Chicken Pot Pie

A childhood favorite is comfort food today. I had never made chicken pot pie until this week when I was thinking of what to do with the rest of the roasted chicken that was in the frig. Pillsbury had the recipe that seemed the easiest and so I tried that one. It did not disappoint, in fact, it's a delicious keeper!

Crust

1     14.1 oz refrigerated Pillsbury pie crust (2) softened OR two ready made pie crusts from the frozen food section at the grocery store.

Ingredients

1/3 cup butter

1/3 cup chopped onion

1/3 cup all purpose flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

1/4 tsp. ground thyme

1 1/3 cup chicken broth

1/2 cup milk

2 1/2 cups shredded chicken or turkey

2 cups mixed frozen vegetables

Instrcutions

Heat oven to 425°F. Prepare pie crusts as directed on box for two-crust pie using 9-inch glass pie pan.

 

In 2-quart saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion; cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until tender. Stir in flour, salt and pepper, and thyme until well blended. Gradually stir in broth and milk, cooking and stirring until bubbly and thickened.

 

Stir in chicken and mixed vegetables. Remove from heat. Spoon chicken mixture into crust-lined pan. Top with second crust; seal edge and flute. Cut slits in several places in top crust.

 

Bake 30 to 40 minutes or until crust is golden brown. During last 15 to 20 minutes of baking, cover crust edge with strips of foil to prevent excessive browning. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

 

 

Beet Arugula Garbonzo Bean Salad

Yield: 6 servings

• 1(15½-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1½ teaspoons ground coriander
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 orange
• ¼ cup full-fat Greek yogurt
• 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 pounds cooked whole red or golden beets (store-bought or homemade), peeled and cut into ½-inch-thick rounds
• 3 cups baby arugula
• 
  

Step 1
Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Spread the chickpeas on a small baking sheet and pat dry with a kitchen towel. Season lightly with salt, black pepper, ½ teaspoon coriander and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Roast the chickpeas until golden brown and crispy, shaking the sheet halfway through baking, 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, and while still warm, zest the orange over the roasted chickpeas. Stir to combine.

Step 2
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk the yogurt, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 tablespoons rice vinegar and the remaining 1 teaspoon ground coriander. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Step 3
In a medium bowl, toss the beets, remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, remaining 1 tablespoon rice vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Add the arugula and toss to combine.

Step 4
To serve, spread half of the yogurt dressing on a serving platter. Add the beet mixture and scatter the chickpeas all over the top. Spoon the remaining yogurt dressing over everything and serve immediately.

 

Mussels

This is the easiest and my favorite way to prepare mussels.  The recipe comes from the NY Times.

INGREDIENTS

 

Yield: 4 servings

 

• 2tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for toasts
• 2garlic cloves, minced, plus 1 or 2 whole garlic cloves for rubbing toasts
• Pinch of crushed red pepper
• 4pounds mussels, cleaned
• ¼cup white wine or water
• 1baguette, split lengthwise, then cut crosswise in half
• 1cup roughly chopped parsley

 

 

PREPARATION

1. Step 1

Heat broiler. Put olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and red pepper and let sizzle for 30 seconds without browning. Add the mussels, stir to coat and increase heat to high. Add the wine or water, and put on lid. After 2 minutes, give the mussels a stir, then replace lid and continue cooking until all mussels have opened, 6 to 8 minutes.

2. Step 2

Paint cut sides of the baguette pieces with oil and place cut side up under broiler to toast. Rub toasts with the remaining garlic cloves.

3. Step 3

Stir the chopped parsley into the mussels, then ladle mussels and broth into bowls. Serve with the garlic toasts.

 

Bruschetta

 One of the best parts of summer is being able to get "real" tomatoes with a rich, fresh taste that year round tomatoes from the grocery store can't begin to measure up to. I've gotten to the point that I no longer want to buy grocery store tomatoes as there just is not any flavor to them, even tomatoes from Whole Foods that are premium priced. When friends gave me that last of their harvest for the year, I looked through recipes for different things to make and came across this simple and easy bruschetta recipe. We had a portion of it for dinner with cold smoked salmon, cucumbers and capers.

