cooking Archive

israeli couscous with hazelnuts & garbanzos

– March 31, 2011Posted in: eat/drink

Hello, you, who’s who?

Is it a garbanzo or is it a hazelnut? I can hardly tell. Israeli couscous, maybe I am obsessed with you right now.

You look so dang cute with those beans & nuts. I dunno, maybe I will just have to eat you all.

Okay, silly, yes. However, every time I make this salad that is the inner dialog. I made up this recipe in honor of some of my favorite Mediterranean flavors and because I love Israeli couscous, or pearl couscous. The shapes of the three main ingredients play off each other as various little spheres of delicious in a playground of simple delights.

That sounds like a good time, right? In preparing it, you toast each of the ingredients separately to creating another layer of rich visual and flavor complexity. The hazelnuts need to have their skins removed by roasting them, which intensifies & enriches their already rich nutty flavor.

Toasting the garbanzos reveals another layer of textural interests & creates a nutty flavor you would otherwise not find in the simple bean. Always, I love what happens when you caramelize pasta, so spectacular. With the similar shapes & caramelization, this preparation is not only super tasty; it becomes a sort of gustatory trompe l’oeil.

Each shape compliments each other & the shapes & colors of the beans & nuts replicate each other in a really sweet manner. It is a pretty dish & it is incredibly diverse. I have been making it a lot lately because it seems to suit many diets.

This little tasty trompe l’oeil salad is an excellent vegetarian main dish & is as beautiful as an element to a Mediterranean meal. Lamb. Yes. You, you are perfect with this.

I made it last week as an accompaniment to red wine vinegar & honey marinated lamb kebabs. Shut up! That was super tasty. Lately, I am also just really into couscous, Israeli couscous to be exact. The plump little hard wheat pasta pearls have such a satisfying texture.

Originally seen as a kid’s food in Israel, where it’s known as Ptitim or Ben-Gurion’s rice, I found this preparation to be a fun & playful way to honor its home roots.

Kids love shapes, adults love flavors, so it’s all there. A trick of the eye, a party in your mouth. I think you will love this.

(click here to print!)

Hazelnut Trompe L’oeil Couscous

or
Israeli Couscous with Hazelnuts & Garbanzos

what you need:
microplane is the only special tool

ingredients:
1 cup raw hazelnuts
2 Tbsp cooking oil, I prefer grapeseed for this
1 15 oz. can drained & rinsed garbanzo beans
2-3 cloves garlic
10 sprigs flat leaf parsley
1 lemon, zest, juice optional
1 cup pearl or Israeli couscous, whole wheat is nice also
2 cups very hot water or broth
sea salt & fresh cracked black pepper
plenty of excellent extra virgin olive oil

how to make it:
-preheat oven to 375°F
-peel & smash garlic cloves & mince very finely with salt
-remove parsley from stems & chop coarsely
-zest a lemon with a microplane, removing just the bright yellow, avoid the bitter white pith
-meanwhile, place hazelnuts on a cookie sheet & place in oven, toast for 10 minutes & set aside to cool
-once cool, roll the hazelnuts between the palms of your hands to remove the skins, lift up from pan & shake skins away & set aside to add to garbanzo mixture
-heat a heavy bottomed sauce pan over a medium heat
-add cooking oil to pan until shimmery & hot
-add garbanzos to pan & spread across surface evenly, leave to toast without stirring for about 3 minutes, stir
-continue to cook this way until the garbanzos start to pop, add the hazelnuts & stir well
-add lemon zest, garlic & half of the parsley, stir well & cook all together for about 2-3 minutes, set aside
-place pan back on heat without cleaning it, put couscous into pan & toast over medium flame, stir often so the bits left from garbanzos doesn’t burn, you may want to decrease the flame
-toast pasta for about 2-4 minutes, add hot water or broth & bring to simmer, reduce flame to medium low or just to hold the simmer
-cover pan & simmer for 10-12 minutes
-remove from heat & stir in garbanzo garnish, season with salt & pepper to taste, add the rest of the parsley & coat with olive oil.
-if you prefer a little brighter flavor, add the juice of half the lemon & stir well
-serve warm or enjoy at room temperature

great friends: grapefruit & vanilla, rosemary & almonds

– January 28, 2011Posted in: eat/drink

When we are lucky enough to have great friends.

We should make them delicious things, because sometimes words can’t express how much they mean to us. And sometimes, we should write them a letter.

Dear Vanilla Sugar,

Thank you for being a friend.
It’s true that we’ve  traveled down that road and back again.

You’re heart is true, you’re a pal and a confidant. And if you threw a party, invited everyone you knew, or even just a few of us. You would see the biggest gift would be from me and the card attached would say, Thank you for being a friend.

Okay. So mostly I didn’t actually write that. Andrew Gold did for a really great t.v. show who’s name escapes me…you know, the one with all those plucky hilarious old ladies. The one where I am probably Gladys, a few of our friends are definitely Blanche; we won’t say, but will always secretly know who is Rose, and well, you’re definitely Dorothy.

Well, let’s just say if you updated your Facebook status that you were craving a good old fashioned spaghetti and meatball dinner, I’d braise  it for you, with delicious heritage meats in red wine & a slow cooked tomato sauce. And I’d make you a super fancy farmer’s market salad, brightly colored with carrots, watermelon radishes and a homemade herb yogurt dressing. And I’d make a winter fruit dessert worthy of many salivating daydreams.

Because you love fruit dessert. And I love you. You are a super amazing friend to me & have done things to support and look out for me that fill me with endless gratitude. You know, like the kind of gestures that sometimes actually make me tear up at how lovely you are. And at how you seem to find an endless wellspring of patience & appreciation.

You have listened to me so many hours and even when I was probably being a total jerk, you’ve been one of the most incredibly accepting, loving, inspiring friends I’ve had in a good long while. You make me want to be a better person, that’s such a gift. So, naturally I would want to spoil you for your birthday.

