A Milestone and First Harvest

So a lot has been happening in the garden these past few weeks.  The veggies are going strong and I got my first harvest too, these beautiful Easter Egg radishes.

See why they call them Easter Egg?

The ruby red chard started growing like crazy, almost overnight, so I picked some of that too.

Usually chard grows to 12-18 inches tall, but I wanted to sample some in the tender ‘baby’ stage. Baby carrots and baby spinach are good, and I can vouch that baby chard is too!

I sauteéd the chard with olive oil and minced garlic.

The radishes were crisp and slightly peppery. I whipped up some light sour cream and fresh dill to make a little dipping sauce and took them to work for an afternoon snack.

I’ve also launched an offensive against weeds. My trick is to lay down newspaper, several layers, and then cover with wood chips. This helps keep the paths clear, at least for a month or so.

Before

After

Don’t be fooled, it took two wheelbarrowfuls of woodchips to do this

For the beds, I broke down and bought some straw. I’ve never used anything in the beds before to keep down the weeds because I thought it would look ugly. But I actually really like it, it looks clean and it should keep the weeds down to a more manageable level.

Love how these feathery flowers add a punch of color

I actually feel like the garden looks good for the first time all season, yay. Being in there is so much more relaxing now, without the weeds giving me the evil eye all the time.

Early Cucumber

Oh and I mentioned a milestone; yesterday Erin’s DC Kitchen officially earned 50 followers. Thank you my dear readers! This makes me so happy, I feel like Sally Field when she said “You like me, you really like me!”. The cheese factor is a little high here I know, but cheese is good, and besides, this is how I really feel.

I’m looking forward to earning my next 50. 😀

Cheers!

– Erin

MORE POSTS ON GARDENING: DIY Cold Weather Plant Protection

Sweet and Spicy Shrimp Skewers

Hi readers!

I have a confession. I’ve been a bad blogger friend. Jess, over at A Lot on Your Plate, was kind enough to give me the One Lovely Blog Award… about three weeks ago and I still haven’t done anything about it!

But I will procrastinate no longer, I want my week to get off to a good start. So officially, here is a BIG THANK YOU to Jess for sharing the love with me!

Part of the One Lovely Blog award entails passing it to another blogger- I choose Putney Farm, a truly lovely food and garden blog- and sharing 7 things about yourself people probably don’t know (no promises). Here goes…

1. I have filled an entire Ikea bookcase with novels I’ve read

2. I hate driving

3. I’m 15 years older than my little sister

4. I’m obsessed with Bojangles biscuits (must be eaten with honey)

5. I had an appendetomy on my 26th birthday (emergency)

6. I can speak Haitian creole

7. I love video games, especially Harvest Moon (a virtual farm on Wii)

Hey, I never said this would be interesting. Now you know I’m a nerd and boring…if you judge please do so silently. 😉

Quick distraction: Shrimp…

Yum, sweet and succulent.

Perfectly light and healthy with tons of flavor.

Sweet and Spicy Shrimp Skewers

• 1/2 lb to 3/4 lb shrimp (I used precooked 31/35)*
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1 tbl water
• 1 tbl Chinese five spice powder
• 1  tsp sriracha sauce, or more to taste
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 inch piece of ginger, grated
• sesame seeds

Turn the broiler to 400° and move your oven rack to the uppermost position. In a small bowl, combine honey, water, spice powder, salt, grated ginger and sriracha. Whisk the sauce until well combined. Thread your shrimp onto skewers and brush both sides with the sauce; sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.

Lay the skewers on a foil lined baking sheet and put under the broiler. Cook for 2 or 3 minutes, depending on the size of your shrimp. Remove and rotate the skewers, brushing them with the remaining sauce.  Cook for another 2 or 3 minutes. Don’t overcook them, if they are pre-cooked you are basically just heating them through.

Serve with rice and edamame, or your vegetable of choice. Makes 4 skewers.

Enjoy!

*Note: The numbers are shrimp sizes, see here for a size chart of shrimp in the U.S.