Ingredients

4 TBSP extra-virgin olive oil

2 garlic cloves, diced

4 large tomatoes, chopped

1/4 cup thinly sliced basil

2 TBSP balsamic vinegar

1 tsp. salt

Bread

1 French baguette, sliced diagonally 1/4 inch thick

Olve oil for brushing

Directions

Make marinated tomatoes: In a medium skillet over medium-low heat, heat oil. Add garlic and cook until lightly golden, 2 to 4 minutes, then remove from heat and let cool.

In a large bowl, toss together tomatoes, basil, vinegar and salt. Add garlic and oil from skillet and toss to combine. Let marinate for at least 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, toast bread: Preheat oven to 400°. Brush bread on both sides lightly with oil and place on large baking sheet. Toast bread until golden, 10 to 15 minutes, turning halfway through.

Spoon tomatoes on top of bread just before serving.

Bruschetta, bread & smoked salmon

Roasted Eggplant Parmesan

Fall season makes me think of comfort food. I couldn't remember the last time that I had made eggplant parmesan and went online in search of a recipe that was appealing and not too complicated to make. I found this one from Ina Garten. I had recently listened to an interview with her and wanted to make something from her vast collection of recipes, so I was happy to find this. While shopping for ingredients and seeing I needed 1/2 cup of basil, I bought a basil plant for $3.99 which provided me with more than enough basil for this recipe. What I especially like about this recipe is that it calls for a jar of marinara instead of a recipe for making marina, which saved me a lot of time. Another possible time saver would be to spray the eggplant with olive oil stead of brushing it. This recipe says it serves 6 but with a salad a bread, we had leftovers of four more servings, so I'll say it serves 8. 

Serves 8

Ingredients

3 lbs eggplant, halved lengthwise and slice 1/4 - 1/3 thick

3/4 cup of olive oil

1 TBSP dried oregano

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 24-ounce jar of marinara sauce

1/2 cup julienned fresh basil leaves

I lb. fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced

8 oz garlic and herb goat cheese

1 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

For the topping:

1 1/3 fresh bread crumbs (I use Panko)

4 cloves of minced garlic

1/4 cup of chopped basil or parsley

1/4 cup of olive oil

Directions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees  

• Lay the eggplant in one layer on parchment lined (my choice for easy cleanup) sheet pans and brush both sides with olive oil. Sprinkle oregano, crushing it in your hands, then sprinkle with     1 1/2 TBSP. salt and 1 1/2 tsp. pepper. Bake for 15 minutes, then turn eggplant over and rotate the pan, cooking for 10 minutes longer.

• In a 10x14x2 ceramic or glass baking dish, spread 1/3 of the marinara sauce. Arrange a third of the eggplant on top in one layer. Scatter a third of the basil, 1/3 of the mozzarella, 1/3 of the goat cheese and 1/3 of the parmesan. Repeat twice.

• For the topping, place all of the ingredients in a food processor and pulse to combine. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the dish.

• Bake at 400 degrees for 40-50 minutes, until bubbling and golden brown. Let sit at room temperature 10 minutes before serving.

Crab Cakes

Crab cakes are one of those things you don't think about much when you live in the land-locked western United States. If they do show up on the menu at a restaurant, it is rare and they are usually rather pricey. I was picking up a few items at Costco a few weeks ago and saw shelled crab for $29.99 in a one pound container. Crab cakes entered my mind and I looked for a recipe on line and decided to get the crab and make the cakes. All I can say is "wow, are these good!"

Servings: Makes 6 large crab cakes 

Prep Time: 30 Minutes

Cook Time: 10 Minutes

Total Time: 40 Minutes, plus at least 1 hour to let the crab cakes set

INGREDIENTS

• 2 large eggs
• 2½ tablespoons mayonnaise, best quality such as Hellmann's or Duke's
• 1½ teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup finely diced celery, from one stalk
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley 
• 1 pound lump crab meat (see note below)
• ½ cup panko bread crumbs
• Vegetable or canola oil, for cooking

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy clean-up.
2. Combine the eggs, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire, salt, celery, and parsley in a large bowl and mix well. Add the crab meat (be sure to check the meat for any hard and sharp cartilage) and panko; using a rubber spatula, gently fold the mixture together until just combined, being careful not to shred the crab meat. Shape into 6 cakes (each about ½ cup) and place on the prepared baking sheet. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. This helps them set.
3. Preheat a large nonstick pan over medium heat and coat with oil. When the oil is hot, place the crab cakes in the pan and cook until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Be careful as oil may splatter. Serve the crab cakes warm with the tartar sauce.

