Blistered Tomato, Spinach, & Feta Frittata

Slightly modified from the Trader Joe’s website

Serves 6. 45 minutes.

olive oil
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 ½ cup Sugar Plum Tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, or other small tomatoes
4 cups baby spinach
¾ cup of chopped fresh herbs: chives, basil, dill, parsley, thyme, oregano, what have you got?, divided
6 large eggs
½ cup sour cream
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 block TJ’s Feta Cheese, crumbled and divided

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Heat 1 Tablespoon olive oil over high heat in a large skillet, until shimmering. Add 1 cup of the tomatoes. Toss until the tomatoes begin to blister and pop, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the onion and garlic.  Stir occasionally, until the onions begin to soften, about 3-5 minutes.
4. Add the spinach and cover pan with a lid.  The pan will be very full, but in a few minutes the spinach will cook down and wilt. Remove the lid and stir spinach every few minutes until most of the spinach is wilted, then remove from heat.
5. Add ½ cup of the herbs to the pan.
6. In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, sour cream, salt, and pepper, then stir in half of the feta cheese and the spinach mixture.
7. Grease a 7×11″ casserole dish with 1 teaspoon of olive oil.   
8. Pour the egg mixture into the casserole dish, distributing the tomatoes as desired.
9. Sprinkle the remaining feta cheese over the top.
10. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the frittata is set in the center.
11. Cut the remaining tomatoes in thin slices; drizzle with remaining ½ tablespoon olive oil and season with salt and pepper (or use the vinaigrette of your choice) add the remaining ¼ cup of herbs, and stir. Cut the frittata into 6 pieces and put on plates. Top each serving with the dressed tomatoes & herbs.

Cheese-and-bacon-stuffed Mushrooms

Slightly modified from a recipe in “Natasha’s Kitchen” by Natsha Kravchuk

Makes about 24

Canola oil
6 strips regular-cut bacon (not peppered, not thick), cooked until crisp, drained, and cut into small bits
4 oz plain cream cheese, at room temperature (low-fat/neufchatel works fine)
1/2 cup grated Parmeson cheese
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
2 Tablespoons finely chopped parsley plus more for garnish (omit for Burns family)
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound small- to medium-sized button mushrooms

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Lightly coat a rimmed baking sheet with oil and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the softened cream cheese, Parmesan, garlic powder, parsley, salt and pepper. Mash with the back of a spoon to mix everything thoroughly, then add the bacon bits and mix again.

Divide the filling among the mushrooms – it will mound up. Arrange on the baking sheet, evenly spaced. Sprinkle the remaining bacon bits on top of each mushroom. Bake for 15 minutes, until the mushrooms are starting to soften and the tops are brown in a few spots.

Transfer the mushrooms to a serving platter, sprinkle with the reserved parsley, and serve.

Sean = yes
Kristin = yes
Sam = yes

Swedish Almond Cake

from The Itsy Bitsy Kitchen

Cindy made this for Swedish Christmas Eveternoon Smorgasbord 2023 and it was divine! 

10 servings

Ingredients

Cake

• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter melted and cooled
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Topping

• 2 teaspoons granulated or turbinado sugar
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds (or chopped almonds)
• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar for dusting

Instructions

Cake

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9-inch round cake pan with cooking spray, line the bottom of the pan with parchment, then spray the parchment. Set the pan aside.
2. Use a rubber spatula to stir the sugar and butter together in a large bowl. Mix in the eggs, almond extract, and vanilla to combine.
3. Sift the flour and salt into the bowl, then mix until just incorporated. Spread into the prepared cake pan and smooth the top.

Topping

1. Sprinkle the sugar over the cake, then top with the almonds.
2. Bake 34 to 44 minutes, until the top is light golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
3. Cool the cake on a wire rack, dust with powdered sugar, and serve.
4. Cake can be stored at room temperature, covered, for up to 2 days or in the freezer, tightly wrapped, for up to 2 months.

Green Chile Turkey Chili

Modified from the Penzey’s website

3 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 lb. ground turkey
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 fresh pasilla/poblano pepper, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1/4 cup Penzey’s Bold Taco Seasoning*
2 bay leaves

*Or substitute
1 Tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons Mexican oregano
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt to taste

1 4-oz. can diced green chiles
1/2 12-oz. jar Trader Joe’s salsa verde
2 cups water
15-oz. can Navy beans

sour cream for serving

Heat 2 TB. of the oil in a stock pot or large saute pan over medium heat. Add the ground turkey and brown, turning and breaking up frequently to make it as fine as possible.  Once the turkey is no longer pink, transfer it to a bowl and set aside. Add the remaining oil, diced onion and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the pasilla and bell pepper and stir until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the taco seasoning (or cumin, oregano and cayenne) and stir until combined. Add the turkey, bay leaves, canned green chiles, salsa, beans, and water.  Stir to combine and then bring to a simmer.  Once simmering, cover and turn the heat down to low. Simmer for at least 30 minutes. Taste and add salt as needed. Ladle into bowls and garnish with sour cream if desired.

