Pasta with Purple Broccoli and Pecorino

I don't usually cook simple pasta dishes, or things with anchovies, but this is really more-ish and worth the minimal effort.  Use high-quality broccoli and hard pecorino for the best effect.

Ingredients

1kg purple sprouting broccoli
1 t chilli flakes
2-3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 small tin anchovy fillets in olive oil, drained and chopped
12 oz your favorite type of pasta
1 c hard pecorino cheese, grated
salt and pepper to taste
high-quality olive oil

Instructions

1) Bring a large pot of water to boil.
2) Trim the broccoli of the stems and outer leaves, and cut into 1/2" (bite sized) pieces.
3) Heat 3 T olive oil over medium heat, add garlic, chilli, and anchovies, and fry for a few minutes until fragrant.
4) Add broccoli and cook until tender but still crunchy.  Remove from heat and set aside.
5) Cook pasta in water until al-dente, 7-12 minutes depending on the type of pasta you use.
6) Before draining pasta, add a small ladle of cooking water to the broccoli mixture, along with another 2-3 T olive oil.  (This should form a thin sauce).
7) Toss drained pasta with broccoli mixture, combine with 1/2 c cheese, and serve immediately.

Nectarine Chickpea Couscous

This simple and tangy dish goes well with any Mediterranean dish.

Ingredients

1 c couscous

1 2/3 c water, boiled

2 nectarines, chopped

4 T fresh lime juice

2 T honey

2 T olive oil

1/2 t salt

1 t cumin

1 t coriander

1 can chickpeas, drained

2 T fresh parsley, chopped

olive oil for frying

Instructions

1) Fry chickpeas in a few T olive oil until golden brown, about 7 minutes. Drain on a plate covered in a paper towl.

2) Combine lime juice, honey, olive oil, salt, cumin, coriander and set aside.

3) Combine couscous with boiling water, cover, and let stand for 5 minutes.

4) Toss couscous with sauce, nectarines, chickpeas, and parsley.

White Bean, Spinach, and Tomato Caserole

This recipe is adapted from 101 Cookbooks.

Ingredients

Sauce

1/3 c + 2 T olive oil
2 pinches red pepper flakes
pinch of salt
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 can chopped or crushed tomatoes
pinch of dried oregano
1.5 T adobo sauce from canned chipotles (Note: if this is not available near you, you can still get a delicious spicy flavor from a combination of 1 t chili powder, 1 t paprika, and a pinch of cumin.  Experiment with the spices if you want.)

Beans

2 cans butter beans, drained
1 c baby spinach (or chopped fresh spinach)
1 c feta, crumbled
1.5 c bread crumbs
1 medium clove garlic, chopped
1/3 c fresh cilantro
salt

Instructions

1) To make tomato sauce, saute chopped garlic, red pepper flakes, and 2T of oil on medium heat for 1 minute, until fragrant.
2) Stir in tomatoes, and any other spices you are using, and gently simmer for 5 minutes.  If using adobo sauce, remove from heat and stir in the sauce. Salt to taste.
3) To make the cilantro pesto, combine garlic, cilantro, and a pinch of salt in a food processor until smooth.
4) Preheat oven to 210C.  Toss beans with tomatoes sauce and spinach, and spread evenly in a 9x13 baking dish.
5) Sprinkle beans with cheese and bake for 25-30 minutes, until the cheese starts to brown and the beans start to get crusty.
6) Out of the oven, sprinkle with bread crumbs and top with cilantro pesto.

The Priest Fainted Eggplant

This recipe is a great light, middle-eastern meal.  This recipe is also for garlic lovers.  Adapted from World Vegetarian Classics.

Ingredients

2 large eggplant

3 medium onions, sliced thinly

4-8 cloves garlic, crushed (depending on how much garlic you like...)

1 can diced tomatoes, drained and juice reserved

1.5 t cumin seeds

1 t salt

1 T brown sugar

1 T balsamic vinegar

3 T raisins

handful pine nuts

chopped fresh parlsey for garnish

olive oil

Instructions

1) Preheat oven to 440F/220C.  Heat 2-3 T olive oil in a large pan over medium heat, and fry onions, cumin and garlic until translucent and fragrant.

2) Add tomatoes, 2-3 T tomato juice, raisins, balsamic vinegar, sugar, and simmer for a few minutes, until the tomato juice is reduced.  Remove from heat.

3) Cut eggplant in half lengthwise, and hollow out the middle of the eggplant.  Discard the scrapings (or make baba ganoush!)

4) Lay eggplant face up in a large casserole dish, and fill with tomato-onion mixture.  Sprinkle with pine nuts and parsley.

5) Cover with tin foil and bake for 45 minute covered, and another 15 minute uncovered.

Blue Cheese and Red Potato Tart

This recipe is amazing, and perfect for a cold winter's night.  If you happen to be a bacon fan, this tart also tastes amazing with chopped, pan-fried bacon - just sprinkle it over the potatoes before you sprinkle on the blue cheese.  Adapted from Smitten Kitchen.

