I was looking for some way to brighten up yet another gray February day, when I happened upon this sunshine-bright Citrus Salad with Lemongrass Syrup from Kitchn (my new favorite food blog). There’s so much delicious citrus being harvested on the West Coast right now, and no time like the present to take advantage of it, so I went for it.  Combining the herbal zip of fresh lemongrass, the lush flavor of vanilla bean and the sweetness of honey with fresh grapefruit, oranges, and oroblanco, this salad is easy to whip up and fun to eat.  Even Ben had seconds–and that’s saying something.  Don’t forget to garnish with lime zest and a sprig of fresh mint.

This Chocolate Mousse recipe from Cafe Fernando is half miracle, half magic trick.  With nothing more than chocolate and water–that’s right, no cream, no eggs, no milk–this mousse comes together in no time to provide a chocolate flavor so pure you’ll have to taste it to believe it.  In fact, because this chocolate mousse tastes so pure, it’s the perfect vehicle for your other favorite flavors, such as fresh mint, lavender, rosemary, or thyme.  Simply bring the water to a boil and steep the fresh herbs of your choosing for fifteen minutes.  Then, follow the recipe as normal.  Served with a little whipped cream and a sprig or two of herbs for garnish, this is a dinner party worthy dessert that doubles as a conversation piece.

Perfect Potato Skins

There’s nothing as festive (or as delicious) as a toasty, well-topped potato skin. We bake ours in the oven, top them with cheddar cheese and bacon, and then garnish wiith sour cream, jalapenos, and lots of fresh chives.

A good casserole can be a girl’s best friend.  Do a little prep, pop it in the oven, and you and your family can eat for a week.  But, so many casserole recipes are filed with an excess of ground meat, high-fat cheese, and calorie-laden carbs.  A healthy, tasty, and satisfying casserole recipe can be hard to come by.

That’s why I was so excited to find this chickpea casserole recipe from Faith Durand’s new cookbook Not Your Mother’s Casseroles.  This casserole gets flavor from fresh parsley and rosemary, a touch of tartness from fresh lemon juice, and just enough creaminess from yogurt and cottage cheese.  Topped with bread crumbs and grated Parmesan cheese, it has a crispy golden crust that will make this recipe a seasonal standby in no time.

If you’re still feeling a little guilty about your holiday food indulgences or have already tried and failed at your 2012 New Year’s diet resolution, you might try the Food Lover’s Cleanse from Bon Appetit magazine.  Two full weeks of meals–including breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, and dessert–the Food Lover’s Cleanse is designed to reform even the most gluttonous gourmande into a healthy food advocate.  Chockfull of fresh produce, whole grains, and yes, lots of fresh herbs, the Cleanse includes recipes for every meal as well as handy grocery shopping lists.  Try a dinner of Mushroom-Sherry Soup with fresh parsley, Roasted Chicken and Citrus Sauce with fresh cilantro, and Roasted Acorn Squash with fresh mint, or a lunch of Moroccan-Style Lentil and Chickpea Soup with Lamb and Roasted Tomatoes and plenty of fresh cilantro.  This is food you can enjoy and still feel good about.

Harris Teeter has created a series of videos introducing their neighbors and local growers.  In this video, Shenandoah Growers CEO, Timothy Heydon explains Shenandoah Growers’ process for growing fresh organic herbs year round in a sustainable and environmentally friendly manner.

Sometimes it can be hard to eat your greens in the winter months, but this hearty, healthy wrap is so good you’ll be begging for seconds.  And it’s easy too.  Just combine whatever winter greens you can find (we used beet greens, red cabbage, and chard) with peeled carrots and beets sliced super-thin on a mandolin and lots of fresh herbs (we used parsley and dill).  Heat up a tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet and toss in the veggies.  Once they soften, add salt, black pepper, and red wine vinegar to taste.  Serve on warmed flatbread spread with a scant tablespoon of soft goat cheese.  We like to wrap our sandwiches in foil to keep in the heat.  There’s no tastier way to enjoy the bounty of winter.

I’ve been working on making a special cocktail for my sweetie this Valentine’s Day.  It has to be special, and of course, it has to be red!  So, I’m going with this Tart Cherry and Tarragon Chiller. And, the good news?  It’s simple.  Just get our your cocktail shaker, and muddle together 1/4 cup of fresh lime juice with 1 teaspoon of superfine sugar and a 1/2 teaspoon of minced, fresh tarragon.  Add ice cubes, 1/4 cup light rum, and 1/2 cup of tart cherry juice.  Shake, and serve garnished with fresh tarragon.  For an extra special touch, soak a few dried, tart cherries in dark rum; skewer on a toothpick; and serve alongside the tarragon.  This recipe makes enough for two, and it is sure to make your Valentine’s Day a special one.

What You Will Need:

Tools:

• cutting board
• large pot
• sharp knife
• vegetable peeler

Ingredients:

• 1.5 lbs. cannellini beans
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 3 celery ribs, diced
• 2 sprigs of fresh oregano
• 2 bay leaves
• 4  14 oz. cans low sodium chicken stock
• 2 cups water
• 2 cups roasted green chiles*
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 jalapenos, thinly sliced
• 3 cups roasted chicken, shredded
• 2 tsp. cumin
• 1 tbsp. salt or more to taste
• 1 tsp. black pepper

Garnishes:

• fresh cilantro
• green onion
• jalapeno, thinly sliced
• black olives, diced
• shredded cheddar cheese
• sour cream
• lime wedges
• broken tortilla chips
• avocado, diced

* Roasted green chiles can be hard to find if you live outside the Southwest.  Frozen, roasted green chiles, like the ones we use below, can be found in specialty food stores and some larger grocery stores.  If you can’t find any frozen, roasted green chiles, you could always roast your own.  If you want to go this route, we suggest using a mixture of poblano and anaheim chile peppers.  For two cups of chopped, roasted chiles, you will probably need about 8 large chile peppers.

Steps:
One of the hardest things about this recipe is remembering to start it the night before you want to serve the chili.  The cannellini beans need to soak for at least twelve hours so that they will be soft enough to cook up along with the onions, carrots, and celery.  So, the night before you want to make your chili, rinse the cannellini beans and place them in a large bowl.  Then, cover beans in water and let sit over night.

Once the beans have soaked, drain them in a collander and set them aside.  Then, gather the rest of your ingredients.

Add 1 tbsp. of olive oil to a large pot and place over medium-high heat.  Peel and dice one onion and two carrots and chop three celery ribs.  Add onion, carrots, and celery to the pot and cook for five minutes or until softened.

Once the onion, carrot, and celery has softened, add the beans, two sprigs of oregano, two bay leaves, four cans of chicken stock, and two cups of water to the pot.  Cover and let cook for one hour over medium-high heat or until beans are al dente.

Once beans are soft, remove bay leaves and oregano stems.  Add roasted green chiles, fresh jalapenos, garlic, and chicken to the pot.  Add cumin, salt, and pepper.  Turn heat down to low and simmer for thirty minutes.

In the meantime, prepare your garnishes.  We like jalapeno, fresh cilantro, green onion, black olives, sour cream, and sharp cheedar, but you could also use cracked tortilla chips or diced avocado.  Whatever garnishes you use, don’t forget to serve the soup with a lime wedge on the side!

Once soup has finished simmering, taste for seasoning.  Add more cumin, salt, and pepper to taste.  Garnish and serve.  There’s simply no better, healthier way to stay warm on a cold winter’s night.