Aspargus, Goat Cheese and Tarragon Tart

Asparagus, Goat Cheese and Tarragon Tart

By Melissa Clark

Because you don’t have to make your own crust, this gorgeous asparagus-striped tart is so easy it almost feels like cheating. But it’s not. It’s just simple yet stunning, effortlessly chic and company-ready. As there are so few ingredients in this recipe that each one makes an impact, be sure to buy a good all-butter brand of puff pastry. If you can manage to serve this tart warm, within an hour of baking, it will be at its absolute best, with crisp pastry that shatters into buttery bits when you bite down and still-runny cheese. But it’s also excellent a few hours later, should you want to get all your baking done before your guests arrive. If tarragon isn’t your favorite herb, you can use chives, basil or mint instead. And if you can manage to trim all the asparagus to the same length, this tart will be especially neat and orderly looking.

 INGREDIENTS

1 cup goat cheese, at room temperature (4 ounces)

1 large egg, lightly beaten, at room temperature

1 large garlic clove, finely grated or minced

1 ½ tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon leaves, plus more for serving

1/2 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more for sprinkling

Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

1 cup crème fraîche, at room temperature (8 ounces)

All-purpose flour, for dusting the work surface

1 sheet or square all-butter puff pastry, thawed if frozen (about 9 to 14 ounces; brands vary)

8 ounces thin asparagus, woody ends trimmed

Extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan

Freshly ground black pepper

Red-pepper flakes (optional)

1 1/2 ounces Parmesan, shaved with a vegetable peeler (about 1/2 cup)

 

PREPARATION

YIELD 6 to 8 servings

TIME 1 hour

PREPARATION

YIELD 6 to 8 servings

TIME 1 hour

 

Step 1

Heat oven to 425 degrees. In a medium bowl, use a fork or a wooden spoon to mash together the goat cheese, egg, garlic, tarragon, lemon zest, salt and nutmeg until smooth. Switch to a whisk and beat in the crème fraîche until smooth.

Step 2

On a lightly floured surface, roll out puff pastry into a 13-by-11-inch rectangle about 1/8-inch thick. Transfer the dough to a parchment lined cookie sheet. With a sharp knife, lightly score a 1/2-inch border around the edges of the puff pastry.

 

Step 3

Spread the crème fraîche mixture evenly inside the scored border. Line up the asparagus spears on top, and brush them with olive oil. Sprinkle some salt and the grated Parmesan over the asparagus.

 

Step 4

Bake until the pastry is puffed and golden, 25 to 30 minutes. Let it cool on the cookie sheet for at least 15 minutes or up to 4 hours before serving. Then sprinkle black pepper, red-pepper flakes (if using), the

shaved Parmesan and tarragon leaves. Drizzle a little oil on top. 

 

Tip

You can assemble the tart 1 day in advance; but reserve the

sprinkling of salt and grated Parmesan until right before baking.

Loosely cover the tart and store it in the refrigerator until it's time to

bake.

 

Blackberry Crisp

 I love blackberries! This is my favorite blackberry dessert and I have been making it for years.

The Fruit

• About 4 cups of blackberries
• 1 TBSP flour
• 3 TBSP of brown or white sugar
• 1 tsp. of grated orange rind

The Topping

• 1/2 cup of unbleached white flour
• 6 TBSP brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 4 TBSP unsalted butter

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Toss the berries with flour, sugar and orange rind. Put them in an 8-inch glass pie pan or equivalent or equivalent baking dish. 

For the topping, combine the flour, sugar, spices and salt. Cut the butter into small pieces, then work into the flour with two knives or your fingers until the small pieces begin to hold together. Distribute the topping evenly over the berries. Bake until the topping is lightly browned and the juices have risen around the edges, about 30-40 minutes. Serve with whipping cream or vanilla ice cream.

