Recipes

Chocolate~Wafer~Mocha~Cream Ice~Box Cake by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

It may be a mouthful to say but trust me it will be a very delicious mouthful to eat. This is a no-bake cake made with crumbled chocolate wafer cookies layered with
coffee-flavored and sweetened whipped cream. It’s super simple to make. The longest part of the recipe is waiting 16-20 hours for the cookies to absorb the cream and
become: CAKE!

(I used GOYA brand ‘Chocolate Maria Cookies and FYI, “Icebox” is an old-fashioned moniker for: “refrigerator”…from a time when food was chilled in a free-standing
insulated box using giant blocks of ice, that were delivered to the house by the “Iceman”.

Watermelon, Feta, Cucumber & Tomato Salad by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

This is a SUMMER salad, if ever there was one. Crispy, crunchy, simple and vibrant. There’s nothing like eating diced pieces of watermelon. And I cannot explain why this is, but this salad will be more enjoyable if you focus on your knife skills and cut the
watermelon and cucumber into small even cubes. Why? Because the textures will be more satisfying!

I added chopped pistachios on top but chopped almonds or walnuts would work as well. Don’t put too much dressing on the finished salad. I recommend just a few drizzles and serving extra dressing alongside.

Stout-Braised Pulled Pork Sandwich

I was asked to ‘create something BBQ’ to tease the (slowly) approaching summer dining season. And, I have never (!) made pulled pork, so …….
The recipe requires a few logical steps: a spice rub for the pork, a ‘bed’ of sauteed vegetables to flavor the braising broth, Stout for the braising liquid, a long slow braise in the oven and then a couple of finishing steps. The cooled pork is shredded, excess fat is removed, and the braising liquid is cooled and defatted. It is then pureed in the blender to become the finishing (aka BBQ) sauce for the pulled pork. I made sandwiches using toasted brioche rolls and a red cabbage coleslaw to for crunch and contrast. And did I mention it? I used pitted prunes in the braise for sweetness and texture AND as a great counterpoint to the natural bitterness of the Stout.

Beet Salad with Everything (Bagel) Spice Mix and (Easy) Tahini Dressing by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

It has been many years since I last roasted a beet. They ‘spoke’ to me at my weekly Farmer’s Market: I answered and bought a couple of pounds. (Cooking tip: pick out beets of roughly the same size for even cooking.) I roasted them in a covered heavy pot in the oven with just a bit of water in the bottom of the pan. And I peeled them as soon as they were just cool enough to handle. About the ‘Everything Spice’ Mix…… I really like this condiment, but I find that it needs extra toasted sesame seeds to smooth out the flavors when used in a salad. This is an easy fix: just toast a few tablespoons of sesame seeds in a sauté pan on the stovetop until lightly toasted and just fragrant, then mix the toasted seeds with the Everything Spice mix. I used the mix as a garnish for the roasted beet salad and I put extra spice mix on top of scrambled eggs.

Peas & Pancetta with Radish Salad by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

I created this dish to bring to a friend’s house for a Spring brunch. It’s versatile: it can be served alongside lamb, ham, salmon or any number of egg dishes. It can be made ahead and/or served at room temperature. And if fresh peas are still elusive at your market, frozen peas will do just fine.

Chocolate Mousse Parfaits by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

I am not sure that this recipe is ‘politically correct ‘at the moment, given the cost of eggs…..but I wanted to make a chocolate mousse, and I wanted a recipe that used cooked, not raw eggs.

Back 50 years ago when Julia Child was teasing the country with French Cuisine, salmonella was NOT a household name and chocolate mousse was made with both raw yolks and whites. And this was indeed how we made it at The Modern Gourmet, Madeleine Kamman’s French cooking school and eponymous restaurant in Newton Centre, MA.

And, it turns out, that what you don’t know might, just indeed, hurt you. And so, in 2025, I make chocolate mousse with a ‘Crème Anglaise’, a cooked egg yolk and cream custard, and NO raw egg whites. The finished mousse is not as ‘airy’ as the original French versions (my apologies, Madeleine and Julia), but it is ‘food safe’ and delicious.

IRISH AMERICAN SODA BREAD v.2.0* by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

Traditional Irish soda bread is made with whole wheat flour, currants, caraway seeds, buttermilk and baking soda to leaven the loaf. No butter, no sugar, no eggs in the original, rustic, true Irish loaf. It was intended as a no-nonsense quick loaf. My ‘Americanized’ version cuts a bit of butter into the dough to help produce a more tender crumb and adds a bit of sugar is for a touch of sweetness.

v.2.0* And now in my new 2.0 version, I am giving the recipe a few more ‘tweaks’ ( I cannot help it, I am a Chef, ‘tweaking’ is what we do.) I have increased the sugar, switched the currants to dried cranberries, swapped the caraway for fennel seeds, added orange zest and draped an orange confectioner’s glaze over the finished loaf. It will be a bit sweeter and a bit fancier and maybe a bit of sacrilege? (With apologies to my Irish ancestors.)

Warm Kale Pesto Pasta by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

There’s a big, wide world of uncooked kale recipes out there. And I readily admit to not liking raw kale, it’s way too chewy for me. I do however, both cook with and eat kale: I chiffonade it (thin slivers) and add it to soups, I sauté it with shallots or onions and make a frittata and am fond of thin slivers of kale added to my Italian-style green beans which I slow simmer in tomato sauce. I eat my kale cooked.

A couple of weeks ago, I started coming across multiple recipes for Kale Sauce Pasta and was curious. The recipes called for removing the kale from the stem and cooking it in in boiling salted water until tender. It was then drained and pureed with delicious ingredients, like parmigiana cheese and extra virgin olive oil. Most of the recipes were attributed to Josh McFadden, an Oregon Farm-to Table Chef and author Six Seasons: A New Way with Vegetables. In turn, he attributes his Kale Sauce Pasta recipe to the very famous River Café in London. And someday I will dig through my piled boxes of stored cookbooks and find the original inspiration (recipe), but until then…..

Potato Butternut Squash Gratin by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

PUMPKIN CARAMEL FLAN by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

Our Foodie’s marketing and design Guru (just two of her many roles) asked me about Thanksgiving recipes a few weeks back and I had already been contemplating pumpkin pie. That led me down the path of thinking what my least favorite part of this revered dessert was… and it is the soggy crust holding the delicious pumpkin filling. Even the best made, most delicious,
shatteringly crisp crust appeals less to me than the filling. It was then a no-brainer to make a ‘pumpkin flan’ with a caramel base added for a touch of ‘fancy’ as my Thanksgiving recipe. This is a classic French ‘crème renversee’ in which the
bottom of the baking dish is coated in caramel and the pumpkin custard is poured over and baked in a water bath. When set and chilled the custard/flan is turned upside-down (reversed) onto a larger plate with the caramel having both been absorbed into the flan and forming a delicious sauce.

And here it is: Pumpkin Pie. No Crust. Just filling. Chilled. Creamy & Delicious.

Chocolate Chili Tacos by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

I made a pot of ground beef chili with the usual ingredients: green and jalapeno peppers, onions, garlic, tomatoes, a variety of spices and beans (red kidney & black beans). After simmering for about 30 minutes, I tasted it and thought a bit of dark chocolate would meld all these flavors together. And it worked!
Small chunks of dark chocolate (67-72% cacao), melted into the chili, pulled all the flavors together into one ‘happy-on-the-tongue’ melody. My batch of chili was rather thick after chilling it overnight, so I decided that it would make a great taco filling. But feel free to enjoy it as a ‘bowl of chili’, knowing that you may need to thin it out with a bit of broth or water upon re-heating. Also, I garnished with a small handful of Lesser Evil popcorn, for crunch and whimsy. (BTW, Lesser Evil, which we offer at Foodie’s is a fantastic-tasting popcorn!)

An-End-of-the-Season TOMATO GRATIN 3.0 by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

There are stll decent, ripe tomatoes at our petite Farmers’ Market in South Boston. To be sure, they are really winding down. I keep making this dish every week because it is so delicious and so simple to assemble.

As I have made it a few times I have refined my technique and found the best ‘hack’ is to preslice the tomatoes and lay them out on paper towels to absorb excess moisture. Either do this step a couple of hours before you want to assemble and bake the gratin, or do it the day before and leave them in the fridge overnight.

A ceramic/glass/porcelain gratin dish works beautifully for this recipe — I used a porcelain quiche dish. It is 10-inches in diameter and about 2 1⁄2-inches deep. It is deep enough to build 3 layers of sliced tomatoes, which I found, after having made the gratin three times, to be the perfect number of layers!

Watermelon Salad by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

Watermelon salad is a quintessential summer dish. And our sweet New England summer is flying by. So, make this dish pronto! Maybe it’s a Labor Day BBQ side dish?

This salad is bright, crunchy, sweet & salty - I served it with my once-a -summer-treat: grilled hot dogs! It was a perfect pairing.

One mostly sees watermelon salad recipes with feta cheese, but I used Halloumi cheese. It’s a salty cheese like feta but unlike feta it is a firm cheese and will keep its shape and not ‘bleed’ all over the watermelon. I made lemon vinaigrette with extra virgin olive oil, but feel free to use a light prepared dressing of your choice. (I suggest a vinaigrette-style dressing rather than a creamy dressing, so the colors of the salad remain vibrant.)

There are many ways to make this dish simpler to prepare. For example, we sell cut watermelon at Foodie’s in 1.25-1.5-pound containers - perfect amount for this recipe. And I also used Chatham Village brand Home-style Garden Herb croutons. They provide a crunch and are more neutral in flavor than Caesar-flavored croutons. They will add a crunch without adding another cheese flavor. (You could, of course, make your own toasted croutons.)

Pita Smash Burger by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

I can’t really explain my fascination with smash burgers, (to wit, my recent ‘Mushroom Smash Burger’ recipe), but I think it must be in the name: ’smashed food’ elicits a giggle. So, with no further pondering, I present a Middle Eastern inspired smash burger: the seasoned beef is cooked in a searing-hot sauté pan with a piece of pita bread on top that smashes the beef-ball into
a flattened, smashed burger. Google a YouTube video to watch the process (“pita smash burger”).

Coconut Braised Salmon with Bok Choy, Ginger & Shallots by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

Makes 4 servings.
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 20-25 minutes (includes cooking the rice as well)

Mushroom Smash Burger on Brioche Rolls by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

admit to being very taken with the ‘smash burger’ rage – I really, really enjoy them. And that led me to think about a vegetarian version. So, I used baby portabella mushrooms and oven-roasted them flattened between weighted-down sheet pans. I built the rest of the burger/sandwich with grilled onions, turkey bacon, sliced tomatoes, arugula, muenster cheese and a dollop of prepared Sir Kensington’s Vegan Sauce - it’s a little bit mustardy and a little bit tomato-y, but any creamy salad dressing would work. And don’t forget to butter and grill/toast the rolls, you want that toasted-bread crunch with each bite.

Crab Risotto by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

This dish makes me think of my mother who was one of eight, first-generation American children born to Italian immigrant parents. My mother was an excellent cook, well versed in the Southern Italian cuisine of her family as well as embracing the New England cuisine of her Irish-German husband’s family. But, what she really, really liked were what she considered ‘fancy’ Italian dishes: those recipes that were from the more northern regions of Italy (think the Veneto, Lombardy and Piedmont). This risotto was a favorite that she would request her chef-daughter (me!) to make for her.

Lemon-Almond-Cake ‘Parfaits’ with Lemon Curd and Candied Almonds by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

This is an update and remake of my Flourless Almond Cake recipe. The cake has more grated lemon rind and is baked in a loaf pan, ensuring that even-sized squares of cake can be cut for the parfaits. Fresh-made lemon curd, toasted candied almonds and dollops of whipped cream complete the desserts. AND......NO judgement here: you could also, of course, make this dessert with a purchased pound cake.

What is lemon curd? It’s a fruit spread, jam-like in consistency and made with fresh citrus juice, eggs, sugar and butter. It’s very easy to make and very delicious. The British historically serve it with scones ( think ‘Downton Abbey’.)

GRECO – TURKISH MOUSSAKA By Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

Moussaka is to the Ottoman Empire (think Greece and Turkey) what Lasagna is to the Italians (and Italian- Americans!). It is a slow baked, layered casserole with a rich meat sauce, sliced eggplant and a cheesy bechamel sauce. No pasta. Of course, there are many variations. In my version, I have added a layer of thinly sliced potatoes to the bottom of the dish to give the finished Moussaka a bit more structure. I didn’t invent this technique, but I encourage you to employ it as my portions of
finished Moussaka held their shape beautifully when plated. PS - This dish is a labor of love, and it will take you a bit of time to prepare. The results are well worth your efforts.(I suggest that you read through the entire recipe first and visualize the preparation and cooking steps required.)

Beef and Barley Soup with Mushrooms by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

We’ve been having long stretches of rainy days in Boston and that just makes me want to eat soup. And this soup reminds me of my childhood when Campbell’s Beef Barley was a pantry staple, along with Tomato and Scotch Broth. Fast forward many decades and the variety and quality of canned soups has exploded…but I need to make my own because I want to believe that engaging in cooking will disperse the doldrums of more rain.

‘Middle Eastern’ Chicken Salad by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

This is a chicken salad made with flavors and ingredients from a Middle Eastern pantry—chickpeas, olives, scallions, yogurt, tahini and za’atar spice mix - don’t forgo the za’atar spice mix! It is used to marinate the chicken breasts. This chicken salad has an herby, savory and exotic flavor and is also a bit crunchy thanks to the sesame seeds. (And za’atar spice is easy to find these days!)

