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ghee

broccoli over tomato butter sauce {gf}

I found this recipe on Food and Wine and was intrigued. But I needed to modify a few things. Skip the bread, sub in ghee for butter, opt for olives over tapenade, add in pumpkin seeds and top with flaky salt and lemon zest.

The sauce proved addicting; I would totally make this again.

Happy eating,
~Monique

broccoli over tomato butter sauce {gf}

2 tbls olive oil + 1 tbls to drizzle
2 medium broccoli heads with stems intact
2 cups cherry tomatoes
1 small red onion, cut into 1-inch wedges
1/4-1/2 cup vegetable broth
2 tbls ghee
1 tsp pink salt
fresh black pepper
toppings:
-lemon zest, toasted pumpkin seeds, microgreens and sliced olives.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Measure out the ghee and place in the refrigerator to chill.

Cut the broccoli head into ‘steaks’ as best you can. Place the steaks, tomatoes and onion on a sheet pan, drizzle with the olive oil followed by 1 tsp salt and a few grinds of fresh black pepper. Toss well. Roast 20 -30 minutes until lightly charred in spots.

Scoop out all the tomatoes and onion into a blender. Add 1/4 cup broth and carefully blend until smooth. When blending hot ingredients be sure to allow a bit of steam to escape by removing the center piece of the blender lid and covering with a towel.

Add remaining broth if the sauce needs a little thinning. Add in the chilled ghee and process until the sauce is glossy. Taste, and adjust salt as desired.

Spoon the sauce onto plates. Place the roasted broccoli in the middle. Top with the lemon zest, pumpkin seed olives and microgreens.

garlic and herb popcorn

I made the most ridiculous popcorn tonight, all by accident. I was actually making a marinade for a flank steak when the idea hit me right in the taste buds. I wanted to just eat this buttery concoction off a spoon, but decided to find a better vessel. Popcorn. Why not?

We paired this with champagne and we fought over the last few kernels. It’s garlicky, buttery and completely elevated.
Happy Eating,
~Monique

Garlic and Herb Popcorn

1/3 cup popcorn, gmo free
heaping spoon of coconut oil
Topping:
2 – 3 heaping tablespoons ghee or grass-fed butter
1 large clove garlic, finely smashed and minced
2 tbls fresh chive
1/2 tbls fresh thyme
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 – 1 tsp pink salt
Equipment: My favorite Cuisinart pans

Smash the garlic. Finely chop the herbs, red pepper and garlic together.

Heat a handled stock pan over medium heat with the oil and a 3 kernels of popcorn. Cover with a lid. Once the three kernels have popped, add the remaining popcorn, shake well and replace the lid.

Once you hear the kernels begin to pop, tilt the lid just enough to allow the steam to escape but not enough to let the kernels pop out. Replace the lid and shake well every 20 seconds, then tilt the lid again.

When you don’t hear any more kernels popping within about 3-4 seconds, turn off the heat and pour popcorn into a bowl.

Add the ghee, salt and minced garlic & herbs to the hot pan along with the salt. Swirl just to melt then pour over the popcorn. Toss well to distribute.

Serve with a napkin.

‘I was mixing a steak marinade when the idea hit me… basically I licked my finger and started looking for a vessel to put this on.’

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Making homemade ghee

Fat (the right kind) doesn’t make you fat. It’s actually needed in the body to lubricate the joints and keep the brain healthy. If you’ve been to any of my cooking classes or listened to me talk about fats at all, then you’ve likely heard me bring up my favorite fat- ghee.

Take butter, remove the milk solids and you have clarified butter, or ghee. It tastes like really unsalted butter and it takes some getting used too when you aren’t familiar with it (hint: add a sprinkle of salt to it.) But it’s ultra healing for the gut.

You can buy it, but it’s cheaper and relatively simple to make your own if you are the type to do that. I ALWAYS keep a back up jar in the pantry at all times- my favorite brand is Ancient Organics.

I add this to my morning coffee or tea, use it in place of all oil in cooking and I even use it to butter toast and the like (with a sprinkle of salt of course.) Eat local and explore the unknown.
Happy Eats,
~Monique

Homemade Ghee

2 cups grass fed butter

Place the butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Bring to a boil and turn down the heat to a strong simmer for about 15 minutes. You will need to keep close to the pot during this time.

Foam or white solids will form on the top, skim this off with a spoon. This is the salty milk solids you are removing. The butter will turn clear.

Line a strainer with cheese cloth. Pour the ghee through and let cool. It will become solid once it cools. Store at room temperature or refrigerate.