Serves four

Pisco Sour

After a trip to Peru in June where the cocktail of the day (every day) was a Pisco sour, I was craving the cocktail at home. I found some Peruvian Pisco at Hazel's in Boulder, Co. Here's the recipe with a little history.

Chile and Peru bicker fiercely over the Pisco Sour’s origin (and that of pisco, too), but by most accounts, the drink’s genesis is tied to a United States citizen. Expat bartender Victor Morris is believed to have concocted the frothy, smooth cocktail at his Lima bar around 1915 or perhaps the early 1920s. Blending pisco, lime juice, egg white and Angostura bitters, the Pisco Sour is earthy, sweet and tart—a cocktail worth fighting over.

Pisco is a grape-distilled spirit that was first made in the 16th century. Piscos vary in style and grape variety, with different expressions ranging in flavor from dry and earthy to floral and fruity. The Pisco Sour doesn’t call for a particular pisco, so enterprising drinkers can experiment to find which they prefer.

Spirit, citrus, sugar and egg white are the core ingredients in a good sour, including the popular Whiskey Sour. But one small difference that’s become emblematic of the Pisco Sour is its inclusion of Angostura bitters. The aromatic bitters, which are usually applied as a garnish, add color and fragrance to the cocktail. Those bitters sit on the drink’s fluffy head, a trait achieved by dry-shaking the cocktail. That means shaking it first without ice to incorporate the liquid ingredients with the egg white before shaking it again with ice to provide chill and dilution.The result is a delicious cocktail with a silky mouthfeel that can provide refreshment whether you’re hiking in the Andes or drinking on the beach.

Ingredients

• 2 ounces pisco
• 1 ounce lime juice, freshly squeezed
• 1/2 ounce simple syrup
• 1 egg white
• Garnish: Angostura bitters

Steps

1.      Add pisco, lime juice, simple syrup and egg white into a shaker and dry-shake (without ice) vigorously.

2.      Add ice and shake again until well-chilled.

3.      Strain into a chilled Nick & Nora glass. (Alternatively, you can strain it into a rocks glass over fresh ice.)

4.      Garnish with 3 to 5 drops of Angostura bitters. Using a straw, toothpick or similar implement, swirl the bitters into a simple design, if desired.

Citrus Endive Salad

 I was looking in the frig to see what I had to make a salad. Endive and a grapefruit and that reminded me that I wanted to try to repeat a grilled endive citrus salad that I had at 108. While looking online for a recipe that had grapefruit and endive, I came across something on Real Simple that I ended up making. It was refreshing in two ways: the bright citrus flavor and making a salad that was new to me. I made slight modifications to the original version.

Yields: 2 large servings or 4 dinner sized salads

Ingredients

3-6 heads of Belgian endive, trimmed and halved crosswise

1-2 cups of grapefruit segments, separated from the membrane

1/4 cup pistachios

2 oz, goat cheese, crumbled (about 1/2 cup)

1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

1-2 tablespoons of honey

Directions

Arrange endive, grapefruit segments and pistachios on a serving platter. Top with goat cheese, mint and salt. Drizzle with olive oil and honey.

Spiced Ginger Shrimp

I saw this recipe on the New York Times but made a modification because I did not have some of the spices it called for.  The result is delicious without the spices, which were 1 1/2 tsp. of garam masala or five-spice curry powder or Baharat.

Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 tsp finely grated fresh ginger
• 2 garlic cloves
• 3 scallions, thinly sliced, greens and whites separated
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 pound extra-large shrimp, shelled and deveined
• 1 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
• 3/4 cup of halved sweet cherry tomatoes
• 2 TBSP unsalted butter
• fresh lime juice
• 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, torn or coarsely chopped

Preparation:

In a medium bowl, combine ginewr, garlic, scallion whites, 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp pepper.  Add shrimp and toss well. Heat a large skillet over high heat and add the olive oil. Add the tomatoes and 1/4 tsp. salt. Cook until the tomatoes start to wrinkle, about 2 minutes.

Add shrimp mixture and saute for another 2 - 4 minutes, turning the shrimp until they are pink all over.                                

Gently stir in the butter and cook for another minute, until the shrimp are cooked through. Remove from heat and add a squeeze with fresh lemon juice. Garnish with mint and scallion greens and serve immediately.

