Month: August 2015

Green Fattoush Salad with Mint Vinaigrette

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IMAG0523This weekend in Chicago it’s in the 90’s and humid. It’s also the annual Air and Water Show so the last thing I want to do is spend a lot of time slaving over a hot stove. I was at the farmers’ market and they had gorgeous fresh mint and arugula which reminded me of this wonderful green salad – full of flavors and incredibly satisfying. If you wish to make it for vegans just leave out the feta cheese. For the rest of us – buy a full-fat feta. It won’t kill you since the amount you will have is small and taste is, frankly, so much better. You can use either a sheep’s milk or goat’s milk feta for this dish. Just make sure that all of your greens are very fresh and bright. If you can’t smell the freshness please don’t buy them. Fattoush is essentially a Middle Eastern Panzanella. Since it physically hurts me to throw away bread – possibly because I love to bake bread and know what goes into making it – this is a wonderful way to use up left-over pita or lavash.

Green Fattoush Salad with Mint Vinaigrette adapted from Einat Admony

Yields: 4 generous servings

Ingredients:

1 large English (seedless) cucumber or 3 small Persian cucumbers, sliced into 1/2 inch rounds or 1/2 moons

1 ripe avocado, peeled,seeded and cut into 1/2 inch cubes

2/3 cup roughly torn fresh mint (spearmint – not peppermint) plus about 10-12 additional leaves for the vinaigrette

2/3 cup roughly chopped or torn flat-leaf parsley

3 cups torn arugula

2 cups torn watercress (Really try to find watercress for this recipe. If you absolutely can’t, just use more arugula.)

3/4 cup crumbled feta (do not buy crumbled feta – buy the chunk and crumble it yourself)

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard

1/2 teaspoon honey (I love Greek honey, but any good quality honey will do)

Kosher salt, to taste but about 1/2 teaspoon. It will partly depend on how salty your feta cheese is.

1 large clove garlic, chopped

1.2 cup EVOO (If you have a good quality lemon enhanced EVOO you can use that. Personally I can never get enough lemon.)

About 1 cup of toasted pita chips or lavash (You can make your own or buy store bought)

1/4 teaspoon sumac (optional) If you choose to buy sumac (and you can get it at Middle Eastern markets or online at Nuts.com you will find lots of uses for it, especially in Mediterranean cooking. It looks a bit like paprika, but it has a wonderful fruity, citrusy flavor and goes great with chicken.)

Directions:

  1. In a large salad bowl, toss everything that is green together. This can be done ahead and covered with a damp towel. If left in a cool room, it can be left out for several hours. If you have room in your fridge, you can store it there in a plastic bag. (DO NOT ADD avocado if making ahead. Only add it when ready to eat along with the feta.)
  2. If using feta cheese, add it when you are ready to serve  the salad.
  3. Make mint vinaigrette: In a blender, puree the mint leaves that you set aside earlier with the lemon juice, mustard, honey, salt and garlic until smooth. With the blender running, slowly drizzle in the EVOO and process until emulsified.
  4. Toss salad with just enough vinaigrette to lightly coat the greens. (Save any left-over dressing in a glass jar in the fridge for use within 2 days.) Toss in the toasted pita or lavash. If using sumac, sprinkle it over the top.

One Pot Meals

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As Lisa has mentioned before, there are some nights where after coming home from work, and going to the gym or an exercise class, there just isn’t that much time to get dinner on the table.  This is one of those lovely recipes that really does fit in one pot and takes 30 minutes from start to finish.  Not only is it delicious the day after, but it’s so flavorful that it’s hard to stop from finishing off the whole pot in the first sitting.

farro

I found this recipe a while ago on Smitten Kitchen, one of my favorite sources of inspiration for dinner.  Not only did it look delicious, it really did live up to its lofty promise of being a 30 minute dinner!  I always double the recipe, since Deb’s “two hearty mains” is more like one serving for my always hungry husband.

I’ve also recently discovered the joys of variated olive oil flavors, after being introduced to Sciabica’s (and yes, their website is really aptly named because the oils really do taste like “sunshine in a bottle”).  Back when I lived in San Francisco, my avid chef friend had given me some samples as a birthday gift, knowing I loved to cook.  She had come across a stand for Sciabica’s at one of these plentiful farmer’s markets, and bought some bottles after having a pleasant chat with someone who appeared to be the family patriarch.  It turned out to be a great purchase.  Indeed, during the olive oil scandal when companies were being called out for not really using olives, Sciabica’s was held up as the shining example of “real” olive oil.  Plus with flavors such as basil, lemon, and grapefruit, it’s great to keep a couple of bottles in the kitchen to add a little flavor.

