Although I missed out getting on my own CSA farm share this year, one of my good friends got one and has been generous in handing over her beets to me. I love beets just plain, cool, sliced and sweet, but this week I wanted to make something with them. I turned to Mark Bittman, a.k.a. "The Minimalist", and found exactly the answer to my beet question: Beet Rösti with Rosemary. I wasn't familiar with rösti before reading this recipe, but upon learning that it is a Swiss potato pancake, I'd like to become better friends.
Here is my very slight adaptation of Bittman's recipe:
5 medium/small beets, peeled
1 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
salt & pepper
1/3 cup flour
2 TBS butter
3 TBS sour cream
2 tsp fresh horseradish
1. Grate the beets, either by hand or in a food processor. If you're grating by hand, wear an apron or clothes on which you wouldn't mind a purple stain. (I recommend the processor!)
2. Mix shredded beets with rosemary, S&P, and half the amount of flour. After incorporating, add the rest of the flour and toss. Bittman doesn't say why you should do this, but I would guess that this allows you to coat the shredded beets evenly and without flour clumps.
3. Melt 1 TBS of butter in a frying pan, heat over a medium flame until foam begins to subside. Press beet mixture into the pan with a spatula, let cook for 8-10 minutes over medium heat until crisp. It's important that the beets cook through, so don't rush it. Shake it around in the pan every so often, it does have a soft sizzle as it cooks. In the meantime, mix sour cream and horseradish in a small bowl, with a little black pepper if you like.
4. To flip, use the inverted plate method, and let cook for another 8-10 minutes.
5. Remove the rösti from pan, cut into fourths, and top with a dollop of the sour cream mixture. The spiciness of the horseradish pairs deliciously with the sweetness of the beets, and the sour cream matches just as perfectly as it does with a latke. Serve at room temperature.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Beet Time!
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Pink lentil and bulgur pilaf with zucchini
I first tried out this recipe when I was living in a co-op here in Berkeley (in my first semester of grad school). We always had lots of whole grains and beans on hand, and were also always trying to come up with recipes that were suitable for the vegetarian/vegan members of the co-op. This one, probably adapted from the Moosewood Cookbook (?) was so good I had to write it down. :)
The finished result isn't the most beautiful-looking thing in the world, but it is really satisfying and has a rich flavor, even though it's pretty darn healthy. To wit: I made it tonight and my husband asked me how much parmesan cheese I'd put into it! I think he was fooled by the creaminess of the dish; the lentils kinda fall apart while cooking and make it seem like there must be cream or cheese or dairy of some kind in there. The bulgur maintains enough of its grain to give it a nice texture. Cooking the "pilaf" in chicken (or veggie) broth also gives it extra body. The zucchini contributes a mild flavor, and some nice green color.
This dish goes really well with fish or lemon-pepper chicken (due to the lemon in it), but it has enough protein from the lentils to be eaten as a vegetarian main dish.
The recipe (and nutrition info!):
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4 c. chicken or vegetable broth
1 c. bulgur
1 c. lentils
1 onion, diced
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. allspice
1/4 tsp. (several grinds) fresh black pepper
juice of 1 lemon (~1 Tbsp.)
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1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 large zucchini (or 1 each medium zucchini and yellow summer squash)
1 clove garlic, minced
zest of one lemon (~1 tsp.)
~1 Tbsp each parsley and cilantro
Combine all ingredients in first group (except lemon juice) in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low and cook ~35 minutes, or until all the liquid is absorbed, creating your "pilaf". Stir in lemon juice. NB: there's really no way to retrieve the bay leaf from the pilaf, so look out for it when serving!
While the pilaf is cooking, chop up garlic and zucchini. Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Add ingredients in second group (except parsley and cilantro) to the skillet with a pinch of kosher salt and saute 5 minutes. Stir sauteed zucchini into the cooked pilaf. Serve topped with parsley and cilantro.
Makes 6-8 servings.
Full nutrition info HERE (at NutritionData.com).
Monday, February 12, 2007
Dark greens with chickpeas and couscous
I adapted this recipe from (yet again) something in the most recent issue of Real Simple. It's healthy, tasty, and best of all, takes maybe 10 minutes to make and only uses two dishes (one pan and a bowl). Sign me up!
Start out by making the couscous. This could hardly be easier - measure 1 c. of couscous into a glass bowl, boil 2 c. of water and then pour it over the couscous (that will make 4-6 servings worth). This needs to sit for about 10 minutes, so while it's cooking, you can make the actual dish.
Finely chop two cloves of garlic. Prepare your greens: two bunches of swiss chard, or collards, or kale, or whatever dark green you want. I had bought a bag of mixed "southern greens" from Trader Joe's, which was enormous. You can vary the amount of greens you put in, but go with more than you think - these cook down a LOT, so make sure you have enough that you have to cook it in two batches. :) Finally, drain a 15oz can of chickpeas.
