Monday, November 2, 2009

Leek and Goat Cheese Tart

Adapted from a recipe by the folks at Riverford.


Ingredients

Tart Filling

2 large leeks, halved and sliced
1 large egg
1 egg yolk
150ml single cream
thyme leaves
100g goats cheese, crumbled
25g parmesan, freshly grated

Tart Pastry

1 1/2 cups flour
1 T sugar
1/2 t salt
6 T olive oil
3 T ice water

Instructions

Pastry

1) Grease a 9-inch tart pan. Pulse flour, sugar, salt in a food processor until combined, about 4 pulses. Drizzle the oil over the flour mixture and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse sand, about 12 pulses.
2) Put oil-flour mixture in a bowl, and work in the ice water by hand with a spatula. Begin by with 2 tablespoons of the ice water; if powdery bits of flour remain, add the remaining tablespoon water.
3) Dump all but 1/3 cup of the dough crumbs into the prepared tart pan and press the crumbs into bottom. Sprinkle the remaining 1/3 cup crumbs around the edge of the tart pan and press into a crust edge.
4) Lay plastic wrap over the dough and smooth out any bumps or shallow areas using your palm. Freeze the dough until firm, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, adjust preheat the oven to 375F.
5) Place the frozen tart shell on a baking sheet. Gently cover with a piece of aluminum foil that has been sprayed with vegetable oil, and fill the shell with pie weights. Bake until the dough is lightly browned, about 30 minutes.

Tart

1) Saute leeks in a little butter until soft. Spoon leeks into bottom of pre-baked tart and sprinkle with goat chese and thyme leaves.
2) Mix eggs and cream with parmesan and season with salt and pepper. Pour over leeks and goat cheese, and bake for 30-40 minutes at 325F/150C.

Saturday, October 31, 2009

Cauliflower with Almonds, Raisins, and Capers

Adapted from The Smitten Kitchen. A delicious and unusual way to prepare cauliflower - it combines (albeit in an odd way) salty, sweet, aromatic and crunchy. I simplified this recipe a bit so that it uses less oil, and so that there are fewer steps.


Ingredients

1 head cauliflower, trimmed of leaves and cut into bite-sized chunks
2 T olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh soft bread crumbs
3 tablespoons slivered almonds
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons raisins
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon capers
1 teaspoon finely chopped parsley
1 teaspoon finely sliced chives

Instructions

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large nonstick pan, add cauliflower pieces and toss to coat. Saute until lightly browned on both sides. Transfer cauliflower to oven and roast until tender, about 15 minutes.
2) Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over low heat, combine raisins, vinegar and 3 tablespoons water. Simmer until raisins are plump and soft, about 5 minutes; drain and set aside.
3) Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over low heat. When hot, add bread crumbs and almonds and toss until toasted and golden brown, about 3 minutes. Transfer mixture to a plate and set aside.
4) Combine capers, raisins, parsley, and chives in a small bowl. Toss with cauliflower, and sprinkle with bread-almond mixture.

Friday, October 30, 2009

Mushroom Barley Soup with Yogurt

Adapted from the New York Times: Recipes for Health. This soup is Middle Eastern in origin, hence the yogurt, but has a distinctive spin with the hearty flavor of garlic and mushroom. It tastes amazing hot or cold. The cornstarch is used to stabilize the yogurt so that it doesn't curdle when it cooks.

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Ingredients

1 T olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 portabello mushroom caps, chopped
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup barley
3 cups vegetable stock
1 T cornstarch
2 T water
3 cups plain low-fat yogurt
1/2 cup fresh chopped cilantro
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1) Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy soup pot over medium heat and add the onion. Stir often, and when the onion is tender and translucent, add the mushroom. Cook until the mushroom and onion are beginning to color, about 5 minutes more.
2) Add the garlic and the barley, and stir together until the garlic smells fragrant, about 30 seconds to a minute.
3) Add the stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 40 minutes or until the barley is tender.
4) In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch and two tablespoons water, and stir until the cornstarch is dissolved. Whisk into the yogurt.
5) When the barley is tender, remove soup from heat, and whisk in the yogurt mixture. Return to low heat and bring to a bare simmer, stirring. Do not boil.
6) Add salt to taste and a generous amount of pepper. Stir in the cilantro and serve.

