Vegetarian Recipe of the Day - Page 4 - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

snowy · 09-09-2010, 06:50 AM

Seems like it's panade season. I came across a yummy fall-flavored panade recipe in the NYTimes.

Panade
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/12/ma...ood-t-001.html

2 leeks, white parts only, finely chopped (about 1½ cups)

6 cups whole milk

Salt

4-6 slices day-old country bread, each 1 inch thick

1 small butternut squash (about 1 pound), peeled, seeded and cut into ¼-inch-thick slices

1 bunch black kale or Swiss chard, center stems removed

1 head cauliflower (about 1½ pounds), trimmed and cut into ½-inch-thick slices

½ pound fontina cheese, thinly sliced

Heavy cream, optional.

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the leeks and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the milk, the remaining 4 tablespoons butter and 2 teaspoons salt. Bring to a boil and then remove from the heat.

2. Cover the bottom of a heavy, ovenproof 5-quart pot with 2 or more slices of the bread. Arrange the squash slices in an even layer on top of the bread and pour in 2 cups of the hot milk mixture. Top with 2 or 3 slices of bread and then with the kale. Arrange the cauliflower slices over the kale. Press down on the ingredients to compact them if they don’t quite fit into the pot.

3. Pour the remaining milk mixture over the top. Stop adding the milk when the level is almost to the rim. Season with salt. Cover the pot with a lid or aluminum foil. Bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and arrange the cheese over the top. Return to the oven uncovered and bake until the liquid is absorbed and reduced and the cheese has melted and browned, 30 to 40 minutes. (When the panade has cooled, it should appear dry.) Serve immediately or let cool and refrigerate for up to 3 days. To reheat, cut the panade into wedges and put on individual ovenproof plates. Pour ¼ cup cream over the top of each wedge and bake for 15 to 20 minutes in an oven preheated to 375. Serves 6. Adapted from “Tartine Bread,” by Chad Robertson.

snowy · 09-11-2010, 08:02 AM

So sometimes I make food vegetarian by taking a meat recipe and removing the meat. In some recipes with small amounts of meat, such as this one, it's easy enough to accomplish. In others, a substitution might be called for, such as beans or mushrooms. The recipe below originally had bacon in it, which may lend a smoky flavor to the recipe that can be replicated by adding a bit of cumin or smoked paprika should you wish it.

Squash and Goat Cheese Pasta with Basil

adapted from: Recipe: Squash, Bacon, and Goat Cheese Pasta with Basil | Apartment Therapy The Kitchn

serves two to three, generously

Extra virgin olive oil
1/2 yellow onion, sliced thinly
1/2 pound pasta (we prefer shapes like penne or gemelli to long noodles)
2 medium yellow squashes, cut into bite-sized pieces
3 ounces goat cheese
small handful of fresh basil leaves, sliced into ribbons
salt and pepper

Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onion to the olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and cook on medium-low heat until very soft and beginning to brown, about 15 minutes.

While the onion is cooking, bring a pot of salted water to boil for the pasta. Add the pasta and cook until just al dente. Add the squash to the onion, season with salt and pepper, and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. If the pan gets dry, add a splash of olive oil.

Scoop out 1/2 cup of the pasta water, set aside, then drain the pasta and add to the pot with the squash and onions. Crumble the goat cheese on top and stir until it is distributed throughout the pasta, drizzling in the pasta water to help make the sauce creamy.

Add the basil, and season to taste.

snowy · 09-12-2010, 12:01 PM

This recipe is from one of my favorite PacNW foraging-oriented blogs, Fat of the Land.

Fat of the Land: Porcini 101: Porcini Risotto

"Many recipes simply use the dried porcini. This is fine out of season, though I would consider adding fresh mushrooms of some sort, even a bland supermarket variety like cremini, if only for texture. The best porcini risotto is the one that uses both fresh and dried porcini. Here's my recipe:

8 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1/2 cup (approx 2 oz) dried porcini
1-2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2-3 cloves garlic, diced
1/2 lb fresh porcini, roughly chopped into 1-inch cubes
1/2 cup white wine
1 1/2 cups arborio rice
2 tbsp butter
4 heaping tbsp mascarpone
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 cup (or more) sweet peas (frozen is fine)
salt and pepper, to taste

1. Warm stock just below simmer in a pot on stovetop.
2. Pulverize dried porcini in blender or food processor and add to stock.
3. In a large pan suitable for risotto, saute onions, garlic, and fresh porcini in olive oil for several minutes over medium-high heat until mushrooms begin to brown ever so slightly, stirring regularly. I like to season the mixture with a few grindings of salt and pepper at this point.
4. De-glaze with white wine. When liquid has nearly bubbled off, add rice and stir well, coating thoroughly. Allow rice to cook until slightly toasted, 2-3 minutes.
5. Add 4-5 ladlefuls of stock to pan, stirring. It helps to have a risotto spoon. Reduce heat to medium-low. Continue to add a ladle or two of warm stock as the liquid is absorbed, stirring regularly, about 15-20 minutes.
6. Risotto is nearly done when creamy yet al dente and just slightly crunchy inside. Now stir in the butter, mascarpone, and half the parmesan along with a couple more ladles of stock, then mix in the peas, and cover for a few minutes.

Don't be alarmed if you have leftover stock; it's always better with risotto to have more than enough. The finished risotto should be rich and creamy. The peas add a dash of color and nice pops of texture as a counterpoint to the porcini and rice. Add salt if necessary. For a soupier risotto, add more stock. Serve with remaining parmesan as a garnish. Serves 4.

Note: For an attractive and tasty garnish, thinly slice a couple small porcini buttons and saute in butter until lightly browned, as shown in the images above and below."

snowy · 09-13-2010, 08:51 AM

Here's a link to something we do all the time: How To Make a Quick, Vegetarian, One-Bowl Meal | Apartment Therapy The Kitchn

I'm not going to copy and paste the whole thing, but take a look.

Some one-bowl meal combos we enjoy:
Brown rice, black beans, cheese, salsa, sour cream, and the mystical Yumm! sauce
Polenta, black beans, cheese, salsa, sour cream
Polenta, mushrooms, marinara sauce
Brown rice, veggies, tofu, Soy Vay teriyaki sauce

snowy · 09-13-2010, 01:55 PM

I was really just drawn in by the yumminess of tamales--I love chicken tamales, and have wanted to make them for a really long time. Perhaps this vegetarian recipe will motivate me, although I still need a bamboo steamer. Also, this recipe makes me glad that I live in a part of the country where Mexican groceries are easy to come by--I can't imagine not having access to masa harina. I've made a couple notes to adapt this recipe for times of year when fresh corn is not handy.

From: How To Make Vegan Corn Tamales Guest Post from Two Blue Lemons | Apartment Therapy The Kitchn

Ingredients:
2 ears of fresh corn (save the husks--or you can purchase husks in the Mexican food aisle)
2 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 cups masa harina (*a Mexican corn meal that I couldn't find so I used yellow grits... worked great!)
1 can black beans
1 can pinto beans
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tomato, diced
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 serrano chili, minced
Kernels from 2 ears of fresh corn
Handful of fresh chopped cilantro

1. Bring the water, salt, and olive oil to a boil. Turn off the flame and slowly stir in the masa or grits until a thick dough forms.

2. When it's cool enough to handle, form the masa into 2-inch balls and set aside.

3. Shuck the corn and reserve the husks (or soak the husks you've bought in hot water--this can take up to 2 hours to soften them sufficiently)

4. Using a small knife, cut the kernels from the cob (or substitute defrosted frozen corn).

5. In a saucepan saute the onions and garlic in oil. Add the diced tomato and spices and cook until the tomato is totally broken down.

6. Add the beans (rinced and drained) and cilantro and cook until the beans are heated through.

7. Put one masa ball in the center of a corn husk and spoon a little bean mixture on top. Use the husks to wrap the tamale filling up into a little package. No need to tie or anything - just tuck the husk under the bottom and place the tamale into your bamboo steamer.

8. Fill a wok with a few inches of water and bring to a boil. Place the steamer over the boiling water and steam the tamales until the contents are hot. We ate them with avocado and roasted acorn squash on the side. YUM.

snowy · 09-14-2010, 08:38 AM

I do love me some Smitten Kitchen:

Linguine with Tomato-Almond Pesto [Pesto Trapenese]
Adapted from Gourmet

linguine with tomato-almond pesto | smitten kitchen

3/4 cup slivered almonds
1 large handful fresh basil leaves
1 to 2 large garlic cloves
Several sprinkles of sea salt
6 ripe plum tomatoes, quartered
1/2 cup grated Pecorino or Parmesan
1/4 to 1/3 cup olive oil
1 pound linguine

In a large skillet, sauté the almonds in a little olive oil until toasted. Let cool, then blend them in a food processor or blender until they are in coarse pieces. (“The size of orzo,” the original recipe suggests.) Scoop them out of the processor and set them aside.

Put the basil, garlic and a few pinches of sea salt into the food processor and chop. Add the almonds back to the food processor (keeping them separate will keep them from getting too finely chopped as you get the basil and garlic to the right texture) with the tomatoes, cheese and olive oil and whirl briefly. Season it with freshly ground black pepper.

Cook your linguine until it is al dente and could use another minute of cooking time. Reserve one cup of pasta cooking water and drain the rest. Immediately toss the hot linguine with the pesto and mix quickly so that it drinks the sauce up a bit. Add more pasta water if needed. Serve this lukewarm, or at room temperature, with a glass of wine, after you get the baby to bed.

snowy · 09-15-2010, 10:09 AM

We have an old Crockpot, but I'm unlikely to use it for this. To be honest, I'm kind of scared of the thing, it's so old. But there are instructions to make this in an oven, should you wish to do that instead. Seems to me it could easily be assembled ahead of time and then made in the oven when you're ready.

Easy Dinner Recipe: Slow-Cooker Black Bean Enchiladas | Apartment Therapy The Kitchn

Slow Cooker Enchiladas
Serves 4-6

1/2 yellow onion, diced small
1/2 bell pepper, diced small (any color)
1 16-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen corn
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups cheese, shredded and divided - we like monterey jack
2 16-ounce jars of your favorite salsa
12 6”-8” tortillas, flour or corn

In a medium bowl, mix together the onion, pepper, black beans, corn, spices, and just 1/2 cup of the cheese. Pour about a cup of salsa (half a jar) into the bottom of the slow cooker and spread it around evenly.

Scoop about 1/3 cup into one of the tortillas, roll it up, and nestle it into the bottom of the crock pot. Repeat with the half of the remaining filling, rolling tortillas until the entire bottom of of the crock pot is filled. Spread another cup of salsa over this layer and sprinkle it with another 1/2 cup of cheese.

Continue with the remaining filling and tortillas to create a second layer. Top with another cup of salsa, but reserve the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese for later. Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook for 2-4 hours. In the last 15 minutes of cooking, sprinkle the leftover cheese over the top and let it melt.

Serve the enchiladas with the remaining salsa. Leftovers will keep for up to a week in the refrigerator.

Additional Notes:

• You can cook the enchiladas for longer, but we found that the tortillas in the middle start to get mushy while the ones touching the sides of the cooker get crispy. Still tasty, though!

• To cook these enchiladas in the oven, layer the rolled tortillas in a 9x13 baking pan and cover with aluminum foil. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with cheese, and bake uncovered for an additional 5-10 minutes.

• We haven’t tried it, but we so reason why this recipe couldn’t be doubled if your slow cooker is big enough. Just continue creating layers in the slow cooker and bake as usual.

snowy · 09-16-2010, 01:35 PM

Recipe: Smoky Cheese Grits with Summer Succotash
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/19/ma...ood-t-000.html

1 cup frozen edamame

2 large ears fresh corn or 2 cups thawed frozen corn kernels

1 medium onion

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 garlic clove

1 cup whole milk

Salt and black pepper

1 cup quick-cooking grits

2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

¼ pound smoked Gruyère, Gouda or cheddar cheese

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

2 tablespoons chopped chives.

1. Cook the edamame following the package directions; drain well. Cut the corn from the cobs, if using fresh corn. Finely chop the onion.

2. Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When hot, add the onion, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for about 5 minutes, until it has softened. Push the garlic through a garlic press into the skillet. Stir and cook for 1 more minute.

3. Meanwhile, combine 2½ cups water, the milk, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper in a large saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Very gradually whisk in the grits, reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring frequently, for about 8 minutes, or until the grits are thick and creamy.

4. While the milk and water are coming to a boil, halve the tomatoes and add them, with the vinegar, to the onions and garlic. Cook for about 2 minutes, then add the edamame and corn and cook for 3 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Add salt and pepper to taste.

5. Coarsely grate the cheese. Stir the cheese and butter into the grits and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve the succotash on top of the grits and sprinkle with the chives. Serves 4 to 6. Adapted from “Sara Moulton’s Everyday Family Dinners,” by Sara Moulton.

snowy · 09-18-2010, 08:20 AM

A quick weeknight meal.

Pasta with Fresh Tomatoes and Pine Nuts Recipe - MarthaStewart.com

Coarse salt and ground pepper
2 medium tomatoes, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
8 ounces angel-hair pasta
2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted if desired
Directions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, combine tomatoes, garlic, and oil in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Let stand at least 10 minutes.
Cook pasta in boiling water until al dente; drain, and return to pot. Add tomato mixture, and toss to combine. Serve sprinkled with pine nuts.

noodle · 09-18-2010, 11:04 AM

I'm going to make this for work on Wednesday, if I can find cabbage.
Is it cabbage season?

Cabbage and Lime Salad with Roasted Peanuts

Cabbage and Lime Salad with Roasted Peanuts
(Adapted from the Lee Bros. Simple Fresh Southern)

Right, so, about the slaw: Lime. Peanuts. Red and green cabbage. Slivers of spinach. The lime is awesome, although I really have to advise against the whole lime segments they suggest in the original recipe (which I omit here) as we lovelovelove lime around here and it was still too much lime, by far. Peanuts are wonderful, even better if you can find some of those giant Virginia peanuts I sometimes see at stores (these, sadly, were not). The spinach is definitely a little odd in the slaw department; it is not the most stable lettuce thus not the kind of thing I’d want to eat hours after it had been tossed with dressing but in this, it works. And it makes the salad even prettier, which in my book counts too.

1/2 small red cabbage, trimmed, cored, and shredded (about 6 cups)
1/2 small green cabbage, trimmed, cored, and shredded (about 6 cups)
1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
1 bunch fresh baby spinach, stemmed and cut into 1/2-inch wide ribbons (about 4 cups loosely packed)
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (from about 2 small limes)
1 tablespoon Dijon or other salty prepared mustard
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 cup peanut oil
1/2 cup roasted unsalted peanuts, coarsely chopped
Freshly ground black pepper

In a large bowl, toss the shredded red and green cabbage with the salt. Transfer the cabbage to a colander and let it drain for two hours. (I was in a rush and did this in one. It was still nicely wilted, but of course could have been even softer.)

If you’re worried about the cabbage being too salty when you’re done with the salting process, taste a piece of cabbage and if it concerns you, rinse and drain the cabbage well. This is not a suggestion in the original recipe, but something I suspect might bother some people.

Put the salted, drained cabbage back into your (rinsed and dried) large bowl and add the spinach. In a medium bowl, whisk the lime juice, mustard and cumin together. Add the peanut oil in a thin stream, whisking constantly until the ingredients are thoroughly emulsified. Toss the salad with the dressing and add the roasted peanuts. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

This salad is best served immediately, but it does keep surprisingly well in the fridge for a day or two.

snowy · 09-19-2010, 08:17 AM

Fall is generally a good season for cabbage.