Broccoli Salad by Chef Laura Brennan

This is an easy, delicious and crunchy broccoli salad that does NOT call for cooking the broccoli. All the ingredients are prepped (the ‘mise-en-place’) and tossed together with a seasoned mayonnaise dressing. (I used Hellman’s, my favorite.) And feel free to substitute ingredients; for example: you could omit the bacon or switch out the raisins for dried cranberries or use toasted sunflower seeds instead of almonds.

Green Split Pea Ham Soup by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

It’s certainly been cold enough for split-pea soup; I’d never think of making or eating it in the warmer months. This is a straight forward, one-pot soup. I used a smoked ham hock to flavor the broth and added diced ham to the nearly finished soup. And big chunks of crusty, toasted and buttered bread would be great to serve with this soup.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Italian -Style by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

Can roasted Brussels Sprouts truly be festive? Sure. Why Not? Especially if they are beautifully roasted and deliciously seasoned. The secrets to good roasting are high heat (400 degrees F) to promote deep browning and caramelization and a heavy-duty sheet pan or large cast iron skillet to promote even cooking without scorching.

This recipe glazes the cooked sprouts with a reduced balsamic vinegar, fennel seed, orange juice and orange rind sauce to give the sprouts an Italian flair. And adding diced and crispy-cooked pancetta to the finished dish would not be amiss here either. Finally, garnish your dish of roasted brussels sprouts with a few tablespoons of toasted pignoli (pine nuts). Buon Natale!

Baked Brie with Glazed Shallots & Toasted Almonds by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

This is a super-easy holiday party appetizer—it’s baked in the box the cheese is sold in! I lined the box with a circle of parchment paper before I baked it. It looks a bit more ‘partyready’ and keeps the oozing baked cheese from sticking to the edges of the box. Serve with crackers of your choice and a sweet/savory pepper jam or cranberry sauce on top after it comes out of the oven. Done. Easy. Delicious.

CANDIED COCOA ESPRESSO WALNUTS by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

Snacks for the holidays. These candied nuts would be great served with a charcuterie platter or used as a crunchy element on a pear & cheese salad. Or gifted as an edible holiday treat.

VINDALOO STEW by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

This is a chunky and aromatic fish (salmon) stew that’s part Indian flavors (vindaloo curry spice mix**) and part Thai flavors (coconut milk, lime and ginger). There is some work in the preparation of the ingredients, but the result is well worth the effort. It’s fragrant, unctuous and very satisfying. **Morton & Basse- Vindaloo Spice Mix contains coriander, turmeric, paprika, cumin, pepper, mustard seed, ginger, cardamom and cayenne.

Glazed Salmon Bowl with Brown Rice, Shiitakes, Roasted Scallions & Soy Marinated Eggs by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

Often, it’s a picture in a magazine that inspires a recipe and that’s exactly what happened here. I saw a picture of ‘jammy’ looking soy & teriyaki marinated eggs and thought: “I’d like to make (eat) them”. And that initiated my recipe process. What do I want to eat with these eggs? First, some soy-glazed salmon and then I had an idea to use up two ingredients from my Farmer’s Market Veggie Share: (grilled/broiled) scallions and (sautéed) shiitake mushrooms and finally some brown rice or other grain to tie the dish together. Eh voila ! That’s how this recipe was born.

Honeydew Melon wrapped with Smoked Salmon by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

It’s almost mid-September and the melons are still tasty, so make this quick ‘riff’ on melonwrapped-prosciutto. I’ve included toasted slices of ‘Everything Bagel’ and scattered ‘Everything Spice’ blend over the top.

Farmer’s Market Bounty with Lentils by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan Every Monday

Every Monday morning on my walk to Foodie’s Market I pass a (very) small Farmer’s market which has just finished setting up for the day - everything is lined-up, orderly and pristine and I love being ‘first-in-line’. This week I bought small red onions, carrots, green beans, garlic and some very, very long, wild scallions. The scallions’ long greens were over 2 feet! And the farmer assured me they were delicious. So, of course I bought some. Here's what I did with my Bounty: I separated the scallion whites and greens. I peeled and sliced the carrots diagonally. I also peeled and shaved slivers of garlic, then found some petite black lentils in the cupboard. Gathered a few pots and pans, olive oil, butter, and some warm
spices (cumin & coriander). Let’s begin.

Roasted Cauliflower & Chickpea Wrap with Romesco Sauce by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

I remember when the cauliflower craze entered our consciousness and our kitchens. I first put it on a catering menu, 7+ years ago, at the New England Aquarium when I was the Executive Chef—I made a ‘Riced’ Cauliflower Risotto with Vegan Cashew Cream. I recall that it was well received! And now nearly eight years later it is still a culinary player. In this recipe, the head of cauliflower is trimmed into florets, seasoned, roasted and wrapped in flatbread, annointed with a traditional Spanish and almond roasted pepper sauce (Romesco sauce): it’s cauliflower-to-go!

Sesame Ramen Noodles with Ginger & Chicken by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

This is a pretty quick & tasty supper (or lunch!) using the NON-INSTANT version of ramen noodles. (I used a brand we have at Foodie’s store called ‘Oceans Halo’) It comes together in one pot using ground chicken, minced onions, celery, bok choy and diced cucumbers…because I had them and because cooked cucumbers have a very interesting texture. Feel free to use any vegetable or green that you think would work in this dish.

Coronation Chicken Salad by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

I realize that the coronation moment has passed, but this chicken salad is so delicious that it deserves to be in your spring/summer repertoire. Maybe you have a Bridal or Baby Shower on your horizon? It’s a curried chicken salad with a few added ‘bells and whistles.’ It starts with the technique of ‘oven poaching’ the chicken breasts; that is, cooking the seasoned chicken breasts, wrapped in parchment paper
in a low (325-degree F) oven. This will yield a moist and tender result. And the rest of the recipe involves some attention to dicing, slicing and incorporating the yummy ingredients. Take heart, it’s worth it!

Bright & Spring-y Shrimp Soup by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

This is a light and delicious and relatively(!) quick soup. Be sure to purchase shrimp in their shells, as you will use the shells to make a shrimp broth. While the broth is simmering the rest of the time will be efficiently used in assembling the rest of the soup ingredients.

Curried Salmon Cakes by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

Fish cakes. I’m guessing that crab cakes come to mind first, but do give the humble salmon cake a try. I’ve made them here with fresh cooked salmon, but they can be made with leftover salmon...if you have some roasted salmon filet left over from a baby shower buffet, for example.
(I did.) And chilling the cakes before pan-frying them will help them keep their shape.

Flourless Almond Cake by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

This is a very quick and easy cake to make and has only 3 main ingredients: eggs, sugar and almond flour. Use a 9-inch springform pan for best results.

Broccolini, Sausage and White Beans by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

Let’s begin with a look at broccoli, broccolini and broccoli rabe and if you get them mixed up you aren’t alone. First, they are all ‘cruciferous ‘vegetables from the cabbage family. Broccoli, the most common has a very recognizable shape, with a tight head of florets and thick stalks.
Broccoli rabe has thinner stalks, is leafier and has a slightly bitter taste and is very common in Italian pasta dishes. And broccolini, is the hybrid vegetable - a cross between broccoli and Chinese broccoli. It was developed in the early 1990’s by a Japanese seed company and is different in both flavor and texture and is often served with ginger and sesame. It is more tender and sweeter than both broccoli and broccoli rabe. The bunches are smaller and almost all the bunch is edible. I have used broccolini in this iconic Italian ‘riff’ because it is quicker to prepare than broccoli and less assertive in taste than broccoli rabe. Make it and see what you think.

IRISH AMERICAN SODA BREAD by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

Traditional Irish soda bread is made with whole wheat flour, currants, caraway seeds, buttermilk and baking soda to leaven the loaf. No butter, sugar or eggs. It’s a very rustic, no-nonsense loaf. My ‘Americanized’ version cuts a bit of butter into the dough to help produce a more tender crumb and a
bit of sugar is added for a touch of sweetness. This bread is a one-bowl-wonder and very quick to prepare. Be sure to preheat the oven while you are
gathering and measuring the ingredients.

Wilted Leaf Spinach with Chickpeas, Shrimp and Creamy Feta by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

A word about ‘leaf or bunch’ spinach: it’s a mature spinach with larger, flat, not curly leaves and sold with stems and roots attached, usually wrapped with a twist-tie in an approximate 10/12-ounce bunch.

After washing and trimming, the edible portion is reduced by about half to about 5-6 ounces. I like it because it has more ‘spinachy’ flavor than baby spinach. It’s worth seeking out, though replacing with another spinach will work as well.... maybe just not quite as elegant. And one more thing: The ‘creamy feta’ in the recipe title refers to sheep’s milk feta which is smoother, creamier and less salty than cow’s milk feta. I also find it much more pleasing on the palate and it will melt evenly and lend the sauce a creamier texture. Just a Chef’s observation.

A French Hamburger: with Caramelized Onions & Brie on Brioche by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan.

I recently watched a very old episode of Julia Child on WGBH in which she made French hamburgers and proclaimed that the French were equally fond of hamburgers (‘bifteck hache’). In her version diced onions, egg and dried Italian (I know - Italian!) herbs were mixed into the ground beef and the patties were lightly floured and pan-seared. In my version, there’s slow-cooked caramelized onions, classic mushroom duxelles (‘mushroom
hash’), Dijon mustard and Brie cheese; classic French flavors that are very reminiscent of French Onion Soup.
Note: In the picture, I stacked two finished burgers on top of each other…just for effect!!

Winter Citrus Salad with Grilled Halloumi by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

A bright and tasty layered salad, elegant enough for a special Valentine’s Day dinner. I layered thinly sliced oranges, cucumbers and radishes on a bed of baby watercress. I used a pre-made balsamic vinaigrette and added a few ‘quick-pickled’ shallots and toasted sliced almonds. It’s crunchy, sweet, tangy and with the addition of a bit of grilled Halloumi Cheese, a bit savory/salty.
FYI: A YouTube video can be very helpful in showing you how to trim, peel and slice the oranges.

Toasted Barley, Cabbage and Curried Ginger Soup by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

I hope you are not a ‘cabbage hater’ and have skipped right over this recipe.....I fear many will! But the cabbage in this recipe is rendered sweet by long, slow cooking and gives this soup a ‘stew-like’ texture. Cabbage and curry blend together harmoniously and with the carrots and toasted barley, it’s a perfect winter soup. And adding shredded leftover rotisserie chicken will change the dish to something substantial for your dinner table...Serve with hunks of fresh baguette and some Camembert or Brie cheese.

Vegan Shepherd’s Pie by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

It begs the question doesn’t it: When did the shepherd become a vegan?? And here I am thinking that this might be one of your Big Game Party dishes… Step aside chicken wings! In place of ground beef, I used a package of QUORN Meatless Crumbles – it looks like ground
beef when cooked. And, don’t be put off by the green cabbage, it adds texture and body. A long slow cooking of the mirepoix vegetables (celery, onion, green cabbage, green pepper) will build the flavor profile in the base and added ancho chili powder and smoked paprika – warm spices will give it a ‘chili’ vibe. In fact, you could skip the sweet potato topping and serve it in bowls with grated (vegan) cheese and/or tortilla chips.

Holiday Hot Crab** Dip by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

This recipe is party-sized. Use a shallow, wide 2-quart casserole or baking dish and heat the prepared dip until piping hot and crunchy-brown on top. Serve with lots of toasted pita chips or crispy wontons or sturdy potato chips. And spoons and small plates would not be out of place at all!

**Made with ‘Imitation Crab’ or Surimi Seafood. Both are made with wild Alaska pollock.

Parfait…. Your Way by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

The genesis of this recipe began with a couple of very ripe ‘Hachiya’ persimmons. (The ‘Hachiya’ variety is heart-shaped. The ‘Fuyu’ variety is squat and looks like a tomato) I scooped out the flesh and pureed it in the food processor and this thick and delicious puree became the base of my multi-layered parfait.
My alternating layers were: homemade vanilla pudding (recipe below), sliced toasted almonds,
blackberries, granola, crushed cookie crumbs and dark chocolate chips.

Sweet Potato Peanut Butter Dip by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

One must give credit where credit is due. This recipe is based on an idea from the FOOD52 website. It was posted as a spread for a fluffernutter sandwich! I was intrigued, not by the marshmallow fluff, but by the idea of combining peanut butter with sweet potato puree. It sounded delicious. And it is! I have made a dip and am going to serve it with fresh & dried fruits and simple cookies. A colleague suggested adding carrot and celery sticks…that works too!

Pumpkin Pecan Spice Bread by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

This is a ‘quick’ bread; so named because it’s chemically leavened with baking soda and/or baking powder instead of yeast or a sourdough starter. ‘Quick’ breads include biscuits, muffins and loaf breads like banana, zucchini and this pumpkin bread. It comes together very quickly; the dry ingredients are combined with the wet ingredients. Add toasted nuts if you like (I used pecans, but walnuts would work as well.) Bake the batter in a prepared (buttered & floured) loaf pan and drizzle with a confectioner’s glaze when the loaf has cooled a bit.

