cremini mushroom & collard green whole wheat galettes

Note: This post was previously published here as a part of my freelance work.

Pie crust is one thing many cooks strive to perfect in their lifetimes. It’s finicky and temperamental, but when you get it right, that flaky melt-in-your-mouth deliciousness makes it all worthwhile. Add in the desire to make it wheat, and you throw a whole new curve ball into the game. 

Here, I adapted a galette crust from the folks at Tartine, and filled it with delicious local cremini mushrooms, collard greens, leeks, tarragon, and horseradish quark. I love the Tartine books, but I will admit that they are not for beginners. Their methods get so precise, and often a little tool pretentious. Ultimately, they do know what they’re talking about though, and even if you don’t get each step precisely as they describe it, you still end up with something that’s pretty darn good. 

The meaty mushroom filling in these particular galettes sings tastefully against the nuttier whole wheat crust. Folded up into individual portions, they make a beautiful treat for guests. Serve them for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, and they will make sense. Deep into fall and heading into winter, they are a nice hearty treat.

Ingredients:

For the crust:

1 lb. unsalted butter

1 cup water

1 1/2 tsp salt

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 1/4 cups whole wheat flour

For the Egg Wash:

2 egg yolks

2 tbs half & half cream

For the Filling:

1 lb. cremini mushrooms, sliced

2 1/2 cups chopped collard greens

2 large leeks

2 lg garlic cloves, sliced thick

1/2 cup water

2 tbs chopped tarragon

2 tbs champagne vinegar

3 tbs horseradish quark

3 tbs coconut oil

salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

For the Dough:

1. Slice butter into one inch cubes, dissolve salt in water, and stick everything into the freezer to chill for 10 minutes. Keep the water and the butter in separate dishes.

2. On a clean working surface, portion out your flours and mound them up into a square, about 1/3 inch thick. Don’t worry about throughly mixing the flours. It will inevitably happen once you get working.

3. Lay butter cubes evenly on top of the square, and sprinkle with some more flour. Using a floured rolling pin, begin to roll the butter until it warms up enough to make long little sheets. As you do this, intermittently scrape up the sides of your square to return it to the size you first began with. Repeat rolling and reshaping the square 3 or 4 times.

4. Now, make a whole in the middle of the dough, and fill it with the chilled salt water. Using a bench scraper, knife, or pastry blender, scrape the edges of the square into the center, cutting and mixing the water into the dough. It will start to look like a shaggy mess.

5. Shape the dough back into a square, and roll it out, so that it’s roughly 10 x 14 inches. Sprinkle with flour, fold in on itself, and re-roll 3 or 4 times.

6. Transfer the dough to a baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and chill for at least one hour. I chilled mine overnight.

7. When you are ready to roll out the dough, cut it into 12 even squares. Flour your surface and roll each square into a circle that is about 1/8 inch thick. Trim edges to make it round when necessary. 

8. As you finish the circles, fold them into quarters, and set them aside on a lightly floured surface. Stick everything back into the fridge for at least 10 minutes of chilling once all are rolled out.

For the Egg Wash:

1. Whisk ingredients together & set aside.

For the Filling:

1. Cut leeks in half length-wise, turn, and continue to cut into 1/4 inch strips along the short direction.

2. Heat coconut oil in a large pot, and add leeks.

3. Once the leeks begin to sweat, add garlic and tarragon, then sauté for about 1 minute.

4. Add collard greens. Stir around for 1 minute, and then add water, keeping the heat high. Let steam for about 10 minutes

5. Add in the sliced mushrooms. Cook for another 10-15 minutes, until most of the liquid is cooked out.

6. Add vinegar, and cook for 1 more minute, then kill the heat, season, and let chill.

Assembly:

1. Preheat oven to 350F

2. On a lightly floured surface, lay down your first circle of galette crust. Pile on filling, so that you have a 1 inch perimeter of crust, and so that it piles roughly 1/2 inch high.

3. Sprinkle with horseradish quark.

4. Fold the dough up around the edges, pressing it down to make sure that no liquid will escape.

5. Repeat until you’ve filled all of your galettes, You will probably have left over crust. This can be frozen and used at a later date.

6. Give your egg wash one last whisk, and then paint it overtop each galette, covering the crusts evenly.

7. Bake for 45-60 minutes, until lightly browned.

8. Serve warm.

acorn squash and brown rice with pomegranate, pistachio, and kale

Note: This post was previously published here as a part of my freelance work.

In fall we welcome comfort. Cooked soothing foods fill our stomachs with happiness and warmth on a crisp day. Acorn squash and spices like cinnamon evoke memories of a time when things were simpler, when all our cares drifted on a breeze with autumn’s falling leaves. This, is a dish to take you there.