Out here, we didn't really get a summer, it seems. It came late and left early, so there are lots of green tomatoes to be had. Thus, this curry recipe:

Dinner Tonight: Green Tomato Curry with Potatoes and Garlic | Serious Eats : Recipes
Green Tomato Curry with Potatoes and Garlic
serves 2

2 tablespoons canola oil
4 garlic cloves, chopped
8 ounces russet potatoes, peeled, and chopped into 1/2-inch cubes
8 ounces green tomatoes, cores removed, sliced into 1-inch segments
2 teaspoons garam masala
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 tablespoons cilantro, finely chopped

Procedures

Pour the oil into a large skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook until it is reddish brown, about a minute or so. Stir often. Make sure it doesn't burn. If it does, then start over.

Add the potatoes, tomatoes, garam masala, salt and turmeric. Turn heat down to medium. Stir occasionally, and cook for about 10 minutes.

Pour in a cup of water. Scrap the pan with a wooden spoon, dislodging any browned bits. When the mixture comes to a boil, cover the skillet, reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the potatoes and tomatoes are tender. Stir every few minutes or so.

You want the final sauce to be kind of thick, so mash up a few of the potatoes and tomatoes with the wooden spoon. Turn off the heat, stir in the cilantro, and serve.

snowy · 09-19-2010, 11:55 AM

A recipe I wanted to save for later:

Lidia Bastianich's Swiss Chard Crostata
Lidia Bastianich's Swiss Chard Crostata | Serious Eats : Recipes

1/2 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup water, or as needed
Swiss chard mix:
2 cups leeks, chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 lbs. Swiss chard green, cleaned and cut into strips
2 cups scallions, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons fresh marjoram, chopped
3 eggs
2 cups ricotta
1 cup Parmigiano Reggiano, grated
1/2 cup heavy cream

Procedures
Make dough with flour, oil, salt and water (as needed). Once the dough obtains a smooth consistency, cover it with saran wrap and allow it to rest for approximately 30 minutes.

Braise leeks in olive oil. Add Swiss chard, scallions, salt, pepper and marjoram. Simmer at low temperature for approximately 20 minutes until most water has evaporated, drain and let cool.

In a mixer put eggs, ricotta, Parmigiano Reggiano, cream, salt and pepper. Blend and add braised vegetables and mix together well.

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Roll out a thin piece of dough into a rectangle about 22-inch by 16-inch and set in a buttered 18" x 12" low baking dish. (The dough should overlap about 2 inches around the dish). Pour in the Swiss chard mix, make it level; fold over the overlapping dough. Brush lightly with olive oil or egg yolk and bake for 45 minutes. Allow it to cool and serve warm.

snowy · 09-20-2010, 06:01 PM

from: Penne alla Norma Recipe - MarthaStewart.com

1 pound penne rigate
Coarse salt and ground pepper
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 large eggplant, cut into 3/4-inch chunks
1 1/2 pounds plum tomatoes, cored and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 cup torn fresh basil, plus more for garnish
3/4 cup ricotta cheese

Directions
Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, according to package instructions. Drain pasta; return to pot.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, and crushed red pepper; cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes.

Add eggplant to skillet; season generously with salt and pepper. Cover, and cook until eggplant begins to release juices, about 5 minutes. Uncover; cook, stirring, until tender, 3 to 4 minutes (if bottom of pan browns too much, add a few tablespoons water, and scrape with spoon).

Add tomatoes, tomato paste, and 1/4 cup water to skillet; cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes.

Toss sauce and basil with pasta; gently reheat if necessary. Top each serving with a spoonful of ricotta, and garnish with more basil.

snowy · 09-21-2010, 10:08 AM

More green tomatoes:

Grilled (or Baked) Green Tomatoes With Green Herbs and Walnuts

recipe detail | OregonLive.com

Makes 4 servings
Ingredients
4 mature green tomatoes (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
Dash cayenne pepper
Sherry wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 clove garlic
2 sprigs cilantro
Instructions

Slowly grill tomatoes over warm, glowing coals until fork-tender and blistered (or bake at 400 degrees). Immediately drop them in a bowl of cold water and leave to cool on plate. Carefully core tomatoes. Scoop out seeds and pulp, leaving only outer walls. Reserve about 2 tablespoons of strained juices. Sprinkle insides with sugar and salt and pepper to taste.

Combine parsley, dill and basil in small glass or ceramic bowl, along with coarse salt, cayenne and about 1 1/2 teaspoons of the reserved juices to make thick herb sauce. Add a few drops vinegar.

Process walnuts, garlic, cilantro, 2 teaspoons reserved tomato juices and a few drops vinegar to taste in food processor until just combined (should make 1/2 cup filling). Discard any remaining tomato juices. Stuff tomatoes with walnut mixture and stand them in shallow serving dish.

Heat herb sauce in microwave or in small saucepan until lukewarm. Drizzle about 1 tablespoon sauce over each tomato. Cover loosely and set in cool place at least 1 hour.
Adapted from "The Cooking of the Eastern Mediterranean" by Paula Wolfert

snowy · 09-22-2010, 08:02 AM

This sounded like delicious comfort food. I wonder how it freezes. I will have to make it and see!

Green Chile Enchiladas Recipe | Simply Recipes
Green Chile Enchiladas

You can easily substitute prepared canned tomatillo salsa verde for the tomatillo sauce (you'll need two cups), and canned whole Anaheim green chiles for the chiles (remove the seeds and stems if still in the chiles).
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds tomatillos
3 cloves garlic, still in their peels
2 jalapenos
Salt
3-4 large Anaheim chiles
12 corn tortillas
Canola or grapeseed oil
1/2 pound to a pound Monterey Jack cheese, grated (quantity depends on how cheesy you want the enchiladas to be)
Sour cream
Cilantro
Method

1 Prepare the tomatillo sauce. Remove the husks from the tomatillos. Rinse off the tomatillos. Cut them in half and place them cut-side down on a roasting pan lined with aluminum foil. Place the garlic and jalapeños on the pan with the tomatillos. Broil on the top rack on the oven for 5-7 minutes until the tomatillos are lightly charred. Remove from the oven and let cool to touch. Remove garlic from the garlic skins, discard the skins. Cut open the jalapeños and remove and discard the seeds and the stems. Place tomatillos, cooked garlic, the jalapeños, and 1 teaspoon of salt in a blender, pulse until well puréed. Set aside. (You can make several days in advance and store in the refrigerator.)

2 Prepare the Anaheim chiles. If you have a stove-top gas burner, you can roast the chiles directly over the flame of the burner (see How to roast chile peppers over a gas flame), otherwise use a broiler and broil the chiles in a roasting pan, turning them until they are blackened all over. Place the blackened chiles in a small brown paper bag. Close the bag and let sit for at least 5 minutes. Then remove the chiles from the bag and peel off and discard the blackened skin. Slice open the chiles and remove and discard the seed pod, any seeds (they're hot!) and the stems. Slice the chiles into strips.

3 Cook the tortillas. Heat a couple tablespoons of canola or grapeseed oil in a frying pan (cast iron works well) on medium high heat. Once the oil is hot, add a corn tortilla to the pan. The tortilla should sizzle as it hits the pan. Turn it over and let it cook until little pockets of air start to bubble up in the tortilla. Then use a metal spatula to remove the tortilla from the pan, shaking off any excess oil, to a plate lined with paper towels. Continue to the tortillas this way, adding more oil as needed, separating the tortillas that are cooling with paper towels.

4 Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spread a little of the tomatillo sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 casserole pan. One by one, place a little grated cheese and a strip or two of green chiles in the center of the tortillas, roll them up, and place them in the casserole. Once you have filled the casserole with the rolled tortillas, spread the remaining tomatillo sauce over them, and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.

5 Bake for 15 minutes at 350°F, until cheese is melted

Serve with sour cream (thinned with some water) drizzled over, and some chopped fresh cilantro. Also good with it is thinly sliced iceberg lettuce that has been sprinkled with cider or white vinegar and salt. Makes for excellent leftovers, will keep in the refrigerator for days.

Serves 4-6.

snowy · 09-24-2010, 07:52 AM

Going to have to look for these little eggplant.

Indian Eggplant Stuffed with Sesame-Peanut Masala
Stuffed Indian Eggplant - Mark Bittman

Serves 4

1/4 cup toasted white (hulled) sesame seeds

1/2 cup unsalted roasted peanuts

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

1/2 teaspoon cayenne

1 teaspoon minced or crushed garlic

1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro leaves

2 teaspoons water

8 Indian eggplants, or 6 small Italian or Japanese eggplants (1 1/2 pounds total)

3 to 4 tablespoons canola oil

1/4 cup water

1. For the filling, use a mini food processor to grind the sesame seeds, peanuts, sugar, salt, turmeric and cayenne to a crumbly texture. Transfer to a bowl and mix in the cilantro and water to create a compact, spreadable mixture. Set aside.

2. Use scissors to trim the eggplant stems so that they are about 1/2 inch long. Use your fingers to remove the green pointy flaps of the eggplant caps. Make a deep cross incision in each eggplant, stopping 1/2-inch short of the stem. To do that, position each one on its side on your cutting board. Hold it down with one hand while you wield the knife with the other hand to make the first horizontal cut. Roll the eggplant 90 degrees and make the second horizontal cut.

3. Use a teaspoon to stuff each eggplant with about 1/8 of the filling. Gently pry open the eggplant, stuff in the filling. Make sure there is filling between each of the cuts. Gently squeeze the eggplant to make the filling sticks and fills the crevices.

4. Pour the oil into a large nonstick skillet over medium heat to film the bottom. When hot, add the eggplants in a single layer. Fry the eggplants for 3 to 4 minutes, turning frequently, to brown them on two sides. Don’t fret when some of the filling spills out. Add the remaining 1/4 cup water, cover with a lid or foil, and turn the heat to low. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes, turning halfway through, until tender. Pierce with the tip of a knife to test. There will be filling in the skillet bottom. If you want to crisp those bits and serve them with the eggplant, increase the heat to medium high and fry for 1 to 2 minutes, until crisp. Remove from the heat, let the sizzling subside, then transfer to a plate and serve hot or warm.

snowy · 09-25-2010, 08:59 AM

I love quinoa. Martha Rose Shulman's instructions on how to cook quinoa can be found here: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/03/he...ipehealth.html I've been meaning to try and see if I can cook it in my fuzzy logic rice cooker.

Stir-Fried Quinoa With Vegetables and Tofu
By MARTHA ROSE SHULMAN

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/23/he...ipehealth.html

I’ve substituted cooked quinoa here for rice. You can use either regular or royal red quinoa for this dish. As with all stir-fries, once all the ingredients for this one are prepped, the cooking takes less than five minutes.

1/2 pound firm tofu, drained and sliced about 1/2 inch thick

2 broccoli crowns, broken into florets

Salt to taste

1 tablespoon soy sauce (regular or low-sodium)

1 tablespoon fish sauce (may substitute soy sauce)

2 teaspoons dark Asian sesame oil

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon minced ginger

2 tablespoons peanut oil or canola oil

1 medium red bell pepper, cut in thin strips

3/4 pound (2 medium) baby bok choy, trimmed, washed and dried, cut in 1-inch lengths

1 bunch scallions, sliced very thin

5 cups cooked quinoa (1 1/3 cups uncooked)

1. Place the tofu slices on paper towels. Place another paper towel on top, and prepare the remaining ingredients.

Cut the tofu slices into 1/2-inch dice. Meanwhile, bring a medium pot of water to a boil, and add the broccoli. Boil one minute, and transfer at once to a bowl of ice water. Drain and dry on paper towels.

2. In a small bowl or measuring cup, combine the soy sauce, fish sauce and sesame oil. Combine the garlic and ginger in another small bowl. Have all the ingredients within easy reach of your pan.

3. Heat a 14-inch flat-bottomed wok or 12-inch steel skillet over high heat until a drop of water evaporates within a second or two when added to the pan. Swirl in a tablespoon of the oil by adding it to the sides of the pan and tilting the pan. Add the tofu. Reduce the heat to medium, and stir-fry one to two minutes until it begins to brown. Add the garlic and ginger, and stir-fry for no more than 10 seconds. Add the pepper and bok choy, and stir-fry for one minute. Add the broccoli, and stir-fry for one minute.

4. Swirl in the remaining oil, and add the scallions, quinoa and the soy sauce mixture. Stir-fry, scooping the ingredients up from the bottom of the wok, for about one minute until heated through and fragrant. Serve at once.

Yield: Serves four.

Advance preparation: Cooked quinoa will keep for three or four days in the refrigerator.

snowy · 09-28-2010, 08:25 AM

Fall is coming, so here's a squash recipe:
Baked Spaghetti Squash with Garlic and Butter | Steamy Kitchen Recipes

Baked Spaghetti Squash with Garlic and Butter
Servings: 6 Prep Time: 5 Cook Time: 60

I tend to under-bake the spaghetti squash just a bit, so it still retains just a slight crunch. Baking time really depends on how big your squash is - try to get the smallest one, especially if you’re only feeding 4 people. It’s ready if you can pierce the squash with a paring knife with little resistance. If you’re a garlic love, don’t be shy - use more!
Ingredients:

1 small spaghetti squash (about 3-4 pounds)
2 tablespoons butter
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/4 cup finely minced parsley (or basil)
1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Bake spaghetti squash for 60 minutes, or until a paring knife pierces easily through skin with little resistance. Let squash cool for 10 minutes.

2. Cut squash in half, lengthwise. Use a fork to remove and discard the seeds. Continue using fork to scrape the squash to get long, lovely strands. If the squash seem difficult to scrape, return the squash to bake for an additional 10 minutes.

3. Heat a large saute pan with the butter and the garlic over medium-low heat. When garlic becomes fragrant, add parsley, salt and spaghetti squash strands. Toss well, sprinkle in the parmesan cheese and taste to see if you need additional salt. The spaghetti squash should have a slight crunch (i.e. not mushy) - but if you like it softer, cover the pan and cook 2 more minutes.

snowy · 09-29-2010, 07:13 AM

Interesting use of rice noodles here for people who can't do gluten. For those of us who can, I imagine this would also be good over whole wheat pasta (which is what I would prefer, given the difference in fiber content).

from: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/29/he...ipehealth.html

Rice Noodles With Zucchini, Tomatoes and Fresh Mint
By MARTHA ROSE SHULMAN

Zucchini remains in the farmers’ markets into the fall. Even if you can’t find fresh tomatoes, you can make this easy pasta with canned tomatoes. The days may be cooler now, but the dish will remind you of summer.

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 to 2 garlic cloves (to taste), minced

1 pound zucchini, cut in 1/4-inch dice

1 pound tomatoes, peeled, seeded* and cut in 1/4-inch dice, or 1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes, partially drained

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

7 to 8 ounces thin rice sticks

3 to 4 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan or pecorino or crumbled feta (optional)

* To seed the tomatoes, cut the tomatoes in half along the equator, place a strainer over a bowl and seed the tomatoes into the strainer. Rub the gelatinous seed pods against the strainer to extract flavorful juice, and discard the seeds.

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile, place the rice sticks in a large bowl, and cover with hot water. Let sit 20 minutes, until pliable. Drain and cut the noodles in half, into roughly 6- to 8-inch lengths, with kitchen scissors.

2. While the rice sticks are soaking, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium heat in a wide, heavy skillet, and add the garlic. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds, and add the zucchini. Cook, stirring, until the zucchini begins to soften and the skin becomes bright green, about three minutes. Add the tomatoes with juice and salt and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring often, for 6 to 10 minutes until the zucchini is tender and the tomatoes have begun to break down. Remove from the heat, taste and adjust seasonings, and set aside.

3. When the water comes to a boil, salt generously and add the rice sticks. Boil one minute and drain. Toss with the zucchini and tomato mixture, the remaining olive oil and the mint. Serve, passing the cheese for people to sprinkle on at the table.

Yield: Serves four.

Advance preparation: The zucchini-tomato mixture can be cooked several hours ahead and reheated. If it seems dry, add a little pasta cooking water. The soaked noodles will keep for three or four days in the refrigerator.

snowy · 09-30-2010, 08:36 AM

We love open-faced sandwiches (or tartines) around this house, and I found this Italian-styled recipe interesting. They have it labeled as an appetizer, but I think it would make a fine main course.