Kimchi Rachel Sandwich by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

OK...What’s a ‘Rachel’ sandwich, you ask? It’s the classic ‘Reuben’ sandwich with sliced turkey substituted for the usual corned beef. I guess it’s ‘lighter fare’ for the Ladies; hence the ‘ladies’ name. Setting all that aside for the moment, I envisioned a classic, warm & toasted deli sandwich imbued with the subtly spicy flavors of Korea. Here, Gochujang chili paste** and Kimchi pickled cabbage*** replace the traditional Thousand Island Dressing and Sauerkraut.

PUMPKIN PECAN CRANBERRY COBBLER by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

It’s October…. time for all good things pumpkin and pumpkin spice. This recipe was inspired by Chef Jasper White’s Apple Crunch Recipe. Chef Jasper, now retired, was a major player on the Boston fine-dining scene for many decades. His cobbler recipe used 3 different varieties of apples and an oat & toasted pecan topping. His recipe is classic New England and a winner. I pondered his recipe for a few days and thought: what about pumpkin instead of apple cobbler?? I started researching recipes and discovered that pumpkin cobblers were all made with canned pumpkin puree. Easier, but texturally blah. Why not use fresh pumpkin, or in this case, fresh butternut squash? I have cut the squash into cubes and partially roasted the squash before building and baking the cobbler. This ingredient change yields a cobbler that teases your palate with texture and flavor.

Beef Barley Soup by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

As soon as I start closing the windows, but before the heat goes on, I think of soup. Not the aromatic fish chowders of summer, nor the elegant cream soups of the fast-approaching holiday season. No, for me it’s the chunky, hearty Campbells soups of mychildhood.... except now I know that they taste so much better when I make them myself.

Spanish Rice Pilaf by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

‘PILAF’ is a method of cooking rice and/or wheat. The rice kernels are coated in oil and/or butter until they are ‘hot to the touch’. Simmering stock (or other liquid) is added and the pot is covered and put into the oven to simmer and steam. This technique results in ‘fluffy’ rice.

Heirloom Tomato Sandwich with Miso & Nori (Seaweed Leaf) by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

It’s officially tomato season in Massachusetts, and I was invited back to judge the 37th Annual Tomato Contest, sponsored by the Massachusetts Department of Agriculture. Last year I judged the cherry tomatoes and this year, it was the Heirlooms. So, a recipe for an heirloom tomato sandwich makes perfect sense. I grew up eating home-grown tomato sandwiches with mayonnaise and sliced red onion (once known as a ‘Bermuda’ onion) on toast. Fast-forward a few decades and I’m making tomato sandwiches on toasted sesame bagels with miso and nori/seaweed sheets. The tomato and miso pair perfectly together—it’s very umami, very satisfying. Use mild miso. I used an organic Shiro miso: white, sweet, and mellow. (Miso is a Japanese fermented soybean and rice paste.) I split and toasted the bagel, and I did butter it before I spread the miso. Omit this step if you wish.

Cauliflower Hummus with Cashew Crema by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

Hummus has blown-up in recent years. What used to be defined and made only with chickpeas and tahini, has grown to embrace a myriad of vegetables and flavors. Twenty years ago, I never thought I would be eating ‘chocolate hummus’—and it’s delicious, BTW. So why cauliflower? It does seem like such a winter vegetable; smooth cauliflower soup recipes abound in January and February. But it’s being sold in the farmers’ markets now! And I know that long, slow cooking, will turn it into a sweet and delicious puree. The cashew crema is the substitute for the ubiquitous tahini. It is creamy, rich and smooth and adds a subtle, nutty background flavor. It’s simple to make, just soak unroasted and unsalted cashews overnight, drain, rinse and puree to a smooth nut-cream. And any leftovers can be saved to add to pasta dishes or used as a vegan-cream sauce.

Watermelon ‘Pizza-Pie’ by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

No crust.  No dough.  No cooking.  And no baking is required.  Festive and Impressive.  Quick and easy. It’s all you need as part of a summer dessert tableau. I took a slice from a whole, small watermelon and cut it into 6 wedges, but you could easily buy pre-cut wedges of watermelon and put 6 or 8 wedges together to form a circle.  The toppings will cover any variations in the shape/size of the ‘pie’.   And feel free to vary and/or augment the toppings—add shaved chocolate, different fruits (like sliced peaches), toasted coconut, crushed meringue cookies or toasted marshmallows (yummy).

An Easy-Peasy Middle Eastern Wrap by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

Becoming a confident cook includes developing the ability to choose excellent store-bought ingredients and using them with creativity and finesse. For example, to make this sandwich a bit more substantial and delicious, and of course quicker & easier to prepare, I added diced fresh plum tomatoes, diced cucumbers, feta cheese, chickpeas, olive oil and a touch of lemon to a
pint container of our Bay Sweets Market Tabouli Salad. I also chose our Bay Sweets black olive flavored hummus as a spread and then marched over to our deli and grabbed ready-grilled chicken skewers. I added a few chopped dill pickles (or use sliced pepperoncini peppers), wrapped it up tightly in a 10-inch flour tortilla wrap and sliced it in half. The tortilla flour wrap is sturdy, and this sandwich will hold together if you are thinking of taking it on the road. (Yes...beach food!)

Curried ‘Rotisserie’ Chicken Salad by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

I wanted roast chicken for dinner last week, but I didn’t want to cook it. So, I did the next best (or best) thing, I bought a rotisserie chicken. It was delicious, but I had about ¾ of the chicken leftover. And it’s July, so making soup did not appeal to me for the same reason that roasting a chicken didn’t appeal to me either. But chicken salad did appeal. Wash your hands and don a pair of disposable gloves that I’ve previously suggested you keep stocked as part of your ‘batterie-de-cuisine’ (your stash of kitchen tools and equipment). Directions are below for breaking down and shredding the rotisserie chicken. This recipe is based on a yield of about 3 cups or 12 ounces of shredded chicken meat, both light and dark meat combined. Adjust ingredient amounts according to the amount of chicken
you have.

Braised Lentil Salad with Browned Shallots, Sheep’s Milk Feta and Pickled Radishes

There seems to be no end to what one can concoct with a good legume. And the lentil is a perfect example: full of good plant protein, tasty when served either hot, cold or room temperature and mixes well with a wide range of ingredients. And if you haven’t tasted sheep’s milk feta cheese, I encourage you to try it. It’s less salty with a correspondingly milder flavor and a creamier texture. I have found Bulgarian Sheep’s Milk Feta in the cheese departments of well-stocked grocery stores. And the pickled radishes…. well, just because they are a sweet, crunchy, and tangy touch. It’s a little accessory that dresses up the salad. (But raw radishes will work as well.) Start by pickling the radishes the day before if you can. They will be crisper and more flavorful if they spend a night in the fridge.

Roasted Salmon with Gochujang Peanut Dressing by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

Here’s another way to use that delicious gochujang peanut dressing from the recent ‘Korean Rice Bowl’recipe. I oven-roasted salmon with a swath of gochujang dressing on top. And I served it with coleslaw and kimchi and the freshest snap peas, which are finally (!) available in the farmer’s markets.

Korean-inspired Rice Bowl with Gochujang Dressing by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

A rice bowl is a delicious and versatile meal. You start with a ‘flavor idea’ and then build your bowl from there. I bought a jar of Korean gochujang paste and built my rice bowl around wanting to use this ingredient. (Gochujang is a sweet & spicy fermented paste popular in Korean cooking; the sweetness comes from fermented rice and the ‘heat’ from chili peppers.) Once I decided to build a sauce with the gochujang paste and peanut butter (!) the rest of the ingredients just tumbled into the bowl.

Grilled Romaine & Vegetable Salad by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

Fire up the grill! It’s Father’s Day! This is a beautiful and simple grilled salad that can be made ahead. Prep the vegetables and get out
there before the meats go on the fire—you can even prep the veggies the night before and wrap and refrigerate. The surprise here is the grilled romaine hearts—the bit of char gives a depth of flavor to the humble romaine.

HOT DIGGITY DOG(s) by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

I’m kicking off Summer with a Memorial Day hot dog party.
Save the grill for the burgers, this is all stove-side prepared. Choose any kind of hot dog you want; the variety is impressive these days. Go chicken, all beef, vegan or traditional ‘Fenway Frank’. The toppings are the party here, so have some fun! I’m going to present 4-themed ‘dogs’ with corresponding toppings, but feel free to improvise to suit your palate and whimsy. Of note: This does involve prepping and organizing different ingredients, but I have simplified the prep by using mostly pre-pared items. For example, I encourage you to procure pre-made mac n’ cheese and cooked crumbled bacon. And so on and so forth...... (Disclaimer!! I do provide a recipe for making your own corn-mango-lime salsa. Just a bit of preparation here with B-I-G flavorful results!)

Lentils with Green Chard, Rhubarb & Apricots (vegan) by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

Since the clocks changed to Daylight Saving, I have been on a restless hunt for Spring vegetables, like peas, pea greens, artichokes, etc. I happened to spot some rhubarb at Eataly Market. I haven’t eaten or cooked with rhubarb in a number of years, so I bought some. I spent some time considering what to do with it. I knew I wanted something savory, not a dessert. My friends at LuLu Green, THE BEST vegan café in Boston, and our Foodie’s South Boston neighbor make a Lebanese-style lentil soup with lots of lemons, kale, and bright herbs. I wondered if rhubarb and green chard might take the place of the lemon and kale and add a bright tart note.

Pan-Roasted Asparagus with Burrata & Hazelnut Sauce by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

YUM. BURRATA.
Burrata is a soft, mozzarella-like cheese enclosing a pocket of fresh cream that delivers its goodness when sliced open. It takes these simple roasted asparagus to another place.…maybe to a sun-kissed piazza in Apulia? Just slice open the room temperature burrata on top of the still-warm roasted asparagus and the cream filling will spill forth coating the asparagus. Again, YUM. I added an herb sauce with parsley, vinegar, olive oil and toasted hazelnuts. My thinking is as follows: the burrata dresses the asparagus and the herb sauce dresses the burrata. Everybody’s happy.

MOUSSAKA by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

It’s a Greek ‘lasagna’ with eggplant, no pasta and I’ll be making it for Easter Sunday Brunch. This is my first attempt at making it, so I read countless online recipes and what follows is my interpretation.
So, please don’t be offended if it’s not particularly ‘authentic...but it’s what chefs do - interpret and put our own spin on things. (insert smiley face here...)
This Moussaka is built with layers of a ground lamb & beef tomato sauce, roasted eggplant slices, sliced potatoes and all layered with a feta cream sauce. The spices are ‘Eastern’: cinnamon, allspice, cumin with a few diced dried apricots for sweetness. The sauce is like an Italian Bolognese sauce, just flavored differently. It’s a dish that will require some time in the kitchen, for which you will be amply rewarded.
FYI- I used a 9 x 12-inch baking dish. Happy Easter! Kalo Pascha!

Toasted Almond and 3-Citrus Shrimp Toast by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

An outstanding bread maker, and an even more outstanding friend, bestowed a loaf of his wonderful sourdough bread upon me…right place, right time! I made a lot of toast: toast with butter, toast with eggs, toast with soup, and then this very yummy toast with a citrusy, crunchy shrimp salad. I used raw shrimp. I purchased peeled and deveined medium/large shrimp and cooked them in a simple, easy broth. (Recipe below.) You could certainly use cooked shrimp, though the flavor will be superior if you cook the shrimp yourself. Calculate 2-2 ½ ounces of raw shrimp per ‘toast’.

Vegan Yellow Split Pea Soup with Toasted Pumpkin Seeds & Coconut Flakes by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

A couple of things: Winter in New England is not over yet and can a split pea soup be made without the ubiquitous presence of ham? The answer is right here...YES! (And for the record, split pea and ham soup is wonderful and delicious.) The flavor is developed through long, slow cooking of the mirepoix (the flavor base of sauteed vegetables), lemon juice & peel, and a jalapeno or two.

‘FLUFFY’ BROCCOLI by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

I am constantly searching for ways to make vegetables more delicious and appealing…so I’ll eat more of them. A bowl of just-steamed plain broccoli or green beans will never ‘speak’ to me! This preparation will yield tender-cooked broccoli that’s just perfect for adding to other dishes. It’s very, very versatile. Here, I added the ‘fluffy’ broccoli to cooked udon noodles that I dressed with a store-bought Asian flavored vinaigrette. Or go ‘Italian’ by adding the fluffy broccoli to cooked penne pasta tossed with extra virgin olive oil and grated Parmigiana cheese. Spice it up with some diced pickled pepperoncini peppers. Move-over avocado toast! Spread your toast with mashed chickpeas or hummus and top with this ‘fluffy’ broccoli. Make scrambled eggs and add a couple of spoonfuls of prepared ‘fluffy’ broccoli before serving. Ready to try it?

A Double Chocolate Pudding for you & your Valentine by Chef Laura Brennan

This is an old-fashioned pudding, stirred on the stove, but for only 10 minutes or less. The ingredients are few: sugar, cocoa powder, bittersweet chocolate, milk, cornstarch, and a bit of vanilla extract. Feel free to add a tablespoon or two of your favorite spirit: maybe rum or Kahlua…
Or, if you are feeling very French, a splash of Chartreuse or Cognac would be very Ooh La La!