Warm acorn squash mixed with fresh local yogurt provides a creamy earthy balance to this dish’s modern additions: pistachio, pomegranate, and kale. Seasoned with cinnamon and ginger, the spice-derived flavor allows it to be a healthy kickstart for your new season. No butter, no cheese, no large amounts of fat needed. Now how is that for comfort food?

Ingredients:

1 acorn squash

1 cup long grain brown rice

2.5-3 cups water

1 small white onion, chopped small

2 cups chopped kale

1 bouillon cube

1 cinnamon stick

1/2 inch peeled ginger

1/2 cup yogurt

1 lg. garlic clove, chopped into large pieces

1 pomegranate

1/2 cup shelled pistachios

1 tbs rice vinegar

olive oil for sautéing

salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Cut your squash in half, gut out the seeds, and set to roast. You can either roast it at 350F for approx. one hour, or if you’d rather set it and forget it, bake the squash at 200F for 3-4 hours. Remove and let cool.

2. In a small stock pot, sauté onions in olive oil. Once slightly see-through, add rice, and stir it around for a minute. Add 2 cups water, kale, bouillon cube, cinnamon stick, ginger, and garlic. Stir thoroughly, cover, and let cook.

3. In the meantime, gut out your squash and mix together with yogurt. I used Pequa Valley, a delicious local yogurt sold at Greensgrow. Cut open your pomegranate and remove seeds from the white flesh innards of the fruit. Set seeds aside.

4. As the rice cooks down, continue adding water until the grains become fully cooked. Once it is finished, let sit for 5-10 minutes.

5. Stir in squash, pomegranate seeds, pistachio, and vinegar, along with salt and pepper to taste. Let cool a bit more before serving to deliver fullest flavor.

fp me x brooklyn grange

A couple weeks ago I had the pleasure of attending a party put on by our FP Me team at Brooklyn Grange. The place itself was beautiful - a rooftop urban farm situated in Brooklyn's Navy Yard. It was really inspiring to see a full working farm right in the city as this was. The Free People team did an amazing job making the venue come to life with decor touches. The long table embellished with hanging flowers, hand-dyed napkins, and bamboo service ware felt like a dream. Brightly colored and nutritious bites from Nourish Kitchen & Table topped it off for a perfect evening. That spicy beet humus was just...

paleo squash & seafood bisque

Like everyone else, I've been eating healthier in the New Year. This is one of my many recipe creations in the venture to do so. It is a spin on seafood bisque with squash-based broth and no dairy. The seafood dresses it up, and adds healthy protein. Each bite feels like an indulgence. Things just shouldn't taste this good, and be this healthy.

Ingredients:

1 Onion

1 Large Garlic Clove

2 Acorn Squash

5 Cups Water

1 Tsp. Vegetable Bouillon or a Bouillon Cube

.4LB Scallops

10 Clams

16 Shrimp

2 Tsp Moroccan Seasoning

1 Tsp Tumeric

1 Tsp Chili Powder

1 Tsp Safron Threads

Ghee & Olive Oil for Sauteing

Salt & Pepper to Taste

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Slice the acorn squashes in half and lay them on a foil-lined baking sheet. Dress with a bit of oil, salt, and pepper. Roast until caramelized.

2. Remove squash from the oven. Once cooled, scoop out the innards and set aside.

3. Using hot olive oil, saute chopped onions and garlic in a large stock pot.After they are cooked through, add squash, water, and spices. Important, do not salt until the very end. Oysters add a lot of saltiness to a dish and you don't want to overdo it.

4. Using a hand blender, turn the squash and onions into a fine liquid. Let simmer.

5. In a separate saute pan, caramelize scallops and shrimp in ghee. Set them aside in a bowl when finished.

6. Toss oysters into the squash broth and cover the pot. The steam that is trapped with your lid will cook the oysters. Remove the lid once all have opened. After 5-7 minutes they should be done. 

7. Kill the flame and mix in scallops and shrimp.

8. Taste for seasoning and add as much salt/pepper as is needed.

9. Serve!

in this instant: remembering summer

(seasonal baking & micron pen doodles)

(tired dogs & state park scenery)

(backyard dinners & new thrifted finds)

(mornings with Marley & unexpected inspirations)

(San Francisco & backpacking with my best friend in the world)

(blue skies & scruffy puppy dogs)

(biking the commute & work trips to Toronto)

(strolls around Philly & standing on my head...anywhere I can)

--

Now that summer is in its final hour, I thought it would be a great time for another in this instant update. From hikes, to friends, puppy dogs, and good eats, there are so many great highlights to remember. As bittersweet as the ending is, I have to say, I'm excited for fall. It's my favorite time of year. 