Eggplant Marinara Flatbread Recipe at Epicurious.com

Eggplant Marinara Flatbread
Bon Appétit | October 2010

by The Bon Appétit Test KitchenYield: Makes 6 appetizer servings
Active Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes

4 tablespoons (about) olive oil, divided
6 1/3- to 1/2-inch-thick eggplant rounds (3 to 4 inches in diameter; from 1 large)
1 loaf ciabatta or pain rustique, cut horizontally in half, trimmed to 9-inch length
1 1/4 cups purchased fresh marinara sauce
2 ounces soft fresh goat cheese
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil plus 6 whole leaves (for garnish)
1 cup coarsely grated mozzarella cheese (about 4 ounces)

Preheat oven to 400°F. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle eggplant with salt and pepper. Place in skillet. Cover. Cook until tender, turning, 10 minutes. Transfer to plate. Brush cut side of bottom half of bread with rest of oil. Cook in skillet, cut side down, until golden, 1 minute.

Place bread, cut side up, on baking sheet. Spread with 3/4 cup sauce. Crumble goat cheese over; sprinkle with chopped basil. Top with eggplant. Mound mozzarella on eggplant; spoon remaining sauce over.

Bake bread until topping is hot and crust is crisp, about 12 minutes. Cut into 6 pieces. Garnish with basil leaves

snowy · 10-02-2010, 08:09 AM

Basic, but a classic:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/06/dining/06minirex.html

Pasta with Fresh Tomato Sauce
Published: October 1, 2010

Time: 20 minutes
Salt

3to 5 tablespoons butter or olive oil

1 1/2pounds tomatoes, roughly chopped

1 pound linguine or other long pasta

1/2 cup shredded fresh basil leaves, if desired

Freshly grated Parmesan, if desired.

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it. Put the butter or oil in a large skillet over medium heat; when the oil is hot or the butter’s foam subsides, add the tomatoes.

2. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes break up, about 10 minutes, adding salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Meanwhile, cook the pasta until done; drain.

3. Toss together pasta and sauce, along with basil and Parmesan, if you like. Taste and adjust the seasoning and serve.

snowy · 10-03-2010, 11:00 AM

Came across a regular recipe for moussaka and decided to poke around and find a vegetarian version. Here you go:

Vegetable Moussaka Recipe at Epicurious.com

Vegetable Moussaka
Bon Appétit | September 1999

Although it would be years before most Greek cooking would become familiar to Americans, one Greek dish, moussaka, did catch on in the seventies.
Yield: Makes 8 servings

3 1/2 pounds eggplant, unpeeled, cut into 1/2-inch-thick rounds

1/2 cup (about) olive oil

1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 cup finely chopped peeled carrots
1 cup finely chopped celery
4 garlic cloves, minced
12 ounces portobello mushrooms, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes with added puree
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter
7 tablespoons all purpose flour
3 1/2 cups whole milk
4 large egg yolks

Cover 2 baking sheets with paper towels. Sprinkle both sides of eggplant rounds with salt. Arrange eggplant in single layer atop towels. Let stand 30 minutes.

Position first rack in bottom third of oven and second rack in top third of oven and preheat to 425°F. Remove eggplant and paper towels from baking sheets. Pat eggplant dry. Oil same baking sheets. Brush both sides of eggplant rounds with 1/4 cup oil. Arrange in single layer on baking sheets. Bake 10 minutes. Turn eggplant and rotate pans in oven. Continue baking until tender, about 15 minutes longer. Cool. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.

Meanwhile, heat 1/4 cup oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrots and celery. Sauté until onion is very tender, about 12 minutes. Mix in garlic, then mushrooms. Sauté until juices evaporate, about 10 minutes. Mix in oregano and cinnamon. Add tomatoes and parsley. Cook until mixture is thick, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Lightly oil 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Arrange half of eggplant rounds in single layer in dish. Spoon half of tomato mixture evenly over eggplant. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons cheese. Repeat layering with remaining eggplant, tomato mixture and 2 tablespoons cheese.

Melt butter in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour. Stir 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in milk. Simmer until sauce thickens, stirring constantly, about 5 minutes. Whisk in 1/2 cup cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Whisk yolks in large bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in hot sauce. Pour sauce over vegetables in dish. Sprinkle 1/4 cup cheese over sauce. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill.)

Bake moussaka until heated through and sauce is golden brown on top, about 45 minutes (or about 55 minutes for refrigerated moussaka). Cool 15 minutes.

snowy · 10-05-2010, 12:29 PM

Not quite the season for Meyer lemon, but save this one for later:

from: Recipe: Spaghetti with Mascarpone, Meyer Lemon, Spinach, and Hazelnuts | Apartment Therapy The Kitchn

Spaghetti with Mascarpone, Meyer Lemon, Spinach, and Hazelnuts
serves two as a main course

1 teaspoon Meyer lemon zest (from about 1/2 lemon)
juice from one Meyer lemon (about 1/4 cup)
1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
a few grinds of fresh pepper
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 pound spaghetti
5 cups (loosely packed) fresh spinach, washed, spun dry, and roughly chopped
1/2 cup chopped, toasted hazelnuts

Combine the zest, lemon juice, mascarpone, salt, pepper, and nutmeg in a bowl. Whisk to combine.

Bring a pot of water to boil and salt generously. Cook the pasta until al dente, taking it off the heat about 1 to 2 minutes before you would normally remove it. Drain, reserving about 1/2 cup of the pasta water.

Return the pasta to the pot, and set over low heat. Stir in the mascarpone sauce. Add the spinach and toss so that the spinach begins to wilt. Add about 1/4 cup of the pasta water (more if necessary) to keep the sauce fluid but not too watery. Continue to cook and toss until the spinach is cooked. Add the hazelnuts and stir to combine. Serve immediately.

snowy · 10-08-2010, 06:47 PM

One for freezing:

from: mushroom lasagna | smitten kitchen
Mushroom Lasagna
Adapted, only a little, from Ina Garten

Last time I posted, I joked about the number of changes I make to the average recipe. However, Ina Garten doesn’t write average recipes. Her recipes never fail to produce dishes that require no tweaking to receive rave reviews, and this one was no different. The only things I messed with were adding a clove of minced garlic to the sauce, because it’s so wonderful against the creaminess and swapping out portobellos with cremini, or brown mushrooms as portobellos are more expensive, harder to find, break easily and are nothing but overgrown brown mushrooms.

My only gripe with this recipe is the number of pots it uses; I counted 4 in the original (not including the colander, cutting board and knife, ugh) and managed to trim it to 3 in my version, below. However, I did forget all about the inconvenience of dishes once I tasted the final dish — completely and totally worth it.

Serves 6 to 8 (more as a first course)

Salt
Olive oil
3/4 pound dried lasagna noodles
1 large clove garlic, minced
4 cups whole milk
3/4 cup (12 tablespoons or 1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, divided
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg (I used less, because this seemed like a lot)
1 1/2 pounds cremini or portobello mushrooms
1 cup freshly grated parmesan

Preheat your oven to 375°F. Bring a large, wide (if you use a wide one, you can save a dish later and saute your mushrooms in the bottom of it) of water to boil with salt and a splash of oil, that will help keep your noodles from sticking together as they drain. Add the lasagna noodles and cook for 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Make béchamel: Bring the milk and garlic to simmer in a saucepan, or heat it in your microwave, and set it aside. Melt 1/2 cup (8 tablespoons or 1 stick) butter in a large saucepan. If your name is Deb, you will probably brown this butter, too. Add the flour and cook for one minute over low heat, stirring constantly with a whisk or wooden spoon. Pour in the hot milk, a little at a time at first and stirring until combined. Once you’ve added half of it, you can add the second half all at once, along with 1 1/2 teaspoons table salt, the pepper, and nutmeg. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring or whisking frequently, for 3 to 5 minutes, or until thick. Set aside.

Prepare mushrooms: Discard portobello mushroom stems and/or trim the ends of the cremini stems. Slice mushrooms 1/4-inch thick. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter over medium in the bottom of the large, wide pot you used to cook the noodles earlier, or in a large sauté pan. Cook the mushrooms with a couple pinches of salt for about 5 minutes, or until they are tender and release some of their juices, tossing to make sure they cook evenly. Repeat with additional oil and butter, and remaining mushrooms.

Assemble lasagna: Spread some of the sauce in the bottom of an 8 x 12 or 9 x 13 baking dish. (Ina recommends the former, I only had the latter; if you’d like to freeze or give this dish as a gift, remember to use a foil pan). Arrange a layer of noodles on top*, then more sauce (about 1/4 of what remains), 1/3 of the mushrooms and 1/4 cup grated parmesan. Repeat two more times then top with a final layer of noodles, your remaning sauce and last 1/4 cup of parmesan.

Bake for 45 minutes, or until top is browned and the sauce is bubbly. Let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving. To freeze for future use, allow it to cool completely and wrap two to three times in plastic wrap before freezing.

* Burning question: Do you overlap your lasagna noodles on each layer? I think that’s the way it is usually done, but it has been so long since I made lasagna, I couldn’t remember. I decided to line mine up, and ended up with three neat rows down my 9 x 13 pan (I trimmed the ends of the noodles, because I can occasionally be a neat freak) and found it exceptionally neat and pretty to serve, as each piece could have two ruffly edges. This meant I only used 12 noodles total, or about 2/3 of a one-pound box.

snowy · 10-10-2010, 10:54 AM

Pasties!

Recipe: Butternut Squash, Sage, and Parmesan Pasties | Apartment Therapy The Kitchn

Butternut Squash, Sage, and Parmesan Pasties
Makes 2 large or 4 small pasties

Dough
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
Pinch of salt
2/3 cup chilled butter, cut into small pieces
6-8 tablespoons ice water

Filling
8 ounces butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1 cm cubes
1 medium red onion, diced
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon finely chopped sage
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted

Sea salt
Freshly ground white pepper (or black)
1 egg, beaten

To make dough

Sift flour and salt into a large bowl. Using a pastry blender or knife, cut butter into flour until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add 1 tablespoon of ice water at a time, gently tossing between additions, until the dough just holds together. Shape dough into a ball and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes before rolling out.

Before rolling out the dough, let it soften slightly so that it is malleable but still cold. On a lightly floured surface, roll it out to 1/8-inch thick. Cut out two circles using a plate or bowl as a guide.

To make pasties

Preheat oven to 375°F.

In a large bowl, combine butternut squash, onion, garlic, sage, parsley, Parmesan cheese, and pine nuts.

Spoon mixture over half of each dough round, leaving a 1-inch border around the edge. Sprinkle well with salt and pepper.

Moisten the edges of the dough with beaten egg. With cool hands, fold the pastry over and crimp the edges. (Use any crimping technique you like, just make sure it is well sealed. For the traditional Cornish method, see this YouTube video.) Cut a small slit in the top of each pasty. Brush all over with beaten egg.

Bake until golden and cooked through, about 40 minutes. Serve hot or warm.

snowy · 10-10-2010, 03:30 PM

Another one, because I came across it and wanted to remember it for later:

Healthy & Delicious: Mushroom 'Bolognese' | Serious Eats : Recipes

Ingredients

serves 3 or 4, active time 20 minutes, total time 40 minutes
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 large shallots, finely chopped (about 1/4 cup)
1 large carrot, peeled and finely chopped (about 1/2 cup)
10 ounces button mushrooms, finely chopped
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 (14.4-ounce) can diced tomatoes
2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
Procedures

In a 10-inch heavy-bottomed skillet pan, heat oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add shallots, carrot, and mushrooms. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms have reduced and their liquids have almost evaporated, about 12 minutes. Add tomatoes and oregano. Stir to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens to desired consistency. Serve with wide, flat pasta like pappardelle or tagliatelle or ridged pasta like rotini or rigatoni.

snowy · 10-10-2010, 07:14 PM

I was poking around a cooking site this evening and came across a mention of cassoulet. Cassoulet traditionally contains meat, but it triggered a memory of a meal I made many months ago from this vegetarian recipe:

recipe detail | OregonLive.com

Vegetarian Cassoulet
Published March 17, 2009

Makes 4 to 6 servings
Ingredients
Cassoulet
3 medium leeks (white and pale green parts only)
1/4 cup olive oil
4 medium carrots, halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces
3 celery ribs, cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces
4 cloves garlic, chopped
4 sprigs thyme
2 sprigs parsley
1 bay leaf
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 15-ounce cans cannellini or Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
1 14 1/2-ounce can vegetable broth, plus enough water to make 4 cups
Garlic crumbs
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cups coarse fresh bread crumbs
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup grated parmesan (optional)
Instructions

To make cassoulet: Halve leeks lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces, then wash well and pat dry.

Heat the olive oil in a large heavy pot set over medium heat. Add leeks, carrots, celery, garlic, thyme sprigs, parsley sprigs, bay leaf, cloves, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened and golden, about 15 minutes. Stir in beans, tomatoes and vegetable broth diluted with water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, partially covered and stirring occasionally, until carrots are tender but not falling apart, about 30 minutes.

To make garlic crumbs: Heat oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add bread crumbs, garlic, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until crumbs are crisp and golden, about 12 to 15 minutes. Allow crumbs to cool, then stir in parsley and parmesan.

To finish cassoulet, discard herb sprigs and bay leaf. Mash some of beans in the pot with a potato masher or back of a spoon to thicken broth. Season with additional salt and pepper. Divide cassoulet among bowls and sprinkle with garlic crumbs before serving.
Adapted from Melissa Roberts, Gourmet Magazine, March 2008

snowy · 10-12-2010, 05:41 PM

This recipe originally had anchovies in it. To compensate, consider adjusting the seasoning. It's similar to a recipe I make with kale, so that would be another green to consider in this treatment.

adapted from: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/13/di...3apperex2.html

Pasta With Caramelized Onion, Swiss Chard and Garlicky Bread Crumbs

Time: 40 minutes

3 tablespoons butter or olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2/3 cup bread crumbs
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, plus additional for drizzling
1 yellow onion, halved from stem to root and thinly sliced crosswise
Kosher salt and pepper
1 pound Swiss chard, ribs removed, leaves chopped
1/2 pound whole-wheat pasta, such as fusilli.

1. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Add 3 anchovies to the skillet; cook until melted, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute. Stir in the bread crumbs and toast until golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.

2. Wipe the skillet clean and return it to a medium-high heat. Add the oil, the onion and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until very soft and caramelized, 15 to 20 minutes. Chop the remaining 2 anchovies and add them to the skillet. Cook until melted. Add the Swiss chard, a handful at a time, and cook until wilted, about 4 minutes. Cover and keep warm.

3. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions. Drain well. Toss with the chard mixture and bread crumbs, season with salt and pepper and drizzle with oil.

Yield: 2 to 3 servings.

snowy · 10-13-2010, 05:13 PM

Another recipe to go with whole wheat pasta:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/13/di...3apperex1.html

Creamy Pasta With Roasted Zucchini, Almonds and Basil

Time: 45 minutes

2 medium zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 3 cups)
1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons slivered almonds
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 sprig basil, with leaves and stem
3 tablespoons goat cheese
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
6 ounces whole-wheat spaghetti or linguine.

1. Heat oven to 500 degrees. Toss the zucchini and oil with 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste. Arrange zucchini on a baking sheet in a single layer. Roast, tossing occasionally, until golden and tender, 20 to 30 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, toast the almonds in a skillet over medium heat until golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl.

3. Simmer the cream and basil sprig in a small saucepan over medium heat until reduced to 1/4 cup, about 7 minutes. Whisk in the goat cheese until the sauce is smooth. Remove from heat; stir in lemon zest and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cover and keep warm.

4. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain well. Toss the pasta with the cream sauce. Serve topped with the zucchini and almonds.