Saturday, October 24, 2009

Fresh Blackberry Pie

This is a recipe for an improvised pie made from fresh blackberries hat I picked with some friends in a meadow near Oxford. I used the berries frozen, although I'm sure it would turn out well with fresh berries. This is a combination of several recipes - a butter crust pastry, a thick and sweet filling, and a crumbly oat topping. If I were going to make this again, I would follow Mark Bittman's recipe for pie crust.




Ingredients

Crust

8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into about 8 pieces
1 1/2 cups flour, more for rolling
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar

Filling

5-6 cups blackberries (depending on the size of the berry, use more for smaller berries)
1/3 to 1/2 sugar (depending on how sweet the berries are)
4 T lemon juice
1/4 flour

Topping

1/2 cup flour
2 T white sugar
2 T brown sugar
4 T butter, softened

Instructions

Crust

1) Heat oven to 400 degrees and butter a 9-by-13-inch or similar-size baking dish; set aside. In a food processor, combine 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour, the salt and 2 tablespoons sugar; pulse once or twice.
2) Add butter and turn on machine; process until butter and flour are blended and mixture looks like coarse cornmeal, about 15 to 20 seconds.
3) Slowly add 1/4 cup ice water through feed tube and process until just combined.
4) Form dough into a flat disk, wrap in plastic and freeze for 10 minutes or refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. (You can refrigerate dough for up to a couple of days, or freeze it, tightly wrapped, for up to a couple of weeks.)

Pie

1) For the filling: Mix berries, sugar, lemon juice, and flour together in a bowl and set aside.
Note: If you want the "perfect" pie, thicken the mixture with a combination of 2 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca (ground) and one peeled and grated apple. The combination will yield a filling that is neither gummy nor runny.
2) For the topping: Mix butter into flour and sugars.
3) Spread the pie dough into the butter pie dish. Fill with blackberry mixture, and sprinkle with topping. Back 20-30 minutes, until pie filling is bubbling and topping is golden brown.

Monday, October 19, 2009

Hearty Squash, Cabbage, and Bean Soup

I had a butternut squash and some squash laying around, so I decided to make a soup combining the two. I brainstormed a squash-cabbage-bean combo, and then ran into this wonderful recipe on the blog Rachel Eats. It is a wonderful, warming combination of complex and aromatic flavors. Serve it with a thick slice of hearty bread, and it's one of those meals that just makes you go "mmmmmmmmmmmm."


Ingredients

2 T butter
2 tablespoons of olive oil,
1 large white onion, chopped
2 plump cloves of garlic, diced
2 carrots, scrubbed and diced roughly
1 large butternut squash, cut in rough chunks
3 large tomatoes, peeled, deseeded and chopped
1 litre of water or stock
1 parmesan rind
1 bay leaf
1 small sprig of fresh rosemary
1 12-oz can black-eyed peas
3 handfuls of roughly sliced cabbage
salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Instructions

1) Warm the butter and oil in a soup pan and add the onion, saute until it is soft and translucent.
2) Add the carrot garlic and squash, stir well to coat with butter/oil, then leave to soften, stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes.
3) Add the tomatoes, bay leaf and rosemary to the pan, stir well and allow to bubble gently for a couple of minutes before adding the water or stock and the parmesan rind.
4) Turn up the heat and bring the pan to a gentle boil, cover (putting the lid ajar so steam can escape), lower the heat and leave the pan at a gentle simmer for about 1 hours, stirring occasionally.
5) Once the soup has become a nice, thick consistency, add the beans and the cabbage, stir well and simmer for about 10 more minutes on medium heat.
6) Remove the pan from the heat, and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Lentil Sambar

From Moosewood Low-Fat Favorites. This can be served as a side dish, or as a veggie-licious main dish. Goes well with rice and yogurt garnish.