Creamy Vegan Cauliflower Soup with Almond Milk & Toasted Almond Harissa Drizzle by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

Yes, I know...cauliflower. And you are tempted to scroll right on by. But I hope you don’t. At the very least, ‘hear me out: When cauliflower is slow-cooked for a lengthy period of time it becomes sweet and tender and loses the cruciferous vegetable odor that most find off-putting. Its new long-cooked ‘scent’ is earthy and inviting. I promise! This is a vegan soup, made with unsweetened almond milk and water. And for a bit of zing, a topping of parsley, toasted almonds, honey, and harissa paste is drizzled on top. Think of this ‘drizzle’ as a ‘winter pesto’, earthy & spicy, but NOT all ground together to a paste.

Poached JUMBO Shrimp with a trio of sauces by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

As 2021 has faded away, it’s time to celebrate both the end of the old and the beginning of the new. And big jumbo shrimp say ‘CELEBRATION’ to me. I used already peeled & deveined super-jumbo shrimp; sized 8 to 12 pieces per pound. Big and ‘meaty’. I made a quick poaching broth, both aromatic and a touch acidic with the use of a mild white wine vinegar. I’m serving these poached shrimp with three sauces: a classic cocktail sauce and two other sauces that are a ‘riff’ on the famous Argentinian ‘chimichurri’ sauce. Here’s to happy cooking & eating in 2022!

Maître D’hôtel Butter – a flavored finishing butter by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

‘Tis the season for roasted beef tenderloins, sirloin steaks and juicy prime ribs. And if you don’t have a French chef at your disposal to make a classic Bordelaise sauce for you, don’t despair! Make this easy, flavorful (‘compound’) butter, roll it into a log, chill and slice it into disks to melt on your meats.

A Festive Holiday Salad by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

This salad ticks all the boxes: it’s colorful, crunchy, seasonal, and a bit exotic!
I made it for our Thanksgiving table and wowed the crowd! Persimmons are available in the market right now and for this salad, I used the squat round variety called Fuyu. It’s like an apple, sliceable and delicious when firm, unlike the ‘pointy’ Hachiya variety which is eaten when super-ripe and soft and has a very custardy texture.

Pickled Pepper Poppers by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

This is a quick and vibrant pickle: a little bit sweet and a little bit spicy, a little bit piquant and a little bit fragrant. I envision it piled on an after-the-feast turkey sandwich or as an accompaniment to a holiday cheese board. I used one bag (1-pound) of mini bell peppers for this recipe, which yielded about 3 cups of juicy pickled peppers.

Autumn Kale Salad by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

A kale salad with thin slivers of bosc pear, celery and toasted pumpkin seeds spells fall to me! I have taken the kale-prep a step further and cut stacks of washed & dried kale leaves across into thin strips. This technique is called ‘chiffonade’ in French. The result is a salad with a more slaw-like texture. Peeling the celery lends more finesse and mixing two vinaigrettes/dressings will give you the right coating-texture. And don’t forget the toasted pumpkin seeds for crunch!

Braised Chicken Thighs with Green Olives, Shallots and Prunes by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

Prunes get a bad rap. I contend that they shouldn’t be judged so harshly-- they are remarkably soft, sweet and delicious. Many recipes try to by-pass the issue by calling for ‘dried plums’,which is in fact, what a prune happens to be…a dried plum. There’s a richness of simple ingredients in this recipe: whole shallots are braised along with the chicken thighs, carrots, prunes and green olives. The result is a tender braise, in a delicious sauce that can be spooned over mashed sweet or white potato puree.

Black Bean Chicken Chili with Bittersweet Chocolate in Acorn Squash By Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

It’s squash season again. So, we’ll start the season with small acorn squash, split and roasted until tender. While the squash is roasting, we will build a chili made with ground chicken, black beans and shaved green cabbage. The cabbage, thinly sliced cooks for a long time and completely softens and almost ‘disappears’ into the chili. Adding cabbage to the chili base will add lots more texture and fiber to the dish. And using ground chicken instead of ground beef or pork will decrease some of the saturated fat in the finished dish. It’s a win-win.

Caramelized Onions, Roasted Carrots & Hummus with ‘Everything Spice’ By Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

I just love a toasted and buttered ‘Everything Spice’ bagel. It’s a ‘spiced-up’ sesame bagel. So, imagine how excited I was to discover that Foodie’s carries Morton & Bassett ‘Everything Sprinkle’ in our spice aisle. M&B’s blend is sesame, poppy and caraway seeds with onion and garlic. And that’s how this quick and flavorful recipe was created; the spice was at-hand and created a spark!

It’s an easy recipe: Roast some carrots and caramelize a few onions, spread out a layer of hummus, add a drizzle of pomegranate molasses (or balsamic glaze) and a liberal sprinkling of ‘Everything Spice’. And serve with toasted pita chips or crackers.

Fried Tomato Sandwich by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

Begin by making the cream cheese spread. You can mix it in a bowl by hand or in a mixer.
Using the mixer will give you a ‘whipped and airy’ texture. (Alternately, you can whip it in a
food processor, but remove the whipped cream cheese to a bowl and fold in the seasonings by
hand.)
Stir in the scallions or chives or whatever ‘allium’/onion you are using. Add the grainy mustard
and a pinch of kosher salt and a couple of twists of the peppermill. Taste, adjust seasoning, set
aside.
The tomatoes. Wash, dry and de-stem the tomatoes. I used a medium-sized tomato so my
slices would fit neatly on my bagel half and additionally smaller tomato slices are easier to cook.
But, that’s just me!
Carefully remove the tomato cores from each tomato. Slice each tomato into ½-inch slices and
lay out on paper towels for 10-15 minutes to absorb some of the moisture.
Using a fork, beat 2 large eggs in a small bowl with a pinch of salt. Add 1 ½ tablespoons
vegetable oil to the eggs and whisk until everything is thoroughly combined.
Toast and butter the bagels. Set aside.
Cook the bacon, if using. Set aside.
Put the greens in a bowl and set aside.
Have the salad dressing and your tossing utensils at the ready as well.
Panko-coat and fry the tomatoes. Choose two shallow dishes or small pans with 1-inch-high
sides. Put half the panko crumbs in one dish. Use your palms and crush the panko a bit, just to
make it a bit finer. Add half the flour to the other dish and lightly season it with a small pinch of
kosher salt and a bit of black pepper.
One by one, dip each tomato slice into the flour and pat/shake off the excess.
One by one, slip each tomato slice into the beaten eggs, turning over to coat bottom side. Hold
up each slice with a fork, to let excess egg fall back into the dish.
One by one, lay each slice in the panko crumbs and turn over to coat completely. Gently pat
the crumbs onto each tomato slice. Remove each coated tomato slice to a clean dish in
advance of frying.
(Note: Add more flour and/or panko crumbs to each dish as needed.)
Choose a large sauté pan and set it on the stove on medium heat. After it has warmed up for a
couple of minutes, add 2-3 tablespoons of oil to the pan and heat the oil until it just begins to
shimmer but before it starts to smoke. Carefully add the tomato slices to the pan, one-by-one.
The heat should be medium-high. Cook each tomato slice until crispy and browned. Turn each
slice over to brown both sides. Add more oil to the pan as necessary. Remove each cooked
tomato slice to a dish and lightly season with salt & pepper.
Build the sandwiches. Spread each toasted & buttered bagel-half with a generous dollop of
seasoned cream cheese. Lay slices of still-warm bacon (if using) on each bagel half. Toss the
greens with dressing and put a bit on each bagel. Finally, pile crispy tomato slices on top of
each bagel.
Eat while still warm and over a plate to catch the juices!

CORN and CLAM CHOWDER by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

Truth is, I’m sad to see the corn season mostly behind us. So, this recipe holds onto a bespoke
summer treat a little while longer. Don’t shy away from making an easy ‘corn broth’ with your
shucked corn cobs; you will be rewarded in depth of flavor. And be sure to scrub those
littleneck clams and give them a proper soaking. And you will be rewarded with a grit-free
broth.

Summer Harvest Salad by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

A slow stroll through the Copley Square Farmers’ Market on a late summer Tuesday afternoon
provided the ingredients for this colorful & delicious salad with at-peak fruits & vegetables.
Heirloom tomatoes, never refrigerated, heavy and juicy are the perfect choice for this salad. The
two small cucumbers I peeled and sliced were so fragrant; I had forgotten about the aroma of a
very fresh cucumber. And I discovered a delicious and new-to-me ingredient pairing: peaches and
kale. Who knew they went together so well? Now in season at Foodie's!

Quick Stir-Fry Rice with Smoked Salmon Bits, Broccoli & Corn by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

This was my recent Maine vacation’s contribution to dinner one evening. And we ate the leftovers for breakfast the following morning with scrambled eggs.
It both preps and cooks quickly. If you plan ahead and have leftover, cooked rice on hand, the dish can come together in 30-40 minutes.

SHAKSHUKA with Indian flavors by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

Shakshuka. What is that you ask?
It’s a pan of stewed vegetables with tomatoes that become the ‘nest’ for pan-poached eggs.
It’s a dish that may have originated in Tunisia, but has been co-opted by many cuisines. My
Italian mother poached eggs in leftover marinara sauce, with crumbled meatballs and slid them
out onto planks of crusty garlic bread. In our house it served as an uncomplicated ‘breakfastfor-
supper’ dish.
This version was inspired by a trip to the farmers’ market. I bought tomatoes, green beans,
eggplant and fresh shell beans. I’ve substituted already-cooked garbanzo beans for the shell
beans in the recipe. Try to use fresh tomatoes, you’ll have to blanch and peel them first but the
fresh taste is worth the effort. The Indian flavor inspiration came from a jar of delicious simmer
sauces that Foodie’s carries: Maya Kaimal Simmer Sauces. I used the Goan Coconut flavor.
Yummy. Easy. (!)

Shrimp Toast with Zucchini, Creamy Feta & White Beans by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

I have been seeing ‘Beans-on-Toast’ recipes pop up on websites all spring and summer. It is an iconic
British dish made with small white navy beans baked in a sweet-ish sauce; not unlike our own iconic
New England Baked Beans.

With a little love and some creativity, the dish can be more than a quick, cheap bachelor’s dinner it once
was! Zucchini, onions, garlic and tomatoes are simmered together and made creamy with the addition
of crumbled feta. Grill the shrimp separately or add to the simmering vegetables to cook through and
present the finished dish with grilled slices of French bread. It’s a modern version of the original and
equally satisfying.

Grilled Mexican Street Corn by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

Truth-be-told I have neither seen nor eaten Mexican Street Corn in Mexico; only at a carnival

in Rhode Island! But, it’s an easy and fun dish to serve at your own backyard carnival.

Pulling the husks up and over the peeled ears of corn and tying them ‘ponytail-style’ gives

you a convenient ‘hand-holder’. Plus, it looks very cool.

Tzatziki (Greek) Potato Salad by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

This is a potato salad that is tangy and bright with yogurt and fresh herbs. The dressing is made with a grated

English/ seedless cucumber mixed with the yogurt, herbs, scallions and a touch of garlic. I have borrowed

a Julia Child ‘hack’ and mixed the apple cider vinegar with a bit of the potato cooking water and sprinkled

this over the cooked, cooling potatoes. The potatoes absorb a bit of their starch along with the diluted vinegar

as they cool. And yes, there is a bit of mayonnaise, just enough to add a touch of richness. But, feel free

to replace the mayo with sour cream, it will just be ‘tangier’.

Black Bean, Mango Lime Salad by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

Our store manager told me the salad wasn’t pretty but was delicious!!  And I had to agree with him!

Instead of adding a shiny oil-based vinaigrette to finish the salad I opted for a chipotle ranch dressing (Drew’s Organics, Chipotle Ranch, 12-ounce, Dressing & Quick Marinade).  The dressing did coat the beans and altered the black bean ‘shine’ but the finished dish had a richer and more complex flavor.

The salad comes together fairly quickly, many of the ingredients are already prepared. Use your favorite brand of cooked black beans, try the prepared chipotle ranch dressing (Cindy’s makes a version also) and you can even buy already-cut mango pieces. (Or watch a YouTube video to learn how to peel and cut a mango if you haven’t done it.)  Mangoes are fairly cheap right now, about a-buck-apiece.  One mango will yield about 8 ounces of peeled fruit and/or 1 ¼ cup diced fruit.

Grilled Cabbage Wedges with Tahini-Yogurt Sauce by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

I have been seeing recipes for grilled cabbage popping up on my favorite internet food sites and the results look delicious.  So, I decided to jump right on in.  I ‘grilled’ my cabbage on my stove-top using a large square ridged pan, which by-the-way nicely holds 3 grilled cheese sandwiches.  The cabbage wedges can be grilled outdoors on a more traditional gas or wood grill of course.  This cooking process will be quicker and your cabbage will probably become more blackened as a result.  All that extra char will only add extra deliciousness.

Cherry Balsamic Caramel Sauce by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

Bags of cherries that are now appearing in the markets inspired this sauce. You might think that caramel would be too sweet with the cherries, but when tempered with a bit of balsamic vinegar, the result is a ‘super-delicious’, ‘super-sophisticated’ dessert sauce.

I piled the sauce on the top of a (store-bought) cheesecake and can think of a few other tempting uses: Served with a fresh & soft ‘white-cloud’ angel food cake or with slices of toasted pound cake or simply spooned over vanilla ice cream.

And my advice: If you have not yet made caramelized sugar, watching a few web-posted videos will help you along.

French Potato Salad- a piquant mayonnaise-free by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

 There are many variations of a non-mayo-based potato salad. My family made a ‘German’ version that incorporated crumbled bacon and used the rendered bacon fat as an integral part of the dressing.