Why the long digression about olive oil? Well because a dash of basil olive oil to this dish really completes it as a gourmet dinner.  Pair it with a nice California Zinfandel and enjoy!

Serves 4 hearty mains (or 2.5 extremely hungry people)

Ingredients

  • 5 cups water
  • 2 cup semi-pearled farro
  • 1 large onion
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 18 ounces grape or cherry tomatoes
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher or coarse sea salt
  • Up to 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (to taste)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
  • Few basil leaves, cut into thin ribbons
  • Grated parmesan cheese, for serving (optional)

Directions

  1. Place water and farro in a large pot to presoak while you prepare the other ingredients.
  2. Adding each ingredient to the pot as you finish preparing it, cut onion in half again, and very thinly slice it into quarter-moons.
  3. Thinly slice garlic cloves as well.
  4. Halve or quarter tomatoes.
  5. Add salt, pepper flakes (to taste) and 1 tablespoon olive oil to pan, and set a timer for 30 minutes.
  6. Bring uncovered pan (no lid necessary) up to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally.
  7. When the timer rings, the farro should be perfectly cooked, seasoned and the cooking water should be almost completely absorbed. If needed, cook it for 5 additional minutes, until farro is more tender.

Serve onto bowls. Drizzle farro lightly with additional olive oil, scatter with basil and parmesan. Eat immediately.

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen.

Get your Freekeh on – with this lemony, herbed salad

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I love Mediterranean food and while I am an omnivore, I don’t actually eat a lot of meat and frequently make vegan meals or side dishes that serve as a great left-over lunch the next day. I have never met a legume or grain that I didn’t like and I’m always on the lookout for new recipes, especially those that use a lot of herbs.

I don’t remember how I first heard about the grain freekeh, but the name Market grains Israelintrigued me enough to learn a bit more about it and to find out where I could buy it. I already loved faro and wheat berries, so why not freekeh? As it turns out, freekeh is roasted green wheat. It has a wonderful nutty flavor and stands up well to salads or soups. It cooks up in about 35 minutes. I purchase mine through Nuts.com, a wonderful source for dried fruits, grains, spices and of course – nuts.

 

The following salad is adapted from one I found from Martha Rose Shulman. I have been making her vegetarian recipes for over 25 years and they have never failed me. While the beautiful fresh herbs may lose a little color by the second or third day, the flavor is just as wonderful. That assumes that you will actually have any left-overs. It’s that good!

Freekeh, Chickpea and Herb Salad

Yield: 6 servings as a side

Ingredients

  • 1 cup freekeh
  • ½ teaspoon salt, more to taste
  • ½ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh mint
  • 1 cup thinly sliced celery, plus 3 tablespoons chopped leaves
  • 1 bunch scallions, finely chopped
  • 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • juice of 3 lemons – more to taste
  • 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin, more to taste
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 6 tablespoons EVOO

Preparation

  1. Heat a medium-size heavy saucepan over medium-high heat and add freekeh. Toast in the dry pan, shaking pan or stirring, until freekeh becomes fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Add 2 cups water and salt and bring to a boil.
  2. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 30 to 35 minutes or until water has been absorbed. Turn off heat and uncover. Place a clean dish towel over the pot and return lid. Let sit at least 10 minutes. Uncover and allow freekeh to cool another 10 minutes.
  3. In a large bowl, combine freekeh, chopped herbs, celery, scallions and chickpeas and toss together. In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice, cumin, garlic, salt and olive oil; toss with salad. Taste and add more lemon juice if desired. Serve right away or let sit for up to 1 hour before serving.
  • Advance preparation: The salad is best served within a few hours of tossing with the dressing, when the herbs are their brightest, but it will keep for a few days in the refrigerator. The cooked freekeh will keep for 3 or 4 days in the refrigerator.

Make-Ahead Meals

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Beef Stufato1

We all lead busy lives today and I am no exception. I work full-time, volunteer and have the usual home and family obligations. And while I may have visions of recipes to make dancing around my brain like sugar plum fairies, the simple truth is that after a day at work, coming home to cook is not always at the top of my list. So meals that I can make ahead of time when I am feeling more ambitious about cooking are always welcome. Not only can you make this dish ahead, but it actually tastes even better on the second day! It also freezes well, so you can make a big batch and freeze it in individual portions for those nights when you want something satisfying and comforting but just don’t feel like cooking. You can get more complicated and cook up some wide noodles or rice, quinoa or any other grain you like. But for the easiest and simplest – just grab some crusty bread, make a quick green salad if you are feeling ambitious and you can sit down and sighhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh as you sip that Malbec or Cab and take your first forkful. A job well done!