Ingredients

1 cup dried lentils
3 cups water
1 onion
1 small head cauliflower
2 sweet potatoes
1 red bell pepper
2 tsp canola oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp coriander
1/4 tsp cayenne
1 fresh green chile, minced, seeds removed
1 tbsp tamarind concentrate, dissolved in 1 cup hot water
1 tsp salt
2-3 tbsp minced fresh cilantro

Instructions

1) Rinse the lentils, put them in a small saucepan with the 3 cups of water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 45 minutes to an hour. Stir occasionally and add more water if needed.
2) While the lentils are cooking chop the onion, cauliflower, sweet potatoes, and bell peppers into bite-sized pieces and set aside. Warm the oil in a pot and saute the mustard, fenugreek, and cumin seeds on medium heat, covering the pot and shaking it occasionally to prevent burning. When the mustard seeds begin to pop, stir in the turmeric, coriander, cinnamon, cayenne, and chopped chile and saute for another 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
3) Stir in the tamarind liquid, add the onions, cauliflower, sweet potatoes, and salt and combine. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the bell peppers, cover and continue to cook for another 5 minutes until everything is tender.
4) Drain the cooked lentils and stir them in the vegetable mixture. Reheat if necessary, and stir in the cilantro. Ladle over basmati rice and serve with a large dollop of thick yogurt.

Sweet Potato Black Bean Burrito

From Moosewood Low-Fat Favorites. A filling, healthy, and tasty twist on vegetarian burritos.


Ingredients

5 C peeled, cubed sweet potatoes
2 T water or broth for saute
3-1/2 C diced onions
4 large garlic cloves, minced
1 T minced fresh green chile
4 t ground cumin
4 t ground coriander
4-1/2 C cooked black beans (or 3 15-oz. cans, drained)
2/3 C lightly packed cilantro leaves
2 T lemon juice
1 t salt
8 eight-inch flour tortillas (non-fat version)
tomato salsa for topping

Instructions

1) Preheat oven to 350 F.
2) Place sweet potatoes in pot with water to cover. Cover and bring
to boil. Simmer until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.
3) With 2 T water in a non-stick skillet, saute onions, garlic, and
the chile. Add water as necessary to keep from sticking. Cover and
cook on medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until onions are
tender, about 7 min. Add cumin and coriander and cook 2-3 min.,
stirring frequently. Remove from heat and set aside.
4) In food processor, combine beans, cilantro, lemon juice, salt, and
cooked sweet potatoes. Puree until smooth. Transfer to a large
mixing bowl and mix in cooked onions and spices.
5) Spray with nonstick spray a large baking dish. Spoon about 2/3 to
3/4 C. of the filling into center of each tortilla, roll closed, and
place seam side down in baking dish. Cover tightly with foil and bake
at least 30 min., until piping hot. Serve topped with salsa.

Fig, Blue Cheese, Carmelized Onion, Walnut Pasta

I can claim to be the genuine author of this recipe - I made it up a few years ago when I bought some really pretty looking fresh figs at a market. It's a surprisingly fast but gourmet meal. The flavors and textures work amazingly well together - the sweetness of the figs, crunchiness of the walnuts, tangy-bitter taste of blue cheese, and buttery texture of caramelized onions. I originally made it with really wide, seeded whole-wheat pasta from Trader Joe's, but anything will do.


Ingredients

1 pound of your favorite pasta (fusilli works really well)
1 cup figs, cut into small chunks
1 large onion, diced
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped and toasted
1 large hunk of soft blue cheese, cut into small chunks
3T butter
1 T brown sugar
salt to taste

Instructions

1) To carmelize the onions: heat butter in non-stick skillet, add onions and toss to coat with brown sugar (and a pinch of salt). Cook on low heat, uncovered, until very soft.
2) Boil water and cook pasta until al dente per the directions on the package.
3) Toss pasta with onions, walnuts, figs, and blue cheese. The blue cheese will melt onto the pasta like a sparse sauce.

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Lemon Tart

From Cooks Illustrated. This is an impressive looking tart, but the best thing about it really is the lemon filling - the lemon zest makes it really zing. The filling is a lemon curd adapted for this tart. A few tips: Once the lemon curd ingredients have been combined, cook the curd immediately; otherwise it will have a grainy finished texture. To prevent the curd from acquiring a metallic taste, make absolutely sure that all utensils coming into contact with it--bowls, whisk, saucepan, and strainer--are made of non- reactive stainless steel or glass.


