Tag Archives: rosemary recipes

Rosemary Baked Beans

What’s another easy and impressive side dish to serve guests this Memorial Day Weekend? Homemade Rosemary Baked Beans. It is a quick toss of ingredients and then bake in the oven and you have taken this ordinary side dish into an extraordinary treat! Using cannellini beans makes the dish lighter and fresh rosemary really steps up the taste. If you are making the ketchup from last week’s post this is another perfect use.  It’s definitely another taste sensation!
From by the bay wishing you cannellini food memories!
Maryann
blog baked beans
Rosemary Baked Beans
Serves 4

Ingredients
2 28 ounce cans cannellini beans, drained in rinsed
6 tablespoons ketchup, homemade if possible
1/4 cup dark molasses
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon chopped rosemary
1/2 teaspoon cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon fine black pepper
6 slices bacon
Directions
Preheat oven to 350F. In a mixing bowl add all ingredients except the bacon and mix well. Pour the beans into 2 lodge mini 12 ounce servers. Cover with top with bacon strips and place on a baking sheet and place in the over for 25 minutes or until bacon is browned and fat rendered. Serve warm.

Herb Crusted Leg of Lamb

My mother’s parents immigrated to the United States in the early part of the 20th century from Greece. Easter by far and away is the most important religious holiday in the Greek Orthodox Church. Growing up my mother and her family would celebrate Easter with family and friends with a whole roasted baby lamb. My grandfather, my Papou, would buy the lamb and bring it to a bakery on 14th St. and First Avenue in Manhattan to be roasted. Papou would then take the subway home to Brooklyn, lamb in hand, so the family could celebrate Easter. As much as I would like to recreate my mother’s wonderful childhood memories, I’m not prepared to roast a whole lamb, but I do look forward to celebrating with the family by slow roasting a leg of lamb in the oven. I have tried different recipes over the years, but this recipe from Martha Stewart Living, is my favorite. I have adapted it a little over the years so this is the version, I’m sharing with you today. Kalo pasha……….
Happy Greek Easter!From by the bay wishing you the happiest Easter and food memories! Maryann
blog leg of lamb
Ingredients
1 leg of lamb approximately 9 pounds, bone in
1 teaspoon olive oil, plus 1/4 teaspoon
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 medium head garlic
1/4 cup olive oil 1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon thyme leaves
zest of 1 lemon
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/3 cup chardonnay
1 1/2 cup chicken stock
1 tablespoon chopped rosemary

Directions

Let leg of lamb stand at room temperature for one hour. Preheat oven to 325 degree F. Rub lamb with 1 teaspoon olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon sea salt and 1/4 pepper. Place into a heavy roasting pan. Meantime, rub head of garlic with 1/4 teaspoon olive oil, wrap in aluminum foil and roast in the oven for about 1 hour until very soft. Let cool. Cut off the head of the garlic and squeeze cloves into a bowl. Use a fork to mash garlic into a paste. Add the remaining olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, oregano, parsley, thyme leaves and remaining salt and pepper. Mix well and place to the side. Place lamb into the oven and roast for approximately 1 1/4 hours. Rotate pan and roast another 30 minutes. Remove lamb and slather it with the roasted garlic and herb mixture and place back into the oven to roast another hour or until thermometer inserted at the thickest part reads 160 degrees for medium and 170 degrees for well done. Remove from oven and let rest for 20 minutes. Transfer lamb to cuttting board and cover with foil. Pour off fat from the roasting pan and place on medium heat. Sprinkle in flour and stir with wood spoon. Pour in chardonnay to deglaze pan, scraping up the brown bits, reduce liquid to 1/2 and then add the chicken broth, stirring to combine. Add rosemary and salt and pepper to taste. Slice the lamb and serve with the gravy to the side.

Cooking with Rosemary

 blog rosemary

As the weather cools and my herb garden fades, I  still know that my favorite herb will still be available in my garden. My little rosemary bush is the  first to planted in the spring and is the last to leave me in early winter. I have it planted near my kitchen door so that I can just dash outside with my scissor to grab a few sprigs while cooking. Towards late afternoon on the weekends, I like to prepare for guests a little snack to go along with a great glass of wine and watch the sunset over the water.  So this time of year, when I am planning these snacks, I tend to use rosemary since it’s still available in the garden. I love the scent and taste of rosemary it evokes a combination of both the forest and the sea, much like the surroundings of my house. Fresh rosemary, which is my preference , looks similar to pine needles and when you chop the needles, the fragrance that is released is intoxicating! For the snacks start by getting some store bought olives, add rosemary, a squeeze of lemon juice and some small wedges of cut lemon, last drizzle with a little olive oil and the olives become much more special!  The other snacks I’ve made with rosemary are each delicious and quite different, one is roasted almonds, the next is a crostini using crushed cannelini beans on toasts and the last is a savory cracker. Each is a perfect compliment to wine.  Let’s raise a glass together to cheer for rosemary!

From by the bay, wishing you rosemary scented food memories!

Maryann

 

blog rosemary almonds
Roasted Rosemary Almonds

 

3 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary

¾ teaspoon fine sea salt

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 cups raw whole blanched almonds

Additional coarse sea salt to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line baking sheet with aluminum foil. Heat olive oil in sauté pan add rosemary, salt, cayenne pepper and cook until fragrant – approximately 1 min.

Add almonds and coat and keep in the pan for another minute or two. Remove from heat and place on baking sheet in one layer. Bake for 10-12 minutes, stirring once. Remove from oven, sprinkle with additional coarse sea salt. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Variation:  Roasted Pecans

This will taste completely different but just as delicious. Using blanched almonds as they roast the almonds will fry in the oil.

