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Kielbasa and Beer and Braised Red Cabbage

August 5, 2014 Filed Under: Recipes

This recipe come from Ayda Robana of Om Sweet Mama. A Kielbasa is a type of sausage from Central or Eastern Europe. The word itself, means sausage in Polish. Ayda’s Kielbasa is seared in honey and eaten alongside braised red cabbage with apple.

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Kielbasa and Beer and Braised Red Cabbage

  • Author: Out of the Box Collective
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Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 package Sausage
  • 2 x 12 oz. bottles of your favorite dark beer
  • Dried bay leaf
  • 2 whole cloves Garlic
  • 1 chopped Shallot (opt., sub with some onion)
  • 1 tablespoon Honey
  • 1 tablespoon Olive oil

Cabbage

  • Red cabbage
  • 1 Red onion
  • 1 Apple
  • 1/4 cup Red Wine Vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon Brown Sugar
  • 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon Salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon Pepper

Instructions

Sausages

  1. Cut the sausages in half, and drop in the boiling liquid. Cook for 10 minutes.
  2. Strain the kielbasa, discarding the poaching liquid.
  3. In a non-stick frying pan, heat up olive oil. Coat the kielbasa with the honey and pan sear until nice and golden brown.
  4. Delish! You can serve this with roasted red potatoes and braised red cabbage.

Braised Cabbage

  1. Halve the cabbage and then thinly slice. Thinly slice red onion and apple.
  2. In a heavy stock pot, heat up olive oil and toss in the red onion and sauté for a few minutes until softened. Add the apple and cook together for a few more minutes. Add red cabbage, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper.
  3. Cover with a lid and allow it to cook down on medium heat for 20 minutes.

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Mushroom and Onion Tart & Kale Salad

August 5, 2014 Filed Under: Recipes

This recipe come from Ayda Robana of Om Sweet Mama. Her mushroom and onion tart is very similar to a quiche. She pairs it with a meaty kale salad.

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Mushroom and Onion Tart & Kale Salad

  • Author: Out of the Box Collective
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Ingredients

Scale
  • Thawed Pie shell
  • 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
  • Handful Maitaki Mushrooms
  • Onions (Sweet or Cipollini)
  • 1 clove, minced Garlic
  • 2 tablespoons, freshly chopped Thyme
  • 3 Eggs
  • 1/3 cup Whole milk, or ricotta, or sour cream
  • 1 cup Grated Cheddar Cheese
  • 1/4 teaspoon Pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon Salt

Kale Salad

  • Kale –
  • Shaved yellow carrot –
  • Pepitas or a nut of your choice –
  • Pickled Onions –
  • Tarragon Mustard Vinaigrette –
  • lemon –

Instructions

Tart

  1. Preheat oven to 350.
  2. Peel and remove the root end from the onions. Place them in a pie dish or small roaster, toss with olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Roast until the onions are soft and begin to color but still hold their shape, about 45 minutes. Remove from oven and cool.
  3. Increase oven temp to 400.
  4. In a non-stick frying pan, sauté mushrooms in 1 tablespoon olive oil with the minced garlic clove. Set mushrooms aside.
  5. In a mixing bowl, whisk together egg with your choice of dairy (milk, ricotta or sour cream).
  6. Add all other ingredients (except mushrooms and onions and 1/4 cup of the cheese) into the mixing bowl.
  7. Prick bottom of pastry crust with a fork, nestle the onions into the pie base and pour in the filling. Sprinkle mushrooms and the remaining cheese on top.
  8. Place the pie tin on a cookie sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown.
  9. This delicious mushroom and onion tart can be served for breakfast, lunch or dinner. It’s great at brunch with a green salad.

Salad

  1. Wash the kale thoroughly in cold water and spin dry in a salad spinner. Remove most of the tough stalk from the kale, massaging the leaves with fresh squeezed lemon juice, salt and olive oil to soften it up a bit.
  2. Chop, the kale, and place in a serving bowl with the shaved carrot. Top with pepitas or other nuts along with pickled onions. Dress with tarragon mustard vinaigrette.

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Grilled Steak with Tarragon Mustard, Salad, and Roasted Red Potatoes

August 4, 2014 Filed Under: Recipes

This recipe come from Ayda Robana of Om Sweet Mama. She uses a tarragon mustard vinaigrette for the salad and lightly charred steak.

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Grilled Steak with Tarragon Mustard, Salad, and Roasted Red Potatoes

  • Author: Out of the Box Collective
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Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 lb Steak
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • handful of Salad Mix
  • 1/4 cup Pickled Onions
  • handful of halved Cherry Tomatoes
  • Tarragon mustard vinaigrette
  • Purple Potatoes
  • 3 tablespoons Olive Oil
  • 2 tablespoons Melted Butter
  • 3 cloves Minced Garlic
  • 1 teaspoon Salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon Pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon Paprika
  • springs for garnish Thyme

Instructions

For the Steak

  1. Salt and pepper the steak and grill for 5-7 minutes on each side, depending on the thickness of the cut, and your preference as to the rareness of the meat.
  2. Be sure not to flip it too much on the grill, as that toughens the meat.
  3. When the steak is cooked to your preference, place it on a plate and cover with foil. Allow it to rest for 5-7 minutes so that it retains its juices.
  4. Serve with tarragon mustard and salad mix. Red roasted potatoes if you’re in the mood!

For the Salad

  1. Add pickled onions and cherry tomatoes. Toss with Tarragon mustard vinaigrette.

For the Potatoes

  1. Preheat oven to 450.
  2. Quarter the potatoes, coat them in all of the ingredients and spread onto a baking sheet.
  3. Bake for 45 minutes until potatoes are golden on the outside and cooked all the way through.
  4. You want to be sure to flip the potatoes halfway through cooking.

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Stout Braised Lamb Shanks

August 4, 2014 Filed Under: Recipes

This recipe is courtesy of Pairings, a multi-award winning, food-themed, serialized fictional comedy series.