It seems the most nuanced friendships start with unlikely pairs, unexpected serendipitous dances of each other’s best & worst qualities. Qualities that become colorful and well rounded; no longer awkward, but instead become inspiring & supportive. Like how the almost metallic sting of my nature becomes a subtle structure to hold your robust floral acrobatics.

Great friendships like rosemary, almonds and sugar, how they find the most wonderful array of tones in each other. And sweet little ways to resurrect what was once a bad situation. Like the first time I overworked biscuits when I was younger, but now know that I can make them into flaky cookies and stack them with layers of good things.

Great flavors together are like great conversations. And isn’t that really why we love being around each other? To share all these great moments then sit in sated silence & rub our bellies. That, my friend, is what a great celebratory dinner is all about. So thank you for being a friend, and for inspiring such great meals in your honor.. I look forward to eating this dessert again soon.

All my Love,
Tangy Grapefruit

Double Decker Rosemary Almond Cookies &
Grapefruit Vanilla Custard

(with fresh whipped cream!)

(click here to print!)

what you need:
whisk
heavy bottomed sauce pan
heatproof spatula
maybe a fine mesh sieve
rolling pin
pastry brush
cookie sheet
a cold bowl & whisk for whipped cream

ingredients:
vanilla grapefruit custard:
¾ cup (vanilla) sugar*
2Tbsp cornstarch
¾ cup freshly squeezed grapefruit juice
1 tsp vanilla extract (or 1.5 tsp, see note below)*
4 large egg yolks
1 stick or ½ cup unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

double decker rosemary almond (biscuit) cookies:**
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp raw sugar
2 tsp baking powder
7 Tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
¾ cup half & half or whole milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

topping & filling:
½ cup sliced almonds
1Tbsp  fresh rosemary, chopped finely
1Tbsp raw sugar
heavy cream to brush

fresh whipped cream:
1 cup heavy cream
1 tsp van extract
2 Tbsp powdered sugar

how to make them:
start with the custard:
1.) whisk together the cornstarch & the sugar, make a well in the center of the dry ingredients
2.) add vanilla extract to the grapefruit juice in measuring cup, gently pour the juice mixture into the sugar & cornstarch, whisking from the center  to incorporate gradually while avoiding lumps
3.) put mixture into your heavy bottomed skillet, scraping it all from the sides of the bowl
4.) heat over a medium-low flame until bubbling & sugar starts to melt some
5.) place egg yolks into your mixing bowl, and whisk a few tablespoons full of the hot liquid in, gradually adding more while whisking until you have about half of the hot liquid in the bowl
6.) transfer egg yolk mixture back to the pan with the remaining liquid and bring back to heat over a medium-low flame, being sure to stir contantly and using your spatula or a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom & the edges of the pan to keep it from curdling. You will want to continue cooking this way until it has a nice even thick consistency, about 5-7 minutes
7.)remove from heat & transfer to a clean bowl
8.) sometimes you get a little bit of scrambled egg, it’s a sad story, but hopefully its just a little bit, and if so, strain through a fine mesh strainer into your bowl.
9.) cover by patting plastic wrap into the surface & chill in the fridge while you make the rest

now make the (biscuit) cookies:
preheat oven to 375°F
1.) combine the dry ingredients well
2.) cut the butter into the flour mixture using your fingers or a pastry knife, work the butter into the flour breaking it up into little bits about the size of peas & lentils
3.) create a well in the center & incorporate the cream & vanilla into the flour mixture until you have a cohesive dough.
4.) turn out onto a lightly floured surface & roll out about ¾ of an inch thick. cut into two halves
5.) combine rosemary, sugar & slightly crushed sliced almonds
6.) brush dough with some cream & sprinkle half the almond mixture over one half of the dough, pressing it slightly in, layer the other half of the dough over
7.) cut into desired shapes, brush each top with cream & sprinkle a bit of the remaining rosemary almond mixture onto the individual cookies
8.) place on a cookie sheet & bake for about 10-15 minutes, rotating once during cooking time, basically until lightly browned on the edges & the bottom is a nice rich even brown
9.) allow to cool before serving

make some whipped cream!~
the magic of whipped cream comes with it being cold. Everything should be cold, the bowl, the whisk, the ingredients, so I like to pop it all in the fridge or freezer for a while before I start.
1.) dissolve powdered sugar in cream & add vanilla
2.) using a big whisk with lots of room for air, or an electric mixer with a whisk attachment, whip vigorously, stopping on occasion to stir everything together
3.) continue whisking & stirring until the cream holds a softly arching peak when you lift the whisk up from the bowl

notes:
*I always keep some vanilla sugar on hand to make pastries with & to serve with tea & coffee. It’s not because I am fancy, it’s because I buy vanilla beans & forget to use them  & they dry up, so rather than waste them, I break them up and put them in a jar with sugar, I am continually adding sugar to the jar & also continually adding vanilla beans. For this recipe I used the vanilla sugar and it gave an extra punch of vanilla floral flavor. If you have it use it, if not, you can add another half teaspoon of vanilla to the mix.
**This also works as a single layer cookie. But for some reason I just really needed to make this double decker. I just did, okay.

for the brussels sprouts converts, i love you.

– January 17, 2011Posted in: tasty morsels

Brussels Sprouts are on the rise. It’s true.

They really have all the trappings of a little star, cute diminutive, round little rose shaped buds of cheery green.
The germans call them Rosenkohl, rose cabbage. Cute, right?
They are showing up on menus everywhere & in my own personal travels to potlucks & dinner parties, they are showing up all the time.

Today I want to say, Brussels Sprouts Converts: Good Job! Way to stare a childhood fear in the face and take it down in a roasting pan!

Most people exclaim such vitriolic devoted hatred for this little member of the brassica family. Though when you ask calmly and patiently, why? What did the cute little cabbage things do to you?

“My mom boiled them & they smelled gross & were army fatigue green & mushy. And I hate them.”

Well, there you have it. Who does actually like over-boiled unseasoned anything?