Beef Stufato – Yields 4 servings (can be doubled or halved)

Ingredients:

2 pounds stew beef cut into 1.5 inch chunks

2 tablespoons EVOO

1 teaspoon dark brown sugar

2 medium yellow onions, sliced

1.5 – 2 cups dry red wine (I used a Malbec this time. NEVER EVER use a wine that you wouldn’t drink! If for some reason you can’t or won’t use wine, you can substitute a good quality beef stock.)

1 cup canned (actually I use tomatoes  from a box these days) Italian plum tomatoes with their liquid – diced or strained

5-6 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

2 bay leaves

1 teaspoon each – dried basil and dried thyme

Salt and pepper to taste

8 ounces mushrooms sliced medium thick (optional)

Note: Stufato is very simple. I make a slightly more involved beef stew, with carrots, peas, pearl onions and turnip which I’ll include when the weather gets a bit cooler. This is simple, the amount of active work-time is short and the result is delicious.

Directions:

Heat oil in a heavy Dutch Oven over medium high heat. Add meat in batches and brown on all sides. Make sure that the meat is dry and do not crowd the pan or the meat won’t brown. Remove meat with tongs or a slotted spoon to a bowl and keep on the side until ready to add back.

Add the onion and brown sugar and saute until the onion begins to get limp and translucent. Stir in one cup of the wine. Add all remaining ingredients.Reduce the heat to simmer, cover tightly and cook for 1 hour.

Beef Stufato2

Add remaining 1/2 – 1 cup of wine and continue simmering for another hour. Adjust seasonings, discard the bay leaves and enjoy. If you want to garnish it, chiffonade (chop in thin strips) some fresh basil or add some fresh thyme.

Classic Seafood Paella

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We love visiting wine country in Northern California, and a recent trip took us to an open invite celebration at Vincent Arroyo Winery.  We’ve gone to the winery in the past as we loved their Tempranillo and also because the tasting included a very thorough and scientifically oriented tour of the winery and explanation of how their wines were made.  This time when we stopped by, they were serving up paella, and we’ve never seen such big paella pans!  Entire gallons of water were poured into these huge pans that were placed on top of pits that appeared to exist for the distinct purpose of serving up paella in heaping quantities, and tools that one usually only associates with gardening were used to move around, mix, and cook the delicious paella.

vincent arroyo paella

Inspired, we went home and used our shining new paella pan, albeit a much smaller pan, to cook a seafood version that was more reminiscent of what we had eaten on our Spanish adventure the year before.  They’re actually quite affordable on Amazon, the purveyor of all things, and stores fairly well underneath our oven.

paella_seafood

Ingredients

  • 6 oz shrimp, peeled (reserve the shells for broth)
  • 1 small bottle of clam juice
  • Pinch of saffron threads
  • Kosher Salt
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 6 oz dry scallops
  • 1/4 lb calamari, cut into rings (optional)
  • 1/2 onion, grated
  • 6 garlic cloves
  • 1 tomato, halved and grated on a box grater
  • 1.5 cups medium grain rice (bomba rice is great for paella)
  • 8 small mussels, 8 small clams
  • 2 lemons, cut in wedges
  1. Make a seafood broth: In a medium saucepan, bring 3 cups of salted water to a boil (if using bomba rice, use 4.5 cups of broth). Add the shrimp shells and clam juice and simmer covered, for about 10 minutes.  Strain the broth, and return it to the saucepan.  Toast the saffron gently (in a skillet), crumble the threads and add to the broth.
  2. Saute the seafood: In a 14 in paella pan, heat the oil on high.  Saute the shrimp, scallops, and calamari until just cooked through, about 2 min.  Transfer to a plate.
  3. Make the sofrito: Reduce the heat to medium and saute the onion and garlic until the onion softens, about 5 min.  Add the tomato, season with salt, and cook, stirring often, until the mixture has darkened to a deep burgundy and is thick like a compote, 15-20 minutes.  If it starts to stick to the pan or burn, add a little water.
  4. Add the rice and cook: Bring the broth to a simmer.  Add the rice to the pan with the sofrito, and cook for 1 – 2 minutes.  Raise the heat to medium-high.  Pour in 3 cups of the broth (reserve the rest) and stir or hsake the pan to evenly distribute the rice.  Arrange the clams (if using) in the pan, submerging them as much as possible below the level of the liquid.  From this point on, do not stir the rice.
  5. Simmer vigorously, moving the pan over one and two burners to distribute the heat and to cook the rice as evenly as possible.  When the rice is at the same level as the liquid, after 8-10 min., reduce the heat to medium low.  Arrange the mussels in the pan.
  6. Continue to simmer more gently, rotating the pan as necessary, until the liquid has been absorbed, about 10 min. more.  Taste a grain just below the top layer of rice; it should be al dente, with a tiny white dot in the center.  (If the rice is not done but all the liquid has been absorbed, add a bit of broth and cook a few minutes more.)  Arrange the shrimp, scallops, and calamari in the pan.
  7. Create the socarrat: Increase the heat to medium-high and, rotating the pan, cook for about 2 min., until the bottom layer of rice starts to caramelize, creating a socarrat.  The rice will crackle, but if it starts to smell burned, remove the pan from the heat immediately.
  8. Let the paella rest: Remove the pan from the heat.  Cover loosely with foil or a clean kitchen towel and let the paella rest for 5 min. to even the cooking and let the flavors meld.
  9. Serve: Set the paella pan in the center of a table, remove the foils and dig in!  (Optional: Squeeze lemon on pan for taste.)