Yield: 2 servings.

snowy · 10-15-2010, 06:10 PM

Squash season is here:

Spinach and Acorn Squash "Ravioli" Recipe - MyRecipes.com

Spinach and Acorn Squash "Ravioli"

Yield: 4 servings (16 large ravioli)

1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
8 1/2-inch slices of roasted squash, peeled and mashed
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
8 sage leaves
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
16 wonton wrappers

Heat oven to 400º F. In a small bowl, combine the ricotta, half the spinach (reserve the rest for another use), salt, and pepper and mix well. In another bowl, stir the squash, sour cream, and nutmeg together. In a skillet, over medium heat, heat the butter. Add the sage and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the broth, simmer 5 minutes, and set aside. Lay out 16 wonton wrappers. Divide the spinach mixture among 8 wrappers, placing a dollop in the center of each. Fold them in half diagonally, pinching one corner to close. Repeat with the squash mixture and the remaining 8 wrappers. Place the 16 packets in a roasting pan and spoon the broth over them. Cover with foil and heat in the oven until warmed through, 10 to 15 minutes.

snowy · 10-16-2010, 08:22 AM

More squash! I think this would probably also be good with Puy lentils (French green) if you don't have access to Beluga lentils.

SAUTEED BELUGA LENTILS + BUTTERNUT SQUASH Sprouted Kitchen

SAUTEED BELUGA LENTILS + BUTTERNUT SQUASH // Serves 4
This is one of those recipes that is to taste on a lot of things. You could adjust the garlic if you prefer, more herbs if you want the greenery, more curry if you like it spicy. However, note that the curry should not be an overpowering flavor here, it’s intended to be a compliment. Any squash would work, maybe even a pumpkin. You follow me?

4 cups cubed butternut squash
2 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 tbsp. curry powder
1/2 tbsp. oregano
1 tbsp. muscavado/natural brown sugar
salt and pepper
2 cups cooked Beluga lentils, drained
2 tbsp. minced garlic
2 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 cup chopped basil
1/3 cup chopped parsley
2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 small red onion, diced
grated Manchego cheese

Oven to 450′

1. On a baking tray, spread out the squash, add the olive oil, oregano, curry powder and salt and pepper. Use your hands and toss everything around until the spices are coating the squash evenly. Spread them out in a single layer, with as much space between possible. Roast in the upper third of the oven for 20-35 minutes. (The time differs based on water content of squash, size of cubes etc. Just watch them until the edges are brown and crispy).
2. While the squash are cooking, put the 2 Tbsp. olive oil and minced garlic in a pan over medium heat. Shake it around a few times, and allow the garlic pieces to crisp up a bit in the oil. Add the lentils and saute to cover them in oil. Continue to stir intermittently for about 10 minutes to warm through. Turn off the flame, but leave them in the warm pan until the squash is done.
3. Remove squash from oven and set aside, put the lentils in a bowl and add the red onion, apple cider vinegar, dijon and half of the herbs, stir. Add the squash chunks on top, the rest of the herbs, desired amount of grated manchego cheese and a grate of fresh ground pepper.

snowy · 10-18-2010, 07:53 AM

Finally, a recipe from the Temporary Vegetarian column that isn't overly complicated.

Recipe for Mushroom Quesadillas (Quesadillas con Hongos) from Rosa Mexicano Restaurant - NYTimes.com

Mushroom Quesadillas / Quesadillas con Hongos

Yield 3 servings (six 6-inch quesadillas, or three 10-inch quesadillas
Time 40 minutes

Ingredients
12 ounces mixed mushrooms (such as cremini, portobello, shiitake, oyster), trimmed and thinly sliced
3/4 cup finely chopped white onion
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 Serrano chilies, trimmed, seeded, cored, and finely chopped
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
salt
4 ounces queso chihuahua, or Monterey jack, muenster, or cheddar cheese, finely shredded (to make 1 1/2 cups, loosely packed)
6 6-inch (or three 10-inch) fresh corn tortillas
6 fresh epazote leaves (optional)
Sour cream, for serving
Salsa verde, for serving.

Method
1. In a medium bowl, mix the mushrooms, onion, garlic, and chilies until well combined.
2. Place oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat and heat until oil is shimmering. Add the mushroom mixture, season very lightly with salt, and cook, stirring and tossing, until the mushrooms are browned, 6 to 10 minutes. Scrape into a bowl and season with more salt if needed.
3. Divide the cheese among the tortillas, spreading a portion over half of each tortilla, leaving a small empty border, about 1 inch, at the edge. Divide the mushroom mixture among the tortillas, placing it on top of the cheese. Divide the epazote leaves, if using, among the tortillas. Fold the empty side over the filling and press firmly to close.
4. Heat a cast-iron or other heavy griddle over medium heat. Cook the quesadillas in batches, turning once, until light golden brown and crisp, about three minutes per side. Serve immediately, with sour cream and salsa verde on the side.

snowy · 10-19-2010, 09:10 PM

A strata--yet another delicious form of what amounts to a savory bread pudding.

Eat for Eight Bucks: Spinach Strata with Sage and Gruyere | Serious Eats : Recipes

1/2 baguette (to yield about 6 cups of torn bread)
1 tablespoon softened butter, plus 3 tablespoons melted butter
3 eggs
2 1/2 cups milk
2 tablespoons fresh sage, torn
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 medium cloves garlic, minced (about 2 teaspoons)
1 1/2 ounces baby spinach (about 1 1/2 cups)
3 ounces Gruyere (about 1 1/2 cups, grated)
1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated

Procedures
1 Cut the bread into slices about ¾-inch thick. Set on the counter for several hours to dry out, or toast the bread in a 400°F oven for about 5 minutes. Tear each slice into several pieces. You should have about 6 cups.
2 Grease an 8-inch by 9-inch casserole dish with 1 tablespoon softened butter.
3 In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until frothy. Whisk in milk, sage, salt, pepper, melted butter, and minced garlic until homogenous.
4 Add the torn bread to the custard, mixing to make sure every piece absorbs some liquid. Stir in spinach and Gruyere. Pour the bread-custard-spinach mixture into prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle with Parmesan and top with more freshly ground pepper. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to sit for 1 hour on the counter, or several hours in the fridge.
5 Preheat the oven to 375°F about 20 minutes before you’re ready to bake the strata.
6 Bake until the top is browned and slightly puffed and the strata is cooked through, about 45 minutes. Let rest a few minutes before serving warm.

snowy · 10-20-2010, 09:11 AM

For this recipe, if you don't have a spaetzle disk, you can also use a colander with large holes. A side that could also work as a main:

Garlic Dumplings with Emmentaler - Saveur.com
Garlic Dumplings with Emmentaler

2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1⁄2 cup milk
1⁄4 cup finely chopped flat-leaf
parsley leaves
1⁄4 cup finely chopped basil leaves
6 tbsp. unsalted butter
1⁄4 tsp. kosher salt
3 eggs, beaten
2 cups flour
1 cup grated emmentaler
cheese

1. Heat oven to 450°. Halve garlic crosswise with a knife and brush with olive oil; wrap with foil. Roast until soft, 1 hour. Let cool and squeeze roasted garlic cloves from their skins into a bowl; mash with a fork to a paste.

2. Melt 2 tbsp. of the butter and add to paste. Then add milk, parsley, basil, salt, and eggs; stir until smooth.

3. Put flour into a large bowl; form a well in center. Slowly pour in the garlic–milk mixture, stirring with a fork to form a smooth batter.

4. Bring a 5-qt. saucepan of salted water to a boil over high heat. Set a perforated spätzle-making disk over the pot. Working in batches, scrape batter through holes into water. Cook until dumplings rise to surface, about 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon, transfer dumplings to a baking sheet.

5. Heat remaining 4 tbsp. of butter in a 12" ovenproof skillet over high heat. Add dumplings; cook, stirring, until lightly browned, 6–8 minutes. Meanwhile, heat broiler; put rack 5" from heating element. Sprinkle dumplings with cheese; broil until melted, about 2 minutes.

SERVES 4

snowy · 10-21-2010, 08:24 AM

I will probably be making this today, because I have a leek and a bag of chanterelles that need to be used ASAP. One substitution I like to make lately is to use aged Gouda in place of the Parmesan--it matches the earthiness of the mushrooms and thyme nicely. I adapted this because I don't have cream sherry, nor am I likely to buy it to make risotto once; I prefer Sauvignon Blanc. It adds a nice brightness that counterbalances the earthiness of the mushrooms, thyme, and cheese. I also rehydrate my dried mushrooms in the stock I'm going to be using, if I'm using dried mushrooms:

Mushroom and Leek Risotto Recipe
http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/s...risotto-098626

Ingredients
1 1-lb package of white arborio rice/risotto
2 cups of mushrooms, your choice. I used a mix of dried chanterelles, dried porcinis, and fresh baby bellas.
1/2 of a shallot, chopped
1 large leek, washed and sliced
2 tbsp. butter or olive oil
3 cups liquid of your choice - vegetable, chicken, or beef broth. You can also use the water you soaked dried mushrooms in, if any.
1/2 cup Sauvignon Blanc
2 tbsp. fresh thyme leaves
Salt & pepper to taste
Parmesan cheese

Preparation
Soak any dried mushrooms in hot water and set aside. In a large pot, saute the leek and shallot in the butter or oil until soft. Add fresh sliced mushrooms and saute until nicely browned. Add the thyme, and some salt & pepper to taste. Add the risotto and stir to coat evenly. Bring pot to medium-high heat and add 2/3 of the liquid, stirring, taking care not to let the risotto stick. You want to have a slow boil going, not a rollicking boil or a simmer.

As the risotto cooks, it will absorb the liquid, so add more, half a cup at a time, stirring. At the end, add the sherry, and more salt & pepper to taste. If you've used up all your liquid and the risotto is still too hard, add about half a cup of liquid - more broth, sherry, or water. This might be a sign your heat is too high, so turn it down a little.

The risotto is done when it is al dente. Serve with grated Parmesan on top.

snowy · 10-22-2010, 06:34 PM

Sounds yummy, but I wouldn't use olive oil for frying, personally:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/27/dining/27apperex.html

Zucchini and Carrot Fritters With Yogurt-Mint Dip

Time: 1 hour

1 cup all-purpose flour, more as needed
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon coriander
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, more for serving
1 cup milk, more as needed
1 large egg
1/4 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 large carrots, grated (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 large zucchini, grated (about 2 cups)
2 scallions, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 tablespoon chopped mint
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Olive oil, for frying.

1. To make the batter for the fritters: in a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, coriander and 1/2 teaspoon salt. In a separate large bowl, whisk together the milk, egg, lemon zest and pepper.

2. Pour dry ingredients into wet; whisk until just blended (do not). Batter should be slightly thicker than cream. If it’s too thick, add some milk; if it’s too thin, sprinkle with additional flour. Stir in the carrots, zucchini and scallions. Allow to rest for 30 minutes.

3. To make the yogurt dip: using a mortar and pestle or the back of a knife, mash together the garlic and 1/4 teaspoon salt. In a small bowl, whisk together the garlic paste, yogurt, mint and 1 tablespoon extra virgin oil. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

4. Fill a wide saucepan with 1 inch of olive oil; heat until the temperature registers 375 degrees on a deep-fry thermometer (or until a small drip of batter browns immediately). Line a cookie sheet with paper towels. Working in batches, drop battered vegetables by the tablespoon into the oil, being sure not to overcrowd the pan. Fry, turning occasionally, until golden all over, about 3 to 4 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer fritters to the cookie sheet to drain. Transfer fritters to a platter or plate; sprinkle with salt and serve with yogurt dip.

Yield: 3 dozen fritters.

snowy · 10-23-2010, 06:14 PM

Another one from the NYTimes:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/27/dining/27minirex.html
Ricotta Cheese Gnocchi

Time: 45 minutes to 1 hour

Salt
One 15-ounce container ricotta cheese, preferably whole milk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/4 cups freshly grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
Freshly ground black pepper
3/4 to 1 cup flour
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
10 or more sage leaves.

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it. Combine the ricotta, eggs and Parmesan in a large bowl, along with some salt and pepper. Add about 1/2 cup flour and stir; add more flour until the mixture forms a very sticky dough. Scoop up a spoonful of dough and boil it to make sure it will hold its shape; if it does not, stir in a bit more flour.

2. Put the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. When it melts and turns a nutty brown color, add the sage. While it fries, drop the ricotta mixture by the rounded tablespoon into the boiling water, working in batches of six or so at a time so as not to overload the pot.

3. When the gnocchi rise to the surface, remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to the skillet. When all the gnocchi are done, toss, taste and adjust the seasoning, and serve immediately.

Yield: 4 servings.

Xerxys · 10-23-2010, 06:34 PM

First time I've been to this thread and even then it was by accident!

Snowy, good job!!

snowy · 10-24-2010, 10:57 AM

Thanks, Xerxys. I admit, this thread is totally driven by my selfish desire to catalog yummy recipes.

So here's another one, from the Splendid Table:

Quiche a l'Oignon | The Splendid Table
Quiche a l'Oignon

From the October 23, 2010 show

From Quiches, Kugels, and Couscous: My Search for Jewish Cooking in France by Joan Nathan. Copyright © 2010 Joan Nathan. Published by Knopf. All Rights Reserved.

The ever-popular lardon-laced quiche Lorraine is off limits for Jews who eschew pork. In an effort to adapt the regional specialty to fit their dietary limitations, the Jews of Alsace and Lorraine created this onion tart, which I find delicious. I learned how to make it from the great chef Andree Soltner, who, before he came to America, worked for a kosher caterer in his native Alsace. Trust me, you won't miss the bacon.
CRUST
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for the work surface
5 tablesoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
5 tablespoons vegetable shortening
Pinch of salt
Dried beans for weighting the crust
FILLING
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 pound (about 4 small) onions, peeled, and thinly sliced in rings
2 teaspoons sugar
Salt to taste
3 large eggs
3 tablespoons heavy cream
¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg
Freshly ground pepper to taste
A handful of chives

Yields 6 servings
To make the crust, put the flour, butter, vegetable shortening, and salt in a food processor fitted with a steel blade, and pulse until crumbly. Gradually add 2 tablespoons cold water, pulsing until the dough forms a ball. Remove, cover in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
On a floured surface, roll out the dough to about 10 inches in diameter. Gently lay it in an ungreased 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom, pressing the dough into the sides and trimming off any excess dough. Cover the dough closely with aluminum foil, and refrigerate for a few hours or overnight. To make the filling, heat the butter in a frying pan. Add the onions, sugar, and salt to taste, and sauté over low heat, covered, for about 30 minutes, or until the onions are golden and soft. Set aside to cool.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Fill the foil-lined crust with enough dried beans to cover the bottom. Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 375 degrees, and cook for 5 more minutes. Remove the foil and the beans.
Put the eggs, cream, nutmeg, and salt and pepper in a mixing bowl, and beat them together until blended. Fold in the onions, then transfer the filling to the pie crust and scatter the chives on top. Return it to the oven, and bake for 30 minutes, or until the center is set and custard-like. Serve warm or at room temperature.

NOTE You can substitute prepared puff pastry for the crust.

snowy · 10-25-2010, 05:59 PM

So I've never had lavash, but apparently Trader Joe's has it. Might have to get some of this and make a snacky pizza for my Halloween party on Friday. Here's a recipe, courtesy of Martha Rose Shulman's excellent collection of Recipes for Health in the NYTimes:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/25/he...ipehealth.html

Lavash Pizza With Tomatoes, Mozzarella and Goat Cheese

This is my favorite lavash pizza. It’s simple to throw together, and I love the way the flavor of the tomatoes intensifies during their short time in the oven.

1 9-by-12-inch piece of lavash
1/2 cup, tightly packed (2 ounces), grated or shredded fresh mozzarella
2 plum tomatoes (8 to 10 ounces), sliced
1/4 red onion, sliced (optional)
1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled goat cheese
1 to 2 teaspoons fresh thyme
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees, preferably with a pizza stone in it. Place the lavash on a baking sheet. Sprinkle the mozzarella over the lavash, and top with the tomato slices and onion. Arrange the goat cheese over and between the tomato slices. Sprinkle with thyme, salt and pepper. Drizzle on the olive oil, and place in the oven. Bake 15 to 20 minutes, until the lavash is crisp and dark brown on the edges. Remove from the heat and serve; or allow to cool slightly, then serve. Cut with a pizza wheel or scissors.