Christopher Kimball and his merry gang of cooks at Milk Street Kitchen make an ‘Austrian’ version with vinegar, chicken stock and caraway seeds. And I have dubbed this version ‘French’ because it is similar in flavor to the classic ‘Salade Niçoise’; which typically contains tuna, haricots verts (French, thin green beans) and hard-cooked eggs.

This ‘French’ Potato Salad is light, bright and crunchy with a slight acidic or piquant tang. And without the mayonnaise coating it is sure to be a safe part of a cook-out buffet.

A note about potatoes. Most mayo-based potato salads use a red bliss or new potato. These are known as ‘waxy’ potatoes. They keep their firmness when cooked. I made this potato salad with Yukon Gold potatoes which are starchier than a red potato but not quite as starchy as an Idaho potato. I prefer the creamier texture. Excellent served with any grilled meat or fish: chicken, pork, beef or shrimp for example. This recipe makes a big batch, enough for sharing!

Crispy Chicken Caesar Salad by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

I have had my fair-share of Chicken Caesar Salads and most of them were made with chunks of chopped grilled chicken breast. It’s my go-to purchased salad. Last week I got to thinking that just-cooked breaded, sauteed and sliced chicken breast would be a game-changer. And it was. The chicken was crispy, crunchy and juicy. Worth the extra effort when you have the time. And the add-ons to your salad can be your favorites. I like roasted broccoli, slivered plump sun-dried tomatoes, sliced radishes, hard-cooked eggs, kalamata olives, croutons, and a generous dusting of Parmigiana cheese on top.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Sandwich

This sandwich is a riff on the classic French Chicken Cordon Bleu. In the original, a boneless chicken breast is stuffed with cheese and ham, then coated in bread crumbs and pan-fried. This sandwich version adds a sauce; a remoulade, (think French tartar sauce), melts the cheese on top of the crispy-cooked chicken tenderloins and drapes thin-sliced ham on top. brioche bun adds more crunch and ‘mouth-luxury’! 

Jambalaya by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

Jambalaya is a Cajun/Creole rice dish wit smoked andouille sausage, some chicken and seafood. (And this version is definitely more Creole wit the addition of tomatoes.)

 Ingredients may vary from home-to-home but all agree It’s one-pot cooking, delicious and soulful.

N’casciata: Sicilian Baked Eggplant Pasta by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

I read cookbooks and I read mysteries.   And it’s a bonus when the mysteries reveal a few great meals!                                                                   

One of my favorite series, written by the late Andrea Camilleri, is set in a fictional Sicilian coastal town.  The protagonist, Inspector Salvo Montalbano fervently anticipates each meal and eats with gusto and complete concentration (no talking!). This pasta dish is often prepared by the faithful Adelina, his long-time housekeeper.  Adelina prepares traditional Sicilian recipes and is very proud that Salvo so enjoys her cooking.  The title, ‘n’casciata’, describes a baked pasta dish ‘encased’ (n’casciata) in layers of fried eggplant.  I have, with my sincere apologies to Adelina, lightened and simplified this classic:  the eggplant is not sliced and fried, but is diced, coated in olive oil and roasted in the oven AND I have swapped out the labor-intensive traditional beef ragu with a store-bought marinara. (I always use RAO’S marinara sauces; both the flavor and texture are close to homemade.)

I’m confident Salvo would enjoy my version as well.

French Onion Brisket by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

NEWS  FLASH !!  

Braised Beef Brisket meets French Onion Soup.  One pot.  Makes its own Sauce.  Delicious and Easy.

(The work is in slicing the onions and in being patient enough to let them caramelize slowly to their full browned glory.)

French Lentils, Roasted Butternut Squash, Smoked Chicken Chorizo and a Drizzle of Pomegranate Molasses by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

I’m still thinking about dishes that I can bring/share to our pot-luck Thanksgiving.  I think this works as a substantial side dish…and could play a supporting role in the after-the-feast-turkey-sandwich tradition!!

(Pomegranate Molasses is a syrup-like reduction of pomegranate juice.  It is both sharp and sweet and will lend a bright note to the earthiness and smokiness of the dish.)

Mushroom Turkey Gravy by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

Sauces and gravies are very satisfying to make, and not so difficult.
That being said, I think turkey-gravy-making falls into two camps: Those who can make turkey gravy right in the roasting pan using the turkey drippings (the roasted bird having first been removed to a platter). No measuring involved. My mother belonged to this group. A true gravy-alchemist.
And then there’s the rest of us: Those who make a separate classic French flour-bound sauce; aka a ‘velouté’ using measured amounts of flour, butter and stock. No ‘winging it’ for this group!
I know that as a classically trained French chef, I lack my mother’s gravy-boldness. And I console myself by saying my version is perfect to make in advance. Waiting for drippings not necessary.
Small consolation, I know.
But, be assured this gravy is equally delicious and perfect for the smaller turkeys or turkey-parts we will be roasting this year.
And yes, it can be made in advance.

SWEET POTATO, CRUMBLED BLUE CHEESE & DRIED CRANBERRY SALAD By Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

I have Thanksgiving anxiety and I’m not alone.
What will dinner look like this year??
One of the ideas currently being floated about by my family and countless others is a ‘pot-luck-special’: we will each make a dish and bring it to a designated porch and take home a share of all the available dishes. Truth be told, it’s a glorified take-out. Sigh.
My contribution might be this salad because it doesn’t need to be re-heated and would be delicious in the post-Thanksgiving-turkey-stuffing-cranberry-sauce-sandwiches. (I would put it right up next to the cranberry sauce.)
And It’s my effort to combat the ‘food-won’t-be-hot-at-the table’ blues.

Roasted Cauliflower, Cumin & Coconut Milk Soup by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

I taught classic French cuisine at the famed and now defunct Cordon Bleu Cooking School.  In our curriculum was the classic ‘Madame du Barry’ Cauliflower Soup. Her special relationship with Louis XV accorded her sufficient status to have a dish named after her.

The classic cauliflower soup involves several French cooking techniques, ample prep time and generous amounts of butter and cream.   The result is a pure white, rich, creamy and delicious soup.

My version is centuries more modern.  It’s vegan, gluten-free, has fewer ingredients and derives its depth of flavor from pre-roasting & caramelizing the cauliflower and the addition of the earthy spices:  cumin & coriander.  Coconut milk adds dairy-free richness.

And best of all, it’s quick cooking (comparatively)!

Beef, Bean & Sweet Potato Enchiladas by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

This is a straightforward enchilada recipe with a bit of a twist:  I’ve used sweet potato puree to replace some of the cheese (reducing some saturated fat and increasing the fiber content).   The sweet potato can be roasted ahead of time.  I roasted it the day before, peeled the skin away, mashed it with a fork and refrigerated it.  Doing this step ahead will definitely save some ‘day-of’ prep time.

Plum Ginger Almond Cake by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

This is an easy cake to put together and get into the oven.  There’s no frosting to make; the wreath of sliced plums and toasted almonds circling the top of the cake provides sweetness, crunch & contrast.

 I have swapped in some almond flour, which gives the cake a bit of a pound cake like texture. 

Serve warm or at room temperature with whipped cream, crème fraiche or ice cream.

Smoked Salmon, Corn & Potato Chowder by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

I enjoy salmon in all its preparations:  grilled, poached, smoked, roasted & pan-seared. 

I especially like smoked salmon in a chowder with corn, peas and potatoes—a classic combination.

Here, I offer a lightened version: I have omitted the bacon and eschewed heavy cream for a combination of half-and-half, chicken stock and water.  A couple of tablespoons of flour along with the starch from the potatoes, binds the soup just enough to keep it from separating.  I have also employed a ‘chef’s technique’ of pre-cooking the diced potatoes and then adding them to the chowder at a later stage of cooking.  Pre-cooking the potatoes gives you more control over the ultimate thickness of the chowder and ensures the potatoes keep their shape and texture.

KALE TABBOULEH with ISRAELI PEARL COUSCOUS by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

Warning:  Poetic License Invoked!

‘Tabbouleh’ is THE iconic parsley & bulgur wheat salad, of course.  It swept the country in the seventies and is obviously here to stay.

 In this version, I have swapped in kale for most of the parsley and used Israeli/pearl couscous in place of the traditional bulgur wheat.  The Israeli couscous is a chewier grain (also made from wheat/semolina flour) and a better match with the sturdy kale. The rest of the ingredients are common to tabbouleh:  scallion, tomato, cucumber, lemon and olive oil.  I have paired the salad with grilled chicken.  Serve with flatbread or toasted pita chips as well.

Quick Stir-Fry Rice with Smoked Salmon Bits, Broccoli & Corn by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

This was my recent Maine vacation’s contribution to dinner one evening.  And we ate the leftovers for breakfast the following morning with scrambled eggs. 

It both preps and cooks quickly.  If you plan ahead and have leftover, cooked rice on hand, the dish can come together in 30-40 minutes.

Summer Tomatoes with Ricotta & Brown Butter by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

A great summer appetizer:  Sliced ripe tomatoes are fanned out on a bed of ricotta flavored with basil, lemon zest and chopped pistachios.   

To finish: ‘Nutty’ and aromatic browned butter is drizzled over the top. The flavor of the fresh tomatoes with the browned butter is a surprising and delightful treat.

AGUA FRESCAS: “Refreshing Waters” by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

These are beverages made with fruit purees that are strained and mixed with sparkling water, flavored seltzers, coconut water or almond milk and lots and lots of big cubes of ice.

Spanish Potato Salad by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

My Irish-German aunts made potato salad without mayonnaise.  As a curious kid, I found it intriguing because it was not what we did at our house.

There was bacon fat and vinegar drizzled over the hot potatoes and crumbled crispy bacon and chopped hard cooked eggs mixed in as well. To be sure, it was delicious and there was nary a drop of olive oil or any other unsaturated fats to be found.

Fast-forward many decades later, a mayonnaise-less potato salad is still not very common.  It makes an early summer appearance in the food magazines, but mostly remains the provenance of restaurants and/or family traditions.

This recipe with olive oil, smoked paprika, green olives and sherry vinegar give this potato salad its Spanish flair and its improved nutrition. The recipe is vegetarian and with a nod to my aunts; the addition of paper-thin slices of smoky ham would not be amiss.

Southwestern Grilled Cheese Sandwiches by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

When it’s too hot to turn on the oven or the stove, here’s a quick and savory melted cheese sandwich that can be done outside on a grill in a pre-heated cast iron pan. 

Use a delicious, firm cheddar cheese and the kernels, shaved from two (2) pre-cooked ears of corn.  Choose a ‘sturdy’ bread, thick-sliced if possible, but at least ½-inch.  Grate the cheese on the largest holes of a box-grater and mix with a ‘binder’…I used chipotle ranch dressing, but any creamy dressing would work, as would mayonnaise or a combo of dressing & mayo.

Additionally, thin slices of tomato and/or cooked bacon would be yummy additions.

Spicy Kimchi Cabbage Noodles with Silken Tofu by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

This is a spicy vegetarian noodle dish with flavors of Korea; namely kimchi and gochujang.   (It’s time to open that jar of kimchi that’s been waiting in your fridge for some attention.)

Kimchi is spicy fermented cabbage, now widely available in the refrigerated and/or pickle/Asian section at your market. Or if you are very lucky, it’s a gift from a very good friend!

 Gochujang is a thick, spicy-sweet paste of red chilies, sticky rice and fermented soybeans, which is now, also available in markets.  Both these traditional Korean ingredients give the dish requisite heat and umami flavor.

Toasted Muffin Shortcake Stacks by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

Of course, you could make your own shortcakes; it’s simple enough.  But this is a super-easy hack using already baked muffins.  And if they are a day old, even better.  I used blueberry muffins but choose your favorite flavor(s).

‘A Tuna Salad’ by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

There’s tuna fish salad and there’s ‘Tuna Salad’. This is a ‘Tuna Salad’.
It’s a riff on the famous French ‘Salade Niçoise’ but with a Spanish flair. I use sherry vinegar in the
vinaigrette, green olives instead of black ‘Niçoise’ olives and slivered sugar snap peas in lieu of haricot
verts (baby green beans). This is about using ingredients that appeal to you and naturally work well
together. I made this grilled fresh tuna salad without the customary bed of lettuce; it seems like more
of a proper summer entrée this way!

CHIMICHURRI SAUCE by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

A famous, uncooked green-herbal piquant sauce most-often served with grilled meats.  It hails from South America (Argentina and Uruguay) and has many variations.  All variations include parsley and oregano and beyond that the ingredients used are somewhat open to personal interpretation.  I love the brightness of cilantro, so I always include it.  Sometimes I substitute fresh mint for the oregano and I always use red wine vinegar.

But… what I never, ever do is make the sauce in the blender or food processor!  Chopping the herbs by hand yields a thicker, greener, lush and in my opinion, better sauce.

Carrot Mash with Slow-Cooked Chard, Harissa Yogurt Swirl & Chopped Pistachios by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

It’s a cumbersome title, I know.  It’s just a description of a dish composed of flavors, textures, spices and crunch.

 It was delicious on its own. And while eating it, I thought a side of grilled lamb skewers would be a great accompaniment. 

To this end, I’m proposing a new “Me-Too-Vegetable” movement where meat and protein dishes accompany the vegetables in a reversal of hierarchy.

I recommend reading through the recipe to figure out how to best maximize your time and efforts.  For example, the carrot puree could be made the day before and re-heated. Dice all the onions for the recipe at one time (1 ½ cups) and divide to use.  Or the chard, when prepped, could be cooking at the same time as the carrot puree/mash.

