Roasted Carrot Salad with Sautéed Apple Vinaigrette

This is a delicious warm salad with a unique flavor combination: sweet roasted carrots; fresh, crisp spinach; and a fresh apple-balsamic vinaigrette.  The balsamic-apple vinaigrette is a vibrant, nutritious, and unique dressing or topping.

Phyllo “Pizzettes”

These mini pizzas or “pizzettes” are simple and delicious with the help of store-bought phyllo dough. A simple spinach pesto, goat cheese, and fresh cherry tomatoes make a delicious topping combination.

Orzo Stuffed Roasted Red Peppers

These roasted red peppers are packed with flavor and nutrients!  Red peppers are actually a great source of vitamin C and the combination of veggies and tangy feta make for a delicious and nutritious meal, all “stuffed” in one!

51...Frozen: 51 Porter Does Ice Cream

ICE CREAM?! Doesn't that require all sorts of fancy equipment and heavy ingredients? NOPE!

This recipe requires only one ingredient, but it has tremendous potential to transform something ordinary into a heavenly delectable we like to call 51...Frozen.

Roasted Carrot Ravioli with Warm Apple-Spinach Pesto

Whoa! You might be thinking, what in the world?! Carrots in ravioli? Apples in pesto?

Don't judge it till you try it! This was perhaps one of the finest meals that has graced the 51 Porter table.

Sweet, caramelized roasted carrots, pureed and tucked inside thin sheets of pasta; juicy apples sauteed with onions and garlic, blended with fresh spinach and lemon juice; and a sprinkling of freshly grated parmesan cheese atop a mound of roasted Brussel sprouts...just another day in the life at 51 Porter.

Broccoli Soup with Cheese Tortellini

Broccoli is a 51 Porter favorite!  Roasted...sauteed...and now, pureed!  This broccoli soup is very simple with a clean flavor.  It is packed with veggies and complemented by a splash of balsamic and a sprinkle of feta cheese.  The simple wonton wrapper sun-dried tomato, cheese tortellini add a bit of heartiness to this simple soup, but do not overwhelm the fresh, clean flavor of the star...broccoli.

Lemon Bars

Baked then chilled atop a butter crust, the lemon filling is the perfect combination of sweet and tang.  This recipe comes from multiple attempts throughout my life to find the perfect lemon bar.  The crust and filling are actually from different recipes, but they come together to make this dessert favorite!  The trick to these lemon bars...add a splash of lime juice...give them a chill...dust them with powdered sugar and devour!

Put a Spring in Your Step: Spring Rolls with Peanut Dipping Sauce

These are absolutely delicious.  Fresh, crisp veggies; smooth vermicelli rice noodles tossed with garlic and cilantro; and a creamy peanut sauce are guaranteed to put a spring in your step!

Chocolate Banana Pavolova

The flavor combinations for this light dessert are endless.  Pile the crisp meringues high with fluffy chocolate pudding and stir in sliced bananas.  A dollop of warm nutella adds the perfect sweet flourish.

Baked Falafel and Homemade Tzatziki

The flavors of the middle east are brought to 51 Porter in these tender on the inside and crisp on the outside baked falafels.  The cool and creamy tang of homemade tzatziki is the perfect complement to this middle eastern favorite.

Kitchen Sink Salad: Orzo, Sun-dried Tomatoes, Feta, Pesto, and Spinach

This is a great lunch or dinner to use up all your leftover veggies!

Not Your Average Meatball Sub

These meatballs are made from vegetarian meat as a substitute for the real thing, but if you're a meat eater go ahead and swap it out for some lean ground beef! The general conversion is 12 oz. of vegetarian meat to 16 oz. of ground beef, because the beef loses more moisture during the cooking process.

Recipe and idea compliments of Momma Tammen.

Phyllo Pizza with Arugula Pesto, Artichoke Hearts, and Goat Cheese

This Phyllo Pizza will Phyllo you with a tasty and crispy uniqueness you won't find in the thinnest of thin crust pizzas! 

Enchiladas with a 51 Porter Twist

-Black Bean and Caramelized Pepper and Onion Enchiladas

-Cumin-Roasted Sweet Potato Enchiladas

51 Porter has returned from a beautiful break on the West Coast. Personally, I ate Mexican Food every single chance I got (daily…sometimes more). Some So Cal favorites include El Burrito Junior in the South Bay, Panchos in Manhattan Beach, Riviera Grill in Hermosa Beach, and my all-time favorite …Casablanca in Venice Beach. The fresh flavors of cilantro, cumin, lime juice, avocado, chili…are so refreshing and delicious. Bringing these flavors back to Boston, it is time to represent the West Coast at 51 Porter!

