by Krista | Aug 12, 2010 | Plucky Thursday
Good morning, dear folks!
After a whole string of days of dark, cloudy, rainy weather, yesterday the sun appeared in all its warm, golden splendor. Hooray!
One of the nice things about having lots of rain is that my landlord doesn’t mow my lawn, and it turns into a wonderful meadow filled with all sorts of wildflowers popping up in the most random spots. I love them all, but on hot, sunny afternoons I like dandelions best. They’re like sunshine in a flower.
How has your week been, my friends? Have you been going “flat strap” as an Aussie friend says, or have things been motoring along just fine?
My week has been spent in bed, or propped up in my armchair covered in a quilt as my body adjusts to the remedies designed to get the mold out of my system and my pituitary functioning properly. It’s been painful, so painful, and I’ve had a few teary moments weathering each gut-wrenching moment. Last night was horrible and I awoke bleary-eyed and exhausted like I’d just gone through battle. So I was very happy to see sunshine dappling the trees and bushes outside my window, hear birds twittering away, and know that this is a new day, the long night is over and I can start fresh.
Perhaps that’s why you’re seeing so many flower pictures this week. I haven’t been able to go anywhere or do anything, so my simple pleasures are very simple indeed. Funny how wonderful little things become when your world suddenly becomes very small. Like a cup of tea in the biggest, cheeriest mug I could find, Christmas music while I do office work remotely, and these perky Morning Glories so radiantly white in the sunshine.
Kevin at Closet Cooking has been inspiring me with his super simple but delicious savory tarts. There’s no dough making involved, no tedious rolling out or carefully fitting dough into a fluted tray. Nope. He simply rolls out puff pastry, tops it with pesto or sauces and layers on his veggies of choice and pops it in the oven. I love that.
So yesterday I waited for my pain pills to kick in, then hastily assembled one using phyllo dough as a base topped with sun-dried tomato pesto, thinly sliced zucchini drizzled with oil, salt and pepper, and Herbs de Provence. Mine turned out a little darker than it should be because I decided to add some Parmesan cheese on top, place it under the broiler to toast, and promptly forgot about it. 🙂
It tasted heavenly though. Simple, light and so savory.
I hope you have a beautiful day, my friends. 🙂
Zucchini Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Tart
Ingredients:
10 sheets phyllo dough
1/2 cup olive oil
1 cup sun-dried tomato pesto
1-2 small zucchini, sliced thinly
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp Herbs de Provence (or Italian seasoning)
1 cup shredded Italian cheese (Parmesan, mozzarella)
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Lay one sheet phyllo dough on baking sheet, brush with olive oil. Layer and repeat until all phyllo dough is used.
- Spread pesto across dough within 1/4″ of edge.
- Layer zucchini over sauce, slightly overlapping.
- Spray or drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle over Herbs de Provence.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven, sprinkle with cheese and return to oven under broiler for 2-3 minutes until cheese is slightly browned.
- Serve warm or at room-temperature.
by Krista | Aug 11, 2010 | Bits 'n' Bobs
I love my creek very much. I love laying in bed with my window open, hearing it trickle under the blackberry bushes overhanging its banks.
Every time I go to the creek I see something new and beautiful. The other day it was towering stalks soaring up through the morning glories with these ethereal pink blossoms dangling from the tops. Do any of you know what they are?
Today I was delighted to discover the blackberry bushes covered in plump, ripe berries. I popped a few in my mouth, delighting in the sweet juices warmed by the sun.
It’s been dark and rainy here the last few days, and since I’ve been unwell, the crockpot has become my new best friend.
My latest favorite dish is Ginger Lime Shredded Pork over whole grain basmati rice. I made a marinade of carrots, ginger, garlic, Hoisin Sauce, Soy Sauce and red wine and basted a lovely pork roast with it. I slow-cooked the roast about 6 hours, turning it every 30 minutes to let those delicious flavors sink into the meat. Then I cranked up the heat a bit, added a cup of diced green beans and some lime juice and cooked it for another hour until the meat was falling apart and the green beans were cooked but still pleasantly crunchy. Oh boy – did my house ever smell good!!
What is your favorite crock pot recipe?
Ginger Lime Shredded Pork
Ingredients:
1/4 cup olive oil
5 medium carrots, sliced in rounds
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 green onions, minced
1 4″ piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 cup red wine
1/4 hoisin sauce
1 pork roast
1 cup green beans, diced
3 limes, juiced
pepper and salt to taste
Whole grain Basmati rice, prepared
Directions:
- Set crock pot on low and add first 8 ingredients, stir until mixed.
- Add pork roast and baste.
- Cover and cook on low for 6 hours, basting with sauce every 30 minutes.
- Add green beans and lime juice, turn crock pot on high and cook for 1 more hour.
- Remove pork roast and let cool slightly, then shred.
- Serve with sauce over rice.
by Krista | Aug 10, 2010 | Spring
I love exploring a city when it’s first waking up, as the early rays of sun skim the roof tops, long before the crowds of people arrive.
I like being among the first ones through the gates, standing alone in a cavernous courtyard, gazing up at the thick stone walls and shuttered windows, wondering about the history and lives of the people who call this place home.
I especially love it in a city like Dubrovnik, Croatia.
I will tell you more about Dubrovnik in the weeks to come, about her grand history, tragic stories, and the undeniable beauty that has earned her the name: The Pearl of the Adriatic.
But today I’m delighting in her simple moments, the ones that disappear with the first rush of tourists spilling out of buses and cars.
The worker washing his hands at an opulent stone fountain.