Ingredients

1 pound small red potatoes (I used purple ones!)
1 cup heavy cream
1 egg + 1 egg yolk
3/4 c crumbled stilton (if you like cheese, add 1c)
1/2 T thyme, finely chopped
1/2 T rosemary, finely chopped
1.25 c flour
1 T + 2t cornstarch
pinch of salt
6 T butter, cut into small pieces

Instructions

1) In a large bowl, combine flour, cornstarch, and salt.
2) Using a pastry cutter or food processor, cut in the butter until the texture is like course sand.
3) Add egg and mix well with a fork - the dough should be like wet, clumpy sand.
4) Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface into a 12" circle.
5) Press dough into a 9" tart pan, and refrigerate for 30 minutes (or freeze for 10-15).
6) Preheat the oven to 180C.  Boil potatoes until tender, about 10-15 minutes.
7) Slice potatoes thinly, and arrange slices into overlapping concentric circles in the tart pan.
8) Sprinkle potatoes with blue cheese (and bacon, if using).
9) Whisk together cream and egg yolk, and pour over tart shell.
10) Sprinkle with herbs, and bake 45-50 minutes, until bubbling and golden brown.

Toasted Brie, Cranberry, and Rocket Sandwiches

This sandwich is very easy, so easy it almost doesn't deserve to have its own recipe.  But it's so irresistibly good that I couldn't not share it with the world.  So here it is.

Ingredients

2 slices whole wheat toast (although any bread will do)

4 thick slices of brie

2-3 T cranberry sauce

small handful rocket (arugula)

salt, pepper, and dijon mustard to taste

Instructions

1) Toast bread until lightly browned

2) Place one slice of bread on a plate and cover with a layer of brie.  Microwave for 15-20 seconds, or until cheese is melted. (Note: this is the "lazy" way of making a toasted sandwich, but I find that it produces just as tasty final results...)

3) Slather a layer of cranberry sauce onto the other piece of toast.  

4) Top the melted cheese with rocket, then push the two sides of the sandwich together. Voila.

Baked Garlic Portobello Mushrooms

This is a tasty, easy starter for an Italian meal or a cold winter night.  Good parmesian cheese really makes this dish sing.

Ingredients

4-5 Portabello mushrooms, cleaned and stems removed

3-4 T butter, melted

2 cloves garlic, crushed

a few pinches of dried or fresh herbs of your choice (I recommend rosemary, oregano, or parsley)

salt and pepper to taste

1/3 c grated parmesian or asiago cheese

Instructions

1) Place mushrooms face up on a lightly greased baking tray, and preheat oven to 200C/400F.

2) Combine butter, garlic, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Distribute mixture evenly over mushrooms.

3) Bake uncovered for 10 minutes, sprinkle lightly with cheese, and bake another 10-15 minutes until done.

Avocado, Orange, and Cucumber Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing

This recipe is inspired by a salad I had in Barcelona - it's delicious and fresh.  Beware, the dressing has zing!

Ingredients

4 cups (or 1 large bag) salad
2 oranges, cut into segments (see note below)
1 avocado, diced
1/2 large cucumber, cut into small pieces
1/2 red onion, sliced thin
1/4 c chopped walnuts
3T dijon mustard
2T honey
4T oil
5T balsamic vinegar
handful chopped parsley for garnish

Note: To make orange segments, cut the ends off of a seedless orange just enough to expose the flesh.  Place the orange end down, and cut away the peel, removing as little of the flesh as possible.  Using a sharp knife, cut along the inside of the membranes that separate the orange segments, slicing only down to the center (halfway) of the orange.  Continue around the entire orange, cutting out each segment, leaving behind the membrane.

Instructions

1) Place salad in a bowl, and cover with orange segments, avocado, cucumber, red onion, and walnuts.  Toss gently to combine.
2) To make the dressing, mix the honey, oil, and mustard until well combined.  Then add the balsamic vinegar and stir well to mix. The consistency should be even.

Spiced Pear Bread

This is a nice alternative to banana bread, and has a consistency similar to apple cake.  Note: this recipe makes about two loaf pans worth of bread - it's a lot!  Adapted from the Smitten Kitchen.

Ingredients

3 cups flour
1 t baking soda
1/4 t baking powder
1 t salt
1 T cinnamon
2 t powdered ginger
1 c chopped walnuts (optional, but highly encouraged)
3/4 c vegetable oil
3 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups sugar (use less if your pears are very ripe)
3-4 firm and ripe pears
2 t vanilla

Instructions

1) Preheat the oven to 350F/175C, and lightly grease a loaf pan
2) Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nuts, and stir with a fork to mix.
3) Peel and core the pears (or cut away the core), and chop into small pieces.
4) In a medium bowl, combine oil, eggs, sugar, pear, and vanilla, and mix everything well (I use a mixer, but if you want to preserve the texture of the pears mix by hand).
5) Gently combine the pear and flour mixture, and stir just until the flour disappears.  (If the batter is too dry, you can add a bit of milk to keep it moistened.)
6) Scrape the batter into the pan and bake for about an hour, until the bread is lightly browned and a toothpick comes out dry.