Fruits and Veggies — Cooking During Stolen Moments

BLT Panzanella

May 17, 2009 By Kate 7 Comments

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Did you know that May is National Salad Month? Well, it is, and so this week we will be celebrating salads! I have at least three salad recipes that I plan to share throughout this week.

This first one I’m sharing is for BLT Panzanella. (Apparently in addition to it being National Salad Month, it’s also bacon month around our house.) I have been wanting to make panzanella, or bread salad, for a long time. I’m not sure why I haven’t gotten around to it yet. As much as we love bread in this house, it was sure to be a hit.

And this definitely was! We all love BLTs, so I thought this would be a good introduction for us to the panzanella. I contemplated on a few different dressing ideas, but finally settled on a vinaigrette. We really liked it with the vinaigrette, though I might try one of my other options next time. The two others I have in mind are a simple aioli or a hot bacon dressing. I think the aioli would give the salad more of an authentic BLT taste, but I’ve never met a salad dressed with hot bacon dressing that I didn’t like. It will definitely be fun to experiment with this.

BLT Panzanella

1/3 c. olive oil
2 T. red wine or balsamic vinegar
2 t. Italian seasoning
1 t. sugar
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 lb. cherry or Roma tomatoes, quartered or halved
3 T. olive oil, plus more as needed
1 lb. Italian or other crusty bread, cut into cubes
1/2 lb bacon, cut into small pieces, cooked, drained and cooled
4 c. torn lettuce (or 1/2 bag salad blend)
1/4 c. sliced green onions

1. In a small glass or plastic bowl, whisk together 1/3 c. olive oil, vinegar, Italian seasoning, sugar and salt and pepper to taste. Stir in tomatoes and refrigerate. This tastes best if made a few hours ahead of time although that is certainly not necessary.

2. In a large skillet, heat 3 T. olive oil over medium heat. Stir in bread cubes and drizzle with a little additional oil. Cook and stir until bread is lightly browned and crisp, adding more oil as needed. Let cool.

3. In a salad bowl, toss together the cooled bread cubes, cooled bacon and lettuce. You can prepare this ahead of time too and just cover and refrigerate at this point.

4. Just before serving, toss the salad with the vinaigrette and tomatoes. Enjoy!

Stop by A Southern Fairytale for more Mouthwatering Monday, 5 Minutes For Mom for more Tackle It Tuesday and $5 Dinners for the $5 Dinner Challenge.

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Sweet Potato Fries w/ Sweet Dipping Sauce

May 5, 2009 By Kate 14 Comments

I am not really a fan of sweet potatoes. I usually skip all of the sweet potato dishes during the holidays and very rarely prepare them at home. Sweet potato fries are the one exception to this.

Whenever we eat out, if sweet potato fries are on the menu, I’ll often order them. I’ve tried making them at home in the oven, but they never turn out as good. I think I’ve discovered the trick though – deep fried sweet potato fries. I understand this cuts down on the healthiness of them, but man are they good!

If you’ve made sweet potato fries in the past and weren’t happy with how they turned out, you should definitely give these a shot. And even if you already have a method that you prefer, try this super easy but delicious dip next time you make them.

Sweet Potato Fries w/ Sweet Dipping Sauce

Oil for frying
2 -3 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into fries
Salt
1/2 c. sour cream
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. crushed pineapple

1. Fill a medium sauce pan about halfway full with oil. Heat over medium high heat until hot. (I never measure with a thermometer. Instead, I test the oil with the handle of a wooden spoon. If the oil bubbles around the handle, I know it’s hot enough.)

2. Add a handful of sweet potato fries and cook until slightly browned and crisp, about 5-6 minutes/batch. Drain on paper towel or cheesecloth lined plate and sprinkle with salt immediately. Keep warm in an oven set at its lowest setting. Continue in batches until done.

3. For the sauce: Combine sour cream, brown sugar and pineapple in a small bowl. Mix well. Refrigerate until serving. This tastes fine served right away or prepared up to 6 hours in advance.

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Stuffed Artichoke

May 4, 2009 By Kate 28 Comments

Growing up in Chicago, I was a huge fan of Gino’s East Pizza. Of course I loved their traditional, deep dish, Chicago style pizza. But I also loved the stuffed artichoke appetizer. While they no longer serve it, I’ve never lost my taste for it.

So for a long time, I’ve wanted to tackle a re-creation of that dish. And now that it is spring and the artichokes are plentiful on the grocery store shelves, I decided it was as good a time as any.

I am so glad I finally decided to make this. The stuffed artichoke turned out delicious. It is a perfect appetizer for our family and I definitely would not hesitate to serve it to company. It’s also surprisingly easy to make.

I don’t know if it necessarily measures up to the ones I remember, but then again, do food re-creations ever live up to our memories?

Stuffed Artichoke

1 large artichoke
1/2 c. bread crumbs
1 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1 T. each salt, garlic powder, Italian Seasoning
1/2 t. black pepper
1/4 c. olive oil

1. Cut artichoke stem so that it stands flat. Trim the pointy tips off of all the leaves. Place in a medium saucepan, cover with water and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 15-20 minutes, until artichoke is tender. To test the tenderness, stick a butter knife or the tines of fork into the stem. If it slides in easily, the artichoke is done.

2. While the artichoke cooks, combine remaining ingredients in a small bowl.

3. Carefully remove the center bundle of leaves from the artichoke and scoop out the choke with a spoon. Using a teaspoon or your fingers, stuff some filling in between all of the leaves. If there is any extra filling, put it in the center of the artichoke. Bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes, until the filling is golden brown.