Tuna Banh Mi Sandwich by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

If you are longing for an exciting (!) tuna sandwich; this is it : 

Quick-pickled vegetables.  Spicy mayo.  Bright lime.  Crunchy, crusted bread. (like a baguette or ciabatta rolls) Fresh mint & cilantro sprigs.

All together equals pure sandwich happiness.

Buffalo Cauliflower, Cauliflower Pizza by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

This is the first batch of buffalo cauliflower that I have ever made.  And I don’t know why, because it was so easy and delicious.  It flies out the door when it’s stocked in our deli case.  But for me, I suspect that it’s a matter of chef-esthetics; just roasted, fresh-out-of-the oven trumps pre-made, cold-in-the-case any day.  So, if you have the time, make it yourself.

I chose to turn my roasted buffalo cauliflower into a pizza, mainly because I was curious to try the frozen cauliflower pizza crusts, aka “cauliPower” !   (This recipe makes enough for 2 cauliPower crusts.) Roasted buffalo cauliflower would also be good mixed in a baked macaroni and cheese dish or as the star ingredient in a rice and grain bowl.

Mixed-Media Vegetarian Udon Noodles by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

One of my favorite online clothing retailers describes garments made with different patterns or fabric details as: ‘mixed-media’.  And I thought it was an apt description for this dish of Japanese udon noodles paired with a hybrid Middle Eastern tahini sauce.

It is a versatile dish:  make ahead or hold at room temperature to be eaten within 2-4 hours.

Ode to Rome: Pasta Cacio e Pepe By Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

This is a quick and simple and delicious pasta dish from Rome.  Long strands of pasta are coated with a cheese & butter sauce.  Traditionally made with only sheep’s milk pecorino cheese; I have added a bit of Parmigiana to soothe the American palate. It adds a bit of sweetness to temper the tang of the pecorino.  And -  this recipe uses very few ingredients and can be made in one pot!

Corned Beef Hash with Taste & Texture-Enhancing ‘Hacks’ by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

What to do with those corned beef dinner leftovers? Make hash, of course.
My mother always put aside some of the corned beef dinner fixings’ just for this purpose, and she would crank it through the meat grinder, that cast-aluminum model that got clamped to the table.
Truth be told, this was my job…the vegetables and meat would squish out through the small holes of the attached die-piece.
As much fun as this process was, it did render ALL the ingredients to a bit of a wet-homogenous pile.
As I thought about my mother’s technique, I realized that some chef-style improvements could be brought to bear on the process:
1.) Draining the meat and cabbage on paper towels overnight in the fridge would remove excess moisture and yield a firmer finished product.
2.) Cooking a new batch of carrots and potatoes would add flavor & texture. (The potatoes & carrots that cooked together with the corned beef have given up both their texture and flavor to the cooking broth.)
3.) Adding prepared sauerkraut to the hash adds piquancy and texture to the finished dish, and it’s not detectable as a strong sauerkraut flavor; it gives nuance and crunch to the dish. (I continue to experiment with our new line of Cleveland Kraut. Choose your favorite flavor.)

Gratin of Potatoes with Sauerkraut by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

This recipe began with an idea about using a new product on our produce shelves: Cleveland Kraut sauerkraut!
It’s not just any ordinary sauerkraut. No indeed! It’s colorful, flavorful, crunchy and delicious.It’s cut thicker than most other krauts and comes in a variety of intriguing flavors: whisky dill, curry, garlic and spicy to name a few. It’s a live, fermented and unpasteurized probiotic product. All those ‘good for you’ attributes, currently making nutritional headlines. I’ve made a gratin of potatoes without cream and/or cheese. I wanted the sauerkraut to not be masked by dairy fat…but I did add a bit of smoked bacon to the dish and suggest that you serve the gratin with a side of kielbasa, or other smoked pork, beef or chicken sausage. I also used Yukon Gold potatoes. They are less starchy than an Idaho potato, but more starchy than a Red Bliss potato. They work well in a gratin and because they will keep their shape when baked. Choose larger potatoes to get a better slice. And as an added time-saver, they really don’t need to be peeled before using, the skins are very thin and tender. Just wash and dry the potatoes before slicing. (It is safer to slice a dry potato, it’s less likely to slip under the knife.)

Simple Salmon Rice Bowl…and ideas for variations by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

This recipe is about using simple-to-make and ready-made ingredients to prepare a tasty & healthy dinner or lunch-on-the-go. I’ll give you the recipe for a straight-forward gingered red cabbage to build the dish with a crunchy and sweet-sour component.
I made the dish with cooked, room temperature brown rice, but white rice, udon noodles or other cooked grains (i.e. barley, quinoa) could work as well.
I used an Asian sweet red chili sauce to flavor my salmon and drizzle on my rice. But there are lots of prepared Asian sauces and dressings on the market now that are very tasty and greatly help get dinner on the table quickly.
And the fresh ‘greens’ on top are your favorite: watercress, baby spinach or kale, radicchio etc.
Have fun with varying the ingredients to your personal tastes !

Quick & Easy: Chicken Pot Pie by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

This is a recipe that uses leftover rotisserie chicken, a good quality store-bought cream of chicken soup and a sheet of ready-made puff pastry! In the words of a well-known TV Chef: “How easy is that” !
Choose any pie dish or baking dish, combine ingredients with the creamed soup, top with a pastry sheet and pop it in the oven.
It’s dinner, on the table, in under an hour, definitely.
(I used a 9” standard pie tin and 1 sheet of puff pastry and based the recipe on this.)

Naan Flatbread ‘Pizza’ (Vegetarian, Non-Dairy) By Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

Many years ago, a working mother (mine) would make individual mini pizzas using split English muffins as the base.  They were buttered and toasted under the broiler first to crisp-up the surface and then the usual pizza toppings were piled on top and then back into the oven to melt and ooze.  The sauce was always a bit of leftover ‘red gravy’ (marinara sauce) from the weekend’s cooking; never sauce from a jar!

Fast forward to 2020 and we have a plethora of pizza crusts and substitutes readily available.    In this recipe I have used the ‘slipper-shaped’ naan bread, which is a traditional Indian flatbread.  At Foodies, we sell Stonefire Naan…there are two ‘slippers’ per package at 4.4 ounces each.   The naan bread comes in plain, whole wheat and garlic varieties.

It’s the base for this quickly made meal, using only vegetables and NO cheese!

And on the table in well under an hour!

Fideos: Spanish-style Toasted Noodles with Poached Shrimp & Romesco Sauce By Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

‘Fideos’ is both a dish from Spain and a short, spaghetti-like noodle that is usually toasted.  Toasting gives the noodles a warm golden color and a deep rich flavor.  And it is very easy to accomplish in your home kitchen.

The recipe includes a simple and quick-cooking shrimp stock.  Both the toasted noodles and the peeled shrimp are cooked in this broth which builds in a supporting layer of flavors to the finished dish.

A traditional Catalan sweet red pepper sauce, Romesco*, adds body and a bright punch of flavor to the finished dish.

Beyond Meat ® Bolognese Sauce by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

I was slow to ‘join the bandwagon’ of plant-based protein meat-substitutes, then a purveyor gave me samples, and I thought I should give it a try. These are not your typical ‘veggie’ burgers.  These are patties made with green pea protein and with a texture and mouth feel thought to imitate ground beef.

I made a couple of traditional ‘burgers’; pan-sautéed with traditional burger toppings. The texture was indeed very ‘meat-like ‘and it looked like a sautéed beef patty in the pan, but the flavor was a bit more vegetal than beefy.  

And then I wondered how Beyond Meat® could be used in other ways…how about a traditional Italian Bolognese meat sauce for example?  Would the tomatoes and other traditional Bolognese sauce ingredients make a satisfying sauce without the addition of pork, beef or my beloved pancetta?

Well, you be the judge. 

The following is my version of a Beyond Meat® Bolognese sauce. 

Without the beef.  Without the pork.  And without the pancetta.

And yes…… I can hear you Italian purists scoffing at me!

Warmed ‘Hummus Bowl’ with Beef, Eggplant & Tomato Ragout by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

This recipe is a riff on a Bon Appetit Magazine recipe. It is an extension of the ‘rice bowl’ craze that previously swept the nation. Here, hummus, a chickpea dip/spread that is generally eaten cold or at room temperature is gently heated and spread out on the bottom of a shallow dish with a meat or vegetable sauce on top.
The ragout could be made with ground lamb instead of ground beef or prepared meat-free with colorful sautéed bell peppers and zucchini.
My dinner guest was pleasantly surprised to taste the warmed hummus; she thought it was a parsnip puree at first glance. The spices in the dish are traditional ‘warm’ Middle Eastern flavors (allspice, cumin, coriander & marjoram) which marry effortlessly with the hummus.

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.

ANTIPASTO SALAD by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

Something crunchy, something colorful and something savory to bring to a last-of-the-season cookout, or a first-of-the-season tailgate party.
There is barely any cooking to do: the cherry tomatoes are slightly roasted, the broccoli crowns are tossed with extra-virgin olive oil and grilled along with some crusty French or Italian bread.
The rest of the work required improves your knife-skills.1

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.

GAZPACHO The Classic Chilled Tomato & Vegetable Soup from Spain By Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

This is the answer to the ‘Dog Days of Summer’ dinner-dilemma. This soup can be made in 45 minutes or less and you may reap some leftovers for lunch. Add grilled shrimp or scallops for an easy protein upgrade.

The ingredients are raw, so be sure your vegetables are in primo condition.
Choose an olive oil that has a smooth, mild finish; a harsh or bitter olive oil will provide a jarring note in your finished soup.
All the vegetables are cut into pieces and blended together until smooth. Soaked bread is traditionally added; it provides a bit of body and creaminess. (and it’s fine to omit for a gluten-free version.)
Sherry vinegar is traditional; as it’s a vinegar from Spain. And it’s fine to substitute red wine vinegar.
Finally, a small amount of each vegetable is held back from blending and is finely-diced and added back to the finished soup. The diced vegetables provide a pleasing texture-crunch at the end.

Strollin’ Stromboli: Italian Sausage & Broccoli Rabe by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

There are varying online discussions about the difference between a calzone and a Stromboli.

And each have there ‘own story and are sticking to it’.

First, Stromboli is a place.  It’s a small island in the Tyrrhenian Sea, off the north coast of Sicily; with a not completely dormant volcano.  And It is an American invention from a famous Philadelphia pizza shop; apparently conceived to eat your pizza, ‘sandwich-style’.

And, calzone, or ‘pants leg’, like pizza, was born in Naples and meant for eating-out-of-hand while strolling. (Apparently, pizza was always eaten at the table with a knife and fork!)

The fillings being pretty much equal; it seems to be a question of shape.   If your stuffed pizza is folded over and crescent- shaped, then it is a calzone.  On the other hand, if you’re stuffed pizza is rolled and log-shaped, then it’s a Stromboli.

…And I won’t even get started on the sauce-inside or on-the-side debate.

Crunchy Beef & Peanut Salad by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

Salad for Dinner.  It heralds summer al fresco dining.

This salad does have a few steps but they are all quick and easy. The two sauces could be made earlier in the day or even the day before, and reheated. 

The individual tastes are crunchy, fragrant, spicy, meaty, sweet, sour and savory.

To quote Aristotle: “The Whole is Greater than the Sum of its Parts”.

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 SILVIO’S Grilled Teriyaki-Citrus Chicken Thighs

When our sister store in Duxbury closed last fall, we inherited Silvio, a fantastic, experienced and hard-working chef.  Among other tasks, he is daily charged with filling our ‘hot case’ with tasty ready-to-eat treats.  This is one of his dishes.   

It’s easy cooking:  combining grilling with a quickly-made flavorful marinade/sauce and finishing the dish in the oven.

It’s batch-cooking, great for Memorial Day entertaining.

Tacos al Beef Barbacoa by Chef Laura Brennan

Lately I’ve been spotting random recipes for “Beef Barbacoa” and wondered if it was a Mexican barbecue technique…and it is…kind of.

“Barbacoa” may be the precursor to the word “Barbecue”; they sound similar, right?   But all the “Barbacoa” recipes I’ve read have instructed the cook to both grill and continue cooking in some liquid; which is braising. Grilling the meat and onions before braising adds another layer of flavor, so I have combined both grilling and low-and-slow in-the-oven braising techniques in this recipe to create a tender, highly flavored ‘pull-apart’ meat, ready to stuff into taco shells (or burrito wraps).

Spring Eggs ‘n’ Ham by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

With a nod to the famous children’s author, I’ve made a batch of molded green egg ‘frittatas’ to serve with an Easter Sunday brunch.  They are green from pureeing sautéed swiss chard and leeks with egg whites and cream.  I’ve baked them in small, silicone, prism-shaped molds; never-opened treasures found in a yard sale.  But fear not, bake them in non-stick muffin tins or in one larger well-buttered casserole dish. For convenience, they can be made and baked ahead and gently re-heated in a microwave before guests arrive.

Ground Turkey & Coconut Milk Curry by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

This is a quick ‘stew’ that offers ease of preparation (one-pot cooking), aromatic flavors and good nutrition.  It’s “Paleo and Keto” friendly and only a bit exotic; you’ll be able to serve it to the whole family!

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.

