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Pan Fried Blackened Barramudi with Steamed Spinach
 over Potato Pancakes 
By The Gourmet Farm Girl
 
4-5 cups mashed potatoes (great idea for leftovers)
3 tablespoons butter + 2 tablespoons olive oil
4 Barramundi Fillets (or any mild white fish)
1-2 teaspoons The Gourmet Farm Girl Blackening Seasoning
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
8 cups fresh spinach
 
Shape mashed potatoes into patties: in a non-stick skillet heat 2 tablespoon butter and one tablespoon oil over medium heat and fry potato pancakes for 3-4 minutes on each  side till golden brown.
Season the fish fillets with blackening seasoning and salt.
While potatoes are frying; heat the remaining oil in a large heavy oven proof or cast iron skillet; place the fish in skillet and fry for 3-5 minutes; remove from heat and place under the broiler for 2-3 minutes till cooked through and flakes easily with a fork.
Steam the spinach in a steamer pan or add 3-4 tablespoons water to a stock pot; add spinach; cover and cook over medium high heat till just wilted; 5-6 minutes    
Place the potato pancake onto plate; add a layer of spinach and top with a piece of fish.
Serves: 4
 ENJOY!

Uniquely different…. Read More »

So, the calendar says March 20th is the first day of Spring!

However, Mother Nature is still promoting Winter; look what I spotted hanging on a pine tree… ice sickles. 
 
At least knowing it’s Spring is a comfort…even though it’s still freezing cold!
 
Here’s a thought for the Spring season to come…
 

If I had my life to live over again, I would ask that not a thing be changed, but that my eyes be opened wider.

– Jules Renard –

 
Enjoy you day!
 
The Gourmet Farm Girl

Spring Begins… Read More »

 
Visit The Gourmet Farm Girl at the Spring Fling, Business and Community Expo
The New Albany Chamber is sponsoring a showcase of businesses and community organizations at the Spring Fling Expo!
 
Admission is free.

 
March 21, 2013 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Church of the Resurrection
Educational Building
6300 E. Dublin-Granville Rd.
New Albany, Ohio
I will have my complete line available with samples… 


Hope to see you there!
 
“The Gourmet Farm Girl”
 
 

 

Event Reminder! Read More »

Looking for a green theme appetizer for your St. Patrick’s Party? Get the green from spinach and peas in this pesto and top off these little bites with green pistachios   
 
Smoked Salmon and Spinach Pesto
 with Honey and Pistachios
By The gourmet Farm Girl
 
 
1/2 head of garlic (roasted)
2 cups fresh spinach
1/2 cup frozen peas (thawed)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon course salt
1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 cup smoked salmon pieces
1/4 cup shelled pistachios 
4 slices rye bread (lightly toasted)
   and sliced into bite size pieces
5-6 tablespoons Local Honey
       more if desired
 
 
Drizzle the garlic with a small amount of oil and wrap in foil. Bake for 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees till soft and fragrant; remove and allow to cool. When cool enough to handle remove 4-5 cloves.
 
In a food processor pulse several times 5-6 garlic cloves with the spinach, peas, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Gradually add the oil and pulse again till just blended.
 
Spread the pesto onto each piece of rye toast, top with a few pieces of salmon and a couple of pistachios. Drizzle the honey over the entire plate and serve.
 
Note: *Extra pesto can be frozen.
          *Crackers work well in place of the rye toast.
          * For extra flavor grate some Parmesan cheese over the top 
 
Serves 6-8
 
 


St. Patrick’s Appetizer… Read More »

 With Easter right around the corner I thought I would share this recipe from my cookbook.
Roasted potatoes and root vegetables go very well with this loin. 
 
Boneless Pork Loin with Spice and Herb Glaze
By The Gourmet Farm Girl
4-5 pound boneless pork loin
5 tablespoons sea or kosher salt
5 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons granulated garlic
1 tablespoon cracked black pepper
3 tablespoons minced sweet onion
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon ground coriander
3-4 sprigs fresh thyme (pulled from stem)
1 small batch flat leaf parsley (chopped)
1 stem rosemary leaves
2 cups cold water
3 tablespoons canola oil
Score the fat on the loin; mix the above ingredients together and pour/rub over meat; place meat in a large Ziploc bag; place bag in a large bowl and brine for 3-8 hours in the refrigerator 
Preheat oven to 325 degrees
Remove loin form brine (discard brine) place scored side up in a 9 x 12 glass baking dish; pour 2 cups hot water in bottom of dish; bake for 45 minutes
Glaze Recipe
Mix together the following ingredients and pour over loin
1/4 cup light brown sugar (packed)
1/8 cup pure honey
1/2 lemon squeezed
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
2 tablespoons fresh chives chopped
Bake pork loin for an additional 45 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees
Let rest for 10-12
Board Dressing
While meat rests; whisk together:
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh flat leaf parsley (chopped)
1 teaspoons dried thyme
pinch of lemon zest
pinch of salt
pinch of pepper
Pour dressing onto a clean cutting board and place the pork loin on top; slice meat allowing the dressing to coat the meat; serve immediately