– Erin 🙂

Daily Question: Ever had an awkward moment involving over-sharing? Don’t hide in shame, leave me a comment about it.

Southwestern Chicken Burgers

Summer-time is burger season. Let’s stop being slaves to 80/20 ground chuck and get excited about a new kind of burger.

A juicy, fresh, flavorful party-in-your-mouth tasting burger, sans the fat (evil! evil!).

Enter the chicken burger.

Fresh cilantro and lime mayo set this burger up to be fabulous

Don’t be afraid of ground chicken, yes I know it is lean and therefore has a reputation for being dry and tasting like paper towel. It doesn’t have to be like that if you use my fool proof cooking technique.

It all starts with the shape of your patties. Loosely form them into rounds; do not pack! Do not squeeze! This will create a dense hockey puck, ew!

Liberally salt and pepper the patties.

When the meat hits the sizzling griddle, it will form a crispy crust that seals in the flavor and juiciness of the burger.

DO NOT PRESS DOWN on the patties with the spatula. This forces all the juice out of the burger and leaves you with dry nasty chicken.

Cook for six minutes per side and then you’ve got a perfectly juicy taste of the southwest- that fits in your hand. 😀

Southwestern Chicken Burgers

• 2 tbl mayonnaise (plus 4 tbl for topping)
• 1/4 cup finely crushed corn tortilla chips
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 3 large tbl minced sweet green pepper
• juice of 1/2 lime (reserve other half for topping)
• 1 oz package cilantro, chopped
• 1 avocado, sliced
• 1 lb ground chicken
  
• 4 slices cheese of your choice, I used a monterey/cheddar blend
• salt and pepper

Combine the first six ingredients in a medium bowl, mix well. Add in the ground chicken and stir until the mixture is fully incorporated into the meat.  Form into four patties, loosely pressing the mixture together into rounded patties; use your thumb to make a slight well in the center of the patties.

Preheat a flat griddle over medium high heat. Coat one side of the patties with salt and ground pepper. This step is important because it helps form a crispy crust when the burger cooks and seals in juiciness.

Once the griddle is heated through, pour four small circles of vegetable oil onto the griddle and put the patties on top, salt and pepper side face-down.  Salt and pepper the side facing up.

Cook the patties on the medium-hot griddle for 6 minutes per side. Don’t try to flip them to soon or you’ll ruin the crust. During the last two minutes of cooking, add the cheese to the burgers.

Want a tip on how to perfectly melt the cheese? Pour a dash of water onto the griddle and quickly cover the griddle with a large lid or tin foil. The steam from the water will melt the cheese perfectly!

For the lime-mayonnaise: mix together 4 tbl mayo and the juice of the other half of lime. You may zest some lime into the mayo too. Mix well, then top your toasty burger buns with the mayo!

Top the burgers with avocado slices and enjoy!

– Erin

Frozen Honey Cream

Oh my gosh I am SO EXCITED about this post.

I kinda have an obsession with making ice cream. I don’t know why, because while I like it, it’s not my favorite dessert.

I would much rather eat cake actually.  I sound snobby: let ME EAT CAKE!

Anyway, I think my interest in making ice cream comes from the fact it has endless flavor combinations and therefore allows me to indulge my creative side.

So when I came across this recipe on another blog, Made by Mike (very cool, check it out), I actually squeaked a little bit trying to contain my excitement as I was at work and rantings about ice cream are frowned upon there. 😉

This ice cream is so delicate, fluffy and silky, and the flavor!! Wildflower honey! Cream! YES!

Plus the best part (for me) is it doesn’t require an ice cream maker, just an electric mixer.

Sadly, I cannot buy an ice cream maker because our tiny kitchen apartment is already bursting at the seams! I think you’ve heard this complaint before so I’ll stop.

I followed the recipe exactly as it says for this first run so I can get a feel for it, and now that I’ve tasted sweet, sweet (literally) success, I am empowered like a mad scientist to make newer and awesomer flavor combos!! MMWHAHAH, I’m thinking peaches and cream is next.

