Annie Boehnke

Lemon and Shallot Vinaigrette

Posted by Annie.

This dressing is made for this tasty salad. It’s simple, and if you keep lemons, you probably have what you need without a trip to the grocery. Enjoy!

Ingredients
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons honey
1 shallot, finely chopped
kosher salt and black pepper

Directions
In a small bowl or jar, whisk or shake together the oil, lemon juice, honey, shallot, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper.

Boston Lettuce Salad with Herbs and Toasted Almonds

Posted by Annie

I tried this salad this evening, paired with a pasta dish on this site! The Boston lettuce (appropriately named for my relocation) is buttery and delicious. It has a bit of spice from the cilantro and chives, and the lemon vinaigrette adds the perfect snap. If you love salty/savory but want to keep it light, this is the perfect salad to add as a side dish.

(If you’re unsure what Boston Lettuce is, there’s a good description here. Most groceries carry it.)

Ingredients
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1 large head Boston or Bibb lettuce, leaves torn (6 cups)
1 cup fresh parsley leaves
1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
10 chives, cut into 1-inch lengths
4 to 5 tablespoons Lemon and Shallot Vinaigrette
or bottled Italian vinaigrette

Directions
1. Heat oven to 400° F. Spread the almonds on a rimmed baking sheet and toast, tossing occasionally, until golden, 5 to 6 minutes.
2. In a large bowl, toss the lettuce, parsley, cilantro, chives, and almonds with the vinaigrette.

Grown-Up Grilled Cheese

Posted by Annie.

I like to serve these with Corrie’s Brussel Sprouts. This is quick and easy – and a comfort food, even if you’re in a hurry. I use the butter pretty sparingly because the bread tends to soak it up quickly in the pan. Enjoy!

What you need
2-3 slices of high-quality turkey lunch meat, I used Boar’s Head
1 slice cheddar cheese
2 slices of bread. I use gluten-free, but your preference will work
mayo (optional)
poultry seasoning
salt and pepper
butter for the skillet

Instructions
1. Saute turkey, small pad of butter and seasonings in a skillet over medium for about two minutes, until then the turkey slightly browns.
2. Take out of pan, build sandwich (turkey, mayo and cheese)
3. Place back in pan and heat through until cheese is melted. Keep an eye on it so the bread doesn’t burn! (unless you’re into that kinda thing)

Bacon, Leek and Parmesan Pasta

Posted by Annie.

I tried this recipe recently and absolutely love the combo of leeks and bacon in the pasta. This works for a one-dish meal, or is perfect paired with a spring salad. This is easy and delicious!

Ingredients
one 8 ounce package of pasta (linguini or spaghetti is best)
12 ounces bacon, sliced in small pieces
3 leeks (tops trimmed), sliced thin
6 cloves garlic
¼ cup Grand Marnier
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar, divided
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
¼ cup starchy cooking water (from pasta pot)
½ cup parmesan cheese

Directions
1. Bring a pasta pot filled with water to a boil, salt the water and add pasta. Cook according to directions (make sure and save ¼ cup of pasta water for sauce).
2. In a separate skillet, sauté chopped bacon at medium high heat (just until cooked through).
3. Add leeks, olive oil, grand marnier, garlic, 1 tablespoon vinegar, salt, pepper and sauté for 12 minutes or until bacon is fully cooked and liquids have reduced.
4. Before adding pasta, add in 1 more tablespoon of vinegar (totaling 2), and scrap up all the brown bits at the bottom of the pan.
5. Add cooked pasta along with parmesan cheese and starchy cooking liquid. Mix to incorporate ingredients and simmer on low for 5 minutes, just enough to let the flavors blend. Serve warm.

Penne a la Betsy

Posted by Annie.

Last Christmas, I received the Pioneer Woman Cooks book in my stocking, and I pulled it out this week to see what I could find. Admittedly, like other books, I still love flipping through pages and trying to hold down recipes with greasy hands while cooking. There’s something so lived-in/loved about a good book of recipes with stains, wrinkles and hand-written notes. So here’s my first contribution from this book.