(serves 4 or 2.5 very hungry people, based on a 14″ paella pan)

From La Paella of http://www.paellapans.com

Chocolate cupcakes – pssssst! they’re vegan!

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Chocolste cupcake

I have two absolutely wonderful godchildren and I love to cook and bake for them. Unfortunately, one of them is deathly allergic to eggs. On top of this, his family keeps Kosher, so I am always challenged to come up with wonderful desserts that are safe for him and taste and look wonderful to everyone else – including adults. After a lot of searching, I was fortunate to come across The Food Allergy Mama’s Baking Book by Kelly Rudnicki and available at Amazon. I always tweak the recipes because I am incapable of not doing that; however, if you just follow them exactly they will come out fine.

Tonight the children are coming to sleep-over and give their parents some well-deserved alone time. My goddaughter gave me her desired menu and it includes pizza that my husband makes with the children and chocolate cupcakes. In the interest of time – and knowing the attention span of 5 and 6 year-olds – I baked the cupcakes this morning and we will make the frosting and decorate them together when they arrive. This same recipe can be used to make two 8-inch round cakes for layer cake. You will be amazed at how super-moist and chocolaty these are.

Chocolate Cupcakes and Frosting – Adapted from The Food Allergy Mama’s Baking Book by Kelly Rudnicki

Yields: 18 cupcakes or two 8-inch round cakes for layer cake

Ingredients:

1/2 cup dairy-free shortening (I like Earth Balance brand . And of course, if you don’t care about being Vegan or keeping Kosher, feel free to use real unsalted butter.)

1.5 cups dairy-free “buttermilk” (I use Vanilla Soy that I have added about 1.5 Tablespoons of distilled vinegar to. You let it sit for at least 5-10 minutes and voila! you have a good buttermilk substitute for any recipe. If you prefer to use rice or almond milk it likely will work – I just never have done it.)

2 Tablespoons strong coffee (Don’t worry about the caffeine — the difference in how great the chocolate tastes is essential. Instant espresso works if you don’t make or have your own brewed coffee on hand.)

1 Teaspoon real vanilla extract

2 cups cake flour (I happen to like King Arthur unbleached cake flour but you can use other brands)

1.5 cups granulated sugar (I always store my sugar in a big glass jar with a couple of vanilla beans tucked inside.)

2/3 cup good-quality, unsweetened cocoa powder (I like to use Rodelle which I buy through Amazon)

1.5 Teaspoons baking soda

1/2 Teaspoon salt

Directions:

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line 18 cupcake (muffin tins) with paper liners. (If making the cakes, spray two pans with a non-dairy spray like Pam and then line the bottoms with a round of parchment or waxed paper. Spray the bottom again and set aside.)
  2. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the shortening, “buttermilk”, coffee and vanilla and beat until thoroughly mixed. Unless your shortening is quite soft, it won’t totally mix, but don’t worry – it all will work out.
  3. In a separate medium bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients and with a whisk mix them thoroughly to distribute the ingredients.
  4. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the shortening mixture with the machine on low. Once mostly blended, turn the machine to high and beat for 4 minutes, scraping the sides occasionally.
  5. Using a scoop or small measuring cup, fill the paper cupcake liners evenly and bake for 20 – 25 minutes (mine took 23 minutes but all ovens are different) or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes and then carefully place the cupcakes on wire racks to finish cooling. Cool completely before frosting. IMAG0479

Chocolate Frosting – Yields 2 cups

Ingredients:

1 cup dairy-free shortening (I use Earth Balance “butter” flavored)

1/2 cup good quality, unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 cup of dairy-free “milk” (I use vanilla soy and substitute about 1 Tablespoon with strong coffee to really bring up the chocolate flavor and to cut any cloying sweetness.)