This little morsel of preparation notes is for those of you that are branching out & trying Brussels Sprouts in many new & varying manners. Like say, raw in slivers in a salad or slaw. For this you’ll want to just trim the tiniest sliver off the bottom, cut them in half, lay them on the flat half side then cut them from the top to the base in 1/8″ -1/4″ slices.

Halved & roasted with garlic and olive oil. In the oven or in a pan, with bacon and shallots or orange juice, tamari and walnuts. Simply trim the end & slice from the north pole to the south pole.

Or tiny & whole, simply tossed with oil and spices and roasted until tender then tossed with a handful of fresh herbs.The best way to make sure they get cooked through in this fashion is to simply cut a little “x” through the base so that the densest part of the vegetable gets cooked evenly along with the looser top.

Anyway you decide to prepare them, you will be happy you did. The biggest thing to keep in mind with this tiny vegetable is to not overcook them. The only golden rule, Do Not Overcook Brussels Sprouts. They taste nasty. The perfect doneness should have your paring knife slipping into the base of the sprout with a little resistance and the color should remain a rich range of dense bright greens ranging to a yellow-green inside.

Also keep in mind that this is a cold weather vegetable, they just do not abide the heat, so the best time to dive in is from Fall to Spring. Look for bright green, tight little sprouts no bigger than 1.5 inches in diameter. Try to use them within five days of buying them & do your best not to discard the outer leaves, as they are the most nutritious. If they are yellowing, discard those.
Whenever I have to trim them, I use the leaves with either kale or cabbage in a slaw or braise. Brussels Sprouts grow on a stalk between big leaves, so if you’re ever fortunate enough to find the leaves at a local farmers market, by all means, grab them up and braise them!

Bon apetit! Happy winter eating.

braised duck sandwich for your winter picnic

– January 13, 2011Posted in: eat/drink

This is a true story.
Duck is one of my favorite meats.

Though many people overcook it, but that is another story. Despite how the average person views duck, it is for eating any time, for any meal.

Say picnic time, in the winter-time. When it’s in season-time. This year I decided to make a concerted effort to add meat to my list of seasonal eating. And it brought me to the question of when to eat duck.  The natural season is in late fall and winter. SO that’s when I plan to eat it. And make things like sandwiches, stir fries & chili with it. Oh My.

My girlfriend tells me that sometimes I read too much into things. But I really do believe that a sandwich can be a political statement. A super fantastic political statement that will win you lots of friends. I mean, who wouldn’t love being political all the time if it always made your toes curl?

If we make food in its season, we are choosing to eat in a healthful manner that is far reaching. It reaches the family of the farmer, it reaches the chicken coops that go on a natural hiatus in winter, it reaches our belly that is cold and wants something warm and delicious.

If we eschew all the malarkey about “Eating Healthy” meaning eating only lean meats all year long and adopt the eating healthy that translates to eating sustainably, then duck should be all the rage. All winter long. Eating healthy is about eating in balance. And to me there is an element of health that includes wealth. Wealth in the form of sumptuous delicious wintry meat balanced with bright crisp vegetables. Which is why I served this sandwich with a kale, cabbage & fennel slaw.

If making a sandwich means helping biodiversity, then I want to eat all kinds of sandwiches. If we march into our butcher and insist on eating what is in season, then our dollars tell the story to our farmers and distributors that we want balance. Delicious, meaty, braised natural balance. And we are helping support a really delicious indoor picnic when we make this pulled duck leg sandwich with pickled onions and meyer lemon aioli.

Braised Duck & Meyer Lemon Aioli Sandwiches

(click here to print!)

what you need:
-excellent sandwich bread
-a handful of greens for each sandwich: lettuce, arugula, spinach, pea greens, you name it
-warm braised duck legs, meat pulled from the bone
-meyer lemon aioli
-pickled red onions
-a picnic blanket to keep you warm

Braised Duck Legs with Ginger, Spices & Fresh Orange

what you need:
sauté pan with high sides & tight fitting lid

ingredients:
2 whole duck legs
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp cumin
½ tsp allspice
¼ tsp cayenne, optional
sea salt
fresh cracked pepper

1 large navel orange, zest & juice
1 inch chunk fresh ginger, cut in slices
2 cloves garlic, just crushed & removed from skin
2- ½ inch slices of yellow onion & outer skin of half the onion
½ cup white wine
vegetable stock or water as needed

how to make it:
-mix together the cinnamon, cumin & allspice & optional cayenne. season duck legs with salt & pepper & massage into skin & meat, follow with seasoning blend.
-place pan over medium flame until surface is warm, place skin side down and sear. It should take about 15-20 minutes at least to draw out the fat, and be a deep dark brown. Tip pan and drain fat as needed.
-flip legs & sear second side about 5  minutes
-remove duck from pan & drain excess fat, save fat for later use
-saute ginger, garlic & onion for about one minute over medium high flame, add wine & juice of half the orange & scrape the cooked bits up into the liquid (deglaze)
-place duck back into pan, add juice & water or vegetable stock to come just up to 1/3 of the way up the side of the duck legs. bring to a simmer & cover with lid.
-cook at a steady bubble over a medium low to low flame for about 1.5 hours, rotate pan to keep heat evenly distributed
-remove lid & continue to simmer about 15-20 minutes, remove duck from pan, remove flavoring elements & lightly simmer juices to just thicken. Turn off heat.
-when cool to touch, remove skin & pull meat from bone, tea into pieces & place back in pan to simmer in remaining juices (if there is still meat on the bone, its great to use for a soup, so don’t pitch it out!)
-once meat is coated tender, about 5-10 minutes, turn off heat & cover to keep from drying out

Pickled Red Onions

what you need:
small sauce pan

ingredients:
half a small red onion, sliced 1/8-1/4 inch thick

1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
fresh cracked pepper
water to cover

how to make it:
-place sugar, salt, vinegar & a few turns of fresh cracked pepper into a small sauce pan & bring to a simmer over medium-low heat
-once sugar & salt has dissolved, add sliced onions to mixture, add water to just cover & simmer until bright fuchsia
-set aside to cool & drain to serve