This goes well with rice.  I'll try soba noodles the next time I make it.

Potato Crisps

After making these, potato chips will never be the same. Having a mandolin makes this an easy recipe. One thing: make sure NOT to have too much oil or they will turn out soggy.

Ingredients 

2 medium potatoes

1.5 tbsp olive oil

Salt and pepper Directions 1 Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. 2 Slice the potatoes into thin rounds using a sharp knife or a mandolin. Aim to have them about 1/8 inch thick, although a little variation is fine as long as they aren't too thick.  3 Toss with the olive oil, salt, and pepper. You can also add other spices here as well. 4 Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper or a wire rack. Place the potatoes in a single layer. Bake for 15-20 minutes until crispy.

Classic Margarita

It seemed like winter was coming a little sooner than I wanted. After all, it was only October 23 and too early for snow and 16 degree temperatures that were forecasted for Sunday, October 25. My sister and her husband live in Colorado Springs, where it was predicted to be close to 70 degrees on Saturday. The drive is about an hour and a half to two hours from Boulder, depending on road construction and traffic. We decided to stay the night on Friday and go for a bike ride on Saturday after it warmed up. Mary selected a dirt trail and all four of us rode 20 miles on a beautiful sunny afternoon, wrapping up around 4 pm. With limited happy hour options, the best place was home where we decided to make margaritas. I went for the Patron classic recipe and must say, it is the best margarita I ever! Here's how to make it:

Recipe for 1 drink

1.5 oz. Patron Silver

1   oz.  Patron Citronge Orange

3/4 oz.  Fresh lime juice

1/4 oz.  Simple syrup

1. Combine liquid ingredients in a cocktail shaker and shake vigorously with ice to chill.
2. Strain onto fresh ice in a rocks glass and garnish with a lime wedge.
3. Optionally, salt half the rim of the glass with kosher salt.

Prosciutto & Arugula Pizza

Prosciutto & Arugula Pizza

During the Corona Virus pandemic, I was thinking about a pizza I had somewhere with prosciutto and  arugula.  I found this recipe on the Food Network web site.  The first time I made, I didn't pay close enough attention to the recipe and didn't add lemon juice, shallots and olive oil to the arugula. We still really liked it.  Last night I made it exactly according to the recipe and it was even better. We sat at the kitchen counter with a glass of wine and it almost felt like we were in a bar some place else.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees

Ingredients:

1 pound prepared pizza dough, at room temperature*

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 clove garlic, grated

1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup part-skim ricotta

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

4 cups baby arugula

1 small shallot, thinly sliced

Juice of 1/2 lemon

3 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto

Shaved parmesan cheese, for topping

* I use a pre-made pizza crust that I buy at Sprouts. It is Activfit Super Grains Ultra Thin Pizza Crust. You cook it directly onto the oven rack.  There is also a good one from Trader Joe's in the frozen pizza section, Morteli Organic pizza crust 

Combine 2 tablespoons olive oil in a bowl with the garlic, rosemary, and salt and pepper to taste. Brush with the pizza crust with the olive oil mixture and top with the ricotta and mozzarella. Return the pizza to the oven; bake until the cheese is golden and bubbly, about 6 more minutes.

Toss the arugula and shallot in a large bowl with the lemon juice, the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Top the pizza with the arugula salad, prosciutto and shaved parmesan. Cut into slices.

Anchovy Hors d’ Oeuvres

My sweetheart is a big fan of anchovies and found a recipe for this appetizer.  Very delicious and surprisingly, the anchovy taste is subtle--just right.

• 1 Large French Baguette OR crackers
• 
  
• 1 Anchovy Tin (45g/1.6oz net weight 30g/1oz drained weight)
• 
  
• 2.5oz Marinated Roasted peppers or your own roasted red pepper thinly sliced
• 
  
• ¼ large cucumber (you’ll need 12 slices)
• 
  
• 2 Tablespoons Mayonnaise

First slice the baguette. You should get at least 12 pieces out of it. Throw them in a toaster and toast until golden brown. OR 12 crackers

Meanwhile rinse and cut the cucumber into 12 thin slices. Place roasted peppers onto a paper kitchen towel to get rid of the excess liquid. You can do the same with anchovies.