1 Teaspoon real vanilla extract

1/8 Teaspoon salt

2 cups confectioners’ sugar

Directions:

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the shortening and cocoa powder until smooth. Add the soy milk/coffee, vanilla and salt and mix thoroughly. SLOWLY add in the confectioners’ sugar, mixing on low for 1 minute until all of the confectioners’ sugar has been mixed with the shortening. Increase the speed to medium and beat for 6 minutes until very light and fluffy. This will keep in the fridge overnight, but you will have to let it soften a bit before spreading.

Vanilla Frosting – Yields 2 cups

Make exactly as you would the chocolate frosting but leave out the cocoa powder and coffee. Add the zest of one large lemon. A few drops of vegetable-based food coloring can be added to this frosting to make it any color you would like.

For strawberry frosting, just add a few sliced up strawberries before the final whipping.

Hot Days – Cold Soup

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IMAG3431When I was growing up we didn’t have central air conditioning. No one did. Instead there was one window air conditioner in the bedroom I shared with my sister and when the mercury rose,  we took the mattress off of the box spring and our brother came and slept on the floor. Being the youngest, I got the box spring. Even having this air conditioner was considered quite a luxury. So when the temperature hit the 80’s, my mother – Matthew and Frances’ “Nana” – made her Gazpacho. If we had guests, which was often since everyone loved to come to our house and my mother was a wonderful cook, Nana would also make paella.

I now have central air conditioning, but I still love to have cold soup when the temperature rises. I came across this “green” version while watching the Cooking Channel’s show Extra Virgin. It’s very different from the Andalusian Gazpacho that Frances made and the tomato-based version that Nana made – both wonderful. All of these soups make an elegant first course or a light supper served simply with crusty bread, maybe a salad and a crisp white or rose wine.

IMAG3420 (1)

Green Gazpacho Adapted from Gabriele Corcos and Debi Mazar

Ingredients

6-8 first course servings/ 4 dinner servings

4 cups seedless green grapes

6 scallions, white and light green parts, roughly chopped

2 Large seedless cucumbers, peeled and cut into chunks

2 cloves of garlic

1 large bunch of flat-leafed parsley, leaves only

1 medium avocado, cut into chunks

1/3 cup EVOO

3 Tablespoons light white vinegar (I like to use Champagne vinegar or Rice Vinegar. If I use rice vinegar, I like to do 2 Tablespoons rice vinegar and 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar. If you don’t mind the sweetness, you can use all rice vinegar.)

Kosher Salt and cracked pepper to taste

1/3 cup sliced almonds, lightly toasted

Directions

Using a heavy-duty blender or food processor, combine the grapes, scallions, cucumbers, garlic , parsley and avocado. You may have to do this in batches, depending on your blender. Pulse and while the machine is blending, add the olive oil and vinegar.  I like my soup fairly thick and creamy but if you prefer a thinner consistency you can add a little ice water.

Season with salt and pepper (for this much soup, 1.5 teaspoons is about right for the salt and about 5-6 cracks of a good black pepper.)

Chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours and serve topped with the toasted almonds. I like this even better when made a day ahead. It will keep in the fridge for at least 3 days, but why wouldn’t you just eat it right up?!

Salmorejo: Andalusian Gazpacho

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On a summer trip last year to Southern Spain, also known as Andalusia, we discovered some delicious soups that were the perfect respites to the hot, dry summer heat.  After visiting cities such as Seville, Cordoba and Granada, we quickly learned that this menu staple was a sure way to feel both full and refreshed, and were eager to try to make it again once we returned home.  Described as the “Andalusian gazpacho” it was much, much creamier, and always served in small tapas sized bowls (we were often jostling spoons to get every last drop!)

Salmorejo

2 tsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste
8 plum tomatoes, cored, halved, and seeded
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 baguette (about 10 oz.), cut into large pieces
1⁄2 small yellow onion
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
2 tbsp. sherry vinegar
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
3 hard-boiled eggs, chopped (optional)
1 1⁄2 cups finely chopped Iberian ham or prosciutto (optional)

  1. Place salt, tomatoes, garlic, bread, and onion in a bowl, cover with boiling water, and let sit for 1 hour.
  2. Drain vegetables, reserving 1 cup soaking liquid; place in blender.
  3. Squeeze water from bread; place in blender with reserved soaking liquid, oil, and vinegar.
  4. Purée until smooth; season with salt and pepper, and chill (for at least 3-4 hours, best overnight)
  5. Pour into serving bowls; top with eggs, ham, and a drizzle of oil.

Recipe adapted from Saveur.