Spinach Salad with Pear, Cranberry, Feta, and Candied Nuts

This is one of my all time favorite salads. It is a great side dish at any meal and pair beautifully with most main courses. The dressing is a combination of sweet balsamic vinegar and fruity olive oil with a hint of Dijon to emulsify. You can switch up the nut or fruit varieties or add grilled chicken to make it a heartier dish!

Brie and Tomato Toastie

When I studied abroad in England, I would go to Cafe Pembroke many afternoons to get a toasted brie and tomato sandwich.  I'd venture down to the banks of the River Cam with my books and "toastie" (as the English would call it) and enjoy this delicious combination of warm brie, sweet tomatoes, and crusty baguette.   Recreating this classic when I returned home, with the addition of a dash of homemade pesto, brings me right back to Cambridge, England!

Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwich: A 51 Porter Simple Pleasure

I stumbled across this amazing sandwich way back during my sophomore year of undergrad. GO BEARS! I had fallen in love with "banana wraps", which were these amazing little burritos available on campus. Peanut butter, sliced banana, granola, honey, and raisins were tucked away in a tortilla, and the mmmmm-gasms that they delivered were noteworthy. After my endless raving, my roommate at the time suggested that I create a sandwich: peanut butter and banana with honey. The rest is history, as this sandwich has delighted me day in and day out for nearly five years. Please see below for the fine, time-tested technique of creating this delicious and simple sandwich.

Roasted Broccoli with Parmesan

Roasting is a great way to bring flavor to any vegetable.  Roasted broccoli becomes golden, crisp, and tender.  The nutty, salty bite from the Parmesan is the perfect accent to this amazing dish.  Make sure to blanch the broccoli (as described) to set the vibrant green color and ensure a tender-roasted broccoli.

Roasted Brussel Sprouts...Seriously, try them!

Forget childhood memories of boiled or microwaved sprouts; these roasted gems create a crisp, golden outer layer while maintaining a tender, leafy inside.  Delicious with a dash of sea salt and a sprinkle of parmesan...seriously, try them!

Meet our Newest Addition to the 51 Porter Family!

Yes, that's right! We have a new peep in the 51 Porter household, and it goes by the name of Oster...Oster the hand mixer that is. We are super pumped, as we are slowly adding some essential tools to our kitchen. More importantly, this hand mixer will facilitate the creation of some delicious treats for us and our friends around the table. Deliciousness. BRACE YOURSELF.

Kelly modeling our mixer!

GREAT SUCCESS!

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51 Porter with a Mexican Twist!

51 Porter had a great start to the New Year with a fun cooking adventure with our friend Eric Palilunas who is a chef at Trident Booksellers and Cafe in Boston (www.tridentbookscafe.com). We decided to go with a Mexican theme and cooked up the following items: sweet potato stuffed empanadas, chili rellenos, and Spanish rice.

Here are some general guidelines for the deliciousness that we concocted and some suggestions for ways to add a little more flavor and pop to the items we prepared, because as we all know hindsight in life and cooking is always 20/20!

Pavlova

The meringue recipe is from Jamie Oliver who taught me some tricks for meringue-making.  This recipe can be modified both by flavorings and cooking method.  However, some consistent tips when making meringue include using superfine sugar (or as the British call it, caster sugar).  What does this mean?  Yea, I had no idea, so I did some research and learned you can easily make it from granulated sugar.  By grinding your granulated in a food processor for about 15 seconds, the sugar crystals become small and fine (but not powdered sugar), making your meringue smooth and not grainy.  Delicious and beautiful!

Spanakopita Chicken

Love me some Greek food...

Butternut Squash Ravioli with Hazelnut Pesto

In order to make homemade ravioli, I feel like I might need an Italian grandmother watching over my every move in the kitchen.  But with the help of some wonton wrappers, this was a simple and delicious homemade pasta.   The wonton wrapper method could be used with any filling you like…however, if any Italian grandmothers out there want to teach 51 Porter how to make homemade pasta…we would love it! 

Nutella Banana Pockets

Another experiment...turned into a great success...and dessert!

Lasagna

This recipe is probably my favorite lasagna recipe.  It was originally from the Barefoot Contessa with a few new additions.  Mmm….

Chicken Roulade...51 Porter Style

Macadamia Nut Crusted Halibut

This is a family favorite.  If you can find a good deal of fresh halibut give this recipe a try.  Two variations are given below: one with pesto, one with a creamy garlic sauce...but all with a crispy and delicious macadamia nut crust!