Yield: Serves two.

Advance preparation: This pizza takes minutes to throw together and should be assembled just before baking.

Nutritional information per serving: 410 calories; 25 grams fat; 12 grams saturated fat; 50 milligrams cholesterol; 29 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 299 milligrams sodium (does not include salt added during preparation); 18 grams protein

09-09-2010, 06:50 AM	#121 (permalink)
snowy Kick Ass Kunoichi Location: Oregon	Seems like it's panade season. I came across a yummy fall-flavored panade recipe in the NYTimes. Panade http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/12/ma...ood-t-001.html 2 leeks, white parts only, finely chopped (about 1½ cups) 6 cups whole milk Salt 4-6 slices day-old country bread, each 1 inch thick 1 small butternut squash (about 1 pound), peeled, seeded and cut into ¼-inch-thick slices 1 bunch black kale or Swiss chard, center stems removed 1 head cauliflower (about 1½ pounds), trimmed and cut into ½-inch-thick slices ½ pound fontina cheese, thinly sliced Heavy cream, optional. 1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the leeks and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the milk, the remaining 4 tablespoons butter and 2 teaspoons salt. Bring to a boil and then remove from the heat. 2. Cover the bottom of a heavy, ovenproof 5-quart pot with 2 or more slices of the bread. Arrange the squash slices in an even layer on top of the bread and pour in 2 cups of the hot milk mixture. Top with 2 or 3 slices of bread and then with the kale. Arrange the cauliflower slices over the kale. Press down on the ingredients to compact them if they don’t quite fit into the pot. 3. Pour the remaining milk mixture over the top. Stop adding the milk when the level is almost to the rim. Season with salt. Cover the pot with a lid or aluminum foil. Bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and arrange the cheese over the top. Return to the oven uncovered and bake until the liquid is absorbed and reduced and the cheese has melted and browned, 30 to 40 minutes. (When the panade has cooled, it should appear dry.) Serve immediately or let cool and refrigerate for up to 3 days. To reheat, cut the panade into wedges and put on individual ovenproof plates. Pour ¼ cup cream over the top of each wedge and bake for 15 to 20 minutes in an oven preheated to 375. Serves 6. Adapted from “Tartine Bread,” by Chad Robertson. __________________ If I am not better, at least I am different. --Jean-Jacques Rousseau

09-11-2010, 08:02 AM	#122 (permalink)
snowy Kick Ass Kunoichi Location: Oregon	So sometimes I make food vegetarian by taking a meat recipe and removing the meat. In some recipes with small amounts of meat, such as this one, it's easy enough to accomplish. In others, a substitution might be called for, such as beans or mushrooms. The recipe below originally had bacon in it, which may lend a smoky flavor to the recipe that can be replicated by adding a bit of cumin or smoked paprika should you wish it. Squash and Goat Cheese Pasta with Basil adapted from: Recipe: Squash, Bacon, and Goat Cheese Pasta with Basil \| Apartment Therapy The Kitchn serves two to three, generously Extra virgin olive oil 1/2 yellow onion, sliced thinly 1/2 pound pasta (we prefer shapes like penne or gemelli to long noodles) 2 medium yellow squashes, cut into bite-sized pieces 3 ounces goat cheese small handful of fresh basil leaves, sliced into ribbons salt and pepper Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onion to the olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and cook on medium-low heat until very soft and beginning to brown, about 15 minutes. While the onion is cooking, bring a pot of salted water to boil for the pasta. Add the pasta and cook until just al dente. Add the squash to the onion, season with salt and pepper, and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. If the pan gets dry, add a splash of olive oil. Scoop out 1/2 cup of the pasta water, set aside, then drain the pasta and add to the pot with the squash and onions. Crumble the goat cheese on top and stir until it is distributed throughout the pasta, drizzling in the pasta water to help make the sauce creamy. Add the basil, and season to taste. __________________ If I am not better, at least I am different. --Jean-Jacques Rousseau

09-12-2010, 12:01 PM	#123 (permalink)
snowy Kick Ass Kunoichi Location: Oregon	This recipe is from one of my favorite PacNW foraging-oriented blogs, Fat of the Land. Fat of the Land: Porcini 101: Porcini Risotto "Many recipes simply use the dried porcini. This is fine out of season, though I would consider adding fresh mushrooms of some sort, even a bland supermarket variety like cremini, if only for texture. The best porcini risotto is the one that uses both fresh and dried porcini. Here's my recipe: 8 cups chicken or vegetable stock 1/2 cup (approx 2 oz) dried porcini 1-2 tbsp olive oil 1 medium yellow onion, diced 2-3 cloves garlic, diced 1/2 lb fresh porcini, roughly chopped into 1-inch cubes 1/2 cup white wine 1 1/2 cups arborio rice 2 tbsp butter 4 heaping tbsp mascarpone 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated 1/2 cup (or more) sweet peas (frozen is fine) salt and pepper, to taste 1. Warm stock just below simmer in a pot on stovetop. 2. Pulverize dried porcini in blender or food processor and add to stock. 3. In a large pan suitable for risotto, saute onions, garlic, and fresh porcini in olive oil for several minutes over medium-high heat until mushrooms begin to brown ever so slightly, stirring regularly. I like to season the mixture with a few grindings of salt and pepper at this point. 4. De-glaze with white wine. When liquid has nearly bubbled off, add rice and stir well, coating thoroughly. Allow rice to cook until slightly toasted, 2-3 minutes. 5. Add 4-5 ladlefuls of stock to pan, stirring. It helps to have a risotto spoon. Reduce heat to medium-low. Continue to add a ladle or two of warm stock as the liquid is absorbed, stirring regularly, about 15-20 minutes. 6. Risotto is nearly done when creamy yet al dente and just slightly crunchy inside. Now stir in the butter, mascarpone, and half the parmesan along with a couple more ladles of stock, then mix in the peas, and cover for a few minutes. Don't be alarmed if you have leftover stock; it's always better with risotto to have more than enough. The finished risotto should be rich and creamy. The peas add a dash of color and nice pops of texture as a counterpoint to the porcini and rice. Add salt if necessary. For a soupier risotto, add more stock. Serve with remaining parmesan as a garnish. Serves 4. Note: For an attractive and tasty garnish, thinly slice a couple small porcini buttons and saute in butter until lightly browned, as shown in the images above and below." __________________ If I am not better, at least I am different. --Jean-Jacques Rousseau

09-13-2010, 08:51 AM	#124 (permalink)
snowy Kick Ass Kunoichi Location: Oregon	Here's a link to something we do all the time: How To Make a Quick, Vegetarian, One-Bowl Meal \| Apartment Therapy The Kitchn I'm not going to copy and paste the whole thing, but take a look. Some one-bowl meal combos we enjoy: Brown rice, black beans, cheese, salsa, sour cream, and the mystical Yumm! sauce Polenta, black beans, cheese, salsa, sour cream Polenta, mushrooms, marinara sauce Brown rice, veggies, tofu, Soy Vay teriyaki sauce __________________ If I am not better, at least I am different. --Jean-Jacques Rousseau

09-13-2010, 01:55 PM	#125 (permalink)
snowy Kick Ass Kunoichi Location: Oregon	I was really just drawn in by the yumminess of tamales--I love chicken tamales, and have wanted to make them for a really long time. Perhaps this vegetarian recipe will motivate me, although I still need a bamboo steamer. Also, this recipe makes me glad that I live in a part of the country where Mexican groceries are easy to come by--I can't imagine not having access to masa harina. I've made a couple notes to adapt this recipe for times of year when fresh corn is not handy. From: How To Make Vegan Corn Tamales Guest Post from Two Blue Lemons \| Apartment Therapy The Kitchn Ingredients: 2 ears of fresh corn (save the husks--or you can purchase husks in the Mexican food aisle) 2 cups water 1 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons olive oil 2 cups masa harina (*a Mexican corn meal that I couldn't find so I used yellow grits... worked great!) 1 can black beans 1 can pinto beans 1 small onion, diced 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 tomato, diced 1 teaspoon cumin 1 teaspoon chili powder 1 serrano chili, minced Kernels from 2 ears of fresh corn Handful of fresh chopped cilantro 1. Bring the water, salt, and olive oil to a boil. Turn off the flame and slowly stir in the masa or grits until a thick dough forms. 2. When it's cool enough to handle, form the masa into 2-inch balls and set aside. 3. Shuck the corn and reserve the husks (or soak the husks you've bought in hot water--this can take up to 2 hours to soften them sufficiently) 4. Using a small knife, cut the kernels from the cob (or substitute defrosted frozen corn). 5. In a saucepan saute the onions and garlic in oil. Add the diced tomato and spices and cook until the tomato is totally broken down. 6. Add the beans (rinced and drained) and cilantro and cook until the beans are heated through. 7. Put one masa ball in the center of a corn husk and spoon a little bean mixture on top. Use the husks to wrap the tamale filling up into a little package. No need to tie or anything - just tuck the husk under the bottom and place the tamale into your bamboo steamer. 8. Fill a wok with a few inches of water and bring to a boil. Place the steamer over the boiling water and steam the tamales until the contents are hot. We ate them with avocado and roasted acorn squash on the side. YUM. __________________ If I am not better, at least I am different. --Jean-Jacques Rousseau

09-14-2010, 08:38 AM	#126 (permalink)
snowy Kick Ass Kunoichi Location: Oregon	I do love me some Smitten Kitchen: Linguine with Tomato-Almond Pesto [Pesto Trapenese] Adapted from Gourmet linguine with tomato-almond pesto \| smitten kitchen 3/4 cup slivered almonds 1 large handful fresh basil leaves 1 to 2 large garlic cloves Several sprinkles of sea salt 6 ripe plum tomatoes, quartered 1/2 cup grated Pecorino or Parmesan 1/4 to 1/3 cup olive oil 1 pound linguine In a large skillet, sauté the almonds in a little olive oil until toasted. Let cool, then blend them in a food processor or blender until they are in coarse pieces. (“The size of orzo,” the original recipe suggests.) Scoop them out of the processor and set them aside. Put the basil, garlic and a few pinches of sea salt into the food processor and chop. Add the almonds back to the food processor (keeping them separate will keep them from getting too finely chopped as you get the basil and garlic to the right texture) with the tomatoes, cheese and olive oil and whirl briefly. Season it with freshly ground black pepper. Cook your linguine until it is al dente and could use another minute of cooking time. Reserve one cup of pasta cooking water and drain the rest. Immediately toss the hot linguine with the pesto and mix quickly so that it drinks the sauce up a bit. Add more pasta water if needed. Serve this lukewarm, or at room temperature, with a glass of wine, after you get the baby to bed. __________________ If I am not better, at least I am different. --Jean-Jacques Rousseau

09-15-2010, 10:09 AM	#127 (permalink)
snowy Kick Ass Kunoichi Location: Oregon	We have an old Crockpot, but I'm unlikely to use it for this. To be honest, I'm kind of scared of the thing, it's so old. But there are instructions to make this in an oven, should you wish to do that instead. Seems to me it could easily be assembled ahead of time and then made in the oven when you're ready. Easy Dinner Recipe: Slow-Cooker Black Bean Enchiladas \| Apartment Therapy The Kitchn Slow Cooker Enchiladas Serves 4-6 1/2 yellow onion, diced small 1/2 bell pepper, diced small (any color) 1 16-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed 1 cup frozen corn 2 teaspoons chili powder 1 teaspoon cumin 1 teaspoon salt 1 1/2 cups cheese, shredded and divided - we like monterey jack 2 16-ounce jars of your favorite salsa 12 6”-8” tortillas, flour or corn In a medium bowl, mix together the onion, pepper, black beans, corn, spices, and just 1/2 cup of the cheese. Pour about a cup of salsa (half a jar) into the bottom of the slow cooker and spread it around evenly. Scoop about 1/3 cup into one of the tortillas, roll it up, and nestle it into the bottom of the crock pot. Repeat with the half of the remaining filling, rolling tortillas until the entire bottom of of the crock pot is filled. Spread another cup of salsa over this layer and sprinkle it with another 1/2 cup of cheese. Continue with the remaining filling and tortillas to create a second layer. Top with another cup of salsa, but reserve the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese for later. Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook for 2-4 hours. In the last 15 minutes of cooking, sprinkle the leftover cheese over the top and let it melt. Serve the enchiladas with the remaining salsa. Leftovers will keep for up to a week in the refrigerator. Additional Notes: • You can cook the enchiladas for longer, but we found that the tortillas in the middle start to get mushy while the ones touching the sides of the cooker get crispy. Still tasty, though! • To cook these enchiladas in the oven, layer the rolled tortillas in a 9x13 baking pan and cover with aluminum foil. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with cheese, and bake uncovered for an additional 5-10 minutes. • We haven’t tried it, but we so reason why this recipe couldn’t be doubled if your slow cooker is big enough. Just continue creating layers in the slow cooker and bake as usual. __________________ If I am not better, at least I am different. --Jean-Jacques Rousseau

09-16-2010, 01:35 PM	#128 (permalink)
snowy Kick Ass Kunoichi Location: Oregon	Recipe: Smoky Cheese Grits with Summer Succotash http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/19/ma...ood-t-000.html 1 cup frozen edamame 2 large ears fresh corn or 2 cups thawed frozen corn kernels 1 medium onion 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 garlic clove 1 cup whole milk Salt and black pepper 1 cup quick-cooking grits 2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar ¼ pound smoked Gruyère, Gouda or cheddar cheese 1 tablespoon unsalted butter 2 tablespoons chopped chives. 1. Cook the edamame following the package directions; drain well. Cut the corn from the cobs, if using fresh corn. Finely chop the onion. 2. Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When hot, add the onion, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for about 5 minutes, until it has softened. Push the garlic through a garlic press into the skillet. Stir and cook for 1 more minute. 3. Meanwhile, combine 2½ cups water, the milk, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper in a large saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Very gradually whisk in the grits, reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring frequently, for about 8 minutes, or until the grits are thick and creamy. 4. While the milk and water are coming to a boil, halve the tomatoes and add them, with the vinegar, to the onions and garlic. Cook for about 2 minutes, then add the edamame and corn and cook for 3 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Add salt and pepper to taste. 5. Coarsely grate the cheese. Stir the cheese and butter into the grits and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve the succotash on top of the grits and sprinkle with the chives. Serves 4 to 6. Adapted from “Sara Moulton’s Everyday Family Dinners,” by Sara Moulton. __________________ If I am not better, at least I am different. --Jean-Jacques Rousseau

09-18-2010, 08:20 AM	#129 (permalink)
snowy Kick Ass Kunoichi Location: Oregon	A quick weeknight meal. Pasta with Fresh Tomatoes and Pine Nuts Recipe - MarthaStewart.com Coarse salt and ground pepper 2 medium tomatoes, diced 1 garlic clove, minced 2 tablespoons olive oil 8 ounces angel-hair pasta 2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted if desired Directions Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, combine tomatoes, garlic, and oil in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Let stand at least 10 minutes. Cook pasta in boiling water until al dente; drain, and return to pot. Add tomato mixture, and toss to combine. Serve sprinkled with pine nuts. __________________ If I am not better, at least I am different. --Jean-Jacques Rousseau