Ingredients

Tart Shell

1 large egg yolk
1 tablespoon heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2/3 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 teaspoon table salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick, very cold), cut into twenty-four 3/4-inch cubes
1 tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour for dusting

Lemon Curd

7 large egg yolks
2 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2/3 cup lemon juice from 4 to 5 medium lemons
1/4 cup grated lemon zest
pinch table salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter , cut into 4 pieces
3 tablespoons heavy cream

Instructions

Tart Shell

1) Whisk together yolk, cream, and vanilla in small bowl; set aside. Pulse to combine 1 1/4 cups flour, sugar, and salt in bowl of food processor fitted with steel blade. Scatter butter pieces over flour mixture; pulse to cut butter into flour until mixture resembles coarse meal, about fifteen 1-second pulses. With machine running, add egg mixture and process until dough just comes together, about 25 seconds. Turn dough onto sheet of plastic wrap and press into 6-inch disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 2 hours.
2) Unwrap dough; lightly flour large sheet of parchment paper or plastic wrap and place dough in center. Roll out dough and line tart pan. Freeze dough 30 minutes.
3) Meanwhile, adjust one oven rack to upper-middle position and other rack to lower-middle position; heat oven to 375 degrees. Place chilled tart shell on cookie sheet; press 12-inch square of foil inside tart shell and fill with metal or ceramic pie weights. Bake on lower rack 30 minutes, rotating halfway through baking time. Carefully remove foil and weights by gathering edges of foil and pulling up and out. Transfer cookie sheet with tart shell to upper rack and continue to bake until shell is golden brown, about 5 minutes longer.

Lemon Curd

1) Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Place tart pan with shell on cookie sheet.
2) In medium non-reactive bowl, whisk together yolks and whole eggs until combined, about 5 seconds. Add sugar and whisk until just combined, about 5 seconds. Add lemon juice, zest, and salt; whisk until combined, about 5 seconds. Transfer mixture to medium non-reactive saucepan, add butter pieces, and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with wooden spoon, until curd thickens to thin saucelike consistency and registers 170 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, about 5 minutes. Immediately pour curd through single-mesh stainless steel strainer set over clean non-reactive bowl. Stir in heavy cream; pour curd into warm tart shell immediately.
3) Bake until filling is shiny and opaque and until the center 3 inches jiggle slightly when shaken, 10 to 15 minutes. Cool on wire rack to room temperature, about 45 minutes. Remove outer metal ring, slide thin metal spatula between bottom crust and tart pan bottom to release, then slip tart onto cardboard round or serving plate. Cut into wedges and serve.

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Moist Banana Bread

From Cooks Illustrated. Many, many people have asked me for this recipe - when a common thing like banana bread stands out, you can tell it's a winner.


Ingredients

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1 1/4 cups toasted walnuts , chopped coarse (about 1 cup)
3 very ripe bananas , soft, darkly speckled, mashed well (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/4 cup plain yogurt
2 large eggs , beaten lightly
6 tablespoons unsalted butter , melted and cooled
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

1) Adjust oven rack to lower middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease bottom only of regular loaf pan, or grease and flour bottom and sides of nonstick 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan; set aside.
2) Combine first five ingredients together in large bowl; set aside.
3) Mix mashed bananas, yogurt, eggs, butter, and vanilla with wooden spoon in medium bowl.
4) Lightly fold banana mixture into dry ingredients with rubber spatula until just combined and batter looks thick and chunky.
5) Scrape batter into prepared loaf pan; bake until loaf is golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 55 minutes. Cool in pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Savory Indian Sweet Potatoes

From Moosewood Low-Fat Favorites. "Creamy, sweet, and spicy" is the way Moosewood’s chefs describe the Savory Indian Sweet Potatoes. "When you’re baking sweet potatoes for another meal, put in a few extras so that later you’ll have some prebaked for this dish. Serve on plain rice or golden basmati rice topped with a fresh tomato salsa or with a mango or peach chutney and, if desired, with a dollop of nonfat yogurt."


Ingredients

2 large sweet potatoes
1 c diced onions
1/3 c water or unsweetened
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 T grated fresh ginger
2 t ground cumin
1 small fresh green chili, seeded and minced
3 T Neufchâtel (low-fat cream cheese)
1 1/2 T fresh lemon juice
1 head broccoli, chopped into small pieces (if you are in a hurry, you can substitute frozen vegetables for the broccoli and red pepper)
2/3 c diced red and/or green bell pepper
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Instructions

1) Bake sweet potatoes at 400F for about 1 hour, or until tender.
2)While potatoes bake, combine onions and water or juice in a medium saucepan. Cover and simmer until onions soften, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, cumin, chili, and bell pepper. Cover and simmer until pepper is tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Cut Neufchâtel into small pieces and stir it into hot vegetable mixture to melt. Set aside.
3) Cut sweet potatoes in half lengthwise. Hold each potato half with a heavy towel or mitt in one hand and scoop out the flesh with a spoon, leaving 1/4-inch shell. Mix potato flesh with vegetable-cheese mixture. Add lemon juice, peas, salt, and pepper.
4) Set oven temperature at 350F. Coat a vegetable dish with vegetable-oil cooking spray. Stuff potato shells with filling. Place potatoes in prepared dish, cover with aluminum foil, and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until thoroughly heated.