Replace 2 cups almonds with 2 cups raw whole pecans.

 

blog rosemary crostini

 

Rosemary Mashed Beans on Chili Toast

Serves 4

1 15.5 oz can cannellini beans, rinsed

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon rosemary, chopped

1 teaspoon red wine vinegar

Coarse sea salt and freshly ground pepper

4 tablespoons grated pecorino cheese

Directions

In small pan heat 1 tablespoon olive oil, add the rosemary when fragrant approximately 30 seconds, add cannellini beans and sauté for approximately 5-6 minutes, mashing beans with the bottom of a wood spoon. Combine beans with red wine vinegar, grated pecorino cheese and remaining olive oil to loosen mixture slightly. Add salt and pepper to taste. Place bean mixture on top of toast. Serve.

Chili Toast

1 tablespoon olive oil

½ teaspoon chili flakes

½ teaspoon fine sea salt

4 slices ciabiatta bread

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place bread on nonstick baking sheet, brush with olive oil and sprinkle the chili flakes and salt over the bread. Bake until golden brown approximately 8-10 minutes. Remove from oven and cool.

 

blog rosemary cheese coins

Rosemary Pecan and Parmesan Cheese Coins

 

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

3/4 cup all purpose flour

1/4 cup pecan flour

4 ounces unsalted butter  (1/2 stick), softened

1 tablespoon creme fraiche

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon fine grey sea salt

1 tablespoon rosemary, minced

1 to 2 tablespoons water

 

Directions

Pulse all ingredients except water in a food processor. Transfer to a bowl and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of water. 

Form dough by squeezing with hands, adding more water if necessary.  Form dough into two logs approximately 1 inch in diameter. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cut dough into 1/8 inch slices and place on baking sheets unlined. Place baking sheets in oven one on top rack and one on bottom shelf. Bake for 20 minutes in total until golden brown. Half way through switch baking sheets in the oven. Remove from oven and cool. Serve with wine or cocktails.

 

Goat Milk Braised Pork Loin

 

This recipe is adapted from a meal I shared at a friend’s home outside of Florence many years ago. It started my love for the herb rosemary. I had never had meat braised in milk before and  as an inexperienced american it seemed odd to me, but it was so delicious. The milk creates a lovely gravy after braising. Over the years I have evolved the recipe by adding onions for another dimension of flavor and by trying goat milk . Although this dish works great with cow’s milk, I find the results with goat milk to be slightly sweeter and makes for a creamier gravy. This is probably a matter of personal preference.  Either way this is recipe that is simple to make and big on taste.

From by the bay, wishing you milky food memories,
Maryann

Goat Milk Braised Pork Loin

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

3 lb boneless pork loin roast

2 mediume vidalia onions, peeled and thinly sliced

2 sprigs fresh rosemary

2 cups organic goat milk or cow’s milk

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon fine sea salt

½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
optional: garnish with gremolata – recipe below

Directions

Preheat oven to 350F. In dutch oven heat butter and oil on stove until hot, add the pork loin and brown on all sides. Remove from pan and place to side. In same pot please add the onions and sauté until soft, add back the pork, add rosemary and milk. Cover and place into the oven for two hours, stirring occasionally. Let pork rest slice and serve with onion and milk gravy. Garnish with gremolata.

Gremolata

Ingredients
1/2 cup italian parsley, finely chopped
1 lemon
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

Directions
In a bowl add parsley and minced garlic. Into this bowl finely zest the lemon. Add salt and mix. Refrigerate until ready to use. This can be used to compliment veal, pork or fish.

Pickled Grapes with Rosemary and Chiles

Ever since my trip to Nashville, I’ve been inspired to discover more about the exciting food movement happening with southern cuisine. Along the way I discovered the Lee Brothers. Matt Lee  and Ted Lee are founders of “The Lee Bros. Boiled Peanuts Catalogue,” a mail-order catalog for southern pantry staples. They are also food and travel journalists whose work has appeared in Travel + Leisure, Food & Wine, GQ, The New York Times and Martha Stewart Living. Together they authored The Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook and Simple Fresh Southern, which is a fantastic cookbook. This is one of the first recipes I made from the book. So easy to make but with a delicious sweet and sour taste , with an added kick of heat. It’s perfect to serve with your favorite cocktail.
From by the bay, wishing you pickled food memories!
Maryann
blog pickle grapes
Pickled Grapes with Rosemary and Chiles
Ingredients
6 cups stemmed mixed red and green seedless grapes (about 2 pounds)
2 cups distilled white vinegar or white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons sugar
3 cloves garlic, crushed and peeled
Leaves from 1 four-inch sprig rosemary
1/2 teaspoon crushed dried red chile flakes
Directions
Pack the grapes into 3 pint-size glass containers with lids. Pour the vinegar and 1 cup water into a saucepan, set it over medium-high heat, and add the salt, sugar, garlic, rosemary, and chile flakes. When the mixture starts to simmer, remove the pan from the heat and divide the hot brine among the pints of grapes. Cover loosely and let cool to room temperature. Cover tightly and chill in the refrigerator for about 1 hour before serving. The pickles will keep in the refrigerator for about 2 weeks.
Reprinted from The Lee Bros. Simple Fresh Southern: Knockout Dishes with Down-Home Flavor by Matt and Ted Lee. Copyright © 2009 Published by Clarkson Potter
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Total time: 1 hour 40 minutes
Yield: Makes 1 1/2 quarts