About The Show: Alan is terrible with women. While Alan can cook beautiful (and delicious) plates of food, he often eats them alone. His friends and family convince him that ‘the way to a woman’s heart is through her stomach.’ As Alan starts cooking his way through the dating world, he discovers things about women, himself, and the lasting memories of food.

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Stout Braised Lamb Shanks

  • Author: Pairings The Series
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Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 Jimenez Family Farm lamb shanks
  • 1 leek, halved lengthwise and chopped 1/4” thick
  • 3 cloves garlic, halved or quartered
  • 1 carrot, chopped ½“ thick
  • 1 celery rib, chopped coarsely
  • 4 to 5 mushrooms, halved or quartered
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 1 sprig fresh rosemary
  • 1 ¾ cup beef broth
  • 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • Flour for dredging
  • 1 (12 fluid ounce) bottle stout (such as Guinness®) or porter
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Rice, cous cous or orzo pasta

Instructions

  1. Dredge lamb shanks in flour.
  2. Heat oil in a dutch oven or large, wide pot over medium-high heat until shimmering. Sear the lamb shanks in the hot oil on all sides until well browned, about 10 minutes. After browning, remove lamb shanks and set aside.
  3. Pour the excess grease from the Dutch oven, if necessary, reduce heat to medium, and stir in the onions and garlic. Cook and stir until the onions have softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes.
  4. Stir in the carrots, celery, and tomato paste; continue cooking 5 minutes more.
  5. Return the lamb shanks to the dutch oven, and pour in the stout beer and beef broth. Add thyme and bay leaf and bring to a simmer over high heat.
  6. Once the lamb shanks begin to simmer, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until lamb is very tender and nearly falling off of the bone, 2 to 3 hours. Stir the lamb occasionally as it cooks, and add water if needed to keep the cooking liquid from becoming too thick (I rarely find this necessary.) You want the cooking liquid to have reduced into a nice sauce by the time the lamb shanks are done. Stir in the mushrooms, rosemary sprig, and salt and pepper to taste during the last 10 minutes of cooking. Remove rosemary, thyme sprigs and bay leaf before serving. Serve shanks and vegetables over rice, cous cous or orzo pasta immediately, passing the remaining sauce.

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Bobert offers to cancel the bet. Alan dates a girl from his speed dating session. In this fan and festival favorite, find the true meaning of family. Lamb shanks are braised in stout beer, Alan goes on a picnic hike in the Hollywood hills and chicken milanese is prepared.

Chicken Milanese

August 4, 2014 Filed Under: Recipes

This recipe is courtesy of Pairings, a multi-award winning, food-themed, serialized fictional comedy series.

About The Show: Alan is terrible with women. While Alan can cook beautiful (and delicious) plates of food, he often eats them alone. His friends and family convince him that ‘the way to a woman’s heart is through her stomach.’ As Alan starts cooking his way through the dating world, he discovers things about women, himself, and the lasting memories of food.

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Chicken Milanese

  • Author: Pairings The Series
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Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 pack chicken breast
  • 1 egg for egg wash
  • 1 lb sweet potatoes
  • handful of Spring mix
  • 1 Tablespoons butter
  • 1/2 cup flour for dredging
  • 1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. For the sweet potatoes, preheat the oven to 375. Wash and chop your sweet potatoes into cubes and toss with olive oil, salt, and whatever herbs you like. Spread on a roasting pan and roast until fork-tender, about 40 minutes.
  2. Debone your chicken breast, unless boneless. Using a mallet (rolling pin or small frying pan,) pound the chicken breasts into ¼” thin cutlets. Season with salt and pepper.
  3. Create an egg wash by breaking the eggs into a bowl and adding 1/8 cup of water. Beat well with a fork.
  4. Dredge the seasoned chicken in the flour, dip the cutlets in the egg wash, and then finally into the breadcrumbs.
  5. Melt the butter in a large pan, then add the breaded chicken to the hot pan. Cook until golden brown on each side

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Bobert offers to cancel the bet. Alan dates a girl from his speed dating session. In this fan and festival favorite, find the true meaning of family. Lamb shanks are braised in stout beer, Alan goes on a picnic hike in the Hollywood hills and chicken milanese is prepared at the 6:10 mark.

Candied Bacon

August 4, 2014 Filed Under: Recipes

This recipe is courtesy of Pairings, a multi-award winning, food-themed, serialized fictional comedy series.

About The Show: Alan is terrible with women. While Alan can cook beautiful (and delicious) plates of food, he often eats them alone. His friends and family convince him that ‘the way to a woman’s heart is through her stomach.’ As Alan starts cooking his way through the dating world, he discovers things about women, himself, and the lasting memories of food.

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Candied Bacon

  • Author: Pairings The Series
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Ingredients

Scale
  • 3/4 pound bacon
  • 2/3 cup brown sugar

Instructions

  1. On a wire rack set over a baking sheet, lay out the bacon in a single layer. Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over the bacon.
  2. Place the bacon in a cold oven. Turn the oven to 400 degrees and cook for 20 minutes.
  3. Eat bacon with your eggs.

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Alan makes up with Drew and attempts to make up with Bobert. Rose confronts her ex-fiance, Roy. Steve and Alan deal with medical news. Candied bacon is made.

Star Trek Egg-In-A-Hole

August 4, 2014 Filed Under: Recipes

This recipe is courtesy of Pairings, a multi-award winning, food-themed, serialized fictional comedy series.

About The Show: Alan is terrible with women. While Alan can cook beautiful (and delicious) plates of food, he often eats them alone. His friends and family convince him that ‘the way to a woman’s heart is through her stomach.’ As Alan starts cooking his way through the dating world, he discovers things about women, himself, and the lasting memories of food.

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Star Trek Egg-In-A-Hole

  • Author: Pairings The Series
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Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 slice bread
  • 1 egg
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 tbsp butter

Instructions

  1. Take a slice of your loaf of bread. Cut a hole in the slice of bread. Perhaps in the shape of a Star Trek insignia. Melt butter in skillet.
  2. Place the bread into the pan. Break the egg into the hole in the bread. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 2 to 3 minutes per side.

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Alan makes up with Drew and attempts to make up with Bobert. Rose confronts her ex-fiance, Roy. Steve and Alan deal with medical news. Candied bacon is made.