A vendor hastening to set up his booth in the cool of the morning.
And a simple stew of vegetables in a rich, paprika broth.
What is your favorite time of day to visit a new city?
This is my contribution to Wanderfood Wednesday at Wanderlust and Lipstick.
Croatian Zafrig
(Adapted from St. Anothony Croatian Catholic Church)
Ingredients:
1/4 cup bacon grease
1/4 olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1/3 cup flour
1 Tbsp Hungarian paprika
Directions:
- In saucepan heat bacon grease and oil, add onion and cook until transparent.
- Add flour and stir until flour is dark brown.
- Add paprika and stir into paste.
- Remove from heat and set aside until ready to use.
Croatian Cuspajs
(From St. Anthony Croatian Catholic Church)
Ingredients:
1 head green cabbage, cubed
1 Green pepper, diced
Salt
2 cups cubed potatoes
1 recipe Zafrig
Directions:
- Add cabbage and green pepper to soup pot and cover with water. Salt to taste and bring to boil. Cook until tender.
- Add potatoes and cook until tender, 10-15 minutes.
- Do not drain.
- Add Zafrig and simmer for 10 minutes until mixture resembles stew.
- NOTE: I did not have cabbage or green pepper, so I made mine with potatoes and green beans. It was fabulous!
by Krista | Aug 9, 2010 | Bootstrap Monday
Good morning, dear ones! It’s a dark, rainy day in Washington and I’m writing to you as I recover from a rather rough week. Turns out the mold situation was more serious than originally thought and I’m not doing so well. Thankfully I’ve found someone who should be able to help me, so hopefully things will get better from here on out.
In the mean time, much to my horror, I have to give up all dairy, cheese (yes, apparently they are different) and alcohol for a good while. Woe is me. 🙂
So as a last hurrah I made a deliciously decadent Irish Cream Milkshake using almond milk and healthy serving of Irish Cream. What a scrumptious way to go!
Irish Cream Milkshake
(serves 1)
Ingredients:
1/2 cup almond milk
1/4 cup Irish Cream (Bailey’s)
6-8 ice cubes
Directions:
- Add all ingredients to blender and blend until smooth.
- Pour into a pretty glass and enjoy.
by Krista | Aug 5, 2010 | Plucky Thursday
I cried. I laughed. I sighed. And by the time I got to the end of Eat Pray Love wanted to give author Elizabeth Gilbert the biggest, squeeziest hug I could muster.
I love that woman, not because she is perfect or because I hold to all her beliefs and choices, but because she is so beautifully real, honest, and brave. And, most importantly, because her words reached into one of the darkest times of my life and shed a bright, radiant burst of sunlight that gave me hope that maybe, just maybe, I really was going to be OK.
Our backgrounds, lifestyles and worlds could not be more different, yet somehow she felt like a kindred spirit. She truly understood the terror of waking up and realizing you don’t belong in your world anymore, the inevitable fear, self-doubt and insecurity that follow as you try to figure out where you do belong, and the strange, beautiful feeling of discovering what you really love, really want to do, and who you really are.
We shared something else: a passionate love for travel and the incredible mind-expanding, soul-enriching, heart-healing impact it can have on a shattered life.
Strangely enough, I first read Eat Pray Love on a terrace in Italy overlooking vineyards, olive groves, and the Tyrrhenian Sea. I arrived with a broken heart, shaken faith, and a weary spirit, and as I read the book and talked with my dear friends, I was filled with hope and knew I was going to be alright.
Needless to say, when my wonderful Canadian blogger friend Val of More Than Burnt Toast issued an Eat Pray Love Italian Challenge, I was delighted to participate.
I knew exactly what I wanted to make too. No five-course dinner or lavish antipasti spread, I wanted to make a Street Food I had first heard about from Jamie Oliver: Fried Polenta with Rosemary and Salt.
His version looked delicious, but I wanted to amp mine up a bit so I cooked the polenta with chicken stock, garlic and lavish amounts of ground black pepper, stirred in a mound of grated Parmesan cheese, and set it to chill. When it was cool I tore it into bite-sized pieces, tossed them with cornmeal and fried them until they were nice and crispy. Mmm! They looked so good, but I wasn’t done yet. I added fresh garlic and rosemary to the oil and fried them up until the garlic was beautifully browned, added them to the fried polenta and sprinkled everything with salt. Delicious!! Crispy and salty on the outside, creamy and savory on the inside. Perfect.
Fried Polenta with Crispy Garlic and Rosemary
Ingredients:
6 cups chicken stock
2 tsp salt
1-2 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 3/4 cups yellow cornmeal
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup cornmeal
4-5 cloves garlic, sliced
4-5 sprigs fresh rosemary, removed from stem
4-5 cups vegetable oil
Directions:
- Bring chicken stock, salt, pepper, and garlic powder to boil. Gradually stir in cornmeal, lower the heat to low and cook until the mixture thickens and the cornmeal is tender, stirring often, about 15 minutes.
- Stir in Parmesan Cheese and olive oil.
- Pour into large cookie sheet and chill until cool.
- Tear polenta into bite-sized pieces, toss with cornmeal to coat.
- Heat vegetable oil until polenta sizzles when dropped in. Lower heat if oil begins to smoke.
- Fry in batches until polenta pieces are browned and crispy. Drain on paper towel and dust with sea salt.
- When polenta is done, add garlic and rosemary to oil and cook for 2-4 minutes until garlic is browned. Drain on paper towel and dust with sea salt.
- Combine polenta, garlic and rosemary and serve warm.
_logo.svg){kind=logo}
