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Category: Kristen Cooks

Kristen Cooks

Asian inspired veggie salad feast

Crispy Asian pork with mixed greens, crunchy radishes, spicy Fresno chili, shaved carrot and squash. This recipe is pumped up with soba and rice vermicelli noodles. Soy/ginger dressing adds just the right amount of ZING!

The inspiration

I found a recipe in the Jamie Oliver “Everyday Super Food” cookbook, that beautifully combined brown rice noodles with any variety of greens and veg and crispy fried ginger beef. I have gone back to this recipe dozens of times, mainly because I love ground meat (I swap in pork) as a protein, but also because it is amazingly balanced. Protein, veggies, and carbs combine for a meal that you feel good about eating.

Check out the book here If you prefer online recipes, there are loads of free recipes from all of his books on the Jamie Oliver website. It is a great source for menu ideas. https://www.jamieoliver.com/

Recipe tweaks

The original recipe leaves the choice of salad vegetables to you, so the sky is the limit. I chose butter lettuce and red gem lettuce. As far as veggies, shaved carrots and summer squash worked out nicely. Rather than brown rice noodles, swapped in some soba and vermicelli rice noodles. I also use half the indicated sesame oil and sub in grapeseed to temper the taste.

The fun of this recipe is the absolute flexibility to make it as you want it!

Asian inspired veggie salad feast
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Asian inspired veggie salad feast

Recipe by kristenCourse: Kristen CooksCuisine: Salad, Noodle SaladDifficulty: Easy
Servings

5

servings
Prep time

30

minutes
Cooking time

20

minutes
Calories

470

kcal

Note: calorie content is auto generated and may not be accurate

Ingredients

  • Half head of red gem lettuce

  • Half head of butter lettuce

  • 2 carrots, shaved

  • 1 summer squash shaved (do not include seeds)

  • 4 radishes, sliced

  • 2 green onions, chopped, green and white included

  • 1 hot chili of your choice, deseeded and sliced into rings (optional)

  • For the Pork

  • 1 lb. ground pork

  • 1 tbsp. sesame oil

  • 1 tbsp. grapeseed oil

  • 2 tsp. honey

  • 3 inch piece of whole gingerroot, rough chopped

  • 4 cloves garlic

  • 4 star anise

  • 6 oz. combination of rice, Soba, Udon, or other noodles

  • For the dressing

  • 2 tsp. fish sauce

  • 2 tsp. sugar

  • Juice of one lime

Directions

  • In small food processor add garlic and ginger and pulse until finely chopped
  • Cook the noodles according to package. Set aside
  • Heat oil in large frying pan on medium-high heat. Add star anise, and half of the garlic/ginger from the processor
  • When garlic is fragrant, but not browning, add in the pork and continually break up as it cooks. Once the pork is beginning to brown, add in the honey. Note: if there is too much liquid or oil in the pan, drain off most and then continue to brown until crispy
  • Add the soy sauce, fish sauce and lime juice to the garlic and ginger mixture in processor. Whir until consistency of a dressing. Test and adjust. The original recipe called for far more lime juice, and no sugar. I adjusted here for my taste.
  • Arrange lettuce, veggies and noodles on tray. Add pork and sprinkle the green onion and chili pepper over. Dressing can be set to side to dress each individual plate, or over the tray to dress it family style

Notes

  • If you do not have a food processor, ginger and garlic can be mashed using a mortar and pestle

Kristen Cooks

Banana bread cake with pecans

This is a simple banana bread recipe that I put into a springform pan, rather than the typical loaf pan, to make removing from the pan and slicing easier. This bread is perfect with a cup of coffee in the morning.