Mushroom Risotto

August 4, 2014 Filed Under: Recipes

This recipe is courtesy of Pairings, a multi-award winning, food-themed, serialized fictional comedy series.

About The Show: Alan is terrible with women. While Alan can cook beautiful (and delicious) plates of food, he often eats them alone. His friends and family convince him that ‘the way to a woman’s heart is through her stomach.’ As Alan starts cooking his way through the dating world, he discovers things about women, himself, and the lasting memories of food.

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Mushroom Risotto

  • Author: Pairings The Series
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Ingredients

Scale
  • 4 portobello mushroom, sliced
  • 12 medium mushrooms, coarsely chopped
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced
  • ¼ cup butter, plus 1 Tbsp * 3-5 box only
  • ¼ cup cheese, grated
  • ½ cup dry white wine
  • 4 cups heated vegetable broth, heated (Give or take. Risotto takes however much or little broth as it takes to stay moist until it the rice is tender.)
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil

Instructions

  1. In a large saucepan or pot, sauté the mushrooms in 1 Tablespoon of butter until softened, about 3 minutes. Remove mushrooms and their liquid and reserve.
  2. In the same pan add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and sauté the onion over medium heat until golden.
  3. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
  4. Add rice and cook with onions, mushrooms and garlic until translucent.
  5. Add wine and cook until absorbed.
  6. Stir in 1 cup of broth (It is important that the broth is heated in the microwave especially in the beginning, to keep the cooking process going. Risotto is too tricky to have cold or room temperature broth slow cooking) and bring to a simmer, stirring regularly. When the broth has been absorbed, add another cup and continue adding cups as absorbed, for 18 to 20 minutes or until rice is tender.
  7. When the rice is soft, stir in the cheese and remaining butter. Return mushrooms to the risotto and stir.
  8. Salt to taste, and serve immediately topped with any extra cheese as garnish.

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The risotto makes an appearance at 5:36, but we encourage you to watch the full episode for context. Alan’s family and friends offer him romantic advice, resulting in a wildly inappropriate bet proposal from his friend, Bobert.
Lasagna is made and delivered. Mushroom risotto is enjoyed. Craft beer is drunk, sushi is consumed and Settlers of Catan is played.

Bruschetta

August 4, 2014 Filed Under: Recipes

This recipe is courtesy of Pairings, a multi-award winning, food-themed, serialized fictional comedy series.

About The Show: Alan is terrible with women. While Alan can cook beautiful (and delicious) plates of food, he often eats them alone. His friends and family convince him that ‘the way to a woman’s heart is through her stomach.’ As Alan starts cooking his way through the dating world, he discovers things about women, himself, and the lasting memories of food.

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Bruschetta

  • Author: Pairings the Series
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Ingredients

Scale
  • 4 to 6 tomatoes, diced
  • 2 to 3 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 15 to 20 basil leaves, torn
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • Handful of Spring mix
  • Grated or shaved cheese for garnish
  • 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Loaf of bread, sliced thinly

Instructions

  1. Combine the diced tomatoes, garlic, basil, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt & pepper in a bowl and mix well. Adjust ingredients to taste.
  2. Brush the sliced bread with olive oil and toss it on a hot grill. Only grill the bread for 30 seconds per side until the bread is toasted and browned. Alternatively, you can use a dry pan over high heat or even a broiler to toast the bread. No matter what you do, the bread will toast quickly. While some blackening is good, don’t over toast the bread or you might overpower the flavor.
  3. Top the toasted bread with the tomato mixture. Add some cheese and serve.

Did you make this recipe?

Share a photo and tag us @narrativefood— we can't wait to see what you've made!

Check out the episode below to see the bruschetta in action. Alan returns to Addie and Steve’s house to apologize and is surprised to find his father’s protege and uncle figure, Richard Conklin. Bobert and Jo go on a date and Rose also gets surprised by someone from her past.

You can watch the show on YouTube channel here.

Welcome to The Butcher’s Table

July 31, 2014 Filed Under: Stories

Editor’s note: Melissa Cortina is a butcher based in Los Angeles. She lived and worked on a sustainable farm in Sonoma, attended Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, and learned butchery at the hands of master Italian butchers before settling once again in Los Angeles, her home. Melissa managed Lindy & Grundy’s Local, Pastured, and Organic Meats for two years. Currently, she works as the HACCP Coordinator for Cook Family Butcher Shop in San Diego.

Hello, and welcome to The Butcher’s Table! Here you will find recipes and videos designed to demystify meat, stories from my life as a butcher, and conversations with small-scale California ranchers. The Butcher’s Table will give you the knowledge to select high quality meat and the confidence to make classic meat dishes at home.

The journey from working the line to the working the butcher counter has shown me that the chef’s table is entirely different from the butcher’s table. I first experienced this disparity while working for famed master butcher, Dario Cecchini. At his popular steak restaurant in the heart of Tuscany, simplicity reigns supreme: Dario serves nothing more than beef tartare, steak cooked rare, and simple vegetables. There are no ten course tasting menus, no dishes containing more than five or six ingredients. Still, crowds of people travel from around the world just to take their place at his table. While the utmost care is paid to preparing this simple food, Dario pays equal attention to the atmosphere of the dinner itself. Every night at his crowded, boisterous restaurant, total strangers sit elbow to elbow at long tables, eating and talking like the best of friends. Witnessing those dinners night after night, I began to understand that the spirit of The Butcher’s Table is about more than using the whole animal. It’s about celebrating the abundance the animal provides us, and sharing that abundance with the community.

In recent years, the small-scale American meat market has experienced tremendous growth. Books like The Omnivore’s Dilemma and films like Food Inc. opened a Pandora’s box of information about the way food arrives at our tables, and how it affects our lives. More and more people understand that the industrial meat complex delivers cheap, accessible meat at a tremendous cost to animal welfare, public health, and the environment. As consumers, we want to understand the best way to respect the animal, the environment, and our budgets, but we are increasingly distanced from the knowledge our ancestors had about how meat is best raised, harvested, and cooked. Here, I’ll attempt to remedy that generational gap and empower you to enjoy the abundance of The Butcher’s Table at home.