Carrot Ginger Soup

From the Moosewood Cookbook. This soup is perfect for a chilly autumn day. The carrot and ginger balance really nicely, and sour cream or yogurt adds a nice creamy, tangy finish.




Ingredients

2 pounds peeled or scrubbed, chopped carrots
4 c stock or water
1 1/2 t salt
1 medium potato, chopped (optional, for heartier soup)
3-4 T butter
1 c chopped onion
1-2 small cloves crushed garlic
1/3 c chopped cashews or almonds
1 T fresh grated ginger

Choose one:
1 c milk
1 c yogurt or buttermilk plus a little honey
3/4 c sour cream

Instructions

1) Place carrots, liquid and salt (and potato if you are using it) into a medium sized soup pot and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer it for 12-15 minutes. Let cool to room temp.
2) Saute the onion, garlic and nuts in the butter until the onions are clear. Towards the end of cooking, stir in the ginger.
3) Puree everything together in a blender (or with an immersion blender) until smooth.
4) Whisk in one of the dairy products.

Garnish with toasted nuts, some toasted bread crumbs or eat just as it is.

Yogurt-Macaroni Bake

Adapted from World Vegetarian Classics.







Ingredients


7oz macaroni
2 medium eggplants (1lb), sliced into thin circles
2 cups yogurt
2 egg yolks
1 tsp fennel seeds
2 tsp dill weed (dried)
1 clove garlic, crushed (nadine says more)
3 large tomatoes, sliced into thin circles
3.5 oz feta cheese
1/3 cup slivered almonds
8x12 casserole dish

Instructions

1) Preheat oven to 400F. Brush casserole dish with oil.
2) Cook pasta until al dente and drain.
3) Fry eggplant until gold brown. Alternatively, you can broil the eggplant by lightly tossing them in oil and baking them at 450F for 15-20 minutes until tender.
4) Beat yogurt, egg yolks, fennel, dill, garlic, slat, pepper in a large bowl. Stir in the pasta to coat. Put into baking dish and make an even layer
5) Cover the pasta with rows of eggplant and tomato. Sprinkle the almonds and feta on top. Cook until hot, bubbly and golden on top, 20-25 minutes.

Southwestern Corn and Potato Soup

From Moosewood Low-Fat Favorites. This soup comes out so creamy that it tastes like it has a bunch of dairy in it, but nope. Amazing.






Ingredients

1 cup finely chopped onions
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1 small fresh chile (I used a mild one), seeded and minced
1/2 t salt
4 cup vegetable stock
2 t ground cumin
1 med. sweet potato, diced
1/2 red bell pepper, finely chopped
3 cup fresh corn kernels (I cooked six stalks for three minutes to get about 3 c. of kernels)
salt to taste
lime wedges
finely chopped cilantro leaves

Instructions

1) Chop veggies.
2) In a covered soup pot, simmer onions, garlic, chile, and salt in 1 c. of vegetable stock for about 10 min., or until the onions are soft.
3) Add cumin and cook two more minutes.
4) Add the sweet potatoes and the remaining stock and cook about 10 minutes, or until sweet potatoes have softened.
5) Add the bell pepper and simmer for five minutes.
6) Add the corn and simmer, covered, for an additional five minutes.
7) Puree about half the soup in a blender and add it back in to the pot.
8) Garnish with lime and cilantro.

Chana Punjabi (Indian Style Chickpeas)

From the New York Times. Goes really well with rice and Curried Braised Cauliflower (from a previous post.)