09-19-2010, 08:17 AM	#131 (permalink)
snowy Kick Ass Kunoichi Location: Oregon	Fall is generally a good season for cabbage. Out here, we didn't really get a summer, it seems. It came late and left early, so there are lots of green tomatoes to be had. Thus, this curry recipe: Dinner Tonight: Green Tomato Curry with Potatoes and Garlic \| Serious Eats : Recipes Green Tomato Curry with Potatoes and Garlic serves 2 2 tablespoons canola oil 4 garlic cloves, chopped 8 ounces russet potatoes, peeled, and chopped into 1/2-inch cubes 8 ounces green tomatoes, cores removed, sliced into 1-inch segments 2 teaspoons garam masala 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric 2 tablespoons cilantro, finely chopped Procedures Pour the oil into a large skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook until it is reddish brown, about a minute or so. Stir often. Make sure it doesn't burn. If it does, then start over. Add the potatoes, tomatoes, garam masala, salt and turmeric. Turn heat down to medium. Stir occasionally, and cook for about 10 minutes. Pour in a cup of water. Scrap the pan with a wooden spoon, dislodging any browned bits. When the mixture comes to a boil, cover the skillet, reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the potatoes and tomatoes are tender. Stir every few minutes or so. You want the final sauce to be kind of thick, so mash up a few of the potatoes and tomatoes with the wooden spoon. Turn off the heat, stir in the cilantro, and serve. __________________ If I am not better, at least I am different. --Jean-Jacques Rousseau

09-19-2010, 11:55 AM	#132 (permalink)
snowy Kick Ass Kunoichi Location: Oregon	A recipe I wanted to save for later: Lidia Bastianich's Swiss Chard Crostata Lidia Bastianich's Swiss Chard Crostata \| Serious Eats : Recipes 1/2 cup olive oil 1 teaspoon salt 1/3 cup water, or as needed Swiss chard mix: 2 cups leeks, chopped 3 tablespoons olive oil 3 lbs. Swiss chard green, cleaned and cut into strips 2 cups scallions, chopped Salt and pepper to taste 2 tablespoons fresh marjoram, chopped 3 eggs 2 cups ricotta 1 cup Parmigiano Reggiano, grated 1/2 cup heavy cream Procedures Make dough with flour, oil, salt and water (as needed). Once the dough obtains a smooth consistency, cover it with saran wrap and allow it to rest for approximately 30 minutes. Braise leeks in olive oil. Add Swiss chard, scallions, salt, pepper and marjoram. Simmer at low temperature for approximately 20 minutes until most water has evaporated, drain and let cool. In a mixer put eggs, ricotta, Parmigiano Reggiano, cream, salt and pepper. Blend and add braised vegetables and mix together well. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Roll out a thin piece of dough into a rectangle about 22-inch by 16-inch and set in a buttered 18" x 12" low baking dish. (The dough should overlap about 2 inches around the dish). Pour in the Swiss chard mix, make it level; fold over the overlapping dough. Brush lightly with olive oil or egg yolk and bake for 45 minutes. Allow it to cool and serve warm. __________________ If I am not better, at least I am different. --Jean-Jacques Rousseau

09-20-2010, 06:01 PM	#133 (permalink)
snowy Kick Ass Kunoichi Location: Oregon	from: Penne alla Norma Recipe - MarthaStewart.com 1 pound penne rigate Coarse salt and ground pepper 4 tablespoons olive oil 1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper 1 large eggplant, cut into 3/4-inch chunks 1 1/2 pounds plum tomatoes, cored and cut into 1/2-inch chunks 2 tablespoons tomato paste 1/2 cup torn fresh basil, plus more for garnish 3/4 cup ricotta cheese Directions Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, according to package instructions. Drain pasta; return to pot. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, and crushed red pepper; cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add eggplant to skillet; season generously with salt and pepper. Cover, and cook until eggplant begins to release juices, about 5 minutes. Uncover; cook, stirring, until tender, 3 to 4 minutes (if bottom of pan browns too much, add a few tablespoons water, and scrape with spoon). Add tomatoes, tomato paste, and 1/4 cup water to skillet; cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Toss sauce and basil with pasta; gently reheat if necessary. Top each serving with a spoonful of ricotta, and garnish with more basil. __________________ If I am not better, at least I am different. --Jean-Jacques Rousseau

09-21-2010, 10:08 AM	#134 (permalink)
snowy Kick Ass Kunoichi Location: Oregon	More green tomatoes: Grilled (or Baked) Green Tomatoes With Green Herbs and Walnuts recipe detail \| OregonLive.com Makes 4 servings Ingredients 4 mature green tomatoes (about 1 1/2 pounds) 1 teaspoon granulated sugar Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt Dash cayenne pepper Sherry wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar 1 cup chopped walnuts 1 clove garlic 2 sprigs cilantro Instructions Slowly grill tomatoes over warm, glowing coals until fork-tender and blistered (or bake at 400 degrees). Immediately drop them in a bowl of cold water and leave to cool on plate. Carefully core tomatoes. Scoop out seeds and pulp, leaving only outer walls. Reserve about 2 tablespoons of strained juices. Sprinkle insides with sugar and salt and pepper to taste. Combine parsley, dill and basil in small glass or ceramic bowl, along with coarse salt, cayenne and about 1 1/2 teaspoons of the reserved juices to make thick herb sauce. Add a few drops vinegar. Process walnuts, garlic, cilantro, 2 teaspoons reserved tomato juices and a few drops vinegar to taste in food processor until just combined (should make 1/2 cup filling). Discard any remaining tomato juices. Stuff tomatoes with walnut mixture and stand them in shallow serving dish. Heat herb sauce in microwave or in small saucepan until lukewarm. Drizzle about 1 tablespoon sauce over each tomato. Cover loosely and set in cool place at least 1 hour. Adapted from "The Cooking of the Eastern Mediterranean" by Paula Wolfert __________________ If I am not better, at least I am different. --Jean-Jacques Rousseau

09-22-2010, 08:02 AM	#135 (permalink)
snowy Kick Ass Kunoichi Location: Oregon	This sounded like delicious comfort food. I wonder how it freezes. I will have to make it and see! Green Chile Enchiladas Recipe \| Simply Recipes Green Chile Enchiladas You can easily substitute prepared canned tomatillo salsa verde for the tomatillo sauce (you'll need two cups), and canned whole Anaheim green chiles for the chiles (remove the seeds and stems if still in the chiles). Ingredients 1 1/2 pounds tomatillos 3 cloves garlic, still in their peels 2 jalapenos Salt 3-4 large Anaheim chiles 12 corn tortillas Canola or grapeseed oil 1/2 pound to a pound Monterey Jack cheese, grated (quantity depends on how cheesy you want the enchiladas to be) Sour cream Cilantro Method 1 Prepare the tomatillo sauce. Remove the husks from the tomatillos. Rinse off the tomatillos. Cut them in half and place them cut-side down on a roasting pan lined with aluminum foil. Place the garlic and jalapeños on the pan with the tomatillos. Broil on the top rack on the oven for 5-7 minutes until the tomatillos are lightly charred. Remove from the oven and let cool to touch. Remove garlic from the garlic skins, discard the skins. Cut open the jalapeños and remove and discard the seeds and the stems. Place tomatillos, cooked garlic, the jalapeños, and 1 teaspoon of salt in a blender, pulse until well puréed. Set aside. (You can make several days in advance and store in the refrigerator.) 2 Prepare the Anaheim chiles. If you have a stove-top gas burner, you can roast the chiles directly over the flame of the burner (see How to roast chile peppers over a gas flame), otherwise use a broiler and broil the chiles in a roasting pan, turning them until they are blackened all over. Place the blackened chiles in a small brown paper bag. Close the bag and let sit for at least 5 minutes. Then remove the chiles from the bag and peel off and discard the blackened skin. Slice open the chiles and remove and discard the seed pod, any seeds (they're hot!) and the stems. Slice the chiles into strips. 3 Cook the tortillas. Heat a couple tablespoons of canola or grapeseed oil in a frying pan (cast iron works well) on medium high heat. Once the oil is hot, add a corn tortilla to the pan. The tortilla should sizzle as it hits the pan. Turn it over and let it cook until little pockets of air start to bubble up in the tortilla. Then use a metal spatula to remove the tortilla from the pan, shaking off any excess oil, to a plate lined with paper towels. Continue to the tortillas this way, adding more oil as needed, separating the tortillas that are cooling with paper towels. 4 Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spread a little of the tomatillo sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 casserole pan. One by one, place a little grated cheese and a strip or two of green chiles in the center of the tortillas, roll them up, and place them in the casserole. Once you have filled the casserole with the rolled tortillas, spread the remaining tomatillo sauce over them, and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. 5 Bake for 15 minutes at 350°F, until cheese is melted Serve with sour cream (thinned with some water) drizzled over, and some chopped fresh cilantro. Also good with it is thinly sliced iceberg lettuce that has been sprinkled with cider or white vinegar and salt. Makes for excellent leftovers, will keep in the refrigerator for days. Serves 4-6. __________________ If I am not better, at least I am different. --Jean-Jacques Rousseau

09-24-2010, 07:52 AM	#136 (permalink)
snowy Kick Ass Kunoichi Location: Oregon	Going to have to look for these little eggplant. Indian Eggplant Stuffed with Sesame-Peanut Masala Stuffed Indian Eggplant - Mark Bittman Serves 4 1/4 cup toasted white (hulled) sesame seeds 1/2 cup unsalted roasted peanuts 2 tablespoons brown sugar 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric 1/2 teaspoon cayenne 1 teaspoon minced or crushed garlic 1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro leaves 2 teaspoons water 8 Indian eggplants, or 6 small Italian or Japanese eggplants (1 1/2 pounds total) 3 to 4 tablespoons canola oil 1/4 cup water 1. For the filling, use a mini food processor to grind the sesame seeds, peanuts, sugar, salt, turmeric and cayenne to a crumbly texture. Transfer to a bowl and mix in the cilantro and water to create a compact, spreadable mixture. Set aside. 2. Use scissors to trim the eggplant stems so that they are about 1/2 inch long. Use your fingers to remove the green pointy flaps of the eggplant caps. Make a deep cross incision in each eggplant, stopping 1/2-inch short of the stem. To do that, position each one on its side on your cutting board. Hold it down with one hand while you wield the knife with the other hand to make the first horizontal cut. Roll the eggplant 90 degrees and make the second horizontal cut. 3. Use a teaspoon to stuff each eggplant with about 1/8 of the filling. Gently pry open the eggplant, stuff in the filling. Make sure there is filling between each of the cuts. Gently squeeze the eggplant to make the filling sticks and fills the crevices. 4. Pour the oil into a large nonstick skillet over medium heat to film the bottom. When hot, add the eggplants in a single layer. Fry the eggplants for 3 to 4 minutes, turning frequently, to brown them on two sides. Don’t fret when some of the filling spills out. Add the remaining 1/4 cup water, cover with a lid or foil, and turn the heat to low. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes, turning halfway through, until tender. Pierce with the tip of a knife to test. There will be filling in the skillet bottom. If you want to crisp those bits and serve them with the eggplant, increase the heat to medium high and fry for 1 to 2 minutes, until crisp. Remove from the heat, let the sizzling subside, then transfer to a plate and serve hot or warm. __________________ If I am not better, at least I am different. --Jean-Jacques Rousseau

09-25-2010, 08:59 AM	#137 (permalink)
snowy Kick Ass Kunoichi Location: Oregon	I love quinoa. Martha Rose Shulman's instructions on how to cook quinoa can be found here: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/03/he...ipehealth.html I've been meaning to try and see if I can cook it in my fuzzy logic rice cooker. Stir-Fried Quinoa With Vegetables and Tofu By MARTHA ROSE SHULMAN http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/23/he...ipehealth.html I’ve substituted cooked quinoa here for rice. You can use either regular or royal red quinoa for this dish. As with all stir-fries, once all the ingredients for this one are prepped, the cooking takes less than five minutes. 1/2 pound firm tofu, drained and sliced about 1/2 inch thick 2 broccoli crowns, broken into florets Salt to taste 1 tablespoon soy sauce (regular or low-sodium) 1 tablespoon fish sauce (may substitute soy sauce) 2 teaspoons dark Asian sesame oil 1 tablespoon minced garlic 1 tablespoon minced ginger 2 tablespoons peanut oil or canola oil 1 medium red bell pepper, cut in thin strips 3/4 pound (2 medium) baby bok choy, trimmed, washed and dried, cut in 1-inch lengths 1 bunch scallions, sliced very thin 5 cups cooked quinoa (1 1/3 cups uncooked) 1. Place the tofu slices on paper towels. Place another paper towel on top, and prepare the remaining ingredients. Cut the tofu slices into 1/2-inch dice. Meanwhile, bring a medium pot of water to a boil, and add the broccoli. Boil one minute, and transfer at once to a bowl of ice water. Drain and dry on paper towels. 2. In a small bowl or measuring cup, combine the soy sauce, fish sauce and sesame oil. Combine the garlic and ginger in another small bowl. Have all the ingredients within easy reach of your pan. 3. Heat a 14-inch flat-bottomed wok or 12-inch steel skillet over high heat until a drop of water evaporates within a second or two when added to the pan. Swirl in a tablespoon of the oil by adding it to the sides of the pan and tilting the pan. Add the tofu. Reduce the heat to medium, and stir-fry one to two minutes until it begins to brown. Add the garlic and ginger, and stir-fry for no more than 10 seconds. Add the pepper and bok choy, and stir-fry for one minute. Add the broccoli, and stir-fry for one minute. 4. Swirl in the remaining oil, and add the scallions, quinoa and the soy sauce mixture. Stir-fry, scooping the ingredients up from the bottom of the wok, for about one minute until heated through and fragrant. Serve at once. Yield: Serves four. Advance preparation: Cooked quinoa will keep for three or four days in the refrigerator. __________________ If I am not better, at least I am different. --Jean-Jacques Rousseau

09-28-2010, 08:25 AM	#138 (permalink)
snowy Kick Ass Kunoichi Location: Oregon	Fall is coming, so here's a squash recipe: Baked Spaghetti Squash with Garlic and Butter \| Steamy Kitchen Recipes Baked Spaghetti Squash with Garlic and Butter Servings: 6 Prep Time: 5 Cook Time: 60 I tend to under-bake the spaghetti squash just a bit, so it still retains just a slight crunch. Baking time really depends on how big your squash is - try to get the smallest one, especially if you’re only feeding 4 people. It’s ready if you can pierce the squash with a paring knife with little resistance. If you’re a garlic love, don’t be shy - use more! Ingredients: 1 small spaghetti squash (about 3-4 pounds) 2 tablespoons butter 2 cloves garlic, finely minced 1/4 cup finely minced parsley (or basil) 1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste) 1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 375F. Bake spaghetti squash for 60 minutes, or until a paring knife pierces easily through skin with little resistance. Let squash cool for 10 minutes. 2. Cut squash in half, lengthwise. Use a fork to remove and discard the seeds. Continue using fork to scrape the squash to get long, lovely strands. If the squash seem difficult to scrape, return the squash to bake for an additional 10 minutes. 3. Heat a large saute pan with the butter and the garlic over medium-low heat. When garlic becomes fragrant, add parsley, salt and spaghetti squash strands. Toss well, sprinkle in the parmesan cheese and taste to see if you need additional salt. The spaghetti squash should have a slight crunch (i.e. not mushy) - but if you like it softer, cover the pan and cook 2 more minutes. __________________ If I am not better, at least I am different. --Jean-Jacques Rousseau