Meyer Lemon Aioli

what you need:

a medium high sided mixing bowl
a whisk
a slightly damp kitchen towel*

ingredients:
1 large egg yolk
½ a Meyer lemon, zest & juice
splash white wine vinegar
dash hot sauce
1-2 cloves garlic, minced finely w/a pinch of salt
1 Tbsp dijon mustard
¾ cup canola or grapeseed oil
¼ cup olive oil

how to make it:

-whisk together egg yolk, mustard, a squeeze of the lemon juice, all of the zest zest, garlic & a dash of hot sauce in a medium sized mixing bowl with a pinch of salt using a figure 8 motion until the ingredients are well blended & yolk begins to lighten
-gradually pour canola oil down the side of the bowl in a steady stream while you whisk constantly, if oil starts to separate, stop pouring & continue whisking until it comes back together, you may need to do this several times or you may not need to do it at all, just don’t let the oil get too separated or it will be virtually impossible to bring it all back together without adding another yolk
-continue adding oil gradually while continually whisking together & creating an emulsion
-taste the aioli for balance, add lemon juice if needed & a few turns of freshly cracked pepper
-finish aioli by gently whisking in the remaining quarter cup of olive oil.
-taste again & adjust seasoning by adding more hot sauce, lemon juice or Dijon
-to store for up to a week or so: put in a small container and press a piece of plastic wrap into the top of the aioli before sealing it with a lid, this will help prevent the formation of a skin

*sometimes its hard to get your bowl to stay steady, so take a slightly damp kitchen towel and twist it, then turn it into a ring, place it on your counter & cozy the bowl into your newly created slip proof aioli whisking collar. This frees your hands up for whisking & oil pouring. Voila.

taking back the holiday table: green bean casserole redux

– December 21, 2010Posted in: eat/drink

The Case of the Vexing Mr. Green Bean Casserole

Okay, so here’s the haps. Casseroles may just be the bane of my existence. They vex me. Especially vexing is the Ubiquitous Green Bean Casserole.

I know we all have certain nostalgia for the stuff. It’s always a bit too soggy, a bit too creamy, and wow, what’s that shade of green exactly called? Because of the strength & conviction of the power of nostalgia on our tongues, many of us claim to actually love the stuff. But let’s talk about this for a second. As a professional recipe developer and person obsessed with food & food history, I have these little fantasies:

The scene: a handful of men in a dimly light conference room, c. late 1940’s-early 1950’s, a corner office in a newly erected industrial park in New Jersey. Somewhere in the distance, the moos of a cow at a local farm (soon to be grazed by construction) can be heard through the grumble of machinery below.

The men in suits sit with the ease and confidence of recently minted millions and are being tended to by a steady stream of coiffed women shuffling in & out. Some in lab coats and some with notepads and smart sweater sets. The air is thick with cigarette & cigar smoke. Mr. French is hosting. Campbell & Del Monte are just here for the scotch and the laughs. This onion guy always has something he’s cooking up.

“Listen fellas, these girls have been working hard down in the kitchens & we think it’s high time to give the great folks of the United States something they can call their own. We want to give them a holiday classic. The Green Bean Casserole!
And a crispy onion topping is just the thing to make it feel special, you know, Intercontinental. We give them a dish they can make with just 3 cans: Campbell, your mushroom soup, well, let’s face it, the stuff’s no good, it needs a good dance partner. And Del Monte, your beans look like the fatigues our guys just left behind. But say we mix them altogether & top them with my new onions & we got a hit. A real piece of magic Americana style. Margie, bring in the casserole…”

Then cut to 2003,  picture me, in the back of a cab in New York, a young energized chef, ready to take on the world of New American Cuisine. Talking, as I often did, late on a Friday night coming home after my second job of the day, with my cab driver, swapping stories of our lives, ambitions. We pull up to my Brooklyn doorstep and a thick bellowing laugh as yet another cabbie delights himself in his elaborately accented voice: “Oh, American Food, so you make Casseroles!” Hahahaha….Vexed.

I love green beans. I love mushrooms. I love crispy onions. And I love them fresh. With all the hues of greens & earthy browns. A bright tone of sage & lemon. Its winter, it’s still a casserole, yes, let’s face it, if I showed up with sautéed green beans for a Christmas or Holiday meal, I’d be booed out of the place.

So, I have conceded, I will make a casserole. Admittedly, they are easy to transfer & easy to roll out to a table full of hungry bellies & slightly tipsy guests. And, yes, nostalgia has a grip on me too, it just doesn’t seem like a winter gathering without heaping spoonfuls of mushroomy, creamy green beans with crispy onions.

Though this year, allow me to implore you: try this two-pan dish rather than the 3 can one. It’s really very delicious. Even my South American flat mate that finds most American food too heavy, too processed, loves this casserole. I love this casserole. Save the cans for an emergency or to prop your kitchen door open while the wafts of real cooking fill your home with tasty promises of happy bellies.

American food is about so much more than casseroles and canned convenience; we have the best ingredients you can find in the world. So, free them from their canned demise & share a little love this year.  I, personally, cannot wait to take over the spot on the holiday spread this year with a newly designed classic. Green Bean Casserole, I love you.