Favorite Picks At The Santa Monica Farmers Market

July 30, 2014 Filed Under: Recipes

If you happen to have Wednesday mornings off, we recommend taking a stroll at the Santa Monica Farmers Market on Arizona Avenue and 2nd Street. It’s the largest grower-only certified farmers market in Southern California, and if you know the industry well enough, you’ll spot some of Los Angeles’ hottest chefs roaming the stalls for their picks of the week. It also helps that the market is located right next to the pier.  Click through the gallery above and see our favorite farm stands. 

Why You Should Be Eating Rabbit

July 30, 2014 Filed Under: Recipes

Eating rabbit in Southern California is dicey. People freak out whenever they see it on the butcher’s table and farmers have a hard time selling them.

“People tend to judge rabbit not on flavor but on its cuteness,” Lefty Ayers, the owner of ReRide Ranch, said. ReRide is located 70 miles north of Los Angeles, near Lake Hughes on the northern edge of the Angeles National Forest. They’ve recently started selling rabbits again and Ayers raises New Zealand, California, and Satin varieties. Demand is going up; rabbits are slowly edging their way into the Los Angeles dining scene. “The market for rabbits is strong with the more exclusive, higher-end restaurants,” Marcie Jimenez of Jimenez Family Farm in Santa Ynez. She has been raising rabbits for food for 30 years. You can find them in sausages at Wurstkuche in the Arts District or if you’re looking for it fried, Southern-style, Ladies Gunboat Society on Sawtelle makes a solid rendition.

They’re sustainable and there are many nutritional benefits. Here’s why we should get over our aversion to eating rabbit:

1) They are easy to raise and they reproduce quickly.
The amount of fodder needed to raise rabbits by comparison to other animals is much lower. “They breed fast and grow fast,” Lefty Ayers, owner of ReRide Ranch said. Ayers feeds his rabbits alfalfa and water. Rabbits have a higher conversion rate than pigs, meaning they gain more weight with less feed. Five pounds of feed gains each rabbit one to two pounds. It’s a much more economical and sustainable process.  Less feed means less resources, less water. Add that to their rapid reproduction rates and you get one of the most sustainable meat choices available. In a single year, a farmer with one doe can easily raise around 4 to 6 litters containing up to a dozen rabbits.

JimenezFarm_landrymajor-522

Rabbits raised for food at Jimenez Family Farm

2) There are nutritional benefits.
“Rabbits are actually one of the top healthiest meats there is,” Ayers says. Rabbit is relatively low in saturated and unsaturated fat levels, it’s a good source of protein, and has high levels of Vitamin B-12 and selenium. “Rabbit is high in protein very low in fat,” Jimenez adds. It even has fewer calories per pound in comparison to other meats and the meat to bone ratio is much higher than for chicken.

3) It tastes like chicken
Rabbit meat is tender and has a mild gamey flavor. The meat is easy to digest and relatively disease free. It is a white meat with a similar consistency to chicken. Rabbit can effortlessly replace chicken in any recipe and can be used in many different cooking styles. Most commonly, rabbit meat is used in stews and ragu.

The downsides?

They’re not cage-free. “All rabbits for commercial meat production have to be raised off the ground,” Ayers noted. “There is no such thing as pastured rabbits.” The animals are so susceptible to disease, parasites, and heat sickness that they are kept in double stacked cages so that their droppings fall to a lower level.

And they’re awfully cute.

Ayers suggested that changing the name of the meat would shift perspectives: “Pork comes from a pig. Beef comes from a cow. What should rabbit meat be named?”


You can purchase rabbit from local growers at: Jimenez Family Farm and ReRide Ranch.

I Like To Clean Out My Fridge With Epic Cooking Sessions

July 30, 2014 Filed Under: Stories

I’m fortunate enough to have a bunch of nerds as friends, whose idea of a good time is coming over to my apartment and cooking with whatever ingredients I have available. 

“Do you have hoisin sauce?” one guy asked, the first time we did this.

“Uh, no…I can run to the market and pick it up though,” I said.

“No, no, let’s just use what you have.”

And just like that, a tradition began. 

The dinner sessions start with an assessment: I’ll grab everything from my fridge and pantry and lay it out on the table. (Full disclosure: I work for Out of the Box Collective and get all of my groceries delivered from them. A large box of fruits, veggies, meats, cheese, grain, nuts and other goodies is delivered to my doorstep every Monday.) The boys will scan the items and pluck out what they want. We make it up as we go, cooking one course at a time. Once that dish is done, it’s plated, photographed, and then enjoyed, family-style among the group. And then we all get up and start the second course, repeating the process until everything is used up.

It becomes a three to four hour soiree and by the end of it, my fridge a lot emptier, we’re stuffed, and have a handful of photos to show for the experience. 

Here’s a play-by-play: 

8:42 PM

My friends are on their way. They’ve brought their own knives. 

photo

 

9:00 PM

assessment.jpg

The assessment process. Everything is piled onto my kitchen counter and we begin picking out what we want.

 

9:15 PM

IMG_0664.jpg

The cooking process begins.  

10:00 PM

The guys are just as into plating as they are cooking. 

plating.jpg

Plating is taken very seriously.

10:15 PM

The first course is ready. We’ve used up chicken breasts, green beans, bacon, and potatoes. 

chicken

Pan-seared chicken breast with crispy skin & a balsamic reduction. It’s served with pan roasted fingerling potatoes with bacon chunks, garlic, and scallions. Finished off with sautéed purple/green/yellow string beans. Everything was basically cooked in Black Pig Bacon fat and/or McClelland butter.

10:30 PM

photo

I’m snacking on popcorn while they take care of the meats.

At this point, we’re not too sure about what to do for the second course.

“Let’s use up the ground beef!” I say. “We can make meatballs.”

“What do we pair it with?”

“I don’t know.”

“We’ll figure it out.”

11:15 PM

This was an odd combination, but it worked well.