09-29-2010, 07:13 AM	#139 (permalink)
snowy Kick Ass Kunoichi Location: Oregon	Interesting use of rice noodles here for people who can't do gluten. For those of us who can, I imagine this would also be good over whole wheat pasta (which is what I would prefer, given the difference in fiber content). from: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/29/he...ipehealth.html Rice Noodles With Zucchini, Tomatoes and Fresh Mint By MARTHA ROSE SHULMAN Zucchini remains in the farmers’ markets into the fall. Even if you can’t find fresh tomatoes, you can make this easy pasta with canned tomatoes. The days may be cooler now, but the dish will remind you of summer. 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 to 2 garlic cloves (to taste), minced 1 pound zucchini, cut in 1/4-inch dice 1 pound tomatoes, peeled, seeded* and cut in 1/4-inch dice, or 1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes, partially drained Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste 7 to 8 ounces thin rice sticks 3 to 4 tablespoons chopped fresh mint 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan or pecorino or crumbled feta (optional) * To seed the tomatoes, cut the tomatoes in half along the equator, place a strainer over a bowl and seed the tomatoes into the strainer. Rub the gelatinous seed pods against the strainer to extract flavorful juice, and discard the seeds. 1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile, place the rice sticks in a large bowl, and cover with hot water. Let sit 20 minutes, until pliable. Drain and cut the noodles in half, into roughly 6- to 8-inch lengths, with kitchen scissors. 2. While the rice sticks are soaking, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium heat in a wide, heavy skillet, and add the garlic. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds, and add the zucchini. Cook, stirring, until the zucchini begins to soften and the skin becomes bright green, about three minutes. Add the tomatoes with juice and salt and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring often, for 6 to 10 minutes until the zucchini is tender and the tomatoes have begun to break down. Remove from the heat, taste and adjust seasonings, and set aside. 3. When the water comes to a boil, salt generously and add the rice sticks. Boil one minute and drain. Toss with the zucchini and tomato mixture, the remaining olive oil and the mint. Serve, passing the cheese for people to sprinkle on at the table. Yield: Serves four. Advance preparation: The zucchini-tomato mixture can be cooked several hours ahead and reheated. If it seems dry, add a little pasta cooking water. The soaked noodles will keep for three or four days in the refrigerator. __________________ If I am not better, at least I am different. --Jean-Jacques Rousseau

09-30-2010, 08:36 AM	#140 (permalink)
snowy Kick Ass Kunoichi Location: Oregon	We love open-faced sandwiches (or tartines) around this house, and I found this Italian-styled recipe interesting. They have it labeled as an appetizer, but I think it would make a fine main course. Eggplant Marinara Flatbread Recipe at Epicurious.com Eggplant Marinara Flatbread Bon Appétit \| October 2010 by The Bon Appétit Test KitchenYield: Makes 6 appetizer servings Active Time: 30 minutes Total Time: 45 minutes 4 tablespoons (about) olive oil, divided 6 1/3- to 1/2-inch-thick eggplant rounds (3 to 4 inches in diameter; from 1 large) 1 loaf ciabatta or pain rustique, cut horizontally in half, trimmed to 9-inch length 1 1/4 cups purchased fresh marinara sauce 2 ounces soft fresh goat cheese 1/3 cup chopped fresh basil plus 6 whole leaves (for garnish) 1 cup coarsely grated mozzarella cheese (about 4 ounces) Preheat oven to 400°F. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle eggplant with salt and pepper. Place in skillet. Cover. Cook until tender, turning, 10 minutes. Transfer to plate. Brush cut side of bottom half of bread with rest of oil. Cook in skillet, cut side down, until golden, 1 minute. Place bread, cut side up, on baking sheet. Spread with 3/4 cup sauce. Crumble goat cheese over; sprinkle with chopped basil. Top with eggplant. Mound mozzarella on eggplant; spoon remaining sauce over. Bake bread until topping is hot and crust is crisp, about 12 minutes. Cut into 6 pieces. Garnish with basil leaves __________________ If I am not better, at least I am different. --Jean-Jacques Rousseau

10-02-2010, 08:09 AM	#141 (permalink)
snowy Kick Ass Kunoichi Location: Oregon	Basic, but a classic: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/06/dining/06minirex.html Pasta with Fresh Tomato Sauce Published: October 1, 2010 Time: 20 minutes Salt 3to 5 tablespoons butter or olive oil 1 1/2pounds tomatoes, roughly chopped 1 pound linguine or other long pasta 1/2 cup shredded fresh basil leaves, if desired Freshly grated Parmesan, if desired. 1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it. Put the butter or oil in a large skillet over medium heat; when the oil is hot or the butter’s foam subsides, add the tomatoes. 2. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes break up, about 10 minutes, adding salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Meanwhile, cook the pasta until done; drain. 3. Toss together pasta and sauce, along with basil and Parmesan, if you like. Taste and adjust the seasoning and serve. __________________ If I am not better, at least I am different. --Jean-Jacques Rousseau

10-03-2010, 11:00 AM	#142 (permalink)
snowy Kick Ass Kunoichi Location: Oregon	Came across a regular recipe for moussaka and decided to poke around and find a vegetarian version. Here you go: Vegetable Moussaka Recipe at Epicurious.com Vegetable Moussaka Bon Appétit \| September 1999 Although it would be years before most Greek cooking would become familiar to Americans, one Greek dish, moussaka, did catch on in the seventies. Yield: Makes 8 servings 3 1/2 pounds eggplant, unpeeled, cut into 1/2-inch-thick rounds 1/2 cup (about) olive oil 1 large onion, thinly sliced 1 cup finely chopped peeled carrots 1 cup finely chopped celery 4 garlic cloves, minced 12 ounces portobello mushrooms, cut into 1/2-inch pieces 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes with added puree 1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter 7 tablespoons all purpose flour 3 1/2 cups whole milk 4 large egg yolks Cover 2 baking sheets with paper towels. Sprinkle both sides of eggplant rounds with salt. Arrange eggplant in single layer atop towels. Let stand 30 minutes. Position first rack in bottom third of oven and second rack in top third of oven and preheat to 425°F. Remove eggplant and paper towels from baking sheets. Pat eggplant dry. Oil same baking sheets. Brush both sides of eggplant rounds with 1/4 cup oil. Arrange in single layer on baking sheets. Bake 10 minutes. Turn eggplant and rotate pans in oven. Continue baking until tender, about 15 minutes longer. Cool. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Meanwhile, heat 1/4 cup oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrots and celery. Sauté until onion is very tender, about 12 minutes. Mix in garlic, then mushrooms. Sauté until juices evaporate, about 10 minutes. Mix in oregano and cinnamon. Add tomatoes and parsley. Cook until mixture is thick, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Lightly oil 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Arrange half of eggplant rounds in single layer in dish. Spoon half of tomato mixture evenly over eggplant. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons cheese. Repeat layering with remaining eggplant, tomato mixture and 2 tablespoons cheese. Melt butter in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour. Stir 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in milk. Simmer until sauce thickens, stirring constantly, about 5 minutes. Whisk in 1/2 cup cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Whisk yolks in large bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in hot sauce. Pour sauce over vegetables in dish. Sprinkle 1/4 cup cheese over sauce. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill.) Bake moussaka until heated through and sauce is golden brown on top, about 45 minutes (or about 55 minutes for refrigerated moussaka). Cool 15 minutes. __________________ If I am not better, at least I am different. --Jean-Jacques Rousseau

10-05-2010, 12:29 PM	#143 (permalink)
snowy Kick Ass Kunoichi Location: Oregon	Not quite the season for Meyer lemon, but save this one for later: from: Recipe: Spaghetti with Mascarpone, Meyer Lemon, Spinach, and Hazelnuts \| Apartment Therapy The Kitchn Spaghetti with Mascarpone, Meyer Lemon, Spinach, and Hazelnuts serves two as a main course 1 teaspoon Meyer lemon zest (from about 1/2 lemon) juice from one Meyer lemon (about 1/4 cup) 1/2 cup mascarpone cheese 1/2 teaspoon salt a few grinds of fresh pepper 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg 1/2 pound spaghetti 5 cups (loosely packed) fresh spinach, washed, spun dry, and roughly chopped 1/2 cup chopped, toasted hazelnuts Combine the zest, lemon juice, mascarpone, salt, pepper, and nutmeg in a bowl. Whisk to combine. Bring a pot of water to boil and salt generously. Cook the pasta until al dente, taking it off the heat about 1 to 2 minutes before you would normally remove it. Drain, reserving about 1/2 cup of the pasta water. Return the pasta to the pot, and set over low heat. Stir in the mascarpone sauce. Add the spinach and toss so that the spinach begins to wilt. Add about 1/4 cup of the pasta water (more if necessary) to keep the sauce fluid but not too watery. Continue to cook and toss until the spinach is cooked. Add the hazelnuts and stir to combine. Serve immediately. __________________ If I am not better, at least I am different. --Jean-Jacques Rousseau

10-08-2010, 06:47 PM	#144 (permalink)
snowy Kick Ass Kunoichi Location: Oregon	One for freezing: from: mushroom lasagna \| smitten kitchen Mushroom Lasagna Adapted, only a little, from Ina Garten Last time I posted, I joked about the number of changes I make to the average recipe. However, Ina Garten doesn’t write average recipes. Her recipes never fail to produce dishes that require no tweaking to receive rave reviews, and this one was no different. The only things I messed with were adding a clove of minced garlic to the sauce, because it’s so wonderful against the creaminess and swapping out portobellos with cremini, or brown mushrooms as portobellos are more expensive, harder to find, break easily and are nothing but overgrown brown mushrooms. My only gripe with this recipe is the number of pots it uses; I counted 4 in the original (not including the colander, cutting board and knife, ugh) and managed to trim it to 3 in my version, below. However, I did forget all about the inconvenience of dishes once I tasted the final dish — completely and totally worth it. Serves 6 to 8 (more as a first course) Salt Olive oil 3/4 pound dried lasagna noodles 1 large clove garlic, minced 4 cups whole milk 3/4 cup (12 tablespoons or 1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, divided 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg (I used less, because this seemed like a lot) 1 1/2 pounds cremini or portobello mushrooms 1 cup freshly grated parmesan Preheat your oven to 375°F. Bring a large, wide (if you use a wide one, you can save a dish later and saute your mushrooms in the bottom of it) of water to boil with salt and a splash of oil, that will help keep your noodles from sticking together as they drain. Add the lasagna noodles and cook for 10 minutes. Drain and set aside. Make béchamel: Bring the milk and garlic to simmer in a saucepan, or heat it in your microwave, and set it aside. Melt 1/2 cup (8 tablespoons or 1 stick) butter in a large saucepan. If your name is Deb, you will probably brown this butter, too. Add the flour and cook for one minute over low heat, stirring constantly with a whisk or wooden spoon. Pour in the hot milk, a little at a time at first and stirring until combined. Once you’ve added half of it, you can add the second half all at once, along with 1 1/2 teaspoons table salt, the pepper, and nutmeg. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring or whisking frequently, for 3 to 5 minutes, or until thick. Set aside. Prepare mushrooms: Discard portobello mushroom stems and/or trim the ends of the cremini stems. Slice mushrooms 1/4-inch thick. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter over medium in the bottom of the large, wide pot you used to cook the noodles earlier, or in a large sauté pan. Cook the mushrooms with a couple pinches of salt for about 5 minutes, or until they are tender and release some of their juices, tossing to make sure they cook evenly. Repeat with additional oil and butter, and remaining mushrooms. Assemble lasagna: Spread some of the sauce in the bottom of an 8 x 12 or 9 x 13 baking dish. (Ina recommends the former, I only had the latter; if you’d like to freeze or give this dish as a gift, remember to use a foil pan). Arrange a layer of noodles on top, then more sauce (about 1/4 of what remains), 1/3 of the mushrooms and 1/4 cup grated parmesan. Repeat two more times then top with a final layer of noodles, your remaning sauce and last 1/4 cup of parmesan. Bake for 45 minutes, or until top is browned and the sauce is bubbly. Let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving. To freeze for future use, allow it to cool completely and wrap two to three times in plastic wrap before freezing. Burning question: Do you overlap your lasagna noodles on each layer? I think that’s the way it is usually done, but it has been so long since I made lasagna, I couldn’t remember. I decided to line mine up, and ended up with three neat rows down my 9 x 13 pan (I trimmed the ends of the noodles, because I can occasionally be a neat freak) and found it exceptionally neat and pretty to serve, as each piece could have two ruffly edges. This meant I only used 12 noodles total, or about 2/3 of a one-pound box. __________________ If I am not better, at least I am different. --Jean-Jacques Rousseau

10-10-2010, 10:54 AM	#145 (permalink)
snowy Kick Ass Kunoichi Location: Oregon	Pasties! Recipe: Butternut Squash, Sage, and Parmesan Pasties \| Apartment Therapy The Kitchn Butternut Squash, Sage, and Parmesan Pasties Makes 2 large or 4 small pasties Dough 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour Pinch of salt 2/3 cup chilled butter, cut into small pieces 6-8 tablespoons ice water Filling 8 ounces butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1 cm cubes 1 medium red onion, diced 1 clove garlic, crushed 1 tablespoon finely chopped sage 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese 2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted Sea salt Freshly ground white pepper (or black) 1 egg, beaten To make dough Sift flour and salt into a large bowl. Using a pastry blender or knife, cut butter into flour until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add 1 tablespoon of ice water at a time, gently tossing between additions, until the dough just holds together. Shape dough into a ball and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes before rolling out. Before rolling out the dough, let it soften slightly so that it is malleable but still cold. On a lightly floured surface, roll it out to 1/8-inch thick. Cut out two circles using a plate or bowl as a guide. To make pasties Preheat oven to 375°F. In a large bowl, combine butternut squash, onion, garlic, sage, parsley, Parmesan cheese, and pine nuts. Spoon mixture over half of each dough round, leaving a 1-inch border around the edge. Sprinkle well with salt and pepper. Moisten the edges of the dough with beaten egg. With cool hands, fold the pastry over and crimp the edges. (Use any crimping technique you like, just make sure it is well sealed. For the traditional Cornish method, see this YouTube video.) Cut a small slit in the top of each pasty. Brush all over with beaten egg. Bake until golden and cooked through, about 40 minutes. Serve hot or warm. __________________ If I am not better, at least I am different. --Jean-Jacques Rousseau

10-10-2010, 03:30 PM	#146 (permalink)
snowy Kick Ass Kunoichi Location: Oregon	Another one, because I came across it and wanted to remember it for later: Healthy & Delicious: Mushroom 'Bolognese' \| Serious Eats : Recipes Ingredients serves 3 or 4, active time 20 minutes, total time 40 minutes 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 2 large shallots, finely chopped (about 1/4 cup) 1 large carrot, peeled and finely chopped (about 1/2 cup) 10 ounces button mushrooms, finely chopped Kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper 1 (14.4-ounce) can diced tomatoes 2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano Procedures In a 10-inch heavy-bottomed skillet pan, heat oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add shallots, carrot, and mushrooms. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms have reduced and their liquids have almost evaporated, about 12 minutes. Add tomatoes and oregano. Stir to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens to desired consistency. Serve with wide, flat pasta like pappardelle or tagliatelle or ridged pasta like rotini or rigatoni. __________________ If I am not better, at least I am different. --Jean-Jacques Rousseau

10-10-2010, 07:14 PM	#147 (permalink)
snowy Kick Ass Kunoichi Location: Oregon	I was poking around a cooking site this evening and came across a mention of cassoulet. Cassoulet traditionally contains meat, but it triggered a memory of a meal I made many months ago from this vegetarian recipe: recipe detail \| OregonLive.com Vegetarian Cassoulet Published March 17, 2009 Makes 4 to 6 servings Ingredients Cassoulet 3 medium leeks (white and pale green parts only) 1/4 cup olive oil 4 medium carrots, halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces 3 celery ribs, cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces 4 cloves garlic, chopped 4 sprigs thyme 2 sprigs parsley 1 bay leaf 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves Salt and freshly ground black pepper 3 15-ounce cans cannellini or Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained 1 14 1/2-ounce can vegetable broth, plus enough water to make 4 cups Garlic crumbs 2 tablespoons olive oil 4 cups coarse fresh bread crumbs 1 tablespoon chopped garlic 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley 1/2 cup grated parmesan (optional) Instructions To make cassoulet: Halve leeks lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces, then wash well and pat dry. Heat the olive oil in a large heavy pot set over medium heat. Add leeks, carrots, celery, garlic, thyme sprigs, parsley sprigs, bay leaf, cloves, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened and golden, about 15 minutes. Stir in beans, tomatoes and vegetable broth diluted with water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, partially covered and stirring occasionally, until carrots are tender but not falling apart, about 30 minutes. To make garlic crumbs: Heat oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add bread crumbs, garlic, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until crumbs are crisp and golden, about 12 to 15 minutes. Allow crumbs to cool, then stir in parsley and parmesan. To finish cassoulet, discard herb sprigs and bay leaf. Mash some of beans in the pot with a potato masher or back of a spoon to thicken broth. Season with additional salt and pepper. Divide cassoulet among bowls and sprinkle with garlic crumbs before serving. Adapted from Melissa Roberts, Gourmet Magazine, March 2008 __________________ If I am not better, at least I am different. --Jean-Jacques Rousseau

