with the contrasting Beet Pickled Deviled Eggs that I made for Thanksgiving. I think the opposite colors will look great!

And don't forget dessert!

Maple-Chocolate Matzo Crunch
This dessert is a standard offering for many families during Passover. Taking advantage of local maple syrup, this is a new take on an old favorite. Maple sugar can be found from local Maple Houses and is increasingly becoming available at grocery stores.

3-4 matzos (you may need more)
1 cup of butter
1 cup maple sugar
1 tablespoon maple syrup (Grade A Dark Amber or Grade B)
2 oz. chocolate chips (semi-sweet or milk-chocolate)
1/4 cup toasted pecans, chopped

*For the spice lovers, I made a few pieces of green chili maple chocolate matzo. I sprinkled green chili powder on the melted chocolate before sprinkling with nuts. It was delicious and I am thinking about making a full batch of spicy chocolate matzo crunch for next week!

Preheat oven to 450 degrees
Line a baking sheet with foil and arrange matzo pieces in a single layer
In a medium saucepan, combine butter, maple sugar, and maple syrup
Bring to a boil over medium heat and boil for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally with a heatproof spatula
Remove from heat and pour evenly over matzo
Bake maple covered matzo for 4 minutes
Remove from oven and sprinkle chocolate chips evenly over the matzo pieces
Return to oven for 1-2 minutes, until chocolate is melted (the chips will still hold their shape)
Using a spatula, spread the chocolate on the matzo, creating a smooth layer
Sprinkle toasted nuts on top of the chocolate
Allow to cool completely and break into smaller pieces
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator

What's your favorite twist on a traditional Passover food or family recipe? I'm always on the lookout for new ideas!

Countdown to Passover: Event, Recipes, and More!

This year, Passover starts on Monday, April 18. That's good news for all the Boston Marathon runners - they can still enjoy a pre-race pasta dinner and hydrate with Gatorade along the way. For the rest of us, that means that we have a day off from work to watch the race and cook up our Seder feasts.

With about two weeks until Passover, it's the perfect time to start planning menus. Everyone has their favorite holiday foods but its always fun to put a new twist on your old favorites. I enjoy using local and seasonal ingredients in my Passover dishes, and also taking traditional ingredients and using them in new ways.

Are you looking for new recipes and new wines to add to your celebration? I'm excited to be partnering with the lovely folks at The Urban Grape for a fun Passover food and wine tasting that will give you both!  On Sunday, April 10 from 7-9 PM, come by The Urban Grape for a fun-filled Passover Food and Wine tasting! The tasting at The Urban Grape is a collaboration with with Whole Foods Market Brighton, Robin from Doves and Figs and me! Here's the event blurb:

"We’ll take a walk down memory lane as we pair traditional Passover treats like your Grandmother used to make – think chocolate covered Matzo, Charoset and Jelly Roll – with cutting edge Kosher wines from around the world. While we eat, our local farm-to-table experts will be on hand to help you think of ways to incorporate local foods and updated recipes into your passover meal. With an eye turned toward tradition, we’ll give you the tools to pull off an inspired Passover meal.  RSVP necessary for admittance – events@theurbangrape.com. SPACE IS LIMITED!"

An added bonus, if you attend the event you'll get to take home recipes for new Passover dishes! My recipes include chocolate maple matzo crunch and hard boiled eggs with horseradish and parsley (just to name a few). Hope to see you there!

Here's a look at some of the Passover dishes I've blogged about over the past two years. I'll be adding to the collection this year, stay tuned!

Passover Eats Part 1: Brisket with Concord Grape Wine

Passover Eats Part 2: Chocolate Toffee Matzo Crunch
Passover Eats Part 4: Roasted Beets & Asparagus

Here's a preview of this year's updated beets & asparagus recipe:

Passover Eats Part 5: Roasted Turkey Breast

Passover Eats Part 7: Fresh Horseradish

Here are some great Passover friendly dishes:
Quick and Easy Frittata

Beet Pickled Deviled Eggs (just make sure your mustard & mayo are Kosher for Passover)
Farmers Market Bounty Salad (skip the garbanzos and corn)

There are a lot to choose from, just remember to have fun! There's no need to panic, just plan to enjoy fresh fruits, vegetables, and sustainable meat and seafood. Think about it - it's a good way to focus on healthy eating!

What are your favorite Passover foods - traditional and new? I'd love to hear about them!