Frozen Honey Cream

How beautiful is this wildflower honey?!

• 1 3/4 cups cold heavy whipping cream
• 2/3 cup wildflower  honey*
• 4 large egg yolks

Put the bowl of your electric mixer in the freezer for 10 minutes (a cold bowl helps the whip cream form). Meanwhile, separate your eggs, reserving the yolks. Once the bowl has chilled, beat the heavy cream on high speed until stiff peaks form; transfer to a new bowl and refrigerate.

In a small saucepan, bring the honey to a low boil and cook for 2 minutes, whisking frequently. Meanwhile, beat the eggs yolks on high in your electric mixer until they are pale yellow.  While the mixer is running on high, slowly pour in the hot honey. Continue to mix on high speed until the egg and honey mixture has cooled to room temperature, about 5 minutes. The mixture will start to thicken and increase in size too.

Next, fold the chilled whip cream into the cooled yolk mixture. Spread into a 9×5 loaf pan (or similar size) and cover with plastic wrap. Freeze for at least 2 hours, or until the ice cream is firm and frozen through. I froze mine overnight, it probably depends on the freezer.

*Note: You can find raw wildflower honey at Whole Foods, it lends the ice cream a sweet floral flavor.

Enjoy!

– Erin

Blueberry Cashew Granola Bars

I eat a lot of granola bars because they are the perfect portable snack and help me recharge after workouts.

Yes, I do workout. You see how often I make dessert, I would be a complete tub of lard if I didn’t do something in the gym!

Toasty cashews and tart blueberries make the perfect combo in these DIY granola bars.

Plus the use of all natural sweeteners like honey and brown sugar (i.e. no corn syrup) is a healthy bonus.

These babies are chewy and yum-tastic.  (I’ve been really into making up words lately, sorry)

Slice into bars or bites, it’s up to you!

Blueberry Cashew Granola Bars

• 1 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 3 tbl pepita and sunflower seed mix
• 1 cup chopped cashews
• 1 cup dried blueberries
• 3 tbl butter
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup honey*

Heat oven to 350°. Line a baking sheet with tinfoil and spread the oats, seeds and cashews onto it in an even layer.  Bake for 10-15 minutes, stirring a couple times, until the mixture becomes toasty and fragrant. Remove and let cool.

In a small saucepan, melt the honey, brown sugar and butter together.  Cook at a low boil and stir until sugar is dissolved, about 2-3 minutes.

In a medium bowl, toss together the oat mixture, honey mixture and dried blueberries, tossing until the mixture is well coated. Grease a 9×9 inch square baking pan with butter and press the mixture into the pan. While in the pan, slice into 8 bars, cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Once the granola has set, remove the bars from the pan and store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place. You may wish to individually wrap in plastic wrap for a grab-and-go snack!

*Note: I used this amount of honey, but found the bars to be a little sweet for my liking. I would recommend cutting the honey down to 1/4 cup and see what happens.

Enjoy!

– Erin

Daily Question: How do you like to refuel after a workout?

My Post Workout Fuel!

Pasta ‘Carbonara’

Hello my dear readers.

We are going “Italian” for today’s Meatless Monday recipe.

Why the quotations? I know, I know… quotations in posts can be as annoying and pretentious as air quotes, but I’m trying to stave off a barrage of angry emails pointing out that this recipe isn’t truly a carbonara.

Hahaha, just kidding, I don’t ever get angry emails from my readers. Err, or any emails really.

But I digress. Carbonara, is a pasta dish made with eggs, cheese and pancetta.

My take on the dish is just as creamy, rich and flavorful as the traditional recipe, but has the added benefit of being speedy, simple and oh-so-satisfying.

Sub out the pancetta (I am so sorry pork, you know I love you) for fresh broccoli…

Tossed with fresh ground pepper and grated Parmesan cheese

and add a fried egg on top….

Mmm, the creaminess of the yolk acts like a warm sauce for the pasta

and you’ve got the perfect Meatless Monday dinner!

