recipes

for glacier grist Issue #128

Cheese and Garlic Broccoli and Potato Bake

Rainy night comfort food!

1 bunch broccoli, washed and cut into small frourets
2-4 potatoes, washed and diced
tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
1 cup of your choice of cheese (I like pepper jack, Colby, or Swiss)

Heat the oil over medium high heat in your pan. Stir in onions and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add broccoli, potatoes, garlic, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper and cook for 2-3 more minutes. Cube the cheese and stir into hot mixture.  Bake in a casserole dish at 375 degrees for 30-45 minutes until the potatoes are fork tender. 

Balsamic Blue Cheese Vinaigrette Salad

I love a good vinaigrette dressing.  When I make it from scratch, I know exactly what’s in it.

1/4 cup good quality balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons shallots or sweet onions (use red onions if you like)
1 tablespoon fresh herbs of your choice (I like a mixture of parsley and dill)
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper and Kosher salt
4 tablespoons blue cheese, crumbled (I prefer gorgonzola for this)
1 head of lettuce, washed and torn into bite sized pieces

In a food processor or blender, mix together the vinegar, onions, and herbs. Add the olive oil in a slow drizzle while your machine is running. Add in half of your blue cheese and process until smooth.  Add in the remaining blue cheese and leave chunky.  In a large bowl toss lettuce,  and enough dressing to coat.  Now you can get creative and add in other salad ingredients you like.  (I like some diced cucumber and grape tomatoes.)  Enjoy!

Green Leaf Salad with Cilantro Lime Dressing

This is a flavorful side to any Mexican meal.  I love it with Carne Asada!

1 head of green leaf lettuce, washed and torn into bite sized pieces
2 limes, juiced
1/2 cup cilantro leaves
2 teaspoons hot sauce
Salt and pepper
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Place the lime juice, cilantro, and hot sauce in food processor and add a little salt and pepper. Turn processor on and stream in extra-virgin olive oil. Taste dressing and adjust seasonings. Pour dressing into a bowl and add the lettuce and any other salad items like cucumber, avocado , or tomato. Toss gently and coat in dressing. 

From Scratch Ranch Dip

A great dip for fresh veggies.  I am not a fan of mayonnaise, so I offer alternatives that I enjoy.

1/2 to 1 small clove garlic
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup mayonnaise, plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons minced flat-leaf parsley leaves
1 scallion (white and green) minced
3/4 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
Freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
Optional items I use occasionally to switch up the flavors include:
1 tablespoon fresh basil or oregano
1 teaspoon cayenne or red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons of roasted red bell peppers or sun dried tomatoes

Put everything in a food processor and blend until smooth. Alternatively, if you like a chunkier dip, mince the garlic, parsley and scallion and stir everything together until well blended.  Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes to give all the flavors time to come together.  Store for up to a week.