Banana bread cake with pecans
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Banana bread cake with pecans

Recipe by kristenCourse: Kristen CooksCuisine: Bread, Sweet bread, Breakfast bread, CakeDifficulty: Easy
Servings

10

servings
Prep time

20

minutes
Cooking time

45

minutes
Calories

340

kcal

Pecan banana bread cake

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup butter

  • 4 small or 3 large ripe bananas

  • 1.5 tsp vanilla extract

  • 2 eggs

  • 1 cup sugar

  • 2 cups flour

  • 3/4 cup chopped pecans

  • 3/4 tsp salt

  • 1 tsp baking soda

  • 3/4 tsp cinnamon

Directions

  • Mix the dry ingredients until combined
  • Mix the wet ingredients together, mashing the banana until fully combined
  • Use a basting brush to oil the sides and bottom of spring form with grape seed oil
  • Mix wet into the dry bowl and mix fully until there’s no sign of dry flour, but don’t over mix
  • Pour in and cook at 350 for approx. 45 mins. Check at 35 mins with toothpick to make sure not to overcook. When the toothpick is poked into center and comes out clean, the cake is ready. Let sit 20 mins before enjoying warm!

Kristen Cooks

Easy, Amazing Pizza

I have been trying to perfect the home pizza for years. Admittedly, success has been spotty. I like pizza of all types, but sometimes, a thinner, crispy crust is perfect. I found this recipe for pizza crust on the Jamie Oliver website and I have not looked back. No waiting days for proofing and resting of the dough etc.

Making of the dough

This recipe uses the typical 00 flour, ground semolina, salt, sugar, olive oil and yeast. You can find the recipe free on the Jamie Oliver site here

Toppings

Here is where you can let your creative beast out of its cage! Do something that speaks to you. Vegetarian…go for some zucchini and peppers! Carnivore…pepperoni and sausage or, with my Portuguese husband in mind…chorizo and potato. YES! I said it…a chorizo and potato pizza can be in your future! For me, a pepperoni, red pepper and pineapple combination sounds amazing! Looking for some north African flair..? add in some harissa or Ras al Hanout to your pizza sauce. I was feeling the spinach and feta this week, but for anyone, the sky is your limit!

The sauce

Although I love a homemade sauce of any kind, I will say that there are some delicious jarred sauces that can be found, one that I used in this pizza recipe. I recommend Rao’s pizza sauce. Perfectly balanced and with very pure ingredients. Check their website and ingredient list here

Kristen Cooks

To melon ball or not to melon ball?

Do you remember when every brunch spot was sporting balls of watermelon and cantaloupe? Literally, BALLS of melon. I was wondering a few weekends ago about why we do not see these perfect balls of melon any longer and where the tools used to make these have gone…? After a 20 minute dig into my drawers of gadgets, I found that baller that I forgot even existed. This is another indication that my clothing, kitchen and garage cleanout may be insufficient…I have junk lurking in all places in this house…story for another time…

I pulled out that baller and decided to have my way with it. I had a cantaloupe on hand and it was going to be balled like the best of melons.

So, I went to town. I balled this melon, like it was no ones business!

Sadly, in the end, I realized…the melon was left with a crazy amount of waste and the balls were not as plump and perfect as would be expected. There is just no way to get full balls without leaving a lot of melon behind. So, I wonder…in those fancy hotels or breakfasts that I have had all over the world…did they waste nearly half the melon to get a perfect ball..? I think so.

So, my verdict is this…melon balling is a NO in my book. Slice, dice and get as much out of the amazing fruit at hand as you can. Enjoy it in any imperfect shape you need to! Use the melon baller for measuring out the perfect amount of butter, syrup or honey for a sweet addition to a breakfast or other fruit treat!

Kristen Cooks

Let them eat Fruit!

My fruit dilemma

With summer quickly approaching, I look forward to the quality and variety of fruit that can be found in the local New England grocery stores and farmers markets. I absolutely love fruit, but have always wondered why, when it is cut and put on a plate in a café or restaurant, I go after it like a bear out of hibernation, but when I buy and bring home, it can often sit and bruise or brown before it is eaten.

Getting to the root of the fruit

I decided some years ago, while Nooming (one of the best programs out there for understanding the psychology of why and what you eat, (http://www.noom.com), that the main difference is that fruit presented in a colorful and creative way gets eaten. Fruit in a plastic tub in the refrigerator drawer may not.

Simple, but effective hack coming at you! Treat your fruit like the fancy beachside resort would! Plate it, arrange it, try a variety, and make it an exciting event to enjoy!

I will warn that fruit is expensive, so buy with caution to avoid waste. If you have a household of 4 eaters, 4-8 different fruits in small amounts may be just perfect. For 2, be sure to select only 2-3 varied color fruits that are liked by both and arrange for the best punch of color, nutrition and vitamins! If possible, go for at least one fruit that is new for the family, or is particularly in season or rare!