Finish the dish with crunchy breadcrumbs

 

Pasta ‘Carbonara’ 

• About 4 ounces angel hair pasta
• 1 small broccoli crown, sliced
• 1 egg (or 2 if you are sharing)*
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup pasta cooking liquid, reserved
• 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper
• 2-3 pinches of Panko breadcrumbs

Slice off the tops of the broccoli into bite size pieces, boil or steam until tender-crisp, then set aside in a medium bowl.  Meanwhile, prepare the angel hair pasta according to package instructions; reserve 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid before draining.

Drain pasta well, then add to bowl with broccoli. Toss in the grated cheese, salt and pepper and the reserved cooking liquid. Toss to coat.

Now fry your egg. Do not  overcook the yolk, you want it to be runny to act as a sauce for the pasta. When finished, about 3 minutes, set on top of plated pasta. Break yolk, top with a couple pinches of breadcrumbs.

Enjoy!

*Note: This dish probably serves two, however I was super hungry and ate the whole thing myself. So if you plan on sharing, you need a second egg.
Daily Question: Is there a meatless recipe you would like to see me cook for next time?

Leave me a comment below with your ideas!

– Erin 🙂

Roasted Eggplant Dip and a Bonus Dessert!

These are the last of the dishes I made with the fam over Memorial Day weekend. You are in luck my dear readers, this is a two-in-one post!

To start, we have a roasted eggplant and red pepper dip. It’s a great healthy appetizer to have around at a picnic or barbecue rather than chips and sour cream dip.

Bust out the veggies and start dippin’.

So since you had a healthy appetizer it’s totally fine to have some ice cream for dessert.

And by some I mean a lot. At least a double scoop… of  homemade Cherry Chip Ice Cream!

Michigan produces 75% of the tart cherries grown in the U.S. Every July there is a huge cherry festival up north celebrating this fruit in all its glorious forms: fresh off the tree, in pie, crumbles, tarts and even wines. Probably ice cream too!

Works like a charm 🙂

My brothers and I made the ice cream using this super old (Mom says its VINTAGE) ice cream maker. Doesn’t matter to me, it made awesomely creamy and fresh ice cream!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Slice open lengthwise, then scrape out the beans with the back of your knife

Homemade Cherry Chip Ice Cream

• 2 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/2 box instant vanilla pudding (about 1/4 cup)
• 2 cups milk
• 2 cups half and half
• 1 vanilla bean, scraped
• 2 cups fresh cherries, pitted and quartered
• 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

In a large bowl, beat the eggs until fluffy. Add in the remaining ingredients, except for fruit and chocolate, and stir until sugar and pudding mix is well combined. Pour into your ice cream maker and prepare according to your mixer’s instructions. This ice cream will firm up a lot, but it will be reminiscent of custard in texture.

Once the ice cream maker has run its course, stir in the cherries and chips by hand. If you put them in at the beginning, the cherries will get super hard and frozen, not the best. Freeze for at least 2 hours, then devour.

 

Roasted Eggplant and Red Pepper Dip

• 1 large eggplant
• 1 red pepper
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 tbl toasted sesame seeds
• 2 tbl lemon juice
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• olive oil*

In a 450° oven, roast the eggplant and red pepper for 40 minutes and 25 minutes, respectively. When the veggies are done, scoop out the pulp of the eggplant (discard seeds) and prepare the flesh of the red pepper (read this for tips). Set aside.

In a food processor, pulse the garlic and sesame seeds until minced. Add in the flesh of the eggplant and red pepper, lemon juice, salt and pepper, and olive oil. Continue to pulse for 1 to 2 minutes or until the mixture is very fine, but not completely smooth. Serve warm or chill.

*Note: I didn’t use olive oil when I made the dip, but looking back, I think it would have benefited from at least 1 tbl olive oil to cut through the garlic acidity. Adjust salt accordingly.

Adapted from Ellie Krieger

Happy Friday everyone, I hope you have great weather and good eats this weekend 🙂

– Erin