Sarah's Borscht

This borscht recipe was given to me by my friend Sarah. It is such a great recipe that even my non soup loving husband liked it! This soup is not only delicious, but brings up happy memories for my friend. Her husband proposed to her the night he made this as part of a romantic, multi-course dinner. So make this, eat this, enjoy it, and create your own happy memories over this wonderful soup!

Ingredients
2 quarts beef stock or bouillon
3 tablespoons butter
2 cups shredded cabbage
1 cup diced raw potatoes
1/2 cup diced raw carrots
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 leek, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
6 medium beets
10 peppercorns
2 bay leaves
marjoram
thyme
salt
1 cup canned tomatoes (or finely diced if you're anti-can with your tomatoes)
1 cup very dry white wine
3 tablespoons Madeira
sour cream

Instructions
In a soup pot or kettle, heat 2 quarts of good beef stock or canned beef bouillon. Melt butter in heavy skillet. Have ready 2 cups shredded cabbage, 1 cup diced raw potatoes, 1/2 cup diced carrots, 1/2 cup chopped celery, 1 small onion peeled and chopped, 1 chopped green pepper, 1 leek chopped, 1 minced garlic clove (or 2 if you like garlic as I do), and 6 medium-sized beets, peeled and shredded through a grater (reserve 1 heaping tablespoon of the grated mixed with 3 tablespoons water for later). Put vegetables in the skillet, cover, turn the flame low, and saute for about 5 minutes, shaking the pan constantly. Then add the sauteed vegetables to the boiling beef stock, together with 1 cup canned tomatoes, 1 cup very dry white wine, 10 whole peppercorns, 2 bay leaves, a generous pinch each of marjoram and thyme, and salt to taste. Lower the flame and continue to cook until all the vegetables are tender - about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Shortly before serving, add the grated beet in water, stirring it in for coloring, and the 3 tablespoons of Madeira. To each bowl of borscht, add a generous tablespoon of sour cream.

The Tablehopper’s Guide to Dining and Drinking in San Francisco

Photo credit: Rick Camargo Photography
Zagat, move aside, because the 'hopper is in the house! Another friend, another book. What can I say? I have some pretty talented friends. I adore Marcia Gagliardi aka the Tablehopper. She's smart and funny and writes a cheeky newsletter all about the latest in San Francisco dining not to mention drinking. I can't believe she's only been at it for four years because the Tablehopper is as San Francisco as the Golden Gate Bridge.

The Tablehopper's Guide to Dining and Drinking in San Francisco is a unique guidebook. While I was skeptical at first I must admit, I have used the book quite a few times already in planning various get-togethers, both with friends and family. It's the ultimate guide to finding "the right spot for every occasion." Looking for somewhere romantic? Or the perfect spot to nurse a broken heart? Need a place to go with a big group that won't break the bank? Somewhere to take conservative older folks? Listen, the book would be worth the price alone for Marcia's list of favorite places or her itineraries for those visiting our fair city.

Marcia lists some of my favorite places but perhaps more importantly, a lot of under-the-radar spots you probably wouldn't hear about otherwise. Am I biased? Sure, but I really do think it's a great book and I wouldn't recommend it if I didn't absolutely believe in it. But don't take my word for it, you can read an excerpt. Also check out the Tablehopper web site for upcoming events with Marcia.

Asparagus with Poached Eggs

Spring has finally sprung! Spring is that wonderful time of year when all those yummy vegetables that have been hibernating finally make their appearances again, and what a long wait it has been this year. Celebrate the season with this simple dish of asparagus and poached eggs.

Ingredients
1 lb asparagus
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
sea salt
pepper
2 tablespoons grated Pecorino Romano cheese
poached eggs
(Note: When we poach eggs, we like to use Julia Child's instructions in Mastering the Art of French Cooking)

Instructions
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Drizzle olive oil, sea salt, and pepper over the stalks and roast for 10-15 minutes, depending on the diameter of the stalks. When done, remove from oven and sprinkle with grated cheese. Place poached egg on top of each serving.

Egg-in-a-Basket with Lemon-Garlic Aioli

The classic Egg-in-a-Basket - a buttered and toasted piece of bread with a fried egg in the middle - is one of my tried and true, quick and delicious breakfasts. When poked, the egg oozes out its yellow, gooey goodness all over the bread, making for a fun little feast. Lemon garlic aioli gives some zest to this classic breakfast dish.

Ingredients
Lemon-Garlic Aioli:
3/8 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon minced parsley
pinch freshly ground black pepper

Egg in a Basket:
eggs
sliced bread
margarine or butter
kosher salt and pepper

Instructions
Mix aioli ingredients together in a small bowl.  Spread margarine on both sides of a slice of bread. Cut out circular hole in the middle of the bread just bigger than than size of an egg yolk. In greased frying pan, lightly brown one side of the buttered bread. Toss in the cut out circle of bread as well. Flip bread over, break an egg into the hole, and sprinkle salt and pepper on top. Cook for about 1 minute, or until bottom is brown, then flip over and allow the other side to cook for about 15-20 seconds. It can help to gently push down the bread into the pan with the back of your spatula. Take out and flip upside down onto plate. Serve with lemon garlic aioli.

Quinoa Salad with Arugula, Asparagus & Avocado Recipe

Ah, Spring! We are enjoying a warm spell right now and the fresh produce reflects the change of seasons with earthy root vegetables giving way to tender bright greens. I am so happy to have sunshine and bright green asparagus to eat! I recently discovered how delicious asparagus is when served raw, in salads. The trick is to shave it thinly with the sharpest vegetable peeler you have, then dress it with oil, lemon and salt so it wilts, just slightly. Asparagus is like the poster child for Spring.