Pictured is a tray perfect for a Sunday brunch for 4-6 friends. Serve with fresh croissants, scones or muffins for an amazing meal.

Watermelon, peach, starfruit, blackberry, fig, raspberry, mango, banana, gooseberry, kiwi and blueberry medley

Kristen Cooks

Weeknight Dinner – Mediterranean Smorgasbord

When you are thinking of that trip to Greece, southern Italy, or Lebanon and want to bring that back home, I have just the meal for you. A simple, quick, yet elegant spread of Mediterranean treats.

Homemade hummus is accompanied by crisp cucumber, red onion and carrots, as well as fresh, soft pita bread from #josephspitabread. I added #ndmedjooldates for a pop of sweetness. To make this a complete meal, I pan seared 2 flounder fillets and added a side of honey-thyme roasted tomatoes.

For the hummus, I based the ingredients loosely on a recipe by #rickstein. If you have not explored his shows and cook books, check him out! My favorite show and resulting cookbook is called “Venice to Istanbul” and contains recipes from Italy, Croatia, Albania, Greece and Turkey. It is simply a wonderful and culturally enriching book! Check it out here

To try one of earth’s sweetest fruits, check out the Natural Delights Medjool dates. They have amazing sweet and savory recipes that are worth a try directly on their website. https://www.naturaldelights.com/

Weeknight Meal - Mediterranean Smorgasbord
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Weeknight Meal – Mediterranean Smorgasbord

Recipe by kristenCourse: Dinner, LunchCuisine: MediterraneanDifficulty: Easy
Servings

4

servings
Prep time

15

minutes
Cooking time

1

hour 

5

minutes
Calories

300

kcal

Note: calorie count is auto approximated. Cooking time is inclusive of oven roasted tomato and sauté of the founder

Ingredients

  • Cucumber, Red Onion and Carrot, sliced

  • Fresh Pita bread

  • Medjool dates (6-8)

  • Hummus

  • 15.5 oz. can of chick peas, drained and rinsed

  • 2 tbsp. tahini paste

  • 1-2 cloves of garlic (this is to your taste, I go with 2 large cloves)

  • 1.5 tsp. cumin

  • Juice of 1 lemon

  • Tsp. kosher salt, + more to taste

  • 4 Tbsp. water

  • Tbsp. EVOO

  • Sumac and/or Paprika to finish

  • Flounder

  • 2 Tbsp. butter

  • 2 Flounder fillets

  • Paprika

  • Roasted Tomato

  • Vine tomatoes (approx. 12)

  • Honey, Tbsp. thyme and olive oil to coat

Directions

  • Coat tomatoes in olive oil, sprinkle with thyme and put into 350 degree oven for approx. 60 mins. Watch for the tomatoes to become deflated and quite roasty-toasty browned. Before taking out of oven, drizzle with honey and allow to roast the remaining 5 mins
  • Arrange crisp veggies, pita and dates on serving platter, with bowl at center for the hummus
  • In food processor, combine all ingredients, except for the olive oil and sumac/paprika, leaving a small handful of the chick peas for topping the hummus. Pulse or blend until hummus is smooth and creamy. Pour into bowl and top with olive oil and dusting of sumac and/or paprika
  • Once tomatoes are out of oven and cooling, heat the butter in large sauté pan. Pat the fillets dry and sprinkle with kosher salt, pepper and paprika. Once butter is just beginning to brown, place fillets in pan. The fillets are so thin, that 1-2 mins on the first side should result in a nice, seared color. Flip and then tip the pan and continually baste the first side with a spoon, scooping the butter from the edge of the pan. Another 1-2 mins and you are done! Serve and smorgasbord is complete!

Food / Kristen Cooks

Weeknight Dinner – Pork loin with sweet plantains & veg

Weeknights are for simple dinners that come together easily. Anyone who knows me, knows that I am a Jamie Oliver fan, reason being that he cooks simply with great results. This meal is quick and easy, and hits all nutritional needs. I took advantage of a Jamie Oliver veggie dish that never disappoints, with a few tweaks based on what I had on hand. The original recipe can be found in his cookbook called, “Together” and the recipe is called “Spring Veg”. I absolutely recommend this book!