I loved the recipe, and the basil gave the house a perfect scent. This is great as a hearty main course or full dinner. The recipe makes four very generous servings. Danny and I split it for dinner three nights in a row, with a bit of salad on the side. Also, it only takes about 25 minutes start to finish – Enjoy!

Ingredients
1 lb shrimp (like the frozen bag, peeled and deveined – and thawed)
1 lb Penne (or other short pasta; I use brown rice pasta)
2 tbsp butter, olive oil
Small onion, minced
A few cloves of garlic, minced
2 small cans of tomato sauce
1 c heavy cream
1/4 c finely chopped flat leaf parsley
Basil, chiffonade, to taste (I used 8 leaves)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 c dry white wine (optional)

Directions
1. Bring water in a pot to a boil for the penne. Either cook the pasta all in one step, or come back to this as you have time between the other steps. Add some salt to that water. Drain the pasta and set aside.

2. Bring a saucepan to medium heat with 1 tbsp each of the butter and olive oil. Saute the thawed shrimp for about two minutes (they should have just turned opaque.) Remove to a cool plate and set aside.

3. Back to the saucepan on medium heat, add the remaining 1 tbsp each of butter and olive oil. Add the onion and garlic, stirring occasionally for several minutes. Keep an eye on this because garlic in olive oil that’s too hot can burn. Keep the heat to medium, and keep stirring. (This happened to me the first time, and it’s no bueno.)

4. Optional: at the point, you can chop the shrimp into smaller pieces, if you’d like. If not, skip this step.

5. Optional: here add the cup of dry white wine. (I didn’t do this, and it came out fine, but it sounds good.)

6. Add the two small cans of tomato sauce, and stir well.

7. Reduce the heat to low, and add the cup of heavy cream. Stir well.

8. Add the shrimp to the tomato cream sauce, and stir well.

9. If you haven’t chopped the basil and parsley at this point, do that now. Add the herbs to the tomato cream sauce, and stir until well combined.

10. Add the pasta to the tomato cream sauce, and stir until well combined.

Lentil, Spinach and Feta Salad with Sour Cherry Vinaigrette

Posted by Annie.

In the cookbook, this is recommended as a delicious vegetarian lunch, but I’ve found it hearty enough for supper (and Danny agrees!) This salad is easy and distinctive, and given the recipe, you can make as little as you’d like and reserve the dressing and separate ingredients for a fresh salad later. If you’re looking to kick it up a notch with spinach, I highly recommend.

Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups dried green lentils (preferably dark green Du Puy lentils from France), picked over and rinsed (if you don’t have lentils, black-eyed peas are a fine substitute)
4 cups lightly packed fresh spinach, washed, drained, and stems removed
1 red onion, halved through root end and thinly sliced
6 ounces drained feta cheese, cut into 1/2 -inch cubes
3/4 cup Sour Cherry Vinaigrette (found on this blog!)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions
1. (Skip this step if using canned peas or lentils.) Place the lentils in saucepan, add enough water to cover by 3 inches, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes for Du Puy French lentils, 20 minutes for regular green lentils. The lentils will be just tender and still holding their shape (Note: French lentils cook much faster than regular lentils; do not overcook.) Drain and rinse the lentils and set aside to cool slightly.

2. Place the spinach, lentils, onion, feta, and vinaigrette in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper and toss gently to blend. Do not overmix because the spinach may bruise and the feta will crumble. Serve at room temperature.

Sour Cherry Vinaigrette

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This homemade dressing is delicious with mixed greens or a grilled chicken breast. I especially love it with this salad.

Makes about 1 1/2 cups vinaigrette

Ingredients
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup balsamic Vinegar
1 shallot, minced
1/2 cup dried tart cherries or dried cranberries
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
Juice of 2 limes
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup canola or safflower oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions
Mix together the red wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar, shallot, cherries, chives, and lime juice in a bowl. Slowly add the olive oil and canola oil while whisking constantly until well blended. Season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate in an airtight container until ready to use or up to 6 days.

Homemade Buttermilk Biscuits

Posted by Annie.

This post is especially for Ali, since she has a new Kitchen Aid mixer! Like most things homemade, these biscuits are heads above anything from a can. For breakfast or as an addition to supper, they are delicious, filling, comfort food. Enjoy!