Chicken Breasts with Mustard Cream Sauce

Slightly modified from Everyday Food: Great Food Fast from the kitchens of Martha Stewart Living

Serves 4

3 or 4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, preferably of approximately equal thickness
salt & pepper (don’t be too generous or the sauce will be too salty)
2 Tablespoons olive oil (or 1 Tbs olive oil and 1 Tbs avocado oil)
1/4 cup chicken broth (I use filtered water and a 1/4 teaspoon of Penzeys chicken base)
1/2 cup heavy cream
1-2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon dried tarragon or oregano (optional)

1. Heat a large skillet (preferably cast iron) over medium+ heat. When hot, add the olive oil.
2. Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper.
3. Add chicken to skillet and cook. 1″-thick breasts will take about 8 minutes per side. Use your instant-read thermometer to check the temperate in the center of the thickest part – should be 165 degrees F. Transfer cooked chicken to a plate and keep warm.
4. Pour the chicken broth into the hot skillet. Using a flat whisk, loosen the browned bits (fond).
5. Whisk in the cream, mustard and tarragon or oregano, if using. Cook and stir for about 2 minutes.
6. Slice chicken 1/3″ thick across the grain. Arrange slices on a plate, pour sauce over chicken or into a little ramekin on the side, and serve.

Sean = yes
Sam = yes

One-pot Pasta with Tomatoes, Ricotta, Spinach and Basil

serves 1

1/2 cup medium shell pasta
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup small diced yellow onion
1 garlic clove (you can leave it whole and remove it before serving, or slice it thinly)
5-6 grape tomatoes, sliced or halved
handful of baby spinach
1/3 cup ricotta
Kosher salt (Diamond Crystal is best)
Parmesan or Asiago, grated, to taste
red pepper flakes
black pepper
5 big basil leaves, chiffonade
chopped parsley

In a 3-quart non-stick pot, cook the pasta lol in salted boiling water until nearly done. Drain and set aside. Put the olive oil, onion and garlic in the pot and cook until the onion begins to soften. Add the tomatoes and spinach and cook, stirring, until the spinach wilts. Add the pasta, ricotta, a big pinch of Kosher salt, and Parmesan or Asiago and stir until the ricotta is warmed through. Pour into a wide pasta bowl and top with red pepper flakes, black pepper, basil and parsley.

Roasted Mushrooms with Crispy Polenta and Parmesan

From Dinner in One by Melissa Clark

Serves 3 or 4

12 oz mushrooms, such as maitake, crimini, white button, shiitake (stems removed), or oyster, cut into 1″ chunks (about 5 cups)
4 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
4 large fresh thyme sprigs
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 large shallots, or 4 small, thinly sliced (more?!)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound precooked polenta, cut into 1″ chunks (about 3 cups)
1/3 cup grated Parmesan or Asiago cheese, plus more for serving
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves and tender stems, for garnish
crushed red pepper flakes, for serving (optional)

Heat the oven to 450 degrees F. In a shallow 2-quart casserole or gratin dish, or an 11×7″ baking dish, combine the mushrooms, 3 Tablespoons of the oil, the thyme, garlic, shallots, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and a few grinds of black pepper, tossing well. Roast for 15 minutes; the mushrooms should have started to wilt and glisten.

While the mushrooms are roasting, in a large bowl, toss the cubed polenta with the remaining 1 Tablespoon of oil, a big pinch or two of salt, and a few grinds of black pepper.

After the mushrooms have roasted for 15 minutes, take the baking dish out of the oven and stir in the polenta. Sprinkle the Parmesan over the top and bake for another 15-20 minutes until the mushrooms are tender.

Turn on the broiler and broil for 1-2 minutes until the top of the polenta is crispy with some brown spots. (I did not do this as it was 93 degrees outside that day.)

To serve, garnish with parsley and finish with more Parmesan and red pepper flakes, if you like.

