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Tomato Toasts with Sardines & Mint

Tomato Toasts with Sardines & Mint (Recipe/Photo courtesy EatingWell.com:  March/April 2010)

I am in LOVE with this recipe for Tomato Toasts with Sardines & Mint by Washington D.C. based Chef, Barton Seaver.  Since I find myself making it for lunch all the time, (though it's a fab little appetizer as well), I felt compelled to share it with you!

Make sure you buy high-quality, smoked sardines packed in olive oil - not the kind in tomato sauce or mustard - and FRESH mint to ensure a delicious result.  

INGREDIENTS (12 toasts)

1 4-ounce can boneless, skinless sardines packed in olive oil, preferably smoked

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/8 teaspoon salt

3 slices multigrain bread or 12 slices baguette, preferably whole-grain

1/2 medium ripe tomato

1 tablespoon very thinly sliced yellow onion

METHOD

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Flake sardines with a fork into a mixing bowl. (The pieces should not be mashed, but should be no bigger than a dime.) Add mint, oil and salt; toss gently to combine.

If using whole slices of bread, cut off the crusts and cut each into four triangles. Place the triangles or baguette slices on a baking sheet and bake until crispy and golden brown, 12 to 14 minutes. As soon as you remove them from the oven, rub each slice with the cut side of the tomato. As you progress, the tomato will break down until only the skin remains; discard any remaining tomato.

Top each toast with about 1 1/2 teaspoons of the sardine mixture. Top the sardine mixture with a couple of onion slices and serve immediately.

NOTE:  Did you know this so commonly overlooked little fish, named after the island of Sardinia, is a nutritional powerhouse?  Their high concentration of omega 3's, calcium, vitamin D and protein make their nutritional value hard to beat if you're into "clean" eating.

Blueberry Coconut Shake

Blueberry Coconut Smoothie

Do you enjoy looking and feeling your best?  Then this energy boosting, make-yourself-radiant Coconut-Blueberry Shake is right up your alley! 

Plus it tastes amazing! (Think cross between malted milkshake & nut-brittle candy.)

I predict this exotic combination of flavors will fall into your weekly repertoire.  It's a recipe I can whip up on the busiest of days knowing I'll love the taste and be doing something great for my body.

Wild blueberries pack a healthy punch of phytonutrients, antioxidants & anti-inflammatories, while coconut milk nourishes and moisturizes the hair and skin.  Toasted pecans provide 19 vitamins and minerals, protein and... well, you get the idea!  It's fabulous in every respect so you'll just have to try it:-)

Ingredients (Serves 2)

1 cup frozen wild blueberries

3/4 cup light coconut milk

2 tablespoons water

2 1/2 tablespoons toasted pecans (or substitute roasted almond butter or toasted almonds)

1 1/2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method

In a blender combine the blueberries, coconut milk, water, toasted nuts (or nut butter), honey and vanilla extract.  Blend until smooth. Enjoy!

NOTE:  If you don't have a heavy-duty blender like a Vitamix, use Almond Butter (or another nut butter- preferably roasted) instead of the toasted nuts to ensure a silky-smooth shake.

Edible Flowers

 Nasturtiums have a lovely minty flavor
Nasturtiums and Pansies are wonderful additions to your veggie garden!  They'll add hits of gorgeous color to your plots and Nasturtiums will even ward off many pests.  Best of all...

They're also edible!

Flowers in the Viola Family, such as Pansies (and Violets) have a faint minty flavor.  The flowers and leaves of Nasturtiums have a peppery watercress tinge.  Toss their brightly hued flowers on top of a salad or include as a pretty touch on an al fresco dinner plate.  

Two simple ways to Live Beautifully!

Pot of Pansies, Quick, gestural watercolor on Winsor Newton Paper (Click image for better, larger view)

Italy 2 ways ~ Il Volo & Umbria

Today is a tribute to Italy two ways...

First, via the gorgeous voices of Il Volo, a young trio with voices of gold who've already gone platinum in Italy.  Their name, “Il Volo,” meaning “flight,” was chosen to signify the feeling that these three young tenors were about to spread their wings and fly.  And indeed they have!  You will be blown away!  (Thank you, Kaye Cloutman, for introducing me to Il Volo. Visit her lovely website, Clout&About)

 

Teenagers, Piero Barone (17), Ignazio Boschetto (16), & Gianluca Ginoble (16)

And my second tribute to Italy, a painting of a peaceful olive grove in Umbria.  Umbria is the region of Italy often compared to Tuscany, without the touristy aspects.  Jim and I picnicked beneath these beautiful, old trees enjoying wine, salami and cheese.  It was a blustery day, like today, sunny one moment, cloudy the next.  

"In the Umbrian Olive Grove" by Juliane Porter (Oil on 18"x14" canvas ~ Click for a better, larger view)

The Met's Capriccio, Starring Renee Flemming

I recently had the great fortune to attend Richard Strauss's masterpiece, Capriccio, at The Metropolitan Opera, starring world renowned soprano Renee Fleming.  

Brilliant.

Perhaps because it is a consummation of all the fine arts, (literary, orchestral, vocal, visual & frequently ballet as in Capriccio), opera hits me on myriad levels.  Breathtaking music from a phenomenal world-class orchestra accompanying the premier soprano of our time - in the setting of an 18th century chateau near Paris... all within the complexity of a great literary work.

A feast for the senses!

Take a peek at the final scene of Capriccio being performed at the Paris Opera House by none other than the magnificent Ms. Flemming herself.  Don't do anything else.  Just close your eyes and let the music sweep you away.  