For the pork:

1.5 lb. pork loin is coated in the spice mix of your choice. I used a middle eastern 7 spice rub that I make and always have on hand, but you could do a BBQ mix with garlic and onion powder, paprika, salt, pepper and sugar. Equal parts of everything, with the salt and sugar at half the amount of the other spices. Pop into a 425 degree oven until inner temp is 135, roughly 30 minutes.

For the plantains:

The sweet plantains (maduros) are freezer aisle purchase. The plantains can also be bought fresh and fried once super ripe. However, I’ve had a hard time knowing when the ripeness factor is right, and the Goya product is so easy. Just reduce the oven once the pork is out and resting and pop the frozen container right in. Easy-peasy.

Goya product info can be found here: https://www.goya.com/en/products/ripe-plantains

For the veggies:

(small potatoes of any kind, asparagus, peas, mint, olive oil and lemon):

Boil a pound of small potatoes (red or white) for 15 mins, add asparagus when 13 mins have passed (spears cut into thirds), when 1 minute remains, add a cup of peas (frozen is fine). When 15 mins are up, drain and plate. Juice one lemon over mix, add a handful of chopped mint and dress with EVOO. Done!

Note that I have done this same recipe with any other veggies on hand. Perfect for a veggie drawer clean out!

Recipe for 7 Spice Blend:

I found this very simple recipe on a lovely Lebanese cooking site. Give it a go! https://plantbasedfolk.com/lebanese-7-spices-baharat/

The Jamie Oliver site has loads of free recipes, nutrition info and how-to articles. Definitely worth a gander, if you are a home cook and looking for fun ways to cook meals! https://www.jamieoliver.com/

Kristen Cooks

Who doesn’t love a burger?

Whether it is a veggie, beef, pork or turkey burger, there is a burger recipe out there for everyone. It is spring here in southern N.H. and I am ready to get the grill started and some burgers grilling! This week, I went back to the basics, with a 90/10 lean beef burger, with American cheese, pickles and all of the standard condiments. My husband, being Portuguese, can get me to work an egg into almost any meal, so his was complete with an over easy egg to gild the lily! Marty’s buttered and grilled sesame buns put this burger over the top.

My secrets for success in this recipe would be the tsp. of white sugar, dash of Worcestershire sauce and ketchup that I mix in with the ground beef. Also, Ore Ida extra crispy frozen fries are the shortcut on this meal, with a simple green salad dressed with olive oil and a sprinkle of sumac spice. YUM!

Ore Ida crispy fries are highly recommended. Info can be found here: https://www.oreida.com/product/00013120014178

If you are in the Northeast and can get your hands on Marty’s sesame potato buns, treat yourself! https://potatorolls.com/products/big-martys/

Food Hack / Kristen Cooks

Everything bagel spice for all bagels!

If you are craving a bagel, what is better than an everything bagel? Well, I would argue that I want ALL bagels to be everything to me! Here is my spin on everything a bagel can be, if we just think outside of the box. Create your own “everything” spice and apply directly to the cream cheese of your choice…on the bagel of your liking. I chose whole wheat bagels for my breakfast, but could definitely see my husband putting this spice on a cinnamon raisin bagel (do not judge, I try not to…wink). And, count on losing less of those spices, as they stick quite nicely to the cream cheese, rather than ending up on your plate, or in your lap.

Everything bagel spice for all bagels!
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Everything bagel spice for all bagels!

Recipe by kristenCourse: Food, Food Hack, Kristen Cooks
Servings

8

servings
Prep time

10

minutes
Cooking timeminutes
Calories

50

kcal

Ingredients

  • 5 Tbsp. poppy seeds

  • 4 Tbsp. minced onion spice

  • 3 Tbsp. dried garlic

  • 3 Tbsp. toasted sesame spice

  • 2 tsp. coarse kosher salt

  • 2 tsp. coarse kosher salt

  • 2 tsp. coarse ground black pepper

Directions

  • Mix ingredients. Voila!

Notes

  • I use a mason jar to easily shake ingredients to mix, as well as for easy storage