Ingredients

1 tablespoon canola oil or other vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon minced ginger
1 small Thai bird chili, chopped
2 large tomatoes, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon salt, or as needed
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 15-ounce cans chickpeas, drained
2 tablespoons minced cilantro

Instructions

1) In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, heat oil and add onion. Sauté until translucent and soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, ginger and chili, and sauté until soft and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add tomatoes and 1/4 cup water. Cover and cook until tomatoes are very soft, about 5 minutes, then remove from heat.
2) Purée mixture in blender or food processor until smooth. Return to pan and place over medium heat. Add paprika, 1 teaspoon salt, coriander, the garam masala, turmeric and lemon juice. Add chickpeas and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low.
3) Cover and simmer until sauce is thick and chickpeas are soft, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Stir pan about every 10 minutes, adding water as needed (up to 1 1/2 cups) to prevent burning. When ready to serve, sauce should be thick. If necessary, uncover pan and allow sauce to reduce for a few minutes, stirring frequently, until desired consistency. Stir in cilantro, adjust salt as needed and serve with cooked rice, if desired.

Curried Chicken Salad

If you'd like to make this recipe vegetarian, you can swap the chicken with crumbled tofu. Adapted from Cooks Illustrated.




Ingredients

2 whole bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts (large, at least 1 1/2 pounds each)
2 T vegetable oil
2 ribs celery, diced
3 scallions, minced
2 T fresh cilantro or parsley, minced
1 medium apple, chopped
1/2 c slivered almonds, toasted
1/2 c raisins (you can increase this to 2/3 c if you want)
1/2 c mayonanaise
1/2 c yogurt
2 T fresh lemon juice
2 T curry powder
1 t mustard powder or dijon mustard

Instructions
1) Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat oil in 12" non-stick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add chicken and cook until golden brown on first side, ~5 minutes. Flip chicken over, cover, and continue to cook until it is no longer pink in the center, ~5 minutes more. Transfer to a plate and cool.
2) Mix mayonnaise, yogurt, lemon juice, mustard, curry powder, and salt and pepper to taste.
3) Shred chicken into 1/4" pieces, and toss with sauce and toss with remaining ingredients.

Bulgur-Stuffed Roasted Chicken with Vegetables

Adapted from The New York Times recipe for Kasha-Stuffed Roast Chicken. I used bulgur instead of kasha since I didn't have it on hand, and I also brined the chicken beforehand. This dish was a delicious rendition of Jewish comfort food - the apples really bring the flavor together, and you're left with drippings in the pan that can pretty much stand on their own as gravy - yum!


Ingredients

1 cup salt
1 cup sugar
6 T vegetable oil
3 onions, 1 diced and 2 coarsely chopped
1 cup bulgur wheat
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 c diced celery
1 c sliced mushrooms
2 T finely chopped fresh parsley
1 T finely chopped fresh sage
1 roasting chicken, ~4-5 pounds
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound unpeeled red potatoes, halved
3 tart apples, cored and quartered
4 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
4 parnsips, peeled and cut into chunks
1 T chopped fresh rosemary

Instructions

1) Before you begin, brine the chicken for 2 hours (you can prepare the bulgur and vegetables during this time). Mix 1 cup salt, 1 cup sugar, 1 gallon of water. Submerge the chicken in the mixture and chill in the fridge for two hours. Before preparing the chicken, pat dry with a paper towel.
2) In a skillet over medium heat, heat 2T oil, and sauté diced onion until golden. Remove from heat and set aside. Preheat oven to 375F.
3) Sautee the bulgur in 2T oil for several minutes until toasted in a large skillet, then add 1.25 cups boiling water. Add cooked onions, celery, mushrooms, parsley and sage. Cover, and simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring occassionally. The final texture should be fluffy, tender, and slightly chewy.
4)
Rub exterior of chicken with 1T of or oil and garlic. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stuff both cavities of chicken with bulgur mixture.
5) In bottom of roasting pan, combine potatoes, apples, carrots, parsnips and chopped onions. Toss with 1T oil and rosemary to coat. Gently place chicken on top of vegetables (if you have a V-rack definitely use it) and bake until golden and cooked through, about 1.5 hours. (The chicken is done when an instant thermometer reads 160 in the thickest part of the breast, and 175 in the thickest part of the thigh.)

To serve, carve chicken as desired and serve each portion with some of vegetables and apples.

French Gruyere and Vegetable Tart

From Mollie Katzen's Vegetable Heaven. A delicious savory tart - the sage gives it a unique flavor. I prefer to use a bit more cheese than the recipe calls for.