Capriccio, Strauss's final opera, is a dramatized aesthetic debate over which is more valuable, music or words?  Swathed in achingly beautiful music one is likely to be persuaded by the former, though the opera itself ends without a decision cast one way or the other.  

As I toyed with the question, I flipped and I flopped.  

Words?  

I find generally, the fewer the better... as they're usually ego's favorite vehicle on a direct path away from authenticity.  Yet I couldn't do without Tolstoy, Bronte, Wilde...  

Music?

It has an emotionality that breaks open the heart.  

Ah - Why choose.  Especially when one there is opera, the consummation of all the arts!  Which happens to be the very resolution of Capriccio's story itself.

What would you choose if you could have only one?  Music or Words?

Russell Braun, left, is the poet Olivier, Joseph Kaiser the composer Flamand and Peter Rose the theater director La Roche in Richard Strauss' "Capriccio" at the Metropolitan Opera. (Photo by Richard Drew, Associated Press)

Richard Strauss, Composer

Poached Egg Topped Crispy Quinoa Cakes

Poached Egg topped Crispy Quinoa Cakes adapted from Super Natural Everyday by Heidi Swanson

As soon as I made these Poached Egg Topped Crispy Quinoa Cakes inspired by Tara O'Brady's beautiful blog, Seven Spoons, I knew I wouldn't be able to resist sharing my own attempt with you!

I'll spare you the impressive details of Quinoa's 5000+ year history as nature's most powerful vegetarian source of protein and amino acids... because Jim inhaled these & requested them again the very next day!

I was happy to oblige.

Hot, crispy, brownness encloses a tender, savory center that pairs perfectly with the rich yolk of a poached egg.  (Fail-proof egg poaching instructions below)  Satisfying and filling without being heavy.    

Crispy Quinoa Cakes

Ingredients (For 1 dozen cakes)

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (divided)

2 1/2 cups cooked quinoa (room temperature)

4 large eggs, beaten

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt  

1/3 cup finely chopped fresh chives

1 onion, minced

1/3 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano or Gruyere

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup whole wheat panko (plus extra if needed)

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (divided)

Optional:  I added a small amount of finely chopped spinach from our garden.  

Method

Combine quinoa, eggs and salt in a medium bowl. With a fork, lightly stir in the chives, onion, Parmigiana & garlic.  Stir in the Panko and allow to sit for 5 minutes.  

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a heavy skillet over a medium-low heat.  

(You'll be frying 6 patties at a time.)  Using a 1/2 cup measure to assist in making uniform cakes, form 1 cake and add to pan tapping the measuring cup to assist in release.  Repeat with 5 additional cakes.  (If the mixture feels too wet, add more breadcrumbs; add water if too dry.)  

Cover the pan and cook, 8 - 10 minutes until the bottoms are well browned.  Carefully turn each cake with a slim metal spatula and brown the second sides, for about 6-8 more minutes. Remove to a wire rack and repeat with the second batch.

Poached Eggs (Makes 4)

Ingredients

4 free range eggs (room temperature)

1 tsp white vinegar 

sea salt & red pepper flakes for garnish

Method

Combine 1 1/2 inches water (about 2 quarts) and vinegar in a wide 3-quart heavy saucepan (preferably about 9 inches wide) and bring to a simmer.  (The vinegar coagulates the egg white)  

Break 1 egg into a small bowl (I use a custard cup) and slide egg into water. Repeat with each remaining egg, spacing them evenly in saucepan, and poach at a bare simmer until whites are firm and yolks are still runny, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer eggs as cooked to a kitchen towel using a slotted spoon. (Avoid paper towels as the paper can end up sticking to your egg.)  

Place eggs atop your Crispy Quinoa Cakes. Garnish with sea salt and red pepper flakes and serve immediately.  Enjoy! 

Do in advance tip: Julia Child taught that poached eggs can be made in quantity well in advance. Simply chill the eggs in a bowl of icy water until it's time to serve - they keep well for up to a day in the refrigerator. Drop them into a pan of simmering water for 20-30 seconds and they're ready to serve.

Italian Affogato

Italian Affogato 

I love simple, beautiful food that doesn't disappoint... or require a lengthy recovery period after putting it together.  My take on the Italian Affogato is so easy I felt silly writing out the instructions!

Steaming espresso swirls around creamy vanilla ice-cream with a splash of Amaretto Liquor.  Warning:  It's likely you'll have the urge to head back to the kitchen to whip up another :-)

Serve in a cozy mug to fit a casual occasion.  In a beautiful dish they're elegant enough for a dinner party.  Perfect any time of year, any time of day.  Great with decaf or regular depending on your mood.  If you don't have an espresso machine, simply use coffee.

Ingredients (Serves 1)

Your Favorite Vanilla Ice-Cream or Gelato (coconut Ice-Cream if you're vegan)

Freshly Brewed Espresso or Coffee (Roastaroma if you're coffee-free)

Amaretto Liquor

Method

Place a ball of ice-cream in serving dish.  Pour espresso around the ice-cream.  Add 1 tablespoon of Amaretto.  Serve immediately and Enjoy!

Note:  Always use the freshest, best quality ingredients you can.  It makes a huge impact on flavor!  In the case of coffee & espresso, I highly recommend a Bialetti French Press or Espresso Maker.  Because they're simply made and easy to rinse after each use, neither will acquire that bitter, old-coffee-machine-taste that ruins an otherwise great cup of coffee.

The Bialetti Mocha sound whistles a little tune when the espresso is ready!