An Olive Tree Grows In Manhattan

Restoration Hardware

2012-01-18T23:19:00.000-05:00

I don't know about you, but my naughty food consumption goes through the roof during the holidays. Going as far back as Halloween (yup, that's where it all really begins) there's trick-or-treating loot in the office, then Thanksgiving feasting at home (and a plethora of leftovers), only to be overwhelmed by the goodies of Christmas dinner, not to mention the inevitable holiday cookies lurking around every corner. By the time the new year rolls around I've had just about enough of roasts, toasts and all manner of sweets. I'm not big on resolutions, but somewhere along the way my brain seems to naturally crave some sort of post-holiday detox. It's not always easy to make something healthful also feel satisfying and delicious, but I find that there are a few ingredients that can help fool the inner health critic in many of us, and those are usually a good place to start.

For me, avocado is a pretty standard food booby-trap—if it's got avocado on it, I want to eat it. The same goes for rice and shrimp and anything spicy or crunchy. Taking a step back and looking at how I could use some of these favorites to my advantage in making a healthier meal, I remembered ajiaco, a Colombian chicken soup made with a rich broth, three varieties of potatoes, cilantro and fresh corn. It's topped with avocado and sour cream, and one of my all-time favorite summer recipes. By replacing the out-of-season corn with brown rice and adding in some protein in the form of shrimp and turkey, it easily became a light winter soup. Topping the soup off with reduced-fat sour cream and luscious avocado, not to mention a generous sprinkle of cilantro gave what was essentially a light dish a decadent and delicious finish.

I admit that I made a few calculated choices in forming this dish so that even though the main components were relatively healthy, they definitely wouldn't taste that way. I started with low-sodium chicken broth but infused it with flavor by poaching the proteins in it. This meant I could avoid using oil (and sauteing altogether), impart flavor into the broth from both the shrimp and the turkey as they slowly poached, and make it nearly a one-pot dish. I also chose to use turkey because it has a stronger, deeper flavor than chicken, making my broth tastier and my stew heartier. I cooked the potatoes right in the broth so that any starch they released during cooking would slightly thicken the soup, giving it added body and infusing the potatoes with a richer flavor than they would get from just being boiled in salted water.

Those are just the tweaks that worked for me, but there are plenty of other directions to take this soup that are just as satisfying and still healthy. If you're a chili head, add some jalapeños or serranos for heat. Want a richer broth? Go Asian style and toss a little ginger, scallion and soy sauce into the broth and take out the potatoes completely. Maybe add some tofu instead (marinate it beforehand for even more flavor). Or, go Italian with a small can of diced tomatoes, cannellini beans and a pinch of dried oregano. The possibilities are endless, but I know that in my case, I'll be making versions of this soup over and over again, especially as cold and flu season approaches. I've already got a mean case of the sniffles, which means another version of this recipe is just around the corner.

Turkey and Shrimp Ajiaco

7 cups low-sodium chicken stock
4 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 pound boneless, skinless turkey breast, chopped into 1 inch pieces
10-12 large shrimp, peeled and de-veined
2 cups cooked brown rice
1 avocado, peeled and diced
sour cream
cilantro, finely chopped
lime wedges
salt
cracked black pepper

1. Bring chicken stock to a boil in a large soup pot. Add potatoes and cook 10-15 minutes or until completely cooked through but not falling apart. Remove potatoes from broth and set aside.

2. Reduce heat to a light simmer and add turkey to broth. Poach turkey in broth until just barely cooked through, about 3 minutes. Add shrimp to the broth and poach until pink and opaque (keep an eye on them—overcooked shrimp are the worst).

3. Add potatoes back to the pot to reheat. Taste broth for seasoning, adding salt and pepper to taste. Divide rice evenly among soup bowls and ladle the soup over it. Top with avocado, sour cream, chopped cilantro and a squeeze of lime. Enjoy!

-Laura

The Rainbow Connection

2011-12-14T10:00:00.000-05:00

This is about the time of year when my oven goes into overdrive. As the weather gets colder and I happily bring the oven back into the fold, I sometimes manage to cook an entire meal right in the oven, without ever turning on the stove top. The other day I roasted a whole chicken for an hour and during the last fifteen minutes of cooking chucked a tray of olive oil-coated brussels sprouts onto the top oven rack. It was such a low maintenance meal that I managed to fold laundry, reply to a few emails and watch an episode of How I Met Your Mother before the timer ever went off.

But not all meals are quite that hands-off, which is why earlier this week I turned back to the oven for a little help. It's no secret that roasting vegetables is the way to go this time of year (unless you own a deep fryer and can make due with all the calories), and I'm a big advocate of roasting…well, just about everything. It uses less oil than frying but still gives you great flavor. And as far as I'm concerned, the more dark and crunchy bits there are, the better, which is why I roast veggies in a super high oven (400-450 degrees). Classically over-cooked vegetables like brussels sprouts, cauliflower and broccoli are especially tasty done this way, the idea being to maximize the color (i.e. flavor) on the outside, while making sure the inside is just barely cooked.

If you're looking for a super fast dinner that will encourage the kids (and maybe a spouse or two) to eat their veggies, try making rainbow cauliflower. Aside from the common white variety there's purple, yellow and beautiful spiky green romanesco, and they all taste great (and you get a ton of vitamin C, to boot). I like to buy a small head of each and roast them together for a beautiful side dish that goes well with any protein. I served mine with gorgeous seared sea scallops that only took a minute and a half to cook on each side. Altogether the meal was healthy, fast and delicious. At under half an hour to prepare, this meal is a stunner, and helps you catch up on your veggies (just don't tell everyone else at the table).