Green Bean Casserole with Crispy Leeks

(click here to print!)

what you need:
2 saute pans including one 10”-12” oven proof sauté pan-cast iron is perfect
(a small oval baker will do also)
micro-plane zester
citrus juicer

ingredients:
cooking oil (canola or grapeseed, preferably)
2 medium/large leeks-white & bright green, sliced on a bias
scant ½ cup oat bran or unseasoned breadcrumbs***
¼ tsp smoked or hot hungarian paprika
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves, optional

1 lb green beans-tough ends snapped & cut into halves or thirds
½ medium/large yellow onion- peeled & thinly sliced

12 oz mushrooms, mixed is best, sliced or chopped coarsely*

1 cup vegetable stock
½ cup milk, cream, stock or milk substitute **
1 Tbsp fresh sage, thinly sliced (5-10 leaves)
1 lemon, zest only
half lemon, juice

sea salt & freshly cracked black pepper

how to make it:
prep the veges:
-start by making sure all of your veggies are super clean. Just snap off the tough end of the green bean where it connected to the stalk, you can leave the tail unless it looks gross.
-trim the ends off & slice the leek lengthwise & rinse under cold water to remove all the sand & silt, trim the top third of dark green & reserve for making stock
-slice the white & bright green portion of the leeks into 1/8-1/4” thick slices on the bias
-mushrooms don’t necessarily need to be cleaned in water, just wipe off any loose dirt & trim the base. If you are using a cluster style mushroom, just tear it into bite-sized pieces, for domestic button or crimini mushrooms, just trim the end of the stem to remove any browning bits, then slice about 1/8-1/4”
-using a microplane, zest the bright yellow part of the lemon, trying to leave the white bitter pith. Slice in half to juice

cooking instructions:
-preheat oven to 365°F
-heat the larger (oven-proof, if you have it) skillet over a medium-medium-high flame, when warm, add about 2 Tbsp of oil to heat, add sliced leeks & season gently with salt & freshly cracked pepper
-stir occasionally until leeks are browning & crispy
-once done, remove leeks, while reserving as much cooking oil as possible in pan
-quickly mix leeks together with the oat bran/bread crumbs, add paprika, thyme & season with salt & pepper, set aside
-in the same pan you cooked the leeks, add a tablespoon of cooking oil, if needed, pan should just have a light coating of oil, heat over medium flame & add mushrooms
-season with salt & pepper, add thyme
-saute by stirring only occasionally, if the mushrooms start to stick , just add a little (a few tablespoons at a time) water or stock or white wine if you have it handy, and stir to release the mushrooms, sauté mushrooms until they release their liquid and begin to brown, 10 or more minutes
-meanwhile, in the other sauté pan, heat 2Tbsp of cooking oil over medium flame, sauté the thinly sliced onions until tender, about 5 minutes.
-once translucent, add the green beans, season gently with salt & fresh cracked pepper & stir. Once they begin to turn bright, add a half cup of stock & cover the pan to steam, about 5 minutes.
-once mushrooms start to brown, add the lemon juice to pan & stir well so mushrooms evenly absorb. Add the other half cup of broth & simmer
-after the green beans are steamed & almost tender, they should still have a crispness to them, combine them in the oven-proof pan with the mushroom mixture, stir in lemon zest, sage & half cup of milk or cream, taste & adjust seasoning if needed
-if you are using a separate baking dish, you may want to gently coat it with cooking oil.
-sprinkle over with crispy leek mixture & bake for 15 minutes or until slightly browning on top.
-serve warm.

NOTES:
*MUSHROOMS: use fresh mushrooms you can find, I am lucky to have a mushroom guy at my farmer’s market that always has great mushrooms at a great price, though I have made this with a simple mixture of domestic white & crimini. If using grocery store selection, I would strongly urge you to add some shitakes to the mix because they add such great flavor.
**MILK: okay, the simple fact is, I can’t have very much dairy, it is really bad for me in particular, but I don’t want to keep you from your lactic loves, so go for it if your belly & sinuses are down with the dairy, I use unsweetened oat or almond milk & have best luck with oat, but its not mandatory
***BREADCRUMBS OR OAT-BRAN: I genuinely love oat bran. Its’ super good for your heart, it tastes delicious & you would never know its “healthy,” if you use breadcrumbs, please use high quality unseasoned

salad for the thanksgiving hangover

– November 30, 2010Posted in: eat/drink

Holy gluttony, Pilgrims!

That was a lot of turkey. And stuffing. And cranberries. And greens.
And pie. My favorite pair of corduroys can’t take much more of this.

I was the lucky guest at three tables this year. One of them: a day-after leftovers table that introduced me to Brussels sprouts roasted with vanilla and pomegranate. What? Oh, heck, yes. Another was 30+person soiree of with a freaking delicious array of homemade food & a deep fried turkey. The official Thursday affair was a long table filling an entire room with 18 TDay orphans. All of us with family elsewhere came together and put on a stellar spread. I made so much gravy last week.

Yesterday, I ate the last bowl of turkey noodle soup. It was really quite delicious, even if it was my fourth bowl in two days. Having always been a devotee to the traditional turkey noodle soup with thick handmade egg noodles, this year I discovered that mustard spaetzle is the long lost lover of homemade turkey broth.

At some point during lunch yesterday, it dawned on me, mid-turkey spaetzle slurp, this Thanksgiving holiday season I have eaten: 3 turkeys, 4 different kinds of stuffing, 3 different mashed potatoes, 2 sweet potatoes, 3 cranberry sauces & 4 varieties of gravy. One of which was a vegan mushroom gravy that I hope to never cross paths with again. It was weird. It was not homemade, so I do not feel bad dissing it.

That, my friends, is a lot of food. So much food. Moreover, that is not counting the 4 different kinds of pie & 2 varieties of whipped cream. It is unending. I did love the favorable trend of Kale! I have had 3. Three different kinds of braised kale. I have somehow managed to beat my corduroys past their favorable habit of stretching throughout the day & they are now like dexterously acquiescing sausage casing. I ate too much. It hurts.

This is why today I am only eating salad. Thank you. I gathered up all the bits leftover from thanksgiving preparation & made a superfood salad full of greens & pomegranate seeds & the sweet aromatic crunch of fresh fennel. Kale & Brussels sprouts love citrus to help absorb all their super vitamins & minerals, so I used an orange left over from cranberry sauce preparation. This salad is making me happy. Very, very happy. Bright, crunchy, fresh.