Cauliflower Soup

serves 4-6

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 yellow onion, diced
1 medium head cauliflower
1 medium russet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
4 cups* low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth (I use filtered water and either Better Than Bouillon or Penzeys base)
*I prefer 3 cups broth for a thicker, creamier soup but then of course it will make fewer servings
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Toppings
chili garlic oil (Trader Joe’s Crunchy Chili Onion)
sourdough croutons (homemade from Trader Joe’s Sourdough Sandwich Loaf cut into cubes, cooked in a skillet in olive oil until crisp, and lightly sprinkled with Diamond Crystal kosher salt)

Remove the leaves from the cauliflower and cut it in half (top to bottom) with a large knife. Break off the florets with your hands. Discard the core. Chop the florets into approx. 1″ pieces.

In a large pot over medium heat, warm the oil until shimmering. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until softened a bit but not browned, about 1 minute. Add the chopped cauliflower, potato, broth, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until the cauliflower and potato are very tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Using an immersion blender, puree until smooth, or let cool slightly and puree in 3 to 4 batches in a regular blender. Fill your bowl, sprinkle with chili garlic oil if you like, and bring some croutons to the table. Add croutons to your bowl a few at a time so they still have some crunch when you eat them.

Very nice with Jamie Oliver’s Evolution Carrot Salad.

Broccoli Salad

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen’s Broccoli Slaw

Deb writes: If you have a raw onion aversion, you might enjoy using these pickled red onions instead, then chopped small. You can also pickle shallots with the same method.

Makes about six cups

2 heads of broccoli
1 nice green stalk of celery, very thinly sliced on the diagonal. If the celery leaves look nice you could add them too – you can leave them whole or slice them thinly.
1/2 cup thinly sliced almonds, toasted
1/3 cup dried cranberries (or dried cherries)
1/2 small red onion, very finely chopped (or pickled onion, or you can soak the raw onion in a little cool water for a while to mellow out the flavor. I ended up not using any onion in the salad at all – the shallot in the dressing seemed like enough to me.)

Buttermilk Dressing
1/2 cup buttermilk, well-shaken
1/3 cup mayonnaise (I had to add more mayo to get the consistency right)
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
3 tablespoons finely chopped shallot (or, you could just use a little extra red onion to simplify it)

Bring a medium-sized pot of water to boil. Meanwhile, trim off the woody bottom of the broccoli stems, peel off the tough outer layer of the stems, and quarter each head vertically. When the water is boiling, dump in the quartered broccoli, make sure it is submerged, then cover the pot, turn off the heat, and set the timer for 60 seconds. When the timer goes, pull the broccoli out of the pot and set it on a plate. (You can now use that broccoli water for something else, like cooking pasta.)

While the broccoli cools a bit, make the dressing: just whisk the dressing ingredients in a smallish-bowl, with a good pinch of salt and pepper.

When the broccoli is cool enough to handle, cut it into small pieces: I slice the stems crosswise about 1/8″ thick until I get up to the florets, then I vertically slice the florets thinly. Some of the smaller florets I just cut in half. Put all the broccoli in a large bowl. Add the sliced celery, celery leaves (if using), toasted almonds (unless making ahead), cranberries or cherries and red onion (if you’re using it) in a large bowl, toss everything together, pour the dressing over the salad and toss it again. Season well with salt and pepper to taste.

Can make several hours ahead. *If making ahead, add the almonds just before serving.

Trader Joe’s Potsticker Soup

Slightly modified from Posticker Soup’s On.

3 Tablespoons canola oil
1 bag Trader Joe’s Gyoza Potstickers
1 carrot, finely diced
2 celery stalks, finely diced
1/2 yellow onion, finely diced
8 cups chicken broth
1 bag baby spinach (8 oz)
1 Tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 Tablespoon toasted sesame oil
handful of fresh cilantro leaves
sriracha or other hot sauce to taste

Coat the bottom of a large frying pan with about 1 Tablespoon of canola oil and fry potstickers over medium to medium-high heat until nicely browned on the bottom, about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave them on the stove.

Meanwhile, in a large soup pot over medium heat, heat 2 Tablespoons of canola oil and saute the carrot, celery and onion until tender (about 10-15 minutes). Add broth and bring to a simmer and cook until the carrots are as tender as you like them. Add the soy sauce, sesame oil, and potstickers and simmer slowly until the potstickers are tender. Do not overcook them – you don’t want them falling apart. Add the spinach and stir until the spinach is as wilted as you like it.

Ladle into bowls and top with cilantro and hot sauce as desired.

Kristin=yes
Sam=no