--

Follow me on Instagram for more!

cantaloupe gazpacho with spicy crab salad

Talk about a no cook meal. This dish is fast and easy to whip up. I made it for dinner the first time after we got back from a backpacking trip and were too exhausted to cause much of a production. All you need is a hand blender and some fresh ingredients. Did I mention that it's delicious and healthy?

Ingredients:

(gazpacho)

1 Canteloupe

1 Cup mint leaves, unpacked

1/2 Tbsp sea salt

Juice from 1 lemon

(crab salad)

10oz Lump Crab

1 Green Pepper

1/2 Cucumber

2 Tbsp Lottie's hot sauce (any other will work too)

2 Tbsp olive oil mayo

Juice from 1 lemon

S & P to taste

Directions:

1. Blend soup ingredients together using a hand blender, and stick in the refrigerator to chill.

2. Dice half of your cucumber and all of your green pepper. Slice the other half of your cucumber into in strips for garnish.

3. Mix diced vegetables with all other crab salad ingredients.

4. To serve, fill a shallow bowl with gazpacho. Using a large spoon, form crab salad into a large ball and place it in the center of your dish. Add cucumber for garnish.

salmon wild rice

Easter Sunday rolled around. I am not a Christian, but I wanted to make something nice. After all, it was a holiday, it was Sunday, and I had the time and ambition to cook something good. To get started, I picked up salmon, peas, and chives at the grocery store. I paired it all with wild rice whose dark color would allow for the pinks and greens to pop. I treated it like a risotto, although not Arborio, and cooked the rice slowly with a stock. To make it creamy like risotto, but in a healthy way, just add in some almond milk and coconut oil at the end. Finally, everything gets a nice drizzle of lemon juice to brighten up the flavors. It's a healthy, tasty, and let's face it, beautiful!, spring-time dish.

Ingredients:

1 Cup Wild Rice

2 Cups Water

12 oz Salmon

1 Cup Frozen Peas

1 Vegetable Bouillon Cube

2.5 Tbsp Chives, chopped

2 Garlic Cloves, minced

3/4 Cup Almond Milk

1 Tbsp Coconut Oil

Juice from 1 Lemon

Directions:

1. Add your wild rice, water, and vegetable bouillon cube to a pot and bring to a boil.

2. Reduce heat and let the rice cook down. 

3. Once almost all of the water has evaporated, add a spoonful more. Do this three times or so. On the last time, add almond milk and peas, then let everything finish cooking down.

4. Stir in chopped chives, minced garlic, and coconut oil, then set rice aside. 

5. Heat up oil in a skillet, and quick cook your salmon.

6. Tearing the salmon apart with a fork, stir it into your rice mixture. Squeeze lemon over it all and finish stirring.

adam's clam pasta

Alright, alright, this is not the healthiest recipe ever to appear on this blog, but sometimes you need food that is straight good for the soul, and that, it is. Clams, I did not know, are surprisingly easy to cook - and cheap! We spent $8 on a dozen, but felt like royalty slurping them down. The air of elegance is pleasantly deceiving when you go to take out the wallet. Paired with my favorite ancient grain pasta, Adam made a zesty, Marsala stewed tomato sauce to top it all off. If you're looking to impress guests, this is good one to whip out.

Ingredients (serves 2):

12 Top Neck Clams

1 Yellow Pepper, diced

1 Yellow Onion, sliced

3 Cloves Garlic, minced

8oz Tomato Sauce

1/2 Cup Marsala

1 Vegetable Bouillon Cube

1/2 Stick Butter

2 Thyme Sprigs

2 Tbsp Herb de Provence

1 Tbsp Red Pepper Flake

1 Tbsp White Pepper

Juice from 1 Lemon

1 Bag Ancient Grain Fusilli

Directions:

1. In a large sauce pan, saute onion, garlic, and yellow pepper. Deglaze with Marsala, and add 2 cups of water, bouillon cube and tomato sauce.

2. Once boiling, toss in clams, and cover pot. Cook until clams open up. Remove from pan once cooked.

3. Boil pasta until almost aldente. Strain, and then toss into your sauce and let the pasta cook the rest of the way.

4. Spoon pasta onto a plate and then place clams around the border to serve.

winter mac with ancient grain pasta

I made this guy for a potluck with friends right before the holidays. I asked Liz if she had any requests, and the only thing she brought up was asparagus. So, asparagus it was! I had bought these little ancient grain elbow pasta made with quinoa, amaranth, and brown rice and planned to make a fancy mac n' cheese with them. There it was: mac n' cheese with asparagus, tomato, shallot, bechamel, mozzarella, and smoked Gouda - all topped with yummy panko crumbs and baked in the oven. 