My corduroys will be happy for it too. Hoping next time I put them on I won’t be insisting they stretch their cottony borders so much. Besides, I gotta make room for the Hanukah & Christmas chow downs this month!

crunchy greens & pomegranate salad

for 2-4 servings

what you need:
no special tools required

ingredients:
4 leaves curly kale
5 large Brussels sprouts
a large handful of arugula
a small handful of fresh parsley leaves or basil
1 small head of fennel
1 large or 2-3 small radishes
1 small pomegranate, seeds only
1 small crisp apple, cut into sticks
½ cup walnut pieces

for the dressing:
3 Tbsp fresh orange juice
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
a few Tbsp of coarsely chopped fennel fronds
1/3-1/2 cup olive oil
salt & freshly cracked pepper

how to make it:
-make the dressing:
~*pour juice & cider vinegar over fronds in a small bowl, season with salt & pepper & leave to steep for 15-45 minutes before whisking in oil to taste. Make sure to taste the vinaigrette as you are making it to check for balance between acid & oil, I prefer a tangier dressing

-clean & prepare all greens:
~*kale: remove the fibrous stalk & chop or slice into bite sized pieces.
~*brussels sprouts: trim bottom, cut in half through base & slice into 1/8-1/4 inch slices
~*arugula: chop coarsely if large, otherwise, leave whole
~*herbs: remove stems & coarsely chop
~*fennel: trim green stalks & reserve a few fronds, cut in half through base &  slice into 1/8-1/4 inch slices
~*radishes: trim & slice into 1/8-1/4 inch slices
-peel pomegranate & remove seeds
-cut apple away from core in ¼” slices & cut into sticks
-place all ingredients into a large bowl, scatter walnuts over & season with salt & pepper
-gradually add dressing to coat; taste as you go along

~*if you dare shove another piece of turkey in your gullet, it is an excellent addition to the salad.

spiced nut & sweet potato casserole, for your turkey

– November 19, 2010Posted in: eat/drink

Oh, my! It’s thanksgiving next week!

If I were a judge at a pageant for holidays, I would have to crown
Thanksgiving & Passover as the co-queens of the World’s Best Holiday Parade.

I love a good holiday dedicated solely to eating, it’s true. Setting all politics aside (which I think is a good idea no matter what when it comes to conversation over the dinner table, but this is for another conversation) Thanksgiving is one of the only holidays we have dedicated solely to the tradition of sharing a meal. It’s harvest time, it’s gonna be winter soon & we’re going to be cold cold cold for months to come. So, let’s all hang out & eat some food!

Okay, but let’s be realistic here. Why do all Thanksgiving recipes have us putting sugar on our sweet potatoes? This is the real riveting politic. Why, when we have a veritable banquet of sugary delights waiting for our belly rubbing, slow moving priandal finale, do we need to sprinkle sugar & marshmallows all over a tuber with Sweet in it’s name? It’s beyond reason. I want my marshmallows in my rocky road brownies, and buttery brown sugar goodness in my pumpkin pie, thank you.

I love Autumn vegetables, rich in color & natural sweetness. While I do still love to indulge myself on cool nights with a butternut squash soaked in sweet cream butter & caramelized brown sugar, I find our fall vegetables to be already sweet enough. I want to taste the natural goodness of it, don’t you? For me, nothing says fall like roasty, toasty walnuts & pecans love sweet potatoes so much, you have to let them be together, forever.

This recipe is incidentally healthy, but whose counting? Most importantly, it is super tasty. It’s got a secret layer of scallions that get all steamy & bright between the rich, creamy sweet potatoes & a layer of lightly sweetened spiced nuts. One of the most fortuitous trends of the holiday season is the proliferation of spiced nuts at parties. I want them on everything, great big fistfuls of warm spicy nuts. Who knew.

You’re crazy &/or unfortunate if you don’t love a good mix of nuts with warm spices on it. It goes without saying then that I would want to dress up my favorite tuber with a heaping layer of them. It literally just tastes like the holidays, like autumnal love. Good gravy. I am starving thinking about this. I gotta go eat the leftovers. My second favorite part of a good Thanksgiving meal!

spiced nut & sweet potato casserole

ingredients:

for anyday 4 servings
8” x 8” or small oval baker

for entertaining 8 servings
9”x 13” or large oval baker

2 ½ -3 lb sweet potatoes
cooking oil

Mix together:
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground allspice ¼ tsp ground cloves
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

¼ cup almond milk

2 Tbsp sesame seed oil

Salt & Fresh Cracked Black Pepper

2 whole scallions

¾ cup mixed pecan & walnut pieces, raw

2 Tbsp pepitas (pumpkin seed meats)
1 Tbsp maple syrup or dark honey*
salt & pepper

*for the Stevia lover in you: 1-2 drops extract w/ 1 Tbsp of sesame oil

5-6 lb sweet potatoes
cooking oil

Mix together:
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground allspice
1/2  tsp ground cloves
¼ tsp or large pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

1/2 cup almond milk

¼ cup sesame seed oil

Salt & Fresh Cracked Black Pepper

3-4 whole scallions

¾ cup pecan pieces, raw
¾ cup walnut pieces, raw

¼ cup pepitas (pumpkin seed meats)
2 Tbsp maple syrup or dark honey*
salt & pepper


*for the Stevia lover in you: 2-4 drops extract w/2 Tbsp of sesame oil

what you need:
8”x 8” baking pan/9”x 13” baking pan
potato ricer or masher

how to make it:

-preheat oven to 400°F, rub potatoes lightly with cooking oil & either puncture with  a fork several times or score with a paring knife, i typically score in a long slash down the center or in a zig zag motion
-meanwhile, combine your spices & divide in half.
-combine the nuts & pumpkin seeds & sprinkle half the spice mixture over them & season with some salt & pepper, combine with syrup & set aside
-when oven is heated, bake potatoes on a lightly oiled or parchment lined cookie sheet for 45-60 minutes, until a paring knife slips easily to the center, all the potatoes will not bake at the same rate, so be sure to check them all separately at 45 minutes & take out the ones that are done & leave the others until they are done. when done, allow to cool on a baking rack
-trim scallions & slice whole scallions, white & green, on a thin bias
-reduce oven temperature to 350° F
-when potatoes are cool to touch, peel off the skin & mash the potatoes with the sesame oil, half the spices & almond milk, season to taste with salt & pepper, make sure all is well combined
-prepare baking pan by lightly brushing it with butter, cooking oil or spraying evenly with baking spray
-evenly spread the sweet potato mixture into pan, sprinkle the scallions over the whole surface evenly & lightly press them into the sweet potatoes
-sprinkle spiced nut mixture evenly over the whole pan
-bake, uncovered, for 25-30 minutes until heated through & nuts are beginning to lightly brown

~*note: if you are making this in advance, prepare up to the point where you layer the nut mixture over, cover with plastic & set aside. You can refrigerate it this way overnight, just be sure to pull out the pan & let it come to room temperature, about 30 or so minutes, before you bake it to finish.

for anyday 4 servings
8” x 8” or small oval baker

hooray for little sprouts!

– November 9, 2010Posted in: eat/drink


You know how there
was that awkward kid in school?

The one for which “the ugly duckling” was dreamed up? That kid who talked to him/herself in different accents in the back row of class? The one that kept a secret stash of eight sided di & “magical amulets” in their cubby?

Or the one that got tall really quick over one summer and came back as a veritable giant on twig legs? Or the one that just never quite fit into the hand-me-downs they were dressed in & were always tugging at some sleeve or cuff or waistband?

I imagine the Brussels Sprout to be that kid of the vegetable world. The mere mention of them makes most people uncomfortable. They see them, then curl up their nose & almost instantly feel the need to point fingers & gather the cool kid wagons to hurl up a big guffaw at Brussels Sprout’s expense.

Really, it’s not the little guy’s fault. It fell victim to multi-decades long blaspheme called American Vegetable Cookery: a.k.a. Boiled, Not Salted. Everything tastes bad like that. Name me one dish & I’ll give you a present. A huge one. Or wait, maybe I won’t give you a present, because that just seems a mean thing to do to food. Boiled, No Salt.

I am an equal opportunity vegetable lover, I even love broccoli when it doesn’t love me back. I used to hate these cute little cabbages. Used to hide them in my napkin or discreetly spit them into my plastic milk tumbler & hop up, first to volunteer to clear the table, a.k.a. Dispose of Evidence.

A good friend of mine whose mother learned it from a healing foods practitioner taught me a version of this recipe. It is said to have magical healing properties. I can dig it. It is a rather genius simple method using fresh orange juice, a dash of tamari sauce & high, quick heat.

I have used this method to make other vegetables, including cauliflower & broccoli, and it always pleases. In fact, I would go so far as to call it The Best Brussels Sprouts Ever recipe. I have dressed it up some with walnuts & fresh parsley, because I love good accessorizing as a rule.

Therefore, in honor of outgrowing awkward phases and finding your own lovely charm, I offer you this delicious simple recipe. It is easily adjustable to feed one or ten, which makes it a great dish for the holidays, see below for holiday preparation tip.

Hooray for Little Sprouts! Long live the Ugly Duckling.

The Best Brussels Sprouts Ever

serves 4

what you need
wide sauté pan w/tight fitting lid

ingredients
½ cup walnut pieces
3 Tbsp grapeseed or other cooking oil
10 small sprouts or 5 medium sprouts per person (20-40 sprouts)
¼ cup fresh orange juice
1 tsp tamari or soy sauce (Bragg’s amino acids will do also)
½ cup filtered water
handful of flat leaf parsley

how to make it
-prep sprouts by trimming the base of any dried up or browning bits
-if the sprouts are larger, cut them in half lengthwise, if they are small, cut an “x” into the base so they cook evenly
-combine strained orange juice, tamari & water
-coarsely chop the parsley
-heat a skillet large enough to hold all sprouts over a medium high heat
-brown walnuts in the dry pan until just brown, about 30 seconds -2 minutes depending on the heat of your pan
-remove walnuts, set aside, add cooking oil to pan & swirl
-when oil is hot, add the sprouts & distribute evenly, leave the flame at medium high heat
-let sprouts char slightly & toss every few seconds to evenly heat
-once bright with little black bits on it, add the liquid mixture & cover immediately
-reduce heat to medium and steam 5-7 minutes, check at 5 minutes for doneness

-once done, they should be easily pierced with a sharp paring knife, but not mushy
-quickly toss with walnuts & parsley & serve
-season with salt & pepper as needed or desired

tips for holiday service:
I know everyone is planning for the holidays. If this were something you’d like to serve as part of your holiday meal, I’d recommend preparing the sprouts to the point just before adding the liquid.
Char the sprouts earlier in the day & set them aside to cool. Do not refrigerate, though do not keep them near the cooking heat either as you run the risk of them turning army green.
About 10 minutes before serving, go ahead and heat your pan then add the room temperature sprouts to pan & add liquid. It may take slightly longer to steam, but not much. Voila, happy dinner.

lavender lemon curd bundt cake, for your birthday

– October 29, 2010Posted in: eat/drink

I recently went home to
hang out with family in Missouri.

I frenetically barreled through a week plus of work then came skidding into
airport for a red-eye flight. Just thinking of the days leading up to our departure gives me slight whiplash.

There was a lot on our plate for the weekend. So what do you do for your brother’s 40th birthday when he already has enough green plaid button-ups to take from here to St. Peter & back again? You know, when you’re on a budget & a new i-pad is, well, just a tad out of your price range?

You make him a cake, naturally. And arrange for a surprise lunch with family at a Cajun restaurant because you both LOOOOVE New Orleans and everyone else can just take a beano pill for once & leave all “oh it’s so spicy” and “oh, I don’t know, all those beans” to the curb because it’s Seth’s birthday & we get what we like on our birthday.