Meatballs made from grassfed beef served with a tomato sauce made from a variety of heirloom tomatoes. Paired with sweet corn quickly sauteed with bacon and finished with cayenne pepper/scallion/cilantro. Garnished with a variety of herbs: sage/rosemary/mint & mint flowers. The mint was my favorite.

Meatballs made from grassfed beef served with a tomato sauce made from a variety of heirloom tomatoes. Paired with sweet corn quickly sauteed with bacon and finished with cayenne pepper/scallion/cilantro. Garnished with a variety of herbs: sage/rosemary/mint.

12:00 AM

Nuggets of lamb generously seasoned with cumin and grapefruit zest. Paired with a spring mix salad tossed in a freshly made grapefruit vinaigrette with fresh grapefruit segments, grapes, and crumbled goat cheese.

Nuggets of lamb generously seasoned with cumin and grapefruit zest. Paired with a spring mix salad tossed in a freshly made grapefruit vinaigrette with fresh grapefruit segments, grapes, and crumbled goat cheese.

1:00 AM

It’s 1:00 AM in the morning and we’re exhausted but thoroughly stuffed. We’ve made three courses with three different cuts of meat. There are no leftovers — everything is wiped clean.

Back on Schedule Box

July 29, 2014 Filed Under: Kitchen Boxes, Past Boxes

Summer vacation is winding down and it’s time to get back on schedule. This menu plan was created by Bonnie Stoilkovich, who has been creating herb rubs under her label Zuma Organics. Stoilkovich has been cooking and teaching cooking for over 15 years. She loves to encourage people to learn simple, carefree meals, that are not only healthy and delicious, but easy and non- threatening – reducing stress and time spent in the kitchen.

Roast Chicken 101 With Honeyed Carrots
Baba Ghanoush with Pita
Slow-Cooker Beans with Ham Hocks and Collards
Dairy-Free Pesto Pasta
Easy Meatloaf with Roasted Potatoes

You can buy set boxes, complete with ingredients to cook these recipes at Out of the Box Collective. Out of the Box is a Los Angeles farm-to-home delivery service. The deadline to order this box is Tuesday, August 5 at noon.

Here’s a pdf of the recipes. 

Baba Ghanoush with Pita

July 29, 2014 Filed Under: Recipes

A quick Middle Eastern eggplant dish served with pita and roasted peppers.

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Baba Ghanoush with Pita

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Ingredients

Scale
  • 1–2 eggplants
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 7 tsp tahini
  • Juice of a lemon
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 cucumber, peeled and sliced thin
  • 1 tomato – seeds removed, chopped
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp vinegar
  • Salt – to taste
  • Pepper – to taste
  • Sweet peppers

Instructions

For the baba ghanoush

  1. Everything can be adjusted in this recipe to get it to taste exactly the way you want. More garlic, more eggplant, whatever…
  2. Heat your oven to broil and place the eggplants (whole) on a baking sheet. Char the outside of the eggplants until they deflate. Turn them frequently with tongs. This will take 10-15 minutes. Place them in a large bowl and cover with a kitchen towel for 30 minutes. Peel off the skin and place the “meat” in a food processor (or finely chop).
  3. Add the garlic, tahini, lemon juice, salt & pepper either to the food processor (and blend until smooth) or mix into eggplant by hand.
  4. Serve with pita triangles.

For the cucumber salad

  1. Combine cucumber, tomato, olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper.

For the peppers

  1. Wash and dry the peppers, cut off the tops, and cut in half, removing seeds and membranes.
  2. Place on a baking sheet and put under the broiler until the skin is blackened and blistered.
  3. Place them in a plastic bag and let sit for 10 minutes.
  4. Remove the skin (it should slip right off at this point), and cut into the size of strips you desire.
  5. Place in a bowl with the minced garlic, a little salt and pepper and enough oil to lightly coat.

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Dairy-Free Pesto Pasta

July 29, 2014 Filed Under: Recipes

If you love pesto, but prefer to pass on the cheese, here’s a quick fix for you.

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Dairy-Free Pesto

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Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 large handfuls of fresh lemon basil
  • 2 cups raw walnuts
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 cup olive oil
  • 1/3 cup water
  • Salt to taste
  • Pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. In a Vitamix or food processor, add the above ingredients and blend until the desired consistency.
  2. Pour over pasta and serve with salad. Can also be used as a spread or dip.

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Easy Meatloaf with Roasted Potatoes

July 29, 2014 Filed Under: Recipes

Here’s a simple meatloaf recipe with potatoes. Serve it with tossed salad.

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Easy Meatloaf with Roasted Potatoes

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Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 2 tomatoes, diced small
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 bread crumbs
  • Handful marjoram or basil
  • 1 onion, chopped fine
  • 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce (optional)
  • Quartered potatoes
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • Salt, to taste
  • Pepper, to taste
  • 3 garlic cloves

Instructions

For the Meatloaf

  1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Mix the meatloaf ingredients in a large bowl.
  3. Place on top of a foil-lined cookie sheet sprayed with coconut oil or canola oil.
  4. Shape into a two inch high loaf and coat the top with ketchup or smashed tomatoes, to create a savory topping that’s gooey and delicious when done baking.
  5. Cook uncovered, for about 30 to 40 minutes.
  6. The internal temperature should read 160 degrees when you remove it from the oven.
  7. Let the loaf sit for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.

For the Potatoes

  1. Place the potatoes in a large bowl and toss with the olive oil, salt & pepper to taste, 1 sprig of rosemary, chopped syrian marjoram, 3 cloves whole garlic
  2. Pour it all out onto a baking sheet. Bake for 30-40 minutes at 375 degrees, until potatoes are crispy and tender.
  3. Serve meatloaf with roast potatoes and a tossed salad.

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Slow-Cooker Beans with Ham Hocks and Collards

July 28, 2014 Filed Under: Recipes

Here’s an nice recipe to use when you don’t want to spend that much time in the kitchen. Just prep everything, throw it in your slow-cooker, and come back in a couple of hours. Serve it with a side of collard greens.

