Salmon Garbanzo Patties

6 ounces cooked skinless salmon

2 cups cooked garbanzo beans

2 cups cooked sweet potato

2 cups cooked baby spinach

1 small red onion, chopped

Handful fresh parsley, chopped

1 tablespoon cumin powder

2 teaspoons chili powder

2 garlic cloves, crushed

3 tablespoons ground almond

3 tablespoons GF or plain flour

Sea salt and black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 F

Combine all the ingredients and shape into patties.

Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper and add patties in a single layer leaving room in between.

Bake for 30 minutes, turning over halfway during cooking.

Serve immediately.

Fish In Filo Pastry With Creamy Herb Sauce

6 fillets of fresh white fish (1 fillet per serving)

2 tablespoons grated lemon rind

6 tablespoons butter, melted

1/2 cup chopped mixed fresh herbs of choice (dill, parsley, thyme, fennel)

12 filo sheets

4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

Salt and black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Mix cream cheese with fresh herbs and lemon rind. Season generously with salt and black pepper. Brush 1 sheet of filo with melted butter and lay the second sheet on top. Season fish with salt and pepper. Place one fillet in the center. Spread a generous amount of the cream cheese spread on top of the fish, leaving about 2 inches uncovered on each side. Fold uncovered sides inward, then gently roll the filo to secure fish. Place on a greased baking sheet and repeat to use up all the ingredients.

Brush with melted butter and bake for 20 minutes or until fish is cooked and filo is a golden brown color. Serve hot with fresh hollandaise sauce (refer to Asparagus and Hollandaise post for recipe) and a crispy salad.

   

Meatloaf with Balsamic Pear Glaze

Meatloaf:

1 lb pork loin, minced/ground

1 lb top sirloin steak, minced/ground

1/2 small onion, finely chopped

1/2 cup celery, finely chopped

2 small garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped

1 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely chopped

3 slices of multigrain bread (soaked in 1/2 cup of milk)

1 cup fresh parmesan cheese, grated

2 large eggs

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Salt and black pepper

Glaze:

1 large pear, skinned and thinly sliced after removing seeds and core

1 cup balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoon raw brown sugar

juice of half a orange

Preheat oven to 400 F. 

Heat one tablespoon of oil in a large saute pan over high heat. Add celery, onions and garlic and cook until soft. Set aside to cool.

Whisk together the eggs and herbs in a large bowl. Add the meat, soaked bread, cheese, extra virgin olive oil and the cooked vegetables and mix to combine.

On medium-high heat, bring a small saucepan with all the ingredients for the glaze to a rolling boil for 3 minutes and reduce heat to a low simmer for a further 30 minutes or until glaze is thick. Set aside.

Mold the meatloaf on a greased baking sheet. Bake for 1 hour to 1 1/2 or until it's cooked and golden brown and crispy on top. Brush the meatloaf generously with the glaze twice during the last 20 minutes of cooking ensuring to use up all the glaze. Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes. Sprinkle feta crumbles on top and serve warm.

   

Roasted Chicken with Lemon-Fig Glaze

1 5-pound chicken

2 lemons, cut in half

2 tablespoons lemon thyme

2 tablespoons parsley

2 large clove garlic, minced

1 large yellow onion, peeled and diced into large chunks

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons fig-lemon preserve

salt and black pepper

Preheat oven to 450 F. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and black pepper generously and drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice making sure to coat the whole bird. Rub the chicken with minced garlic. Fill the cavity with lemon thyme, parsley, lemon and onion. Place chicken on a roasting pan. Roast for 1 1/2 hours or until the thigh juices run clear. Baste with the fig-lemon preserve twice during the last half hour. The skin should be crispy. Transfer to a serving platter, cover loosely with foil, and let rest for 15 minutes before serving.

   

Potato and Feta Cheese Pockets

Crust:

2 cups all-purpose unbleached white whole wheat flour

1 cup cold butter, diced

Pinch of salt

6 tablespoons ice water

Place flour and salt in a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Pulse a few times to combine. Add butter and pulse 12-15 times, or until the butter is the size of peas. With the motor running, add the ice water all at once through the feed tube. Keep hitting the pulse button until dough starts to come together.

Turn dough onto a well floured board and form into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Divide dough into 6 pieces and roll each on a floured surface into 9-inch circles. 

Filling:

4 medium potatoes, chopped into bite size pieces

2 small garlic clove, minced

1 cup of feta crumbles

1/2 cup parsley, chopped

2 teaspoon of salt

1 teaspoon pepper

Preheat oven to 400 F

Boil potatoes to cook, and cool.  

Place tablespoonfuls of diced potatoes and feta in the middle of the pastry circles, sprinkle with garlic and parsley. Add salt and pepper to taste. Fold up the edges of pastry, leaving center uncovered. Brush folded pastry with milk or melted butter.

Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm with a spicy fruit chutney and salad greens.

   

Mushroom and Aged Cheddar Soup

2 lbs white mushrooms 

3 cups vegetable stock

1 small garlic clove (minced)

1/2 small red onion (chopped) 

1 cup aged cheddar (grated)

1 teaspoon fresh thyme (chopped)

2 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper 

1/4 cup Italian parsley 

1/4 cup blue cheese crumbles

Clean the mushrooms by wiping them with a dry paper towel. Don't wash them. Slice the mushrooms 1/4-inch thick. Set aside.

To make the stock, heat the butter in a large pot. Add the sliced mushrooms, onion, garlic, thyme, salt and black pepper. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes or until the mushrooms are soft. Set aside.

Puree half of the mushrooms in a blender with 2 cups of vegetable stock until it reaches the right consistency ( thick gravy-like).  Add extra vegetable stock if it's too thick to puree. 

Add mushrooms puree to the pot with the rest of the mushrooms. Add vegetable stock and cheese.  Heat through but but do not boil.

Serve hot. Garnish with Italian parsley and blue cheese crumbles.  Drizzle extra virgin olive oil on top. Serve with a cheesy garlic baguette.

   

Linguine with Broccoli, Cherry Tomatoes and Pine Nuts

1 lb whole wheat linguine

2 cups fresh broccoli florets

2 cups cherry tomatoes

1/4 cup pine nuts (toasted)

4 tablespoons pesto

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

6 tablespoons extra virgin oil

1/4 cup shaved parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon grated lemon zest (rind)

1/4 cup Italian parsley

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Bring a large pot of salted water (1 tablespoon salt) to a boil.

Add pasta to the pot of boiling water and boil for 6 - 8 minutes. Pasta should be slightly firm when bitten (al dente). Drain and put back in the pot.

Drizzle linguine with two tablespoons of olive oil, add 2 tablespoons of pesto, lemon rind, and parsley. Toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside.

In a large sauté pan set to medium heat, toss pine nuts until golden brown. Remove from heat. In the same pan, heat 2 tablespoons of  extra virgin olive oil on medium - high heat. Add garlic, broccoli florets, the remaining pesto, and sauté for 5 minutes (stirring occasionally). Add cherry tomatoes and wait for 1 minute. Remove from heat and add to the linguine.

Toss all ingredients together and transfer to a warm serving platter. Drizzle with the remaining  extra virgin olive oil. Garnish with shavings of parmesan cheese and toasted pine nuts.

Serves 6 - 8