Ingredients

1 10-inch unbaked tart crust (your favorite recipe or a frozen one from the store)
1 lb baby potatoes
1-2 tsp olive oil
1 large onion thinly sliced (2 cups)
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 c grated Gruyere cheese (~1/4 lb)
2 tbsp minced fresh sage
1/2 medium red bell pepper, finely sliced

Instructions

1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place potatoes in saucepan, cover with water, and boil. Cook for 10-15 minutes. Drain and set aside.
2) Heat oil in skillet, add onion and salt, and cook on low heat until onion is tender, about 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. Spread one cup of cheese into bottom of unbaked crust. Spoon onion over the cheese, and sprinkle with sage.
3) When potatoes are cool enough to handle, peel (if desired) then slice thin. Arrange slices in overlapping concentric circles over cheese. Arrange bell pepper slices over potatoes in ring. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and black pepper to taste.
4) Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until crust is golden around edges. Remove tart from oven, and let tart cool for at least 10 minutes.

Monday, August 24, 2009

Moosewood Apple Krisp

A Mollie Katzen Recipe. What makes this stand apart is that it's not too sweet, and it's loaded with oats and nuts. The original recipe calls for walnuts and sunflower seeds, but I always use all walnuts because I like the flavor and texture better.



Ingredients

8-10 medium cooking apples
juice of 1 lemon
2 cups raw oats
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. allspice
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 cup honey
1/2 cup orange juice

Instructions

1) Peel, pare & slice the apples. Drizzle with fresh lemon juice. Spread half of them into a large, oblong pan.
2) Melt the butter & honey together. Combine with oats, flour, nuts, seeds, salt & spices.
3) Spread this mixture onto apples in pan. Cover with the remaining apples and the rest of the topping. Pour O.J. over the top.
4) Bake 40-45 minutes, uncovered at 375. Cover if it crisps too quickly.

Curried Skillet Cauliflower with Cilantro

From America's Test Kitchen. This is a really good side dish for just about anything.



Ingredients

1 head cauliflower (~2 pounds)
1.5 T olive oil
1/2 onion, sliced thin
1 t curry powder
1/4 t red pepper flakes
1/4 c yogurt
1/4 c water
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, minced
1 T fresh lime juice
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1) Cut cauliflower into 1" florets. Heat oil in 12" skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add cauliflower and cook until it just begins to soften, about 3 minutes. Stir in the onion and continue to cook until the florets begin to brown and the onion softens, about 5 minutes.
2) Stir in the curry powder and pepper flakes. Cook until the spices become fragrant, about 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the yogurt and water. Cover and cook until the flavors blend and the cauliflowe ris completely tender, about 6 minutes. Off the heat, stir in the cilantro and lime juice, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Persian Split Pea and Barley Stew

From Moosewood Low-Fat Favorites. I substitute sweet potato for regular potato in this recipe.



Ingredients

1/2 cup raw barley
1 bay leaf
1 large garlic clove
4 cups water
1 cup dried split yellow peas
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup coarsley chopped onion
1 cup carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
2 cups sweet potatoes, cut in 1-inch chunks
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 pinch cayenne
2 cups vegetable stock
2 cups coarsely chopped tomatoes
2 tablespoons currants
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
salt and ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

1) In a medium saucepan, bring the barley, bay leaf, garlic and 2 cups of water to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
2) Add the split peas, cardamom, cinnamon and the remaining water and simmer, covered for another 45 minutes, or until the barley and split peas are soft and most of the liquid has absorbed.
3) Stir occasionally and, if necessary, add a small amount of additional water to prevent the mixture from sticking.
4) While the barley and split peas are cooking, place the onions, carrots, potatoes, salt, cayenne, and stock in a large saucepan.
5) Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer, covered for 10 minutes.
Stir in the tomatoes and continue to simmer, covered, for about 10 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
6) Add the cooked barley and split peas. Stir in the parsley, lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Discard the bay leaf.

Thursday, August 20, 2009

Pasta with Creamy Spinach Walnut Sauce

From Moosewood Low-Fat Favorites. I used regular cottage cheese and a bit more basil, and it tasted really good. You can store the sauce in the fridge for a while and make the pasta in batches to suit your tastes.