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Slow-Cooker Beans with Ham Hocks and Collards

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Ingredients

Scale
  • 1/2 to 1 lb dry beans
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 1–2 packs ham hocks
  • 1 medium onion, roughly chopped
  • 2 minced garlic cloves
  • 1 tomato, chopped
  • 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 3 1/2 cups water

Instructions

For the Beans

  1. Soak the beans overnight. Put the following ingredients (dry beans, vegetable oil, ham hocks, onion, garlic cloves, tomato, brown sugar, Dijon mustard, water) into a slow cooker on high for 2-3 hours.
  2. Or simmer on low heat for an hour or two in a pot. Add 1 teaspoon of coarse salt after the beans are finished (otherwise the salt will affect the way the beans cook)!

For the Blanched Collards

  1. In a large pot over high heat, bring 3 quarts of water to a boil and add 1 tablespoon salt. Add the collards and cook, uncovered, for 8 to 10 minutes, until softened. Meanwhile, prepare a large bowl of ice water to cool the collards.
  2. Remove the collards from the heat, drain, and plunge them into the bowl of cold water to stop cooking and set the color of the greens. Drain by gently pressing the greens against a colander.
  3. In a medium-size sauté pan, combine the olive oil and the garlic and raise the heat to medium. Sauté for 1 minute. Add the collards and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Sauté for 3 minutes, stirring frequently.

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Roast Chicken 101 With Honeyed Carrots

July 28, 2014 Filed Under: Recipes

Here’s a very basic recipe for roast chicken, written by Bonnie Stoilkovich from Zuma Organic. Be sure to save the chicken carcass for a soup coming up that is out of this world good. Keep it in a freezer-safe zip lock until ready to use.

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Roast Chicken 101 with Honeyed Carrots

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Ingredients

Scale
  • Whole, or 1/2 chicken
  • Salt, to taste
  • Pepper, to taste
  • 6 carrots, sliced into 1/2 inch rounds
  • 3 tbsp butter
  • 2 tbsp agave nectar or honey
  • 2 tbsp parsley

Instructions

For the Chicken

  1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
  2. Wash your chicken, and pat dry with paper towels.
  3. Salt and pepper chicken, adding other seasonings such as rosemary if desired.
  4. Roast for 45 minutes. It does not need to be on a rack of any kind! Thermometer, inserted in thickest part of thigh meat – not touching bone – should read 165 degrees or slightly higher. Check this when you take it out after 45-60 minutes.
  5. Remove from oven and allow to stand 15 minutes before serving.

For the Honey Carrots

  1. While the chicken is cooking, melt butter in a skillet and add the carrots. Cook at medium heat for about 8 minutes. Add the agave, parsley, salt & pepper. Toss to coat. Cook for another 2-3 minutes. A nice brown coating should form on the carrots. Turn off heat and set aside until ready to serve.

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8 Great Farm-to-Table Restaurants In L.A.

July 24, 2014 Filed Under: Stories

Farm-to-table isn’t just a pretty trend. There are many benefits to eating local: you’re supporting the local economy, you’re reducing the carbon footprint of the food by not letting it travel 3000+ miles, and of course, you’re getting all the healthy perks of eating organic. Plus, everything is intensely fresh; the produce is harvested ripe and is much more nutrient dense. There are lots of local restaurants focusing on bringing you the freshest, most vibrant and delicious food that has been locally sourced. We scoured through Los Angeles and have compiled our favorite sustainable eateries.

Photo: Akasha

Akasha Restuarant, Bar and Bakery
From the food down to their uniforms, Akasha is dedicated to eco-friendly methods of production. Chef Akasha Richmond centers her menu based on what’s available at the farmers’ market and you can bet that all the ingredients are locally sourced and organic. Even the booze at Akasha is mindful; the bar serves organically produced spirits, beer, and wine. Don’t leave without trying their salty chocolate peanut bar. 9543 Culver Blvd, Culver City, CA 90232

Photo: AOC

AOC
Suzanne Goin’s AOC is Beverly Hills’ farm-to-table sweetheart. The award-winning Goin has long been a champion for hyperlocal food sourcing. The wine bar has an eclectic selection of organic, biodynamic, and sustainable spirits. The restaurant focuses on small plates and family-style shared platters, so be sure to bring a couple of friends. We recommend the arroz negro, a rice dish with meaty squid and saffron aioli. It’s one of AOC’s signature dish and while it’s messy, we assure you the texture and flavor is well worth it. 8700 W 3rd St, Los Angeles, CA 90048

Photo: Forage LA

Forage
The Forage family has a passion for living and eating well. The restaurant is family-owned and an idyllic lunch destination if you can snag a seat. The coolest part: they source from urban growers. The restaurant collaborates with home growers and guides them through the process of certification with county food regulators. Despite its popularity, Forage has a relatively modest operation. It’s cafeteria style and you order off their hot counter, which features a rotating selection of protein bowls, diverse sides, and elevated vegetables. Regulars love the pork belly sandwich, mac n cheese (this is an evening specialty), and the kale salad. 3823 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90026

Photo: Girasol

Girasol
Chef CJ Jacobson of Top Chef takes local eating to whole other level. In addition to sourcing from regional farms, the restaurant actually forages from the Angeles National Forest. The tender octopus salad with fresh greens is a must. We’re also a huge fan of the beets and berries salad, sprinkled with a creamy and substantial goat cheese. 11334 Moorpark St, Los Angeles, CA 91604

Photo: Gjelina

Photo: Gjelina

Gjelina
One word: pizza. Gjelina makes simple everyday food with quality conscientiously sourced ingredients. About 90% of their produce comes from the farmers’ market, which is conveniently located right up the street. This place is perfect for brunch but their flavor packed freshly baked pizza is their main attraction. 1429 Abbot Kinney Blvd, Venice, CA 90291

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Photo: Clarissa Wei

Malibu Farm
Malibu Farm first began as a pop-up but the venture soon opened a brick and mortar after soaring in popularity. The owner, Helene Henderson, uses ingredients from three local farms including her own. Henderson doesn’t use excessive sauces to alter their flavor. Instead she prefers to showcase the true flavor of the produce. They have a great location on the pier and it’s perfect for brunch. The fried egg sandwich and grilled chocolate cake that’s not too sweet are more than enough reason to keep going back. 23000 Pacific Coast Hwy, Malibu, CA 90265

