Cuisine: American

Mac n’ Cheese with Roasted Cauliflower, Scallions and Bacon by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

Cauliflower is now a mainstream vegetable!
At our Prepared Foods counter, I am surprised (and impressed) at our Millennial customers’ whole-hearted embrace of all kinds of vegetables. Their mothers were so successful at getting them to eat their vegetables that they continue to do so long after they have left the nest (and moved into South Boston).
This recipe ‘embraces’ roasted cauliflower. Roasting cauliflower is a game-changer; roasting expresses cauliflower’s hidden sweetness without the ‘cruciferous stink’ associated with boiling or steaming the vegetable. The cauliflower is then cooled, chopped into smaller pieces and folded into the
mac n’ cheese base, adding texture and earthiness to the finished dish.

Smoked Trout Dip with Pickles & Radishes by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

Smoked Trout gets very little attention, unlike its attention-grabbing smoked salmon cousin. In an effort to ‘even-the-playing-fields’, I offer a quick cream cheese-based dip/spread ready in about 30 minutes, leaving you plenty of time to gather some crackers, radishes, cornichons, olives or other piquant and crunchy bites to complete your serving platter.

Pear Cherry Crisp by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

I had cherries and I had very, very, very ripe pears. 

I know that a cherry-plum or cherry-nectarine crisp is more common than a cherry-pear crisp, but I had these very ripe pears to use (as I have said…) and I knew that the pears would soften during baking and wrap their arms, as it were, around the firmer cherries.  It would be a compatible match.

I used a 12-inch ceramic, fluted quiche dish - a wide shallow baking dish, to ensure that the ratio of crisp topping and cooked fruit would provide equal bites of both in your mouth.

And finally, I replaced some of the all-purpose flour with almond flour, making the crust crumblier and crunchier, both desirable attributes.

CHEF CLAUDIA’S CLASSIC STUFFED PEPPERS

Claudia is our Deli Chef in the South Boston Foodie’s Market.  She has been in the Foodie’s family for a number of years; working first in the Duxbury store.  She is a master at producing large quantities of beautiful, tasty food.  She knows what the customers want and exceeds their expectations.

 These stuffed peppers ‘fly-out’ of the case; with some customers even calling ahead to ‘reserve’ their weekly portion.

“FRENCH ONION SOUP” Inspired PIZZA By Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

This recipe sprang from a desire to eat a glorious, steaming bowl of French Onion Soup with grilled crusty bread and gooey Swiss cheese.
But I was more than reluctant to invest the hours it would take to make an excellent beef broth; and anything less than an excellent broth would not be satisfying. Hence, this is how the ingredients of a classic French Onion Soup ‘shape-shifted’ their way into a pizza topping.

Salad for Supper by Chef Laura Brennan

I recently went to see a nutritionist and was told to eat more vegetables!

And here I was thinking that I’m a Chef, so of course I eat (enough) vegetables.  During an analysis of what I actually do eat…. well.…I actually do not eat enough vegetables after all !!

And I know that in order to incorporate more vegetables into my diet, I will have to have parts of my meal already prepared.  Luckily, we live in an era and area of readily available and very good quality prepared foods-- i.e.  Foodies’ Markets!

CHERRY BERRY TRIFLE By Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

It’s summer.…officially. And right now, there is a burst of fresh cherries and berries in the markets, just waiting to be turned into handsome desserts!
Trifle is a handsome, classic English summer dessert: it’s cake soaked with layers of cream and berries. You have probably seen this in food magazines in a giant, footed glass ‘trifle dish’ with alternating layers of berries, cake, custard and cream. It’s a very dramatic presentation.
Here, I have made 8 individual trifles in 10-12-ounce, flared cups. Mason jars would make a modern presentation. Whatever you use, be sure they are deep enough to show off the layers of fruits and creams. Spoon lots of cream on the top and don’t forget the stemmed- cherry garnish.
It should always be a dramatic presentation no matter the size.

Chickpea & Cauliflower Salad with Spiced Tahini Dressing by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

Instead of taking last year’s pasta salad to your summer get-togethers …why not show-off with this show-stopper?   It’s very easy to make:  roast some seasoned cauliflower pieces and open a couple of cans of chickpeas!  (Well, OK, plus make a very simple and quick tahini dressing!)

Roasted cauliflower is ‘meaty’ and especially delicious with this tahini dressing.  And the recipe makes extra dressing that would be great with grilled lamb and/or beef in a pita bread and crunchy vegetable sandwich.

Cauliflower ‘Risotto’ with Cashew ‘Cream’ by Foodie’s Markets Chef Laura Brennan

Cauliflower processed into small pieces to resemble rice kernels is very popular on modern menus and in food articles.  The cauliflower is slow cooked in liquid on the stove-top, as is risotto, but with less carbohydrates and calories that true rice would provide. 

Cashew Cream?    Toasted or raw (both unsalted) cashews are soaked overnight in cold water, drained and pureed to a thick, ‘creamy’ consistency and folded into the finished dish. Just like adding crème fraiche or sour cream to a dish; that is, folded in at the end and off the heat.  The cashews add a richness mimicking dairy fat but without the saturated fat.

Red Lentil, Bulgur Wheat and Toasted Walnut Veggie Burgers by Foodie’s Markets Chef Laura Brennan

Cooked red lentils are very similar in texture to cooked split green peas; that is, they don’t hold their shape and tend to become very soft.   That’s why you most often see them in soup or Indian ‘dal’ recipes where a firm texture is not the end-goal.

They are surprisingly delicious as a vegetarian burger when mixed with a sturdier grain.  The bulgur wheat expands during cooking and binds the lentils together by absorbing liquid.  Chopped, toasted walnuts add texture as well. I have not added flour or egg as an additional binder; I spread my cooked mixture on a sheet pan and refrigerated until firm. (If, after a couple hours of chilling your mixture still seems wet and won’t hold a ‘patty-shape’ you may want to add a tablespoon or two of AP flour (all purpose).

I shaped them into 2 ½ -inch patties and coated them a ‘standard breading’ treatment, which in turn, provides structure and a crust. I pan-fried (sauté)  them and served them warm with some savory accompaniments:  caramelized onions, hummus, yogurt seasoned with Syrian Aleppo pepper flakes and drizzles of both pomegranate molasses and tahini sauce.  Sliced cucumbers and thinly sliced dill pickles would add a bit of crunch and a touch of piquancy.