Asiago Crusted Scallops

This recipe is so simple and one of my new favorite ways to eat scallops!

Grilled Scallops - Two Ways

Caramelized Onion and Feta Tartlets

These little gems are a great, hearty appetizer for any occasion!

Pesto

Pesto is one of 51 Porter’s all time favorite recipes.  It can be used on everything from pasta to pizza to soup to bread…to…well…just about anything.  This recipe is a basic structure from which you can let your imagination run wild.  Also, it is a bit of a healthier alternative to traditional pestos that have more oil.  This thick, spreadable, flavorful sauce is perhaps one of the finest culinary creations of all time! Here you are given the basic building blocks of pesto and several variations that will be updated periodically when we find new flavor combos! 

HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM 51 PORTER!

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa...and HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Love,

51 Porter

A Tale of Two Cookies: #1. Oatmeal Raisin, #2. White Chocolate Cranberry

Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house, not a creature was stirring...not even a mouse...therefore, the logical thing to do was to make cookies...to wake up the fam and even the mouse!  The result was two of my favorite cookies...great at any time of the year! 

BONUS: Check out the randomized, controlled study on cookie freshness at the end of this post!

Nutella Hot Chocolate

If you have ever been over to 51 Porter, you know that all three of us are gaga for Nutella. We utilize this hazelnut spread as much as we can! Now that winter is in full swing, frothy cups of deliciousness are always ready for the savoring! Barista Renee :) is eager and willing to serve you up a drink/teach you how to make some warm delights at the drop of a hat!

A 51 Porter Field Trip to Chicago

Hey everyone, this is Stephanie writing the first non-recipe involved post for Off The Wall. In taking a train from the Boston area to Arizona for the holidays I had a 5 hour layover in Chicago. I took this opportunity to stretch my legs and walk at random through downtown Chicago (actually not so random, but in search of the best deep dish pizza the Windy City had to offer). I walked past the Sears Tower, now dubbed the Willis tower, turned a corner, and behold! A Lavazza cafe! If you've ever been to 51 Porter for dinner you know that we bask in goodness of this espresso bean, and use it daily to make cappuccinos and mochas. Finding a store that also celebrates its flavor made my layover quite meaningful, and tasty!

The menu at the Lavazza Cafe is extensive, and in the tradition of Lavazza's homeland, the names of the drinks are all Italian. Luckily, we were seeking the classics,a cappuccino and a mocha. Bravo! What a delight, especially on a cold Chicago day. The real excitement of the visit came from talking to one of the baristas named Juan. He shared our passion for espresso and quality drinks, as well as experiments with Lavazza. He explained that their cafe makes a Nutella beverage, and we even found the tub of Nutella sitting on the Espresso maker. Juan let us sample a new creation by chef Ferran Adria out of Spain called Espesso, which is made from espresso, cream, sugar and gelatin, forming something like a mousse. Very tasty, but very sweet and could only be eaten in small amounts.

All in all, this was a fantastic experience and highly recommended. It's so refreshing to find a coffee shop that truly enjoys their product and aren't rushing you in and out of their door. If you're ever in Chicago you should make time to stop into one of the three Lavazza cafes, which as far as I know are the only Lavazza cafes in the US. The one that we stumbled into was at Jackson and Clark streets. Stop in and say hello to 51 Porter's new friend Juan. Here is the address and location from Yelp:


111 West Jackson Blvd.
At LaSalle
(at Michigan Ave)
Chicago, IL 60604
(312) 447-0000

Eggnog

After a trip to the local grocery store for some eggnog we discovered that many of the cartons of this holiday treat contain our favorite American ingredient: high fructose corn syrup. Alas, being nutrition graduate students, we decided to make our own Eggnog this winter! Who knew it was so easy? 

This recipe was adopted from Alton Brown. It has two methods of preparation, I've tried both and like this one better. 

Cookie Dough Bites

These are a holiday favorite.  Shout out to Hali who gave us this delicious recipe!

Pizza Party...51 Porter Style

Buttery crust, delicious toppings, and some classy people...pizza party, 51 Porter Style.

Le Menu

Caramelized Onion, Feta, and Balsamic Pizza

Asparagus Pizza

Mozzarella, Tomato, and Basil Pizza

Pesto and Goat Cheese Pizza

Tomato Soup (with pesto) and Grilled Cheese...51 Porter Style

We have been experimenting with different variations of tomato soup.  This one is our favorite.  Seriously, give it a try...tomato soup has never been so easy and delicious! Plus this recipe can be used as a tasty sauce for pizzas!