Mushroom Bacon Ziti, Grated Swiss & Baby Greens by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

I have had a ‘hankering’ for ziti-shaped pasta and so built a dish around this wish.  Maybe I was channeling my Italian grandmother; ziti and rigatoni were the standard-bearers of her Neapolitan kitchen.  (I didn’t eat penne until I was out-of-the-house and cooking for myself.) Nostalgia aside, this is a delicious pasta dish with depth of flavor.  I have made a mushroom sauce (aka:  mushroom bechamel/velouté) in lieu of straight heavy cream; the texture is better, less rich---pasta finished solely with heavy cream is a restaurant conceit.  The swiss cheese gives the dish an umami- nuttiness---grated parmigiana cheese would lend a sweeter finish to the dish.  Both are fine; it’s just a nuance of flavor.

Grilled Pineapple with Star Anise-Ginger-Jalapeno Syrup by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

The dessert-du-jour in a Benihana restaurant in the early 70’s was vanilla ice cream with slivered crystallized ginger. (The crystallized ginger may well be an imaginary embellishment.)
I liked that there was no dessert choice; I thought that was very modern. And I thought that a simple dish of ice cream was a quiet and elegant finish to a cleaver-tossing dinner performance.
The whole experience was very fancy and exotic to my young self.

This is a quick-to-make dessert with sweet-spicy flavors. I have offered it here with purchased vanilla ice cream but making your own saffron ice cream would be spectacular! (To make: infuse vanilla ice cream base/crème anglaise custard with several threads of saffron while still warm. Strain, chill and churn according to your ice cream maker’s instructions.)

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!

Zucchini ‘en Saor’ – Sweet and Sour, Venetian-style by Foodie’s Markets Chef Laura Brennan

I recently re-watched an episode of “I’ll Have What Phil’s Having” that was filmed in Venice. Phil ate a really gigantic pounded pork chop that was breaded and cooked in an abundance of oil: pan-fried as opposed to deep-fried; not unlike our Southern-fried chicken. To finish, most of the cooking oil was poured off and it was liberally doused with white wine vinegar. This is ‘sweet and sour’, Venetian-style. The same technique is applied to cooking sole and sardines and the vinegary filets are marinated for a day or two and eaten at room temperature. With an abundance of vegetables in the market or your garden, try this recipe with zucchini, or peppers or eggplant.
To make a more substantial dish, I tossed the finished ‘zucchini en saor’ with cooked potato gnocchi and fresh mozzarella and parmesan cheeses.
But…it’s equally delicious served on its own as a vegetable dish.

‘SPARKLING’ WATERMELON GAZPACHO by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

‘Tis the season for GAZPACHO, the iconic Spanish chilled soup.

This version uses seedless watermelon as the soup base instead of the more prevalent tomato juice base.This makes a soup that is a bit sweeter and that can be offset with fresh lime juice and a feta cheese garnish. The sweet, salty and lime flavors provide the soup with a savory balance. And adding a bit of flavored sparkling water at the end provides a bit of fizz. (I have made this soup for a wedding shower and added, an Italian sparkling wine.(Very Festive!)

 
As this soup is fruitier-tasting than the tomato-based version, serve it for lunch or brunch along with grilled baguette slices, rubbed with a clove of garlic and drizzled with extra-virgin olive oil.
 
Watching an internet video on the techniques of dicing, especially bell peppers, would be very helpful. I still watch other chefs’ techniques.
 
(I love watching other chefs cook!)

Tart Cherry-Glazed Chicken Drumsticks, Sesame Miso Spinach by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

I am my father’s daughter in my love for cherries.  My father didn’t ‘bother’ with most fruit, with the exception of cherries and blueberries. And the blueberries had to be made into homemade pies to attract his attention.

I thought cherries were delicious as well.  And I also knew that they were special: they were only available for a short few weeks in early summer, they were expensive enough to be semi-rationed by my mother and that my ‘fruit-phobic’ father really enjoyed them.

In this recipe, cherries (cherry juice, actually) become a vehicle for combining Asian flavors, especially the pungently spicy Korean Gochujang paste with familiar garlic and ginger to glaze roasted chicken legs.

The dish can be made ahead and eaten at room temperature with the sautéed miso spinach. 

Great for a beach picnic!

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.

Chili-Lime Glazed Salmon and Ginger-Fried Rice by Foodie’s Markets Chef Laura Brennan

This is a quickly made weekday supper especially if you have some leftover cooked and chilled rice. Ask your fishmonger to cut you a 1 ½ to 1 ¾ -pound piece of fillet starting 3 inches above the tail.  You want a piece that is even thickness and skinless. The marinade is quickly made and contains soy sauce, so don’t let it marinate for more than 15 minutes or it may be too salty.  And, cook the fish, covered in a low & slow oven at 275 to 300-degrees.  You will be rewarded with a creamy, rich, moist texture.

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.

Roasted Cauliflower Wedges with Clarified Butter and Tahini Sauce by Foodie’s Market Chef Laura Brennan

Roasted cauliflower lives up to its hype; roasting greatly improves the flavor. 

I have always roasted smaller pieces of cauliflower or ‘flowerets’, coated in extra-virgin olive oil in a hot oven, with great success. However, I have less successfully roasted cauliflower ‘slices’ which seem to always fall apart. Hence, the roasted wedge recipe here: each quarter piece is still attached to the core during roasting.  To add flavor, I first prepared clarified butter and used this fat as my cooking medium.  Cauliflower and butter are a complementary pairing and clarifying the butter first, removes the dairy ‘solids’ and enhances the ‘nuttiness’ of the finished dish.

A Frittata Savory Custard for your lunch box by Foodie’s Market’s Chef Laura Brennan

My old-school Italian grandmother, Giuseppina, always had a frittata or the makings of a frittata on the stovetop.  I say this because there was ALWAYS a pan of sautéed peppers around.  I was intrigued by the pile of glistening strips that always seemed more ‘animal’ than ‘vegetable’.  If it was summer, they were just waiting to be turned into a frittata; a quick-cooking supper dish which wouldn’t make the kitchen any hotter.

I have modernized her frittata a bit:  the peppers are dehydrated, I’ve used two different cheeses and I have baked them in muffin tins in the oven in a water-bath.  They are now suitable to be packed up for lunch on-the-go.

(And a frittata would typically be made with leftover bits & pieces of vegetables and cheeses; it was frugal as well as efficient. Food was not wasted.)

Pasta with Pesto, Green Beans and Crispy Potatoes A Dinner Against the Clock Recipe By Foodie’s Markets Chef Laura Brennan

Pasta with pesto, green beans and potatoes is a classic dish from the Liguria region of Italy. This region comprises a narrow crescent of land that curves around the sea at the ‘top of the boot’ and stretches from the French border into Tuscany.

This dish was one of my favorites at cooking school; I made the pesto by hand using a mortar and pestle.  And of course, I made fresh pasta as well.  A labor of love.

Fast forward a few decades and I now buy pre-made pesto, and use excellent quality dried Italian pasta, either linguine or trenette, a fettuccine-shaped flat noodle, traditionally served in Liguria.  I look for pesto that is made with at least 50% extra virgin olive oil and is sugar-free.  Read labels.   And I have substituted crispy potatoes for the boiled potatoes.  The crunch of the crispy potato is a great contrast to the overall softness of the dish.  This truly is a quick dish to prepare…you could have dinner on the table in 35 minutes or less.

Red Lentil Turkey Bolognese Sauce by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

Winter is not quite over……. sigh.

So, there’s still time for one more Bolognese sauce. 

This one’s a bit lighter, using ground turkey and red lentils in lieu of the usual suspects.  There’s no cream and a bit of bacon, only if you fancy it.  It cooks up more quickly than its more traditional counterpart and is best served over a shaped-pasta (‘macaroni’) instead of a long pasta (‘spaghetti’).  And, while fresh-made pasta certainly has a place at the Italian table, this sauce needs the ‘al dente’ bite of dried durum wheat pasta.  Choose your favorite shape.

Stuffed Artichokes by Foodie’s Market’s Chef Laura Brennan

Everyone is longing for Spring and in the kitchen, nothing heralds Spring more than artichokes and peas…well, longer days and warmer weather do play their part! If you have never cleaned an artichoke, I recommend that you find an instructive ‘youtube’ video. I find them so helpful; the videos do a great job of translating words into pictures.

ITALIAN EASTER ‘QUICHE’ by Foodie’s Markets Chef, Laura Brennan

My first-generation Italian mother and aunts negotiated yearly about who was going to make the “Pizza Gana”. This was a rustic ‘pie’ enclosed in pastry, 4-5 inches deep, with a three-pound filling (!) of ricotta, hard-cooked eggs and assorted salamis, sausages and cheeses. It was very dramatic when sliced and very delicious to eat.
No one makes it anymore. Then my sister invited me to Easter Brunch and slyly asked if I knew how to make it. A challenge of sorts! I thought about it and decided that I would make a lightened version of the dish. In my version, the amount of meats and cheeses are decreased, there is only a bottom pastry crust and the whole pie is reduced to about 2-inches in depth. The traditional flavors remain, but it is restrained (think Chanel, not Versace).
I made it in a traditional ceramic French quiche dish with an approximate 11-inch diameter, about a 2-inches depth, a flat bottom and fluted sides. An ‘American’-style pie dish with sloping sides would also work.
I think this dish would best prepared in the style of my mother and her sisters; that is, divide the work over a couple of days. At the least, make the pastry dough a day or two before.

A Thai Inspired Ragu By Foodie’s Markets Chef Laura Brennan

I make this dish a few times every autumn/winter and the recent nor’easter propelled me into the kitchen in lieu of shoveling. I used ground turkey instead of the more traditional ground pork and added greens to the finished dish - both of these changes improve the overall nutrition.
I thought it would be a good recipe to share and I was wondering what to name it for the column.
I wondered what Thai grandmothers call this dish? My Italian grandmother would have called it a ‘ragu’…..and so, it became “ A Thai-Inspired-Ragu”.

SPICED CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA by Foodie’s Markets Chef Laura Brennan

Chicken Masala is an Indian dish that’s fairly quick and easy to prepare. If you like Indian spices then this is a good dish to practice the art of combining aromatic and assertive spices. Having trained with a French chef (Madeleine Kamman) and being of Italian heritage, I was once very hesitant to push my taste buds outside their comfortable European borders. But, I was completely smitten with the food of Paula Wolfert (traditional Moroccan cooking) and Ana Sortun (modern Turkish cuisine). And I started to cook with different spices and slowly developed a ‘taste-memory’ for them. Once you can remember what new spices taste like, separately and combined, you can begin to incorporate them into your repertoire with confidence.

Classic French Potato Gratin by Foodie’s Markets Chef Laura Brennan

I had chores to do after school and thankfully one of them was dinner prep. That was more enjoyable than say…folding clothes.  One of my Irish-German aunts taught me how to make ‘scalloped potatoes’:  sliced potatoes layered in a rectangular glass Pyrex dish with milk, margarine(!), salt and pepper.  No cheese or other flavors as I recall. Usually served with ham.  It was yummy, but the milk always curdled a bit rendering it more utilitarian than beautiful.  (Some recipes add a sprinkle of flour, but we never did.)                      Fast forward fifteen years and I’m enrolled in The Modern Gourmet Cooking School in Newton Center.  And we make a layered potato dish with a beautiful name: “Gratin Dauphinoise”.  The ingredients, in addition to the potatoes; more thinly and evenly sliced, now include a fine parsley-garlic mix (‘persillade’), heavy cream, salt, fresh ground white pepper & nutmeg and often gruyere cheese.  WOW!

I’ve continued to make many more potato gratins in my long career.  And in a nod to healthier eating, I don’t use heavy cream any more.  I think half-and-half has enough milk fat to prevent curdling.  It’s still a rich dish, worthy of a special occasion. For Easter, I’m serving this gratin with roast pork, so I’m flavoring the cream (that bathe the potatoes in the oven) with Dijon mustard, fresh thyme sprigs and crushed garlic cloves.  The infused cream will subtly flavor the potatoes and the top will be beautifully browned. It will be a delicious and elegant addition to the Easter buffet. 

“DINNER AGAINST the CLOCK”: a quick Paella with chicken, shrimp and chorizo By Foodie’s Markets Chef Laura Brennan

This the first in a new series of recipes designed to help you get dinner on the table in an hour or so…. depending on your experience in the kitchen.

‘Paella’ is a traditional Spanish rice dish which usually includes the evocative and expensive spice:   saffron.  (Not to worry, you can still make a delicious paella without it.)  Paella is made with a short-grain rice and is a one-pot wonder.  Gather all your ingredients and do all the advance prep work first.  This is your ‘mise-en-place’.  Once your ‘mise’ is-in-place, the assembly/cooking of the paella goes quickly.

And note:  For expediency, I have chosen to use some pre-cooked ingredients:  pre-cooked chicken breast and cooked chorizo.  And some other shortcuts:  peeled and deveined shrimp, canned diced tomatoes and prepared chicken stock.    

There is an expanding world of excellent quality, prepared ingredients available.  When you find products that are carefully made and tasty, it’s a smart time-saving move to incorporate them into your cooking.  Without a prep cook or two at home, most of us (including myself) find it daunting to have to prepare everything from scratch, every time.

Quinoa Casserole with Charred Broccoli, Sweet Potato and Mushrooms By Foodie’s Markets Chef Laura Brennan

This is a satisfying vegetarian casserole that could easily be modified by cooking different vegetables; such as cauliflower or heirloom carrots or by choosing a different seasoning path.  I am currently in love with Middle Eastern flavors and have used cinnamon, coriander, cumin, allspice and Aleppo pepper flakes. You could easily substitute cilantro, curry powder and cayenne pepper for an Indian flair.  Changing flavor profiles is similar to changing the outfits you wear …. you choose and wear pieces of clothing and accessories that harmoniously go together.  A recipe is merely an idea, an inspiration for you to seek your own cooking path.

 (Aleppo pepper is a fragrant and mildly spicy pepper from Syria; it has less heat than the more common red pepper flakes.)

This recipe is comprised of 5 simple preparation steps (A through E) that yield the prepared ingredients to then combine into one casserole/baking dish.  The steps are simple and straightforward and can be overlapped.

SHORT-CUT QUICK ROTISSERIE CHICKEN SOUP by Foodie’s Markets Chef Laura Brennan

I love chicken soup.  I love fresh chicken soup – not canned, not frozen, not box-packaged.  With my demanding palate in mind, I needed to develop a faster way to make a satisfying batch of my winter elixir.   Let me be clear, while simmering a fresh, organic, whole chicken with vegetables, wine and aromatics is the sine qua non of chicken soups, it’s not an after-work project.  To that end, I have developed a viable (and delicious) shortcut using a leftover rotisserie chicken and best quality, organic chicken broth. You can have fresh chicken soup on the table in an hour’s worth of time - give or take.

‘Frenchy-French’ Toast, Tropical Fruits, Coconut Caramel Sauce By Foodie’s Markets Chef Laura Brennan

Skip the often-over-wrought night out with your Valentine; and instead, do the cooking yourself.  Brunch dishes are simpler to prepare than multi-course dinners.  And there is the added benefit of starting your day with bestowed love and admiration.

This recipe uses baguette (French bread) instead of the more traditional brioche bread.  Buy your baguette two (2) days ahead and wrap it completely in plastic wrap to soften the crust.  Using baguette bread will give you: (1) nice round, compact slices that fit easily into the sauté pan and (2) a firmer finished product, less soggy and less apt to fall apart. Include kiwi and pineapple in your choice of tropical fruit.  Most well-stocked grocers offer a cut fruit selection to mix and match.  And the coconut caramel sauce is a simple reduction of coconut milk with a bit of dark brown sugar, less cloying than traditional caramel sauce and equally delicious.

Fish Soup by Foodie’s Markets Chef, Laura Brennan

Cooking time: 45 minutes for ‘fish stock’ plus additional 40 minutes for ‘finished fish soup’
Total time: 2 ¼ to 2 ½ hours

Hot and Cheesy ‘Loaded Baked Potato’ Dip by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

Something ooey, gooey and delicious for The BIG Football Game!
(While there are no potatoes IN the dip, per se; the flavors of the dip are those found in a loaded baked potato: sour cream, bacon, scallions and cheese.)
Serve hot. Roast white or sweet potato spears to serve alongside...…or opt for a simpler fix: your favorite chips and crackers.

BRIE en CROUTE by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

The BIG game is fast approaching and I don’t like chicken wings with sriracha-hot sauce overload!  So, I’m changing it up and bringing a baked brie to the party.  I’ll prepare it ahead of time and bake it at my friend’s just as the pre-game starts.  Served alongside fresh fruit and veggies; it’s a bit of healthy eating on an otherwise indulgent buffet table.

Vegetarian Stuffed Mushrooms by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

Stuffed mushrooms…..I remember my mother making these for the BIG football games; my father loved them stuffed with sausage and cheese. In a nod to our improved diets, I offer a vegetarian version.   I have up-graded the technique a bit by pre-roasting them until they begin to exude liquid and then stuffing and baking a second time.  I think it reduces the ‘squeak-on-the teeth’ factor. I also don’t chop up the stems to use in the stuffing; half the stem is tough and the other half is dirt-caked.  Instead, wash the stems and make broth with them and chop up fresh mushroom caps to add to the stuffing mix.

SPICED ‘SMOTHERED’ CABBAGE and APPLES by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

I don’t know when, where or how I started using ‘smothered’ as a cooking technique.  I know that I didn’t invent it.  So, I ‘Googled’ it:  Lo and behold it is a bona fide cooking technique with roots deep in Southern cuisine.  It is defined as covered, slow cooking with minimal added liquid.  I ‘smothered’ the red cabbage by slow cooking it, covered, in the oven, in apple cider vinegar and its own juices released during the cooking process.  The result is a silky, deeply flavored side dish worthy of your holiday table. I am going to serve it alongside a Crown Roast of Pork!

Chicken Thighs with “Forty Cloves of Garlic” by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

Chicken with 40 cloves of garlic is a classic French country dish. The garlic cloves mellow considerably in pungency during the cooking process and become sweet little delicious nuggets. This is a quick dish for a holiday supper that can be made ahead and re-heated.
Don’t be daunted by the thought of peeling 40 cloves of garlic—rubbing the cloves vigorously between your palms helps the papery skins to slide off. Another trick is to work them between two metal bowls: put the garlic cloves in the bottom of a metal bowl and place an equal-sized bowl on top. Twist, push and rock the top bowl over the bottom bowl holding the garlic cloves. This technique also helps to loosen the skins.

Dairy-free Pumpkin Noodle Kugel by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

I have substituted almond milk for the usual cream or milk found in a Kugel recipe.  There are eggs in this recipe to build the custard, but the butter to grease the baking dish has been replaced with canola or coconut oil. (You may, of course use butter if you wish.)  And finally, I baked the Kugel in a water-bath for slow, gentle cooking.

French Green Beans (Haricot Vert) with Herbs and Grilled Baguette Crumbs by Foodie’s Markets Chef Laura Brennan

A simple and delicious side dish for upcoming holiday tables. It combines herby-citrus freshness with crunch and snap. This recipe can be prepped ahead the day before and quickly heated through and finished for serving. The dish’s simple and clean flavors offers a counterpoint to other heavier dishes on the table.

Savory Breakfast Tart by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

I grew up with a steadfast post-Thanksgiving breakfast tradition: ” Pie for Breakfast”!
On Friday morning there were solitary pilgrimages to the side porch to fetch the pie of your dreams, return to the table, pour a cup of coffee and grab a section of the paper – with not much conversation to boot. I’m proposing a new tradition: a savory breakfast tart. It’s a bit more nutritious, equally delicious and a lot more communal.
This is a rustic tart, made with sausage, leeks, root vegetables, cheese and topped with a poached egg, or fried or scrambled for that matter. It’s made with ingredients from your Thanksgiving larder and could be made ahead and frozen. Think fancy egg & sausage sandwiches…similar ingredients, just re-imagined.

Schiacciata (skee-ahh-chaa-tah) with Grapes by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

“Schiacciata”: to squash or crush (Italian)
This is a rustic sweet flatbread made with red grapes, sugar, extra virgin olive oil and often with fresh rosemary or fennel seeds. It’s a seasonal treat in Italy, made in the autumn during the wine grape harvest, using a few simple, on-hand ingredients.

Cheddar Cheese & Hard Cider Fondue by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

Cheese fondue is a happy Swiss classic. Whisking grated cheeses into a simmering cider broth will produce an unctuous sauce for dipping bread, veggies or sausages. Controlling the heat and patiently adding the cheese are critical to success.

Pork Milanese with Roasted Butternut Squash and Fig-Balsamic Glaze By Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

“Milanese”: in the style of Milan. It’s the technique of breading and pan-frying (aka sautéeing) a cutlet of thinly sliced veal, chicken or pork. The results are crispy, moist and irresistible.
There are a couple of “chef hacks” that can help you in your quest for excellent results.
First, start with ½ inch (or thinner) cutlets. Lay them flat on your cutting board and cover with a piece of plastic wrap. Using your closed fist, gently pound each piece a bit flatter. Resist the urge to pound them super-flat with a meat bat or rolling pin. While it may be cathartic after a long day, it pounds the juices out of the meat and it’s too thin to get a good solid bite of crispy meat in the finished product.

Caramelized Pears with Sweetened Goat Cheese, Crunchy Almonds and Chocolate Sauce By Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

Ok….I get it.

The thought of goat cheese used in a dessert stops you.  But the flavor with the roasted pear is righteous!  And the toasted almonds and chocolate sauce just ‘gild the lily’. 

After all, you do eat cheesecake, don’t you?

Carbonada Criolla by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

Beef & Squash Stew from Argentina

Forgive me for ushering out the summer prematurely, but the sight of squash and pumpkins already in the markets made me think of this dish. Once, long ago, I actually cooked this stew in a pumpkin shell that had been emptied of its mushy clumps of seeds. * (I’ll include directions for this at the end of the recipe.)

In Argentina, the stew was originally cooked in the embers of a big outdoor fire; very romantic!

Potato Pancakes (aka Latkes) by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

I hope you saved some of the fresh applesauce that you made from the previous recipe!
These crispy potato cakes are delicious with applesauce and sour cream or for something a bit more ‘fancy’, try them with smoked salmon and crème fraîche. The deliciousness in a potato pancake lies in its crispiness—make sure your pan is heated, that the oil is heated (but not smoking) and that there is enough oil for the pancakes to move freely in the pan. Control of these factors, which takes some practice, yields crispy latkes. I hope you find satisfaction in improving your culinary techniques; as that “Ah ha” moment when you suddenly have both clarity and results is a huge part of the joy of cooking.

Tart & Savory Applesauce

This is an ‘adult applesauce’; that is, it is unsweetened and seasoned with ‘woody herbs’ and lemon. ‘Woody herbs’ are those herbs with thicker, stronger stems and hence stronger flavors. Rosemary, sage and thyme are examples. They have a ‘meatier’ flavor than the sweet herbs, (basil, mint, parsley) and hence, are well suited to roasted meats and poultry.
In this recipe, we will make an applesauce infused with fresh sage, thyme, lemon peel and finished with herb-infused browned butter. It would accompany roast pork loin or tenderloin very nicely, or be delicious with a pile of crispy potato latkes (pancakes). (Recipe coming next week)

Applesauce is traditionally made with McIntosh apples. I find them to be very wet; they make a very loose sauce. I have used a mix of Cortland and Granny Smith apples for a firmer texture and a flavor that is a bit tart. Also, I found really B-I-G apples. They were about 8 ounces (1/2 pound) each -
I peeled only 8 apples total!

Grilled Portobella Pan Pizza by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

This is a fairly ‘light’ pizza in that is not over-burdened with ingredients. And it is also a ‘white’ pizza as the base of the pizza is a béchamel sauce; not a tomato-based sauce. I used a store-bought pizza dough (20 ounces), but feel free to use your own homemade dough!
The prep for this recipe can easily be divided over a couple of days.

Peperonata by Chef Laura Brennan

Peperonata is no mere sautéed pepper and onion stew; rather it is a dish in which the whole is definitely greater than the sum of its parts. The slow cooking process softens the vegetables and weds together the contrasting flavors. It yields a dish that can be eaten warm or cold, that can accompany chicken (grilled chicken breast), meat (roasted pork tenderloin), fish (sautéed shrimp) or just a good crusty bread, cheese and salumi platter.

Sticky Fingers by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

Made with Organic Smart Chicken air-chilled tenderloins this is a quick and savory dish to prepare for end-of-summer casual dining. It is versatile; it can be served hot or room temperature over rice with roasted broccoli.

VIETNAMESE BEEF SALAD by Chef Laura Brennan

A FLAVORFUL GRILLED BEEF SALAD WITH TRADITIONAL SOUTHEAST ASIA FLAVOR COMPONENTS:
SWEET (palm/brown sugar),
SOUR (lime juice),
UMAMI (fish sauce/Nuoc Mam Nhi)
SPICY (chilies/sambal oelek).

This is a quickly assembled dish made with grilled skirt steak that has a white pepper and brown sugar rub, a tangy dressing bursting with umami flavors and some crunchy vegetables. It could be served wrapped in lettuce leaves or with clear cellophane noodles. It’s a satisfying al fresco salad on an August eve.

Italian Roasted Cauliflower with Raisin, Caper and Pine Nut Dressing by Chef Laura Brennan

My Italian grandmother was born on the little island of Ischia off the coast of Naples. She brought with her to America a love for summer and for cooking vegetables. Although this dish was not among her repertoire, I made it for her once and she smiled in approval as she was eating it!

CHERRY CLAFOUTIS by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

A clafoutis is a classic French, home-style, simple dessert. It’s a giant baked pancake, or “crepe”, made with fresh cherries of the season. Other than pitting the cherries, it is quickly made and can be baked during dinner and enjoyed for dessert. CHERRY CLAFOUTIS is a classic French dessert that I served in my restaurant, CAFFE UMBRA, in the early 2000’s. It was featured in a segment of “COOKING AROUND TOWN with RON DELLACHIESA” produced by WGBH. Every time the show aired we would get multiple phone calls inquiring about the dessert. It often stayed on the dessert menu long after the cherry season had passed, utilizing a different fruit.

Crusty Prosciutto, Lettuce & Cantaloupe Sandwich with Pickled Grapes by Foodie’s Markets Chef Laura Brennan

This summer sandwich was inspired by memories of the BLT sandwiches we would have for supper on a hot summer night.

When it was too hot to cook and equally too hot to eat inside, we would prepare stacks of ingredients for traditional BLT sandwiches for al fresco dining; hoping for a breeze. They were always accompanied by an extra-large sweating pitcher of iced tea (no sugar!) and stolen sips of a parent’s frosty beer!

Foodies Markets Kale Salad Serves Four