When the baguette slices are toasted, start assembling the bites. Baguette slice + Thin layer of Mayonnaise + 1 cucumber slice + Roasted peppers + ½ -1 Tiny anchovy.

Recipe from Gourmandize.com

Roasted asparagus with black rice, avocado and radish sprouts

I need to remember to make this recipe! Every time I make it I say to myself that I need to make it more often but then forgot to.

Roasted asparagus Serves 2 to 4 people.
I often double this recipe; if you do roast extra, make sure the asparagus is in a single layer, so they cook evenly. You may need more or less cooking time depending on the thickness of your asparagus. Mine was a mixed bunch and I enjoyed the difference in textures from roasting them all together.

1 pound asparagus
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
½ a lemon or lime, optional

Pre heat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Line a baking tray with parchment paper and set aside.
Wash asparagus very well. Cut two inches off the bottom or break off the ends at their natural breaking point. Place asparagus on baking tray and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle over a pinch of sea salt and fresh black pepper. Toss well and spread evenly over tray, in a single layer. Place in the oven and roast for 20 minutes. Remove and serve, with a squeeze of lemon or lime if you like.

Forbidden black rice Serves about 6
I like my rice very soft and sticky, but if you prefer a nuttier texture, reduce the cooking water to 2 ½ cups.

1 ¼ cups forbidden black rice, soaked overnight in 2 cups of filtered water
3 cups filtered water
½ teaspoon sea salt

Drain and rinse rice. Place in a heavy 2 to 4 quart pot and add filtered water and sea salt. Bring to a boil, cover, lower heat to low and cook for 1 hour. Remove from heat and let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Tamari flax dressing Serves two.
Sometimes I add the juice of half a lime to this, which is delicious over the avocado.
1 tablespoon flax oil
1 ½  teaspoon tamari

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and stir well.
This tastes great over any plain cooked grain, steamed vegetable or (if you add lime) as a simple salad dressing.

To assemble; place about ¾ cup of black rice in a bowl. Top with ¼ of an avocado, diced. Drizzle with half the flax tamari dressing, sprinkle with toasted black sesame seeds, sliced scallions and radish sprouts. Serve the roasted asparagus on the side.

Marinated Artichokes Salad

My sister Mary made this salad and we decided to tweak it and added greens and cherry tomatoes. It's delicious!

Marinated Artichoke Hearts

·       1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

·       1 tsp. dried oregano

·       1 tsp. dried thyme

·       ¾ tsp. sea salt 

·       ½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

·       2 15-oz. cans quartered artichoke hearts in water, well drained and patted slightly dry

·       Juice of 1 large lemon (2 Tbs.)

Salad

·       1 large ripe Haas avocado, peeled, pitted, and diced

·       Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

·       ¼ cup crunchy roasted, shelled pistachios, coarsely chopped

·       3 Tbs. shaved Parmesan cheese, optional to garnish

·       Greens – two handfuls

·       Cherry tomatoes

Preparation

1.     To make marinated artichoke hearts, combine olive oil, oregano, thyme, salt, and red pepper in small saucepan, and whisk gently to combine. Add artichokes, and toss gently to coat.

2.     Heat over low heat 10 minutes to warm and release the flavors of the spices. Remove from heat, and transfer contents to a non-reactive container, such as a mason jar or glass Pyrex dish. Stir in lemon juice, cover, and refrigerate until needed.

3.     To assemble salad, allow one half of Marinated Artichoke Hearts recipe to come to room temperature, or warm in a small saucepan over low heat to remove the refrigerator chill.

4.     In medium bowl, combine warmed artichoke hearts with prepared avocado, season to taste with salt and pepper, and toss gently to thoroughly mix.

5.     Just before serving, mound salad attractively into the center of serving plate, sprinkle with prepared pistachios, and arrange cheese in small stack at center of salad. 

Calories: 400

·       Carbohydrate Content: 30 g

·       Fat Content: 29 g

·       Fiber Content: 8 g

·       Protein Content: 10 g

·       Saturated Fat Content: 4 g

·       Sodium Content: 1730 mg

·       Sugar Content: 1 g