Ingredients

10oz fresh spinach (washed)
1/2 cup toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped
2 cups low-fat cottage cheese
2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup (or more) fresh basil
1/4 tsp salt
ground black pepper to taste
1 lb pasta

Instructions

1) Bring a large covered pot of water to a boil.
2) Wash and steam spinach - cover and cook the spinach on medium-high heat for about 4 minutes, until wilted but still bright green. The water on the spinach leaves should be enough, but if it looks like it's burning, you can throw a little water.
3) In a food processor or blender, combine the spinach, walnuts, cottage cheese, garlic, Parmesan, and basil, and puree until smooth, working in batches if necessary. Add salt and pepper to taste and set aside.
4) When the water boils, stir in the pasta, cover and return to a boil. Then uncover the pot and cook until the pasta is al dente, about 7 minutes. Drain the pasta and toss with the sauce.

The recipe recommends eating this with steam broccoli.

White Chocolate Muffins

I made basic muffins the other day with white chocolate chunks in them. I didn't put any raspberry in them because I wanted pure, unadulterated, white chocolate bliss. They were pretty similar to the blueberry muffins just lest tangy and a bit finer of a crumb. Again, it made about 18 muffins. And I used the "quick" method of melting the butter rather than creaming it. Also, this muffin recipe can easily be adapted to include other ingredients, just play with the sugar depending on what you add and how sweet you want the muffins.



Ingredients

3 c all-purpose flour
1 T baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t table salt
10 T unsalted butter, melted
1c sugar
2 large eggs
1.5 c plain low-fat yogurt
Vegetable cooking spray or additional unsalted butter for muffin tins

Instructions

1) Adjust oven rack to lower middle position and heat oven to 375F. Spray twelve-cup muffin tin with vegetable cooking spray or coat lightly with butter (or use muffin cups).
2) Mix sugar, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl; set aside.
3) Mix butter and eggs until frothy, then combine with yogurt.
4) To mix batter, alternate between dry and wet ingredients, in 2-3 batches. (i.e. Combine 1/3 dry ingredients with 1/3 wet ingredients, mix lightly, then repeat 2 times.)
5) Divide batter evenly among cups. Bake until muffins are golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes.
Set on wire rack to cool slightly, about 5 minutes. Remove muffins from tin and serve warm.

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Tamale Pie

A delicious, healthy recipe adapted from Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites. What could be better than getting corn, cheese, and vegetables all in the same plate?

The original recipe calls for (optional) cheddar cheese sprinkled on the bottom of the casserole dish, but I opted to mix parmesian into the cornbread topping because I love strong-flavored cheese. I think it made the topping a little more dense (i.e. it didn't rise as well), but it was still delicious, so you can go either way.



Ingredients

Veggies

1 T olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1 T ground cumin
2 t ground coriander
1 t dried oregano
cayenne pepper to taste
1-2 T water
1 cup peeled and diced carrots
1 cup diced red/green bell peppers
1 cup diced zucchini
2 cups canned diced tomatoes (15oz can, undrained)
1.5 cups cooked beans (15oz can, drained)

Cornbread topping

3/4 cup cornmeal
3/4 cup grated parmesan
1 T flour
1/2 t salt
1 t baking powder
1/4 t baking soda
1 egg
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 T olive oil

Instructions

1) Warm olive oil in pan, add onions and garlic, cover, and cook on medium heat for about 10 minutes.
2) Add the cumin, coriander, oregano, enough water to prevent sticking, and the carrots. cover and cook 5 minutes.
3) Add the bell peppers, zucchini, and cayenne pepper. cover and cooke another 5 minutes.
4) Stir in the tomatoes and beans, cover, and simmer for 5-10 minutes.
5) Remove from heat and salt/pepper to taste.
6) Preheat oven to 400F.
7) In a mixing bowl, thoroughly combine the cornmeal, flour, salt, parmesian cheese, baking powder, and baking soda. in a separate bowl, mix together the egg, buttermilk, and oil. gently fold the wet ingredients into the dry, stirring until just mixed.
8) Prepare casserole dish with cooking spray or a light coating of oil. spread the vegetable-bean mixture in the bottom of the dish.
9) Pour the batter directly on top of the vegetable-bean mixture, pressing it down a little with a spatula. bake 30-35 minutes, until the top is golden and a knife inserted into the topping comes out clean.

Garnish with minced scallions, chopped cilantro, and sour cream.