Heat up 2-3 Tbsp. of olive oil over medium heat in a saute pan. Once the oil is hot, add your garlic and cook for about 1 minute. Once the garlic starts to brown, quickly add the chickpeas and as much of the greens as will fit in the pan, and stir it around a bit. You don't want to burn the garlic, so it's key to have the rest of the ingredients at hand The greens will cook faster if you cover the pan, but it's not absolutely necessary. Add 1/2 c. raisins (these really make the dish) and the rest of the greens. Once all the greens have cooked down, stir in 1/2 c. chopped almonds (the RS recipe calls for pine nuts, but I'm a grad student and pine nuts tend to be expensive. So, I use almonds. Sunflower seeds would be another good substitution.) And of course, salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.
By now, the couscous should have absorbed all the water and formed itself into a more or less solid brick. Use a fork to scrape it out all nice and fluffy like, and serve with the greens. If you don't want to do couscous, quinoa or even brown rice would work equally well.
Slightly off topic: I made the brownies from Kris's last post this weekend - using dark chocolate rather than milk - and they are positively sinful. Mmm.
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Butternut "bruschetta" on sourdough toasts
I'd suggest to start by peeling and chopping all the ingredients, as this is the most time consuming part of the recipe. I used:
4 c. butternut squash (about half of a large squash), peeled and finely diced
4-5 strips (soy) bacon, also diced
1 c. firm apple (about one Granny Smith or similar), diced. Toss with a little lemon juice to keep from browning.
2-3 Tbsp. good quality maple syrup
4-5 leaves fresh sage, crushed
1/2+ tsp. chili powder (adjust to taste)
1/2 tsp. salt
a few grinds fresh black pepper
1 large sourdough baguette (or 2 small), sliced into 1/4-1/2 inch thick pieces and toasted under the broiler
If you choose to use real bacon, start off by cooking this over medium heat in a large saucepan, until the pieces have crisped - this should happen pretty quickly. [If you use the fake bacon, skip this step and instead heat up 1-2 Tbsp. olive oil in the pan] Add the butternut squash, maple syrup, spices (sage through pepper) and sautee with occasional stirring until the squash has softened, about 10 minutes. Add the chopped soy bacon at this point. Cook another 5 minutes.
Remove from heat and mix in the apple - I left it mostly raw so it would give a nice crunch (to contrast the 'mushiness' of the squash). Spoon ~1 Tbsp. or so onto each toasted slice of sourdough and arrange on a plate. These taste best warm or at room temperature.
Friday, November 03, 2006
Sweet potato pizza with gorgonzola and onion
In the past two years that we've lived together, my husband and I have made pizza pretty much every Friday night (with a few exceptions). Most of the time we just have plain cheese, though we have been known to go Hawaiian (frozen pineapple chunks and prosciutto/bacon/ham) on occasion. Red onion and roasted red pepper is another favorite combination. But tonight I went a little crazy - sweet potato, onion and gorgonzola cheese. Mmmm.
Preheat the oven to 500°F (or as close as you can get it). Slice two medium sweet potatoes into 1/4" thick slices, toss with olive oil and salt, and 'roast' on a cookie sheet about 10 minutes, as the oven is preheating.
Stretch out your dough - homemade or premade will do - on a cookie sheet, or if you have a pizza peel, use that instead. Spread out the half-baked sweet potato, half an onion (red is preferable but either works) cut into rings, and about 1/4 c. of crumbled gorgonzola. Bake about 15 minutes in the lower rack of the oven, until the dough has browned. Let cool a couple minutes before slicing and enjoy.
Sunday, October 29, 2006
Butternut squash and chickpeas with cumin couscous
I found this delicious looking recipe in the latest issue of "Real Simple" - I know, it's not really a twenty-something magazine, but at least it's not Martha Stewart. Anyway, they suggest it as a side dish at Thanksgiving that is hearty enough to serve as a main dish for vegetarians. I'm not vegetarian but I do have a lot of veggie friends, and I tend to like Moroccan-inspired dishes, so I thought I'd give it a test run this weekend.
Ingredients:
1 butternut squash (~2 lbs)
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 large onion, diced
----
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
----
1 c. canned diced tomatoes
1 x 32 oz. container vegetable broth
1 x 15 oz. can chickpeas, drained
1/3 c. raisins (golden or dark)
1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
----
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 1/2 c. couscous
----
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1/4 c. chopped almonds
Directions:
Peel and halve the squash. Remove the seeds and cut into ~1 inch chunks. Dice the onion and chop the garlic. You may want to measure out the spices into a small mise en place bowl at this point to save some scrambling later. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or very large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook 5 minutes. Add the garlic and spices and cook for one minute. Stir in the broth, tomatoes, chickpeas, raisins and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes, then uncover and cook 15-20 minutes until squash is tender and a lot of the liquid has boiled off.