I had eaten quinoa, but never tried cooking it until just recently when I received some samples of it--red, white and black--from Roland Food. Reading about quinoa I discovered while it has the texture of grain, it's actually a fruit. It's also gluten-free. It is very bitter unless thoroughly soaked and rinsed. Fortunately quinoa from Roland Food is already soaked saving me the bother.


Quinoa comes from the Andes, a staple in Peru, Chile and Bolivia where it has been cultivated since at least 3,000 BCE. It is high in protein, calcium and iron and the white variety has a sweet flavor. Most importantly, it has all the nine essential amino acids making it a complete protein. I tried toasting the quinoa, but I like the milder sweeter flavor for this recipe. It has a fluffier almost creamy texture that works well with the strong flavor of the leafy arugula. I really like the addition of dill, but you could easily leave it out or use parsley if you prefer. You could also use a slightly different mix of vegetables.

Note: If you don't plan on serving this salad right away, reserve the arugula and toss it in the salad right before serving.

Quinoa Salad with Arugula, Asparagus and Avocadomakes 2-4 servings

Ingredients

1/2  cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed and drained
1 cup water
5 asparagus spears, shaved thin (use a vegetable peeler)
1 handful fresh baby arugula, roughly chopped
1 green onion, chopped
2  Tablespoons lemon juice, fresh squeezed
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted and diced
2 Tablespoons fresh dill, chopped (optional)
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Instructions

In a medium saucepan combine quinoa and water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, about 12- 15 minutes or until liquid is completely absorbed. Meanwhile In a mixing bowl, make the dressing by whisking together lemon juice and oil. Add avocado, green onion and arugula to the dressing.

Transfer quinoa to a medium bowl and allow to cool. Add quinoa to dressing and vegetable mixture; toss with fresh dill and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve at room temperature.
Enjoy!

Here are just a few interesting quinoa recipes from fellow bloggers:

Stuffed Cabbage with Quinoa & Roasted Sweet Potatoes from Karina's Kitchen
Quinoa Pudding with Macerated Strawberries & Pistachios from Cannelle & Vanille
Quinoa Salad with Tomato, Feta and Parsley from The Perfect Pantry
Quinoa with Roasted Radishes & Pearl Onions from FatFree Vegan Kitchen
Warm & Nutty Cinnamon Quinoa from 101 Cookbooks
Quinoa Pilaf from Simply Recipes

Lemon Mint Granita with Mascarpone Whipped Cream

A frozen lemon concoction is a delicious treat when temperatures start to rise. Beat the heat with icy, flavored crystals topped with a bit of whipped cream and leaves of mint.

Ingredients
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (about 4 lemons)
1 teaspoon lemon zest
3 cups water
1/2 cup sugar
3 mint sprigs, plus more for garnish

For the topping:
3/4 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1/4 cup mascarpone cheese
2 teaspoons honey

Instructions
To start, make a simple syrup. In small saucepan, boil 1/2 cup sugar with 3 cups water until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and steep mint sprigs for 10 minutes. Place a metal bowl or pan and a metal spoon in the freezer. Let the syrup cool then mix it with the lemon juice and lemon zest. Pour the liquid into the cold container and freeze. Stir it every 30 minutes or so. It will take about 3 hours to freeze. To make the topping, stir together the mascarpone cheese and the honey until smooth in the bowl of an electric mixer. Add cream and powdered sugar. Whip until the cream has soft peaks, about 2 minutes. Top granita with whipped cream and mint leaves.

Italian Sausage Meatballs Recipe

I could eat spaghetti and meatballs every night of the week. Of course my laundry bill would be astronomical. There are cleaning products for removing every possible stain including wine, coffee, ink and blood, but no one has invented a product to remove spaghetti sauce stains. Not yet anyway.

This recipe came about as part of my effort to "eat down the freezer." I had a package of two Italian sausages and some ground beef on hand, but neither were really enough to make a meal. The secret to these meatballs is a combination of pork and beef and also what you use to stretch the meat, plenty of bread and milk. The bread and milk create a very tender texture. Italian sausages have lots of seasoning and fat so you really don't need to add much more in that department though some fresh herbs are nice. I do like using dehydrated toasted onion flakes. I get them from Penzey's and they are great in dishes like this where normally I would want to saute fresh onions. They have good flavor and are a real time saver.

Another trick to this recipe is baking the meatballs instead of frying them. I used to bake them on a lined baking sheet, but they were always flat on the bottom. Now I use the non-stick rack and they are perfectly round! If you don't have a sheet pan with a non-stick rack, I highly recommend you get one. As you can see, they are very useful for much more than just cooling cookies!

Italian Sausage Meatballs
Makes 16 meatballs, 4-5 servings

Ingredients

1/2 pound Italian sausages, casings removed
1/2 pound lean ground beef
1 cup fresh bread crumbs
1 Tablespoon dehydrated toasted onion flakes
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
3 Tablespoons fresh Italian herbs, chopped (such as parsley, basil, oregano) or 3 teaspoons dried Italian herbs
Spaghetti sauce, from a jar or homemade

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl gently combine the sausage and beef. Add the bread crumbs, onion, egg, milk and herbs. Combine using your hands, but try not to handle the meat too much. Form into about 16 meatballs. I do this by dividing the mixture into 4 portions and then dividing each portion into another 4 portions.

Place meatballs on a non-stick rack, set in a foil-lined sheet pan and bake undisturbed for 20 minutes. Meanwhile simmer spaghetti sauce in a large dutch oven. Remove meatballs and transfer to the simmering sauce, allow meatballs to cook in the sauce for 10-20 minutes. Serve with pasta or use in a meatball sandwich.

Enjoy!