Photo from Pedalers Fork

Pedalers Fork
Pedalers Fork is an adorable two-story Calabasas restaurant with vintage bikes lined up on the walls (some of them date from back in the 1800s). They source from more than a dozen producers and have crafted an extensive menu that covers both land and sea. We really dig the fava bean hummus with organic vegetables and warm pita bread. 23504 Calabasas Rd, Calabasas, CA 91302

Photo from Clarissa Wei

Sqirl
Jessica Koslow’s Sqirl has become an integral part of L.A.’s growing food culture. It started out as an artisan toast and jam café and has now become one of the hippest restaurants in Los Angeles. There can be quite a wait on weekend afternoons. The restaurant’s produce comes from local farmers within a 350 mile radius as well as from their own garden. Our favorites: a fluffy brioche toast topped with fresh ricotta. Oh, and of course, the jam. 720 N Virgil Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90029

Feast Your Eyes On This

July 23, 2014 Filed Under: Recipes

At Out of the Box Collective, we source from the Santa Barbara Farmers Market, where the produce always seems bigger, brighter, and more vibrant than anywhere else in Southern California. All of these images were taken on a standard iPhone5s, edited with VSCO cam. Enjoy, salivate, and remember, you can get all of these goodies home-delivered here.   

A Visual Guide To Seed-To-Loaf Breadmaking

July 22, 2014 Filed Under: Recipes

Bread isn’t complicated. It’s been a human staple for nearly 30,000 years and only needs four ingredients: flour, yeast, salt, and water.  We sent our photographer up to New Vineland Bakery in Lompoc, where she captured the entire breadmaking process from grain to loaf. The operation includes every step, from growing the wheat to baking the bread in their custom-made oven. Their bread can be bought through the Santa Rosa Hills CSA, the Montecito, Santa Barbara, and Ojai farmers’ markets, or straight from their Lompoc tasting room on Thursdays and Fridays. 

By growing their own wheat, New Vineland bakers ensure the quality of their product from start to finish.


After the wheat is harvested, the wheat berries will be milled into whole wheat flour. Unlike most whole wheat mills, which strip the endosperm from the grain, process them separately, and recombine them at the end, New Vineland grinds the entire wheat berry, yielding a less processed and more flavorful flour. 

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The flour is combined with wild yeast from their wine grapes, water and salt to make bread. When kneading the dough, the baker, Brendan, adds whole grains and nuts to create different flavors and textures.

kneading new vineland

Gluten develops when flour is moistened and kneaded, giving dough its elasticity. Gluten’s elastic framework holds the gas produced by the fermenting yeast. 

new vineland collage

  

The dough is kneaded and set aside to rise, or proof, in bannetons, which shape the dough and mark each loaf with a traditional spiral imprint. 

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Once shaped,  a loaf is slid into their wood-fired oven.

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 The warm, crusty bread cools on nearby racks. 

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The #KitchenTakeover Movement. Join Us!

July 22, 2014 Filed Under: Stories

#KitchenTakeover: a movement by youths to take over the kitchen once a week and cook. 

Goal: To improve food literacy and confidence in the kitchen. 

 

Hi, I’d like to introduce myself. My name is Leandra, I’m in high school, and I’m the #KitchenTakeover editor at Forage and Pasture.  

Confession: I like to spend time on Instagram. On any given day, I guarantee that I am able to scroll through my newsfeed to find a few food pictures from that restaurant we’ve all heard about. Considering that I live in LA, a city abundant with A+ food spots, I’m not surprised that this photo craze is so popular. I think that my fellow high schoolers and I have become a little too proficient at finding the best café, and while that isn’t a bad thing, this movement is about turning that trend around and getting us back into the kitchen.  

Honestly, I don’t want to be in college, hungry and frazzled, sick of Cup of Noodles, and unsure of how to satisfy my food-cravings without blowing my budget. Sure, some of us know how to bake chocolate chip cookies or whip up some pancakes in the morning, but are we food-literate enough to create a healthy meal for ourselves, our families, or our friends?

Here at Forage and Pasture, we’re starting a campaign called #KitchenTakeover. The goal is to encourage youths like myself to start cooking good food using healthy (even local and seasonal) ingredients in the kitchen just once a week. This column is produced by youths and we hope it will inspire more home-cooked meals, family-bonding time, and cook offs. 

Here are a few reasons why we’ve created this:

1. Understand what is going into our food rather than mindlessly eating whatever is put in front of us. 

2. Internalize cooking skills and knowledge about various ingredients and cuisine. 

3. Educate ourselves about sustainability. 

4. Carry these skills into college and beyond so that we’re more independent and confident in cooking. (And avoid the Freshman 15) 

5. Impress family and friends.  

6. Learn about nutrition and set up good eating habits. 

6. Have fun.  

It won’t be difficult to participate in this campaign, so don’t be scared to try it out.

Instructions: Take over the kitchen once a week, and on social media, hashtag #KitchenTakeover.

You don’t have to have experience in the kitchen at all! We plan on providing new recipes, themes, and videos each week to provide inspiration and to make it easy for you. There will be more details and information coming soon (including competitions with prizes) so check back soon to find out. Also, sign up for our mailing list below to get access to more resources.

So, parents, move on over. We’re taking over the kitchen. (But don’t worry. We’ll clean up!) #LeaveNoTrace

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Quick And Easy Summer Box

July 22, 2014 Filed Under: Kitchen Boxes, Past Boxes

In this heat, we’re thinking nobody wants to stand over a hot stove for very long! Here’s a quick and easy menu plan, brought to you by the “Surfin’ Chef,” Erik Stenberg, who is, in our humble opinion, one of the most talented chefs in Santa Barbara (he won the 2010 SOL Food Festival Iron Chef competition!).

– Chicken With Lemon Verbena
– Grilled Sausage and Toasted Fennel Seed Ratatouille
– Lima Bean Salad With An Egg
– Ginger Beef Stir-Fry
– Pasta Facile

Here’s a pdf of all the recipes. 