Though, what cake? I am halfway across the continent and my trusty notebook with tried and true deserts is long far away. How about a cake kinda sorta based off a cake you made once for which you loosely remember the recipe? Mind you, I am not a lemon dessert girl. Chocolate, dark. Vanilla, real. Cinnamon. Nuts, pecans. Dark Berries. Custard. Chocolate, Caramel Salty. In that order. Every and always. Though sometimes, in the name of all that is delicious and kind, you have to be selfless.

yes, that is bed-head in my hair & lemon zest on my lip. what of it?

Armed with the newly unearthed information that your big brother likes lavender, you make him a lavender lemon curd cake. One with two layers and a fluffy vanilla meringue frosting. That is until you remember that in your family, it is the mom that loves to sleep in late and the daughter that stirs a bit earlier. My plan to wake early & bake a picture perfect cake before 10 a.m. Not so much, my morning was more like this:

As you are gutting the contents of no less than a dozen and a half cabinets in the cleverly designed turn of the century kitchen, you realize that your sense of organization must clearly come from the other side of the family. Not a single cake pan to be found and not because they don’t exist, simply that your mother’s, shall we say, bakeware logic, differs than mine. I keep mine in nested stacks, near the oven say and not but a cabinet or so away from the mixing bowls & spatulas.

You seek but find no hand mixer, though some miracle ferrets out a stand mixer from behind a pile of thermal lunch bags & multi-grain snacks,  udon noodles, clearly the “lunch” cabinet of the house. Then you find a floppy red silicone bundt pan. Then the lemon juicer near the stack of mismatched pretty plates. These later prove very helpful, but not at this hour of the morning.

Okay, phew, it’s almost 10 AM, there’s enough time to make a cake, take a shower & get to the surprise lunch. No worries on the cake pan, now your brother will ring in his 40th year with a Lavender Lemon Bundt Cake. And smiles for miles.

Happy Birthday, Seth! Welcome to Old Age. I am sure it will totally rule.

lavender lemon birthday bundt

what you need:

tiny whisk
ice bath
bundt pan
cake ingredients @ room temp
many, many bowls of several shapes & sizes, okay, like 5
heavy bottomed &/or even walled sauce pan
electric mixer or ridiculous whisk ambition

ingredients:
for the curd:
zest of a medium/large lemon, bright yellow only
½ cup fresh lemon juice, strained
1 tsp dried lavender buds
3 large egg yolks
1/3 c granulated sugar
pinch of salt
4 Tbsp cold butter, cut into 1″ squares

for the cake:
3 cups all-purpose flour, sifted twice, maybe three times
1 Tbsp baking powder
½ tsp fine salt
1¾ cup granulated sugar
½ # or 2 sticks softened butter, brought to room temperature
1 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
8 egg whites
pinch salt
sugar

for the glaze:
juice of a lemon
¾ -1cup 10x powdered sugar
capful of vanilla extract
a few tablespoons of lavender lemon curd, thinned with lemon or vanilla, if you like


how to make it:

lemon curd:
~* make lemon curd anywhere from a full day to about an hour before you plan to bake the cake
-using a small strong whisk, whisk together egg yolks & sugar until pale buttery yellow
-combine zest & lavender with lemon juice
-in a small saucepan, gently heat yolks & sugar over a med-low heat, whisking often, paying special attention to corners of pan
- after about 1 minute, whisk in lemon juice & bring to heat, about 2 minutes, whisk gently
-allow to heat together gently over a medium-low flame & begin to thicken, gently whisk, bringing edges into center, try not to let it bubble as it can cause curdlin
-begin dropping in butter a few cubes at a time, whisk gently until butter is melted & combined
-continue to add butter a few tablespoons at a time allowing curd to heat & gently thicken between additions
-stir thoroughly until even & desired texture, this recipe calls for a pourable curd
-thicken by simmering longer, thin it out with gently whisking lemon juice or warm water
-if you get any, shall we say, solids, don’t fret, strain it through a fine mesh strainer while its still warm
-I personally like the little bits of lavender & lemon zest in it, so I don’t strain it if I don’t have to
-transfer to a small metal bowl & stir to cool
-if you need to speed up cooling, make an ice bath: put a large handful of ice cubes & some cold water into a second bowl & set lemon curd bowl over it while you stir, don’t let the cold water get into the lemon curd or else you will be totally bummed
-cover with plastic wrap by pressing wrap into surface of lemon curd & set aside, keep in refrigerator, well sealed, for up to 24 hours

the cake:
Preheat oven to 350°F, place a rack in middle of oven
three bowls: one smallish, wide mouth: dry  ingredients
one medium-ish w/room for hand whisk, preferably wide mouthed
one medium/large w/high sides for meringue
-sift dry ingredients into a bowl, whisk together & sift again
-cream butter & sugar to light & fluffy, gently whisk in milk & vanilla
-whip egg whites with pinch of salt on medium-high until bubbly, reduce to medium, whip until there are tight tiny bubbles
-add sugar & continue whipping on medium until a firm peak holds when wire whip is lifted, set aside
-mark meringue into halves & dry ingredients into thirds
-prep your bundt pan: using the paper from the butter, spread a layer of butter over entire interior of pan, use brush to go over completely, using scant handfuls of flour, coat the pan, gently rotate & tap to spread flour evenly
-if there are large empty spots, use butter to spread fat, then tap flour around again
-gently sift or sprinkle a third of dry ingredients over butter & fold in half of whites(meringue)
-repeat. each time you fold in whites, you just want the foam to just distribute evenly through, but not disappear, then repeat till just combined
-take lemon curd from fridge & stir well (loosen if needed)
-Pour ½ to ¾ of cake batter into pan, using a non-stick spatula, spread top evenly & then evenly distribute lemon curd (be sure to save a few tablespoons of lemon curd for final glaze)
-evenly pour over remaining batter, gently shake & settle all down into pan