I do want to talk about the pasta for a minute. We all know that sugary white carbs such as white bread and regular pasta are no bueno when it comes to a healthy lifestyle. I am an Italian girl though, and completely cutting out pasta is like a life without love. I've tried whole wheat, but found that it really only works well in spaghetti or linguini form. When it's used to make a denser pasta like orichette, fusilli, or elbows the texture is too tough and hard. So I've gotten to experimenting with the other options at Wholefoods, and these guys made with ancient grains are really good! 

What is an ancient grain you ask? Well, basically we're talking about the other grains besides wheat that have been around forever. This pasta is made with amaranth, quinoa, and brown rice, but other ancient grains would be types like millet, spelt, and kamut. They're packed with protein, omega-3 fatty acids, and antioxidants, and are also great for those with wheat allergies or a gluten intolerance. With the mass production of wheat we forgot about these ancient grains for a while, but now that we're realizing that wheat might not be all it's cracked up to be, we're seeing a resurgence in their popularity. 

Beware, they do behave differently when cooking with them, however. If making bread or dough, they contain less or no gluten and will require a replacement binding agent. In products that are already made for you, like these pasta, you're good to go. Boil until cooked and rejoice in the "just like pasta" texture. 

 Ingredients (serves 5):

6oz. Ancient Grain Elbow Pasta

4oz. Fresh Mozzarella, broken up into chunks

1/4lb. Smoked Gouda, shredded

1 Cup Skim Milk

1 Cup Light Cream

1/3 Cup Flour

15 Asparagus Stems, chopped into medium sized pieces

20 Cherry Tomatoes, halved

4 Shallots, sliced

3 Small Garlic, minced

2 Tbsp Butter

3/4 Cup Seasoned Panko Crumbs

Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F

2. Put your pasta on to boil and cook until they are still a little aldente

3. Melt butter down in a large saucepan, and then add shallots and asparagus to saute.

4. After 5 minutes add flour, skim milk, and light cream. Using a whisk, keep stirring.

5. Add garlic and tomatoes, then cook down until the milk and cream reach a thick bechamel consistency.

6. In a large bowl, mix pasta, cheeses, vegetable/bechamel mixture, and salt & pepper. Then transfer to a medium-sized casserole dish. 

7. Top mac n' cheese with panko crumbs, and then bake for about 20-25 minutes or until nicely browned on top.

weekly scenes

It's that time of year! As with everyone else, there have been celebrations all around. For me: holiday pot lucks with various friends, a fun late-night Chinese dinner with the man, and a family visit in Florence. It was our first Christmas without my grandfather. He passed away earlier this month. Although it was clearly his time, he went in his sleep just two weeks shy of his 91st birthday, there was a hole where his commanding presence was once expected. I'm happy because there was nothing over the top. We came together as family, grounded and laid-back with smiles on our faces despite the loss. After all, the simple things - friends, family, and love (with a little food and booze thrown in) - is what the holidays should be about. Now to head home and celebrate with my parents in a couple weeks. Fingers crossed for a smooth trip.

Much love!

down home crab and polenta stuffed catfish

One weeknight Adam and went to the grocery store looking for some dinner inspiration. We wandered around the Wholefoods produce section with zero bursts of genius, and then turned to the fish station where the brilliant idea hit me, "why don't we stuff something...with polenta!" And so this recipe was born. 

I can't tell you that it has any particular health benefit, besides the healthy omega-3 fatty acids found in fish, but it's tasty! Since we wanted to use polenta we decided to go the elevated down home route - we chose catfish as our base, and threw some crab, jalapeno, and hot sauce in there. The polenta mixed with crab renders a creamy filling without the use of any dairy product. It's filling without dense or fatty ingredients, and goes great paired with a simple vegetable. We threw ours over a kale and white bean salad, and it made a great weeknight dinner.

Ingredients (serves 2):

1Lb Catfish

1/2Lb Lump Crab

1 Cup Polenta

1 Jalapeno, seeded & chopped

1 Medium Shallot, chopped

2 Garlic Cloves, minced

1/2 Tsp Cayenne

1 Tsp Dry Mustard

2 Tsp Mesquite

1 Tsp Onion Powder

3 Tsp Salt

2 Tbsp Hot Sauce

1 Tbsp White Vinegar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F

2. While making your polenta, throw in the jalapeno and shallot, and let the mixture cook down.

3. In a medium bowl, stir together crab, polenta, spices, hot sauce, and white vinegar.

4. First cut your catfish in half, to have two identical fillets. Turn the fillet towards you, and cut horizontally through the thick end to make a pocket for your filling.

5. Spoon the polenta and crab mixture into your pockets, filling generously.

6. Place the filled catfish on a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet and stick in the oven to bake.

7. After 20 minutes, remove from oven and place a pat of butter atop each fillet. this will caramelize and give a crispy texture to the outer layer of fish. 

8. Replace everything in the oven for another 5 minutes or until cooked.