Seared Sea Scallops with Roasted Rainbow Cauliflower

1 lb sea scallops

1 tsp smoked paprika, divided

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, divided

3 small heads of cauliflower, cut into florets (assorted colors if possible)

1 Tablespoon vegetable, canola or peanut oil

Extra virgin olive oil

salt

pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Pat scallops dry and set aside on a paper towel lined plate or platter.

2. Toss cauliflower florets with 1/2 teaspoon of the smoked paprika, 1/4 tsp of the cayenne pepper, and extra virgin olive oil to coat (about 1 Tablespoon). Season with salt and pepper. Spread cauliflower onto a baking sheet and roast in the oven for 15 minutes or until nicely browned and just crisp-tender.

3. Brush scallops with oil on one side and season with half of the cumin and half of the remaining paprika and cayenne pepper. Season with salt and pepper. Heat a skillet over medium heat until very hot but not smoking. Add scallops seasoned and oiled side down. Brush top side with oil and remaining cumin, paprika and cayenne. Cook on each side until browned and crusted, about one minute per side.

4. Serve scallops hot and topped with roasted cauliflower and a light drizzle of olive oil. Enjoy!

-Laura

It's In The Bag

2011-12-01T21:28:00.000-05:00

I was recently speaking with a friend about cooking and wondered why as a foodie, she didn't cook at home more often. She said that cooking a full meal for one person was just too difficult and time consuming to do, and that spending an hour in the kitchen cooking just for herself seemed like a waste of time. I countered (from previous years of experience) that cooking for one is actually a huge advantage when making a fast and delicious meal, and that I could prove it. And so I set forth to make a complete meal (protein, veggies and a side) with minimal effort and in half an hour.

One of the secrets to making a fast, delicious and healthy meal, regardless of the quantity, is to start with fish or seafood. They're the quickest cooking of all proteins and need very little attention, no matter how you prep them. I like a nice center-cut fillet of halibut because it has very little fat, beautiful flavor, and cooks through in ten minutes. Cod or salmon would work just as well and be slightly more affordable, but shrimp are also a great choice.

Another secret to making a fast meal is to cook it en papillote, which means nothing more than cooking in a parchment or foil packet. There's no need to dirty a pan or end up with a house reeking of fish. Simply heat your oven, toss your fish fillet onto a piece of parchment paper (or foil if you're in a pinch) with salt, pepper and a little olive oil, and fold the edges over to create a nice seal. The fish and anything else you toss in the packet will steam and be ready in less than ten minutes. I like to add two or three types of veggies, whatever is in season and steams nicely. This time of year I'd use cauliflower, leeks, squash, turnips, potatoes, and pretty much any kind of root veggie (I made the dish pictured in this post at the tail-end of summer with leeks, sungold tomatoes and summer squash—yum).

That's a protein and veggie prepped and cooked in about 15 minutes, leaving plenty of time to make a side dish or side salad, which can even be completed while the packets cook away in the oven. Roast another vegetable in the oven, put together a nice salad, or slice up some fruit for dessert. Either way, you can make a beautiful dinner come together in minutes, and best of all, it's easy to multiply for more than one (very impressive for company). When it's ready, just slide your packet onto a plate, cut a cross-shaped slit in the top and rip it open. Eat it right out of the parchment, where the juices and steam will have formed a delicious natural sauce. With all that free time and so few dishes to clean, you'll have to think of a reason not to make this dish, for yourself, or anyone else.

Halibut En Papillote with Cherry Tomatoes, Zucchini and Leeks

1 halibut fillet (about 6 oz)
8-10 small cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup zucchini or summer squash, halved and sliced
1 leek, washed, white and light green parts thinly sliced
extra virgin olive oil
salt
black pepper

1. Preheat your oven to 400°F. Toss tomatoes and zucchini in a bowl with salt, pepper and extra virgin olive oil to coat. Set aside.

2. Fold a 15-inch long sheet of parchment paper in half so there's a crease in the middle, then open it back up. Place the leeks in the center of the parchment near the crease. Season with salt, pepper and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Season the halibut on both sides with salt and pepper and place it on top of the leeks. Carefully pour the tomato/zucchini mixture over and around the halibut.

3. Fold the empty half of the parchment over the fish. Starting at one of the creased ends, make small overlapping folds until the parchment forms a half-moon shape and is sealed tight (see an illustrated guide from Martha Stewart here for guidance).

4. Place the parchment packet onto a baking tray and bake in the oven for 10 minutes until the parchment is puffed and fish is cooked through. Place the finished packet onto a plate and cut a cross-shaped slit into the center of the packet. Pull back the parchment and serve. Enjoy!

-Laura

TIP: You can easily make this dish with winter-centric ingredients. Leeks, carrots and cabbage make a great combo, and so do bok choy, mushrooms and cauliflower with soy and a dash of sesame oil. And don't forget about citrus—not only is it in season in the winter, it's also seafood's best friend. And some lemon juice and lemon slices to salmon en papillote, or lemon juice, butter and black pepper to some gorgeous bay scallops for an elegant appetizer.

Pie In the Sky

2011-11-17T08:51:00.000-05:00

As many of you may have noticed, I've been gone from the blog for quite some time. The reason? We've moved once again! After a stressful two months of finding out we