10-12-2010, 05:41 PM	#148 (permalink)
snowy Kick Ass Kunoichi Location: Oregon	This recipe originally had anchovies in it. To compensate, consider adjusting the seasoning. It's similar to a recipe I make with kale, so that would be another green to consider in this treatment. adapted from: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/13/di...3apperex2.html Pasta With Caramelized Onion, Swiss Chard and Garlicky Bread Crumbs Time: 40 minutes 3 tablespoons butter or olive oil 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 2/3 cup bread crumbs 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, plus additional for drizzling 1 yellow onion, halved from stem to root and thinly sliced crosswise Kosher salt and pepper 1 pound Swiss chard, ribs removed, leaves chopped 1/2 pound whole-wheat pasta, such as fusilli. 1. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Add 3 anchovies to the skillet; cook until melted, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute. Stir in the bread crumbs and toast until golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a bowl. 2. Wipe the skillet clean and return it to a medium-high heat. Add the oil, the onion and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until very soft and caramelized, 15 to 20 minutes. Chop the remaining 2 anchovies and add them to the skillet. Cook until melted. Add the Swiss chard, a handful at a time, and cook until wilted, about 4 minutes. Cover and keep warm. 3. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions. Drain well. Toss with the chard mixture and bread crumbs, season with salt and pepper and drizzle with oil. Yield: 2 to 3 servings. __________________ If I am not better, at least I am different. --Jean-Jacques Rousseau

10-13-2010, 05:13 PM	#149 (permalink)
snowy Kick Ass Kunoichi Location: Oregon	Another recipe to go with whole wheat pasta: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/13/di...3apperex1.html Creamy Pasta With Roasted Zucchini, Almonds and Basil Time: 45 minutes 2 medium zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 3 cups) 1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt Pepper, to taste 2 tablespoons slivered almonds 1/3 cup heavy cream 1 sprig basil, with leaves and stem 3 tablespoons goat cheese 1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest 6 ounces whole-wheat spaghetti or linguine. 1. Heat oven to 500 degrees. Toss the zucchini and oil with 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste. Arrange zucchini on a baking sheet in a single layer. Roast, tossing occasionally, until golden and tender, 20 to 30 minutes. 2. Meanwhile, toast the almonds in a skillet over medium heat until golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl. 3. Simmer the cream and basil sprig in a small saucepan over medium heat until reduced to 1/4 cup, about 7 minutes. Whisk in the goat cheese until the sauce is smooth. Remove from heat; stir in lemon zest and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cover and keep warm. 4. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain well. Toss the pasta with the cream sauce. Serve topped with the zucchini and almonds. Yield: 2 servings. __________________ If I am not better, at least I am different. --Jean-Jacques Rousseau

10-15-2010, 06:10 PM	#150 (permalink)
snowy Kick Ass Kunoichi Location: Oregon	Squash season is here: Spinach and Acorn Squash "Ravioli" Recipe - MyRecipes.com Spinach and Acorn Squash "Ravioli" Yield: 4 servings (16 large ravioli) 1/2 cup ricotta cheese 1 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper 8 1/2-inch slices of roasted squash, peeled and mashed 1/4 cup sour cream 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1 tablespoon unsalted butter 8 sage leaves 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth 16 wonton wrappers Heat oven to 400º F. In a small bowl, combine the ricotta, half the spinach (reserve the rest for another use), salt, and pepper and mix well. In another bowl, stir the squash, sour cream, and nutmeg together. In a skillet, over medium heat, heat the butter. Add the sage and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the broth, simmer 5 minutes, and set aside. Lay out 16 wonton wrappers. Divide the spinach mixture among 8 wrappers, placing a dollop in the center of each. Fold them in half diagonally, pinching one corner to close. Repeat with the squash mixture and the remaining 8 wrappers. Place the 16 packets in a roasting pan and spoon the broth over them. Cover with foil and heat in the oven until warmed through, 10 to 15 minutes. __________________ If I am not better, at least I am different. --Jean-Jacques Rousseau

10-16-2010, 08:22 AM	#151 (permalink)
snowy Kick Ass Kunoichi Location: Oregon	More squash! I think this would probably also be good with Puy lentils (French green) if you don't have access to Beluga lentils. SAUTEED BELUGA LENTILS + BUTTERNUT SQUASH Sprouted Kitchen SAUTEED BELUGA LENTILS + BUTTERNUT SQUASH // Serves 4 This is one of those recipes that is to taste on a lot of things. You could adjust the garlic if you prefer, more herbs if you want the greenery, more curry if you like it spicy. However, note that the curry should not be an overpowering flavor here, it’s intended to be a compliment. Any squash would work, maybe even a pumpkin. You follow me? 4 cups cubed butternut squash 2 tbsp. olive oil 1/2 tbsp. curry powder 1/2 tbsp. oregano 1 tbsp. muscavado/natural brown sugar salt and pepper 2 cups cooked Beluga lentils, drained 2 tbsp. minced garlic 2 tbsp. olive oil 1/2 cup chopped basil 1/3 cup chopped parsley 2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar 1 tsp. Dijon mustard 1 small red onion, diced grated Manchego cheese Oven to 450′ 1. On a baking tray, spread out the squash, add the olive oil, oregano, curry powder and salt and pepper. Use your hands and toss everything around until the spices are coating the squash evenly. Spread them out in a single layer, with as much space between possible. Roast in the upper third of the oven for 20-35 minutes. (The time differs based on water content of squash, size of cubes etc. Just watch them until the edges are brown and crispy). 2. While the squash are cooking, put the 2 Tbsp. olive oil and minced garlic in a pan over medium heat. Shake it around a few times, and allow the garlic pieces to crisp up a bit in the oil. Add the lentils and saute to cover them in oil. Continue to stir intermittently for about 10 minutes to warm through. Turn off the flame, but leave them in the warm pan until the squash is done. 3. Remove squash from oven and set aside, put the lentils in a bowl and add the red onion, apple cider vinegar, dijon and half of the herbs, stir. Add the squash chunks on top, the rest of the herbs, desired amount of grated manchego cheese and a grate of fresh ground pepper. __________________ If I am not better, at least I am different. --Jean-Jacques Rousseau

10-18-2010, 07:53 AM	#152 (permalink)
snowy Kick Ass Kunoichi Location: Oregon	Finally, a recipe from the Temporary Vegetarian column that isn't overly complicated. Recipe for Mushroom Quesadillas (Quesadillas con Hongos) from Rosa Mexicano Restaurant - NYTimes.com Mushroom Quesadillas / Quesadillas con Hongos Yield 3 servings (six 6-inch quesadillas, or three 10-inch quesadillas Time 40 minutes Ingredients 12 ounces mixed mushrooms (such as cremini, portobello, shiitake, oyster), trimmed and thinly sliced 3/4 cup finely chopped white onion 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped 2 Serrano chilies, trimmed, seeded, cored, and finely chopped 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil salt 4 ounces queso chihuahua, or Monterey jack, muenster, or cheddar cheese, finely shredded (to make 1 1/2 cups, loosely packed) 6 6-inch (or three 10-inch) fresh corn tortillas 6 fresh epazote leaves (optional) Sour cream, for serving Salsa verde, for serving. Method 1. In a medium bowl, mix the mushrooms, onion, garlic, and chilies until well combined. 2. Place oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat and heat until oil is shimmering. Add the mushroom mixture, season very lightly with salt, and cook, stirring and tossing, until the mushrooms are browned, 6 to 10 minutes. Scrape into a bowl and season with more salt if needed. 3. Divide the cheese among the tortillas, spreading a portion over half of each tortilla, leaving a small empty border, about 1 inch, at the edge. Divide the mushroom mixture among the tortillas, placing it on top of the cheese. Divide the epazote leaves, if using, among the tortillas. Fold the empty side over the filling and press firmly to close. 4. Heat a cast-iron or other heavy griddle over medium heat. Cook the quesadillas in batches, turning once, until light golden brown and crisp, about three minutes per side. Serve immediately, with sour cream and salsa verde on the side. __________________ If I am not better, at least I am different. --Jean-Jacques Rousseau

10-19-2010, 09:10 PM	#153 (permalink)
snowy Kick Ass Kunoichi Location: Oregon	A strata--yet another delicious form of what amounts to a savory bread pudding. Eat for Eight Bucks: Spinach Strata with Sage and Gruyere \| Serious Eats : Recipes 1/2 baguette (to yield about 6 cups of torn bread) 1 tablespoon softened butter, plus 3 tablespoons melted butter 3 eggs 2 1/2 cups milk 2 tablespoons fresh sage, torn 1/2 teaspoon salt Freshly ground black pepper 2 medium cloves garlic, minced (about 2 teaspoons) 1 1/2 ounces baby spinach (about 1 1/2 cups) 3 ounces Gruyere (about 1 1/2 cups, grated) 1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated Procedures 1 Cut the bread into slices about ¾-inch thick. Set on the counter for several hours to dry out, or toast the bread in a 400°F oven for about 5 minutes. Tear each slice into several pieces. You should have about 6 cups. 2 Grease an 8-inch by 9-inch casserole dish with 1 tablespoon softened butter. 3 In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until frothy. Whisk in milk, sage, salt, pepper, melted butter, and minced garlic until homogenous. 4 Add the torn bread to the custard, mixing to make sure every piece absorbs some liquid. Stir in spinach and Gruyere. Pour the bread-custard-spinach mixture into prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle with Parmesan and top with more freshly ground pepper. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to sit for 1 hour on the counter, or several hours in the fridge. 5 Preheat the oven to 375°F about 20 minutes before you’re ready to bake the strata. 6 Bake until the top is browned and slightly puffed and the strata is cooked through, about 45 minutes. Let rest a few minutes before serving warm. __________________ If I am not better, at least I am different. --Jean-Jacques Rousseau

10-20-2010, 09:11 AM	#154 (permalink)
snowy Kick Ass Kunoichi Location: Oregon	For this recipe, if you don't have a spaetzle disk, you can also use a colander with large holes. A side that could also work as a main: Garlic Dumplings with Emmentaler - Saveur.com Garlic Dumplings with Emmentaler 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil 1⁄2 cup milk 1⁄4 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves 1⁄4 cup finely chopped basil leaves 6 tbsp. unsalted butter 1⁄4 tsp. kosher salt 3 eggs, beaten 2 cups flour 1 cup grated emmentaler cheese 1. Heat oven to 450°. Halve garlic crosswise with a knife and brush with olive oil; wrap with foil. Roast until soft, 1 hour. Let cool and squeeze roasted garlic cloves from their skins into a bowl; mash with a fork to a paste. 2. Melt 2 tbsp. of the butter and add to paste. Then add milk, parsley, basil, salt, and eggs; stir until smooth. 3. Put flour into a large bowl; form a well in center. Slowly pour in the garlic–milk mixture, stirring with a fork to form a smooth batter. 4. Bring a 5-qt. saucepan of salted water to a boil over high heat. Set a perforated spätzle-making disk over the pot. Working in batches, scrape batter through holes into water. Cook until dumplings rise to surface, about 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon, transfer dumplings to a baking sheet. 5. Heat remaining 4 tbsp. of butter in a 12" ovenproof skillet over high heat. Add dumplings; cook, stirring, until lightly browned, 6–8 minutes. Meanwhile, heat broiler; put rack 5" from heating element. Sprinkle dumplings with cheese; broil until melted, about 2 minutes. SERVES 4 __________________ If I am not better, at least I am different. --Jean-Jacques Rousseau

10-21-2010, 08:24 AM	#155 (permalink)
snowy Kick Ass Kunoichi Location: Oregon	I will probably be making this today, because I have a leek and a bag of chanterelles that need to be used ASAP. One substitution I like to make lately is to use aged Gouda in place of the Parmesan--it matches the earthiness of the mushrooms and thyme nicely. I adapted this because I don't have cream sherry, nor am I likely to buy it to make risotto once; I prefer Sauvignon Blanc. It adds a nice brightness that counterbalances the earthiness of the mushrooms, thyme, and cheese. I also rehydrate my dried mushrooms in the stock I'm going to be using, if I'm using dried mushrooms: Mushroom and Leek Risotto Recipe http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/s...risotto-098626 Ingredients 1 1-lb package of white arborio rice/risotto 2 cups of mushrooms, your choice. I used a mix of dried chanterelles, dried porcinis, and fresh baby bellas. 1/2 of a shallot, chopped 1 large leek, washed and sliced 2 tbsp. butter or olive oil 3 cups liquid of your choice - vegetable, chicken, or beef broth. You can also use the water you soaked dried mushrooms in, if any. 1/2 cup Sauvignon Blanc 2 tbsp. fresh thyme leaves Salt & pepper to taste Parmesan cheese Preparation Soak any dried mushrooms in hot water and set aside. In a large pot, saute the leek and shallot in the butter or oil until soft. Add fresh sliced mushrooms and saute until nicely browned. Add the thyme, and some salt & pepper to taste. Add the risotto and stir to coat evenly. Bring pot to medium-high heat and add 2/3 of the liquid, stirring, taking care not to let the risotto stick. You want to have a slow boil going, not a rollicking boil or a simmer. As the risotto cooks, it will absorb the liquid, so add more, half a cup at a time, stirring. At the end, add the sherry, and more salt & pepper to taste. If you've used up all your liquid and the risotto is still too hard, add about half a cup of liquid - more broth, sherry, or water. This might be a sign your heat is too high, so turn it down a little. The risotto is done when it is al dente. Serve with grated Parmesan on top. __________________ If I am not better, at least I am different. --Jean-Jacques Rousseau

10-22-2010, 06:34 PM	#156 (permalink)
snowy Kick Ass Kunoichi Location: Oregon	Sounds yummy, but I wouldn't use olive oil for frying, personally: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/27/dining/27apperex.html Zucchini and Carrot Fritters With Yogurt-Mint Dip Time: 1 hour 1 cup all-purpose flour, more as needed 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon coriander 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, more for serving 1 cup milk, more as needed 1 large egg 1/4 teaspoon grated lemon zest 1/4 teaspoon pepper 2 large carrots, grated (about 1 1/2 cups) 1 large zucchini, grated (about 2 cups) 2 scallions, finely chopped 1 garlic clove, finely chopped 1/2 cup plain yogurt 1 tablespoon chopped mint 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil Olive oil, for frying. 1. To make the batter for the fritters: in a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, coriander and 1/2 teaspoon salt. In a separate large bowl, whisk together the milk, egg, lemon zest and pepper. 2. Pour dry ingredients into wet; whisk until just blended (do not). Batter should be slightly thicker than cream. If it’s too thick, add some milk; if it’s too thin, sprinkle with additional flour. Stir in the carrots, zucchini and scallions. Allow to rest for 30 minutes. 3. To make the yogurt dip: using a mortar and pestle or the back of a knife, mash together the garlic and 1/4 teaspoon salt. In a small bowl, whisk together the garlic paste, yogurt, mint and 1 tablespoon extra virgin oil. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. 4. Fill a wide saucepan with 1 inch of olive oil; heat until the temperature registers 375 degrees on a deep-fry thermometer (or until a small drip of batter browns immediately). Line a cookie sheet with paper towels. Working in batches, drop battered vegetables by the tablespoon into the oil, being sure not to overcrowd the pan. Fry, turning occasionally, until golden all over, about 3 to 4 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer fritters to the cookie sheet to drain. Transfer fritters to a platter or plate; sprinkle with salt and serve with yogurt dip. Yield: 3 dozen fritters. __________________ If I am not better, at least I am different. --Jean-Jacques Rousseau