Too Many Herbs!
I love school. I get to cook and eat some of the most delicious items. However, I often come home with more leftover ingredients than I know what to do with. This is definitely the case tonight. I literally have an herb garden in my fridge. So, tonight I find myself needing to use them up before they whither away and die. This also happens to be my last night before the big work week, so I wanted to take advantage of the time and cook up a feast! Below you will find the delicacies I made. They were inspired by the wonderful recipes of Peter Berley, but I improvised a bit...as usual.
Dilled Yogurt Dip: Serves 4
1 and 1/2 cups nonfat Greek yogurt
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp fresh dill, chopped
1/2 tsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp honey
1 tsp salt, or to taste
ground black pepper
Veggies, bread, and/or crackers for serving
Mix all ingredients and allow to sit for at least 10 minutes for flavors to develop.
Goat Cheese and Tarragon Frittata with Onion and Thyme Compote: Serves 4
8 eggs
8 oz crumbled goat cheese
1/2 grated Parmesan, plus 2 Tbsp additional for topping
1 Tbsp fresh tarragon, chopped
salt and pepper, to taste
2 tsp olive oil
Onion and Thyme Compote (recipe follows)
1. Preheat oven to 400. Beat eggs in a large mixing bowl. Add in cheeses, tarragon and salt and pepper.
2. In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add in egg mixture and cook, undisturbed, for 5 minutes, or until the bottom is set.
3. Top with additional Parmesan cheese and place skillet in oven and cook until frittata is golden and set, about 12-15 minutes.
4. Cut into wedges and serve topped with Onion and Thyme Compote.
Alternatively, you could broil the frittata for 3-4 minutes, but my pan doesn't fit in my broiler!
Onion and Thyme Compote: Yield about 2 cups (a lot, I know)
1 lb (about 2 medium) red onions, thinly sliced
1 cup red wine (I used Syrah)
1 bay leaf
3 peppercorns
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
3 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
3/4 cup water
1 tsp salt
Bring all ingredients to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer uncovered until liquid has reduced/mostly evaporated, about 1 hour. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking. Remove thyme sprigs, bay leaf, and peppercorns (if possible) and serve.
Brown Rice with Fresh Herbs: Serves 4
1/2 cup packed arugula leaves
1/2 cup packed cilantro leaves and tender stems
1/4 cup packed parsley leaves
1/3 cup packed mint leaves
1/2 jalapeno, finely chopped
2 cups water
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 scallions, white and green parts only, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 cup long grain brown rice
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup golden raisins
1. In a blender, combine arugula, cilantro, parsley, mint, and jalapeno. Blend until smooth.
2. In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add scallions and garlic and cook, stirring, until softened, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add in rice and pine nuts and cook an additional 3 minutes.
3. Stir in herb puree and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for about 30-35 minutes, or until most all of the liquid has absorbed. Turn off heat and let steam to absorb the remainder of the water for 15 minutes. Stir in golden raisins and serve.
Another possile variation: process herbs, garlic, jalapeno, and pine nuts in a food processor. Slowly drizzle in olive oil to form a pesto. Toss with baby new potatoes, reserving 2 Tbsp to top them with. Roast them at 425, stirring occasionally, until tender and golden brown. Toss with reserved pesto and serve.
Next time I make the rice recipe, I might try adding the raisins along with the herb puree. Also, because the color is a bit dull, I would also consider stirring in fresh parsley before serving. As for the frittata, I actually added the tarragon to use it up and thought it was delicious. However, the Onion and Thyme Compote would probably have been a bit more compatible had I not added it. Maybe I will caramelize onions and add them into the frittata next time. Still, this was a fantastic dinner! Hope you enjoy the recipes! Tomorrow we have Hors D'Oeuvres and Pates in school. Should be yummy! All the juicy details to come.
Dilled Yogurt Dip: Serves 41 and 1/2 cups nonfat Greek yogurt
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp fresh dill, chopped
1/2 tsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp honey
1 tsp salt, or to taste
ground black pepper
Veggies, bread, and/or crackers for serving
Mix all ingredients and allow to sit for at least 10 minutes for flavors to develop.
Goat Cheese and Tarragon Frittata with Onion and Thyme Compote: Serves 4
8 eggs
8 oz crumbled goat cheese
1/2 grated Parmesan, plus 2 Tbsp additional for topping
1 Tbsp fresh tarragon, chopped
salt and pepper, to taste
2 tsp olive oil
Onion and Thyme Compote (recipe follows)
1. Preheat oven to 400. Beat eggs in a large mixing bowl. Add in cheeses, tarragon and salt and pepper.
2. In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add in egg mixture and cook, undisturbed, for 5 minutes, or until the bottom is set.
3. Top with additional Parmesan cheese and place skillet in oven and cook until frittata is golden and set, about 12-15 minutes.
4. Cut into wedges and serve topped with Onion and Thyme Compote.
Alternatively, you could broil the frittata for 3-4 minutes, but my pan doesn't fit in my broiler!
Onion and Thyme Compote: Yield about 2 cups (a lot, I know)
1 lb (about 2 medium) red onions, thinly sliced
1 cup red wine (I used Syrah)
1 bay leaf
3 peppercorns
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
3 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
3/4 cup water
1 tsp salt
Bring all ingredients to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer uncovered until liquid has reduced/mostly evaporated, about 1 hour. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking. Remove thyme sprigs, bay leaf, and peppercorns (if possible) and serve.
Brown Rice with Fresh Herbs: Serves 4
1/2 cup packed arugula leaves
1/2 cup packed cilantro leaves and tender stems
1/4 cup packed parsley leaves
1/3 cup packed mint leaves
1/2 jalapeno, finely chopped
2 cups water
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 scallions, white and green parts only, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 cup long grain brown rice
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup golden raisins
1. In a blender, combine arugula, cilantro, parsley, mint, and jalapeno. Blend until smooth.
2. In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add scallions and garlic and cook, stirring, until softened, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add in rice and pine nuts and cook an additional 3 minutes.
3. Stir in herb puree and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for about 30-35 minutes, or until most all of the liquid has absorbed. Turn off heat and let steam to absorb the remainder of the water for 15 minutes. Stir in golden raisins and serve.
Another possile variation: process herbs, garlic, jalapeno, and pine nuts in a food processor. Slowly drizzle in olive oil to form a pesto. Toss with baby new potatoes, reserving 2 Tbsp to top them with. Roast them at 425, stirring occasionally, until tender and golden brown. Toss with reserved pesto and serve.
Next time I make the rice recipe, I might try adding the raisins along with the herb puree. Also, because the color is a bit dull, I would also consider stirring in fresh parsley before serving. As for the frittata, I actually added the tarragon to use it up and thought it was delicious. However, the Onion and Thyme Compote would probably have been a bit more compatible had I not added it. Maybe I will caramelize onions and add them into the frittata next time. Still, this was a fantastic dinner! Hope you enjoy the recipes! Tomorrow we have Hors D'Oeuvres and Pates in school. Should be yummy! All the juicy details to come.
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