Ingredients
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
12 tablespoons (1 stick plus 4 tablespoons) cold, unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1 1/4 cups (or more) well-shaken buttermilk
1 beaten egg (optional)

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Lightly grease a baking sheet, spray it with vegetable oil spray, or line it with parchment paper.

2. Stir the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar together in a large bowl. Add the cubed butter and cut it into the flour using a pastry cutter or two knives until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. DO NOT OVER-MIX!

3. Add the buttermilk to the flour-butter mixture and stir until the dough just begins to stick together; do not over-mix. Add more buttermilk, 1 tablespoon at a time, if the dough is still crumbly and not sticking together.

4. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead just until it coms together, adding only as much flour as you need to keep the dough from sticking to the work surface or your hands. Form the dough into a flat round. Sprinkle more flour on the work surface and pat or roll the dough on the floured surface to a 3/4-inch thickness.

5. Cut the dough with a floured 2 1/2-inch biscuit or cookie cutter (I use a drinking glass), leaving as little space as possible between each cut. Place the rounds on the prepared pan, leaving 1/2 inch between the biscuits. Brush with the beaten egg and bake the biscuits for 15 to 17 minutes, until they are golden brown. Serve fresh from the oven. (They also reheat well!)

Chicken Chili with Navy Beans

Posted by Annie.

Here’s another winter-time gem from Foster’s Market in Durham. This comes from Sara Foster’s first cookbook, a terrific collection that I have lived by since I bought it in North Carolina in 2002. I’ve made this  for Danny, and he absolutely loves it; he has even asked me to make it again. This recipe is straightforward but rich with flavor, and it keeps well in the fridge for leftover lunch.

Sara Foster mentions turkey can be easily substituted for the chicken and that the chili can be made ‘green’ by using chopped tomatillos (fresh or canned) instead of chopped tomatoes. Any kind of bean can be used; Foster’s uses pinto, kidney or lima.

Ingredients
2 cups canned navy beans
1/4 cup olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 red or green bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
1 jalapeno, diced with seeds
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons basil (chopped fresh or dried)
2 teaspoons ground cumin (comino)
8 cups chicken broth (from the can if you don’t keep your own!)
1 14-oz can chopped tomatoes
1 12-oz can of beer
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
4 cups shredded cooked chicken (or equivalent browned ground turkey)
1/4 cup cornmeal
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
4 scallions, trimmed and chopped

Directions
1. Heath olive oil over medium in a large saucepan. Add the onion and cook about 15 minutes, stirring constantly, until the onion has softened. Add the bell pepper, jalapeno and garlic, and cook about 5 minutes more, stirring constantly.

2. Stir in the chili powder, cumin and basil, and cook 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly.

3. Add the broth, tomatoes, beer, Worcestershire sauce, chicken (or turkey) and cornmeal, and stir to mix well.

4. Add the salt and pepper, reduce heat to low, and simmer about 1.5 hours, uncovered. Add the beans and simmer an additional 30 minutes.

5. Garnish with cilantro and scallions. Serve immediately.

Momma Bear’s Chili

Posted by Annie.

Okay, okay, most of us are partial to our mother’s versions of the food we grew up with. I’m trying to be objective here, but this traditional chili is the bee’s knees, seriously. Accordingly, I’ve taken Frito Pie as a new favorite supper. If you’ve got a crew to feed or need a terrific winter meal, this is it. I recommend with Fritos and cheese, or with tamales. Enjoy!

What you Need
1 pound ground lean meat
1 pound of chili meat
1 onion chopped finely
1 bell pepper chopped finely
garlic (fresh chopped or powder) measure your own
1 japlepeno chopped finely
4 Tbls chili powder (or however much you think looks good)
1 to 2 Tblsp cumin powder/comino
1 can of beer
3 tablespoons of corn bread mix with 3 oz water (*this is key!)
water to cover all of the ingredients to cook

What to Do
1. Brown meat add onion & pepper add remaining ingredient and simmer til done
2. Mix corn bread mix with 3 oz of water gradually while stirring chili This gives it a great consistency.