After you've uncovered the squash mixture, boil 1 1/2 c. water with 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. cumin. Stir in the couscous and remove from heat, let stand 5-10 minutes and fluff with a fork. Divide the couscous into individual portions (this recipe serves 6-8 people) and ladle the squash over the top. Sprinkle with parsley and almonds.
The verdict:
Very filling! I liked the flavors, which wasn't surprising, but the spices weren't nearly strong enough for my taste. I'd probably double them next time, and maybe leave out the parsley garnish entirely. The squash mixture came out really watery, which was kind of unfortunate since I'm sure a lot of the flavors wound up in the broth instead of on our plates. The dish needs a lot of liquid to cover the squash chunks and cook them properly, but it didn't boil off much. The only real fix I can think of is to cook the couscous in with the squash instead of cooking it separately, i.e., add the dry couscous once the squash is done cooking and let it absorb the liquid for ten minutes. Otherwise, though, thumbs up.
I'll probably come back and update this post if those changes help, but I might not be making it again for a while - the 6-8 servings are going to be providing me with lunch and dinner all week!
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
Roasted root vegetables (two by two)
I was serious when I said I love fall food. This side dish really couldn't be easier, and the simple preparation allows the flavors of the food to really come through - perfect when the flavors in question are sweet potatoes and yams!
You can vary the proportions as you like, but I think two of each is a nice balance:
2 large carrots, peeled
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled
2 medium yams, peeled
2 medium red potatoes
1 medium apple (optional, but delicious)
olive oil
salt
black pepper (also optional)
Preheat the oven to 400°. Peel all your veggies, and cut them into 3/4" cubes, or as close to that as you can get. The red potatoes take a little longer to cook than the other veggies, so cut those into slightly smaller pieces. Throw it all together in a casserole dish, toss with olive oil, salt and pepper, and bake about 10 minutes.
Slice the apples and add them in at this point. Cook another 20 minutes until the veggies start to get tender (when you poke them with a fork they should yield without a fuss) and the apples are almost falling apart. If they're still hard at this point, stir them around a little bit and check again in 10 minutes, then every 5 minutes after that. If it takes longer than an hour, there's something wrong with your oven.
This is a great any-night side dish; it works especially well with roast chicken (that unidentified brown creature next to the veggies is actually a chicken thigh in apple cider gravy) or pork. If you're having company, dress it up with a sprig of rosemary - a 2" stem laid on top of each plated portion, or a couple of stems in the casserole dish, will make you look like a culinary genius.
Sunday, July 09, 2006
Summer squash and zucchini with ziti
When I was growing up, I was a much pickier eater than I am now (sometimes I wish I had kept a little of that pickiness, it would make weight maintenance a lot simpler). One dish I vividly remember turning my nose up at was one my parents made with excess summer garden bounty - tomatoes, zucchini and summer squash. Now that my taste has matured, I enjoy this quite a bit, and it always makes me feel that summer has gotten into full swing.
We found a deal on overripe tomatoes at the produce market the other day (a little excess summer bounty without the garden) so this seemed like the perfect thing to have for dinner. We usually make this recipe by eye, so here are some general guidelines:
4-5 small zucchini and any type summer squash (or two large)
4 c. (4-6) tomatoes
1/4 - 1/2 c. tomato sauce (optional)
pinch salt
freshly ground pepper
bay leaf
Slice the zucchini and summer squash into 1/8 - 1/4" thick medallions. Chop the tomatoes roughly and combine in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add a pinch of salt and the bay leaf and saute until squash starts to soften, about 5-10 minutes. At this point, add the pepper and tomato sauce to your preference and cook down another 5-10 minutes or so.
One thing I really like about this dish is that it is particularly versatile - it works equally well as a side dish or main meal, over pasta or as straight up veggies... you could probably even throw some chicken in there if you wanted to. The important thing to note is that the amount of sauce you will want to add will probably depend on how you're serving it, as well as your own tastes. I like to have a little extra sauce if I'm going to have it over pasta, but as a standalone dish I might omit it entirely. A final ratio of about 1/2 tomato to 1/2 squash or thereabouts is perfect for me.
Fish out the bay leaf, then serve over pasta with a generous grate of Parmesan cheese over the top.
Monday, June 19, 2006
Quick and easy stir fry
To celebrate the arrival of my new Calphalon wok on mail order (hey, it was $40; I couldn’t say no), I had to make some stir fry!
My husband is a reformed picky eater, and stir fry was really the first thing that I could ever get him to really eat that wasn’t pizza or macaroni and cheese. He never cooked for himself and rarely ate out healthy, so I think it was just that he didn’t know what he liked. One night, I cooked him a basic, quick stir fry. He liked it so much that it has become one of our quick, tasty weeknight meals. And it’s so easy that he can even cook it himself!
