simple food 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

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.

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

homemade oat & almond milk

– November 16, 2010Posted in: eat/drink

Milk. You, bovine delicacy.

Oh. You. I really want to love you. I really do. But you keep on doing me wrong. I try to rectify our love.

But the fact of the matter is, you don’t love me back. I know you have tried. By making such wonders as 10 year cheddars and sweet puddles of burrata.  Milk mixed whole fat, half & half in my coffee making the most perfect shade of khaki.

I tried so hard to love you that I even dedicated over a year of my life to hocking your wares. I watched you transform yourself into an endless array artisan cheeses that I lovingly tended. Trimming, wrapping, trimming, breathing, presenting. I learned so much about culture, both dairy cultures & the human cultures that surround great cheeses.

I learned a lot, also, about how not good for this body milk does. My cholesterol: through the roof & up to astral universe. Digestion, eh, sluggish. Sinuses, wrecked. I can still feel the faint flutter of my cholesterol threatening from my arteries & the bloated belly that, you know, it’s just not cute.

I am not alone. There are a lot of us that don’t do dairy well. Let’s be honest, soy milk is not the best & only alternative. I just really don’t like the legume appeal of it in my coffee. I have come to love almond milk, though it curdles & separates too readily in hot liquids. And while I know this doesn’t mean it tastes bad, it just looks gross. I once had oat milk that I loved. Why not mix them? Why does no one do that?

Then I realized I always have these cravings to have a bowl of oatmeal. And it is always just that: A Bowl. I never finish the whole box. I decided to make my own oat milk, why not?  And you know what? I really, really like it.

It is a very versatile milk. You just have to want to work for it a bit. Its sort of a vegan-ified rite of passage, while I aspire one day to drink milk that I have myself procured from either a cow or goat, for now, I am happy to say I can make my milk from scratch.

Its incredibly healthy, also, but that is a mere bonus. Because it is made with rolled oats, it thickens nicely, so it works beautifully in recipes that straight soy or almond milk will not. I get my little almond & oats fix for my health. And I can save my lactic moments for a sumptuous piece of excellent cheese or a perfect scoop of gelato. Let’s face it, these are far better show of dairy power.

Sometimes I  make it every week, sometimes not so much, but when I do, I am very glad I did. This week I made it with cashews. Also, delicious. It takes a day to make & there is something very rewarding about it. I like that it doesn’t have any added sugars or creepy binders. And I like that it’s as satisfying to make as to drink.

I like that I can flavor it however I want to. I like that I don’t have to worry about how the cow was treated. I like that my heart is happy with it. I like that I get to have a delicious cup of coffee tomorrow morning with oat & almond milk. And maybe next week, I’ll have oat & pecan milk. Endless.

home-made oat milk

what you need:
pourable storage container
a good blender
fine mesh strainer
flexible spatula
patience

ingredients:
1 1/4 cup rolled oats, preferably organic
1/2 cup raw almonds (or cashew, or walnuts, or cooked brown rice, even)
3 cups cold, very clean, filtered water
optional:
-1/2 tsp sea salt
-1 Tbsp agave, honey or maple
-cap-full of great vanilla

how to make it:
- if using any optional flavorings, dilute those in the water
-put oats & nuts in clean glass or re-usable plastic container
-pour cold, immaculate water over, and seal container
-leave to soak for 8-12 hours, if it is somewhere that it can get direct sunlight, cover it with a cloth to block light
-once soaked, use a slotted spoon to lift all of the solids into the workbowl of your blender
-puree on the highest setting, add a little liquid as needed, it is best to start with a thick sludgy texture so you can get it pureed fine enough, blend anywhere from 5-10 minutes in intervals, scraping sides & stirring as needed, until you get a thick wet puree
-gradually add water & blend until very viscous, almost like a pureed soup.
-over a medium bowl, strain the milk through a fine mesh strainer in batches, be sure to press firmly on the oats to get all of the liquid out.
-you can either discard the solids or eat them*
-adjust thickness of milk by adding water if it’s too thick.
-this will keep up to 5 days, refrigerated & sealed

* i have made the leftover solids into a breakfast cereal by simmering it for a few minutes with slivered almonds, some honey & milk over a medium-low heat for a few minutes. i have also dried it in a low oven & folded it into pancakes like oat flour. i store it in the fridge. it is also good dried used as a binder for turkey burgers. still experimenting with the stuff.

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.