You can buy set boxes, complete with ingredients to cook these recipes at Out of the Box Collective. Out of the Box is a Los Angeles farm-to-home delivery service.

Lima Bean Salad With An Egg

July 22, 2014 Filed Under: Recipes

This is a great summer salad. We love the lima beans and everything is always better with an egg on top.

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Lima Bean Salad with Fried Egg

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Ingredients

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  • 3/4 cup lima beans, shelled
  • 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1/4 cup green onions, sliced into rings
  • 2 carrots, grated
  • Handful of salad mix
  • 2 eggs, fried
  • 1/2 cup basil, roughly chopped
  • 2 tbsp sherry vinegar
  • Juice of one lemon
  • 1/4 cup olive oil

Instructions

  1. Shell lima beans, then steam, whole for about 10-15 minutes.
  2. Mix together the sherry vinegar, lemon juice, and olive oil to create a dressing.
  3. In a mixing bowl, toss together the tomatoes, beans, onions, carrots, and basil with the dressing, season with salt and pepper
  4. Toss the bean and veggie mixture with the green salad.
  5. Prepare the eggs in the style of your liking and serve with the salad. We recommend sunny side up.

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Pasta Facile

July 22, 2014 Filed Under: Recipes

Facile means ‘easy’ in Italian. This recipe is a take-off from succotash and is prepared with roasted peppers, corn and fresh lima beans.

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Pasta Facile

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Ingredients

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  • Several peppers
  • 2 ears, shucked corn
  • 1 chopped onions
  • 3–4 chopped garlic
  • 1 cup fresh lima beans
  • 1 pack pasta
  • A bunch basil

Instructions

  1. Start by throwing a few peppers in the oven and get them roasting at high heat.
  2. Boil water then add the pasta with a pinch of salt. Cook until al dente.
  3. Cut the corn off the cob, while sauteeing the onions and garlic together. Then add your fresh lima beans and continue cook.
  4. Once the peppers are roasted de-stem and de-seed (if not already done) and add them into the pan.
  5. Add the corn last because it does not need a lot of time to cook.
  6. To create a little liquid/ sauce in the pan simply ladle a few ounces of your pasta boiling water into the pan and let it cook in and reduce down.
  7. When the sauce is done, drain the pasta and mix it in. Enjoy!

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Ginger Beef Stir-Fry

July 22, 2014 Filed Under: Recipes

By Erik Stenberg

This was a standard employee meal at lunch when I worked at Mama’s Fish House on Maui. We would feed 150 employees everyday. It’s fast and easy and the combination of soy and honey makes it a favorite for the whole family. If you don’t have any hoisin or oyster sauce don’t worry. It won’t change the structure of the dish.

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Ginger Beef Stir Fry

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Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 lb beef stir fry
  • 1/2 sliced onion
  • 2 diced garlic cloves
  • 1 piece of ginger
  • 1/2 lb snap peas
  • 2 spring onions, sliced into rings
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1 tbsp hoisin or oyster sauce (optional)

Instructions

  1. Cut your beef into strips and sauté separately in a pan, set aside when cooked.
  2. Sauté the onions, garlic, and ginger in a stir fry pan for 2 minutes. Add the Snap Peas, Pea Tendrils (opt), cooked beef, and grated carrots (opt) and stir fry for 3 minutes.
  3. Mix together the soy sauce, honey, and hoisin or oyster sauce. Add the mixture to the stir fry and continue cooking for another minute.
  4. Garnish and serve with green onions.

Notes

  • Reduce the honey to 1/8 of a cup if you prefer a less sweet taste.

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Grilled Sausage and Toasted Fennel Seed Ratatouille

July 22, 2014 Filed Under: Recipes

Ratatouille screams summertime! It’s a classic, and there is good reason why that is. It has been prepared for years and there are a hundred different takes on it, but all in all it is a celebration of the summer harvest in a pan.

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Grilled Sausage and Toasted Fennel Seed Ratatouille

  • Author: Erik Stenberg
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Ingredients

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  • 1 pack grilled sausage
  • 1 eggplant, diced
  • 2 diced, 8-ball squash
  • 1/2 diced onions
  • 2 diced garlic cloves
  • Handful cherry tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp fennel seed
  • 1 tsp chili flakes (opt)
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste (opt)
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp parsley

Instructions

  1. In a dry sauté pan with no oil, toast the fennel seeds.
  2. Once the seeds have browned, add some olive oil and sauté the onions and garlic and chili flakes together for 2 minutes with the fennel seeds.
  3. Add the eggplant and 8 ball squash and continue sautéing.
  4. After 3 minutes, add the cherry tomatoes and tomato paste, turn the heat down to a simmer and let it all cook together for about 20 minutes. The tomatoes will break down creating a sauce for the veggies to cook in.
  5. Grill the sausages on the BBQ. To make sure the sausages are cooked through, you can boil them for 10 minutes before grilling them.

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Chicken With Lemon Verbena

July 21, 2014 Filed Under: Recipes

Lemon verbena is a potent herb, with a sharp, citrusy note. You can make a soothing herbal tea with it, or in this case, infuse it in a savory chicken recipe.

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Chicken Breast With Lemon Verbena

  • Author: Erik Stenberg
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Ingredients

Scale
  • olive oil
  • 1.5 lb chicken breast
  • Handful of king trumpet mushrooms
  • 1/2, sliced onion
  • 2 roughly chopped garlic cloves
  • 8 lemon verbena leaves
  • 1/4 cup white wine
  • 1 cup chicken stock or vegetable broth
  • 1/2 lemon (optional)

Instructions

  1. Sear the chicken strips in a braising dish with some olive oil for 1 minute over medium high, then add the onions and garlic.
  2. After 2 minutes add the mushrooms and lemon verbena, toss together for a second then deglaze the pan with white wine. Once the wine has reduced down add the chicken or veggie stock, turn down to a simmer and cook until the mushrooms are tender. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice if you like.

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Back to Butter: Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Onion Marinade

July 21, 2014 Filed Under: Recipes