I don’t have a hard and fast recipe that I follow, and I generally use what I have on hand. Sometimes items get included and sometimes they don’t. I usually make this with chicken, though lean pork chops have been used more than once. I haven’t used beef with it, but I assume it is good as well.
Ingredients:
1-1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast - use your favorite meat or meat substitute - cut into strips and/or cubed
1 red bell pepper, sliced into strips and halved
1 green bell pepper, sliced into strips and halved
2c broccoli florets
1c matchstick carrots - you can shred your own, but already shredded ones saves time
1c sliced mushrooms
1c snow peas - sugar snap peas can also be used here- I usually buy what’s in season and cheapest!
½ onion, sliced into ¼-inch wide strips - I usually use yellow or Vidalia onions
1 can sliced water chestnuts, drained
1 can bamboo shoots, drained
¼-1/3c teriyaki sauce of choice, to taste - Since Kikoman is the best, that is what I usually use. I like the roasted garlic flavor, and if I'm using regular teriyaki, I tend to add a clove of minced garlic to elicit that flavor
1T canola oil
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
Heat the canola and sesame oil in a wok over high heat (if you don’t have a wok, you can also use a sautee pan. A decent starter wok can be found at IKEA for $10). Brown the chicken in the oil, add about half the teriyaki sauce, and reduce heat. Add sliced vegetables, beginning with the broccoli, onions, water chestnuts, and bamboo (the water chestnuts and bamboo will add moisture and will keep things from sticking)- these tend to take longer to cook. Add in the remaining veggies and remaining teriyaki sauce when the onions are translucent. Cover wok with large lid, so contents steam and cook for about 5-10 more minutes.
Serve over rice (I usually use organic brown instant rice, in a pinch, but “real” rice and long grain white rice can also be used!) Add soy sauce to taste.
Filed under: recipes, stirfry, techniques, vegetables, wok, chicken
Tuesday, June 13, 2006
Eggplant Caponata
One of my favorite examples of culinary alchemy (discovered a few summers ago when our co-op farm stuck us with several pounds of eggplant that we didn't know what to do with) is Mario Batali's great recipe for eggplant caponata. You can definitely identify all the major components - the tomato sauce, the balsamic vinegar, the currants, and of course the eggplant - but it's still kind of a mystery to me how these flavors come together so beautifully and make another taste entirely.
Also a bonus, it cooks up really fast - prep time about 5-10 minutes, depending on your knife skillz, and another 15 minutes to cook. Technically, a caponata is designed to be served on crusty bread as an appetizer, but I think it works just as well as a main dish, served with pasta. Definitely a decent vegetarian option!
Recipe breakdown and commentary:
1/2 c. virgin olive oil [you can use less if you're mindful of calories - I usually use 1/4 c., or just enough to cover the bottom of the pan]
1 large Spanish onion [any type of onion is fine]
3 Tbs. pine nuts [TOTALLY optional - pine nuts are friggin pricey]
3 Tbs. currants [nobody actually has currants in their pantry. Chop up a handful of raisins instead, it's pretty much the same thing.]
1 Tbs. hot chili flakes [adjust to taste, I'm a spice wuss]
2 medium/1 large eggplant (yield ~4 c.)
2 Tbs. sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp. fresh thyme leaves (or 1/2 tsp. dried)
1/4 c. basic tomato sauce [if you don't make your own tomato sauce - although you really should, because it's easy - use any simple pasta sauce. Nothing too fancy or creamy!]
1/3 c. balsamic vinegar
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
How to make it:
Chop up your onion and eggplant. Size of dice/chop is up to you; I like a decent size slice of onion and about a 1/4 inch chop on the eggplant. If you want to have this over pasta, start the water boiling now.
In a large 12 to 14-inch saute pan over medium heat, heat the olive oil until hot but not smoking. Add the onions, pine nuts (optional), currants and chili flakes to the oil. Saute for 4 to 5 minutes, basically until the onions are translucent.
Add the eggplant, sugar, cinnamon, and cocoa and continue to cook for 5 more minutes. Your pasta water should be boiling happily by now, so start the noodles. A 1 lb. bag will make more than enough to go along with this recipe. [I usually just make enough for two servings (six handfuls of ziti) and set aside the extra caponata for leftovers, but you can do it all at once if you prefer.]
Add the thyme, tomato sauce, and balsamic vinegar. If you don't have enough liquid to really cover the bottom of the pan, add a little bit of water. Bring the mixture to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer the mixture about 5 minutes.
After you turn the heat down on the caponata, check on the pasta. It's probably al dente (firm but doesn't stick to your teeth) by now. Drain it and transfer it back to the pot you cooked it in. When the caponata is done simmering, transfer [some or all, depending on how much pasta you made] to the pasta pot. Give it a good stir, salt and pepper to taste, and serve.
Mangia!