Serves 10-12

 

Full of Flavor… Read More »
Grilled Salmon
By The Gourmet Farm Girl 
2 pounds Salmon or Steelhead Trout Fillets (4 pieces) with skin

The Gourmet Farm Girl BBQ Rub (or your favorite)
The Gourmet Farm Girl Mission Extra Virgin Olive Oil (or you favorite)

Preheat grill to 425 degrees

This recipe can be done in a oven proof skillet (an iron skillet is best) as well as the grill. Just follow the instructions as if you were grilling.

Sprinkle seasoning over each fillet; drizzle with oil. Place the fillets skin side up on a hot well oiled grill to form grill marks. Cook fish for 3-4 minutes (do not move the fillets during this time, they will loosen on their own) when fish is ready to flip, turn to skin side down and continue to cook for 2-3 minutes until flaky.

Remove and plate; cover with foil allow to rest for 1-2 minutes before serving

Serves 4-5

Easy and Delicious… Read More »

This is a great recipe for making your own chicken nuggets. Your getting all the flavor and crunch  with tender white meat on the inside and avoiding the fat from deep frying and added preservatives.
They can be made ahead of time and popped in the oven when your ready to bake them off.
Your family will love them!


Homemade Chicken Nuggets
By The Gourmet Farm Girl
 
 
 
 



2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 cup buttermilk (optional)
1/2 cup flour
2 egg
2 teaspoons milk
1/2 cup plain bread crumbs
3/4 cup Panko breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
1 teaspoon smoked paprika (or regular paprika)
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup light extra virgin olive oil
Salt to taste

Cut the chicken breasts into bite size chunks; about 1 inch or inch and a half. Place the chicken in a zip seal bag with the buttermilk. Marinate the chicken in the refrigerator for 30 -60 minutes; this step is optional.

Place the flour, garlic, paprika and pepper in another zip seal bag; set aside. Beat the eggs and the milk in a medium size bowl; set aside. Mix together the bread crumbs in a medium size bowl; set aside.

When ready to bread the chicken, remove from the buttermilk and place a few pieces of chicken at a time in the bag of flour and seasonings; shake to coat. Remove and tap off any excess; dip each piece into the egg wash then roll in the bread crumbs and lay out on a sheet pan or large plate. When finished, place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or up to several hours. (This will set the breading and keep it from falling off while baking)



Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Pour the olive oil onto a heavy baking sheet with edges and coat the entire bottom of the pan. Place the pan in the oven for 1 minute to heat. Place the nuggets onto the pan and return to the oven for 15 minutes; remove and turn the nuggets over, return to the oven for an additional 5-7 minutes or till cooked through.

Place the nuggets on paper towels for a minute before serving; plate and salt to taste. Serve with your favorite BBQ Sauce or Honey Mustard

Makes about 24 nuggets 
 

Just like eating out… Read More »

  With yesterday being Fat Tuesday and the beginning of Mardi Gras I thought about all the great foods that go along with it. So I decided at the last minute to make my own unique Jambalaya. Without making a trip to the market I found what I needed in the freezer and in my pantry to make a Jambalaya with a northern farm girl twist. 

 
The only difference I made was to use bratwursts in place of sausage and wild rice in place of traditional white rice. The brats I used were from a market in my home town Bucyrus, they make a wonderful traditional German brat. These were the ones I grew up with on the farm. They have a distinctive flavor but are very close to sausage. The wild rice was a nice twist, it gave it a different texture and a whole grain taste.  
 
 Jambalaya
By The Gourmet Farm Girl

1 1/2  quarts water
1 14.5 low sodium chicken broth
1 pound smoked ham (with bone)
   or add pre-cooked smoked ham when adding the other meat
4 -5 cloves garlic (peeled and smashed)
1 teaspoons brown mustard seed
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 Tablespoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon French tarragon
4 chicken thighs
1/2 pound bratwursts links
1 medium onion chopped
1 leek chopped
1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
3 bay leaves
splash of white wine
1 cup wild rice
Hot Sauce or hot pepper flakes

In a large stock pot bring the water and broth to a boil and add the ham bone, cover and cook over medium heat for 45-50 minutes or until the meat pulls from the bone; remove bone and meat and allow to cool.

Add to the broth the garlic, mustard seed, basil, parsley, tarragon and chicken thighs; cover and cook over medium low heat for 45- 50 minutes or until the meat pulls from the bones. Remove from heat and strain; reserving the broth; allow chicken to cool.

Add the onion, leek, pepper, and bay leaves to the broth; reduce heat to simmer, tilt the lid and cook for 20-30 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.

While the broth simmers, pick the meat from the ham bone and pull the chicken from the bones; add to the broth. Cook the bratwurst in a small skillet until just cooked through; 12-15 minutes. Remove and slice into bite size pieces, add to the broth.

Deglaze the pan with a splash of white wine and add to pot. Add the rice and a pinch of pepper flakes; cover and cook for 35-40 minutes.
Note: do not remove the lid during this time; if the rice needs to cook longer cover it again for an additional 5-7 minutes.

Serve with additional hot pepper flakes or hot sauce.

Makes 8-10 servings 
 
  

Farm Girl Jambalaya… Read More »

I bought a 5 pound bag of mussels recently. That’s a lot of mussels for two people…what was I thinking? So here are several of the recipes I created using these delicious little sea creatures.
Mussels with Pasta, Fresh Spinach and Cheese
By The Gourmet Farm Girl
 
 
2 servings of fettuccine pasta cooked
1 tablespoon butter
1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3-4 cloves garlic minced
1 quart chicken stock
1/2 teaspoon dried basil leaves
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
1 1/2 pounds fresh mussels
1 cup fresh spinach (packed)
1/2 cup shredded Italian blend cheese
pinch of dried red pepper flakes

Cook pasta according to package directions for al dente; drain and set aside

In a deep skillet melt the butter and oil together over medium heat; saute the garlic for 30-40 seconds till just fragrant. Add the chicken stock, basil, parsley and pepper. Bring the broth to a boil; add the mussels. Cover and cook for 2-3 minutes till mussels open, discard any that do not open.
Stir in the pasta and fresh spinach, cover and steam on low heat for 1-2 minutes.  Remove from heat and top with the cheese blend and pepper flakes. Serve with some crusty bread for dipping.

Serves 4-5

Note: whole wheat, spinach pasta or herb flavored pasta like rosemary, basil or garlic would work well with this recipe.
 

Mussels, Mussels, Mussles… Read More »
 
Steamed Mussels in Basil Pesto
 and Red Wine Broth
By The Gourmet Farm Girl
 
 
6-7 roasted garlic cloves smashed
1 Tablespoon Butter
2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive oil or
   (The Gourmet Farm Girl Mission Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
2 green onions chopped
2 14.5 oz cans low sodium chicken broth
1 14.5 can diced tomatoes
1 Tablespoon Basil Pesto
2 sprigs fresh oregano
1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
1 1/2 pounds mussels
1/2 cup red wine (use a good one)
5-6 stems of Flat Leaf Parsley (chopped)
Grated Parmesan Cheese (use a good one)
 
 
Pre-heat oven to 375 
 
Cut one head of garlic in half; drizzle one half with olive oil and lightly salt; wrap in foil and bake for 20-30 minutes till soft and fragrant.  Reserve the other half for another recipe
 
While the garlic roasts, heat the butter and olive oil in a large deep skillet that has a lid. Saute the onions for 2-3 minutes over medium heat. Add the broth, tomatoes, basil pesto, oregano sprigs and pepper, reduce heat to simmer.
 
Remove the garlic from the foil and allow to cool, when cool enough to handle squeeze the garlic into a small bowl and smash with a spoon. Stir the garlic into the broth.
 
Turn the heat back up and bring the broth to a boil; pour the mussels into the hot broth and add the wine. Cover the pan with the lid and cook for 3-4 minutes or until all the mussels open.
(Discard any that do not open)
 
Garnish with the chopped parsley and grated cheese; serve immediately with some crusty bread for dipping.
 
Serves 2-4
 
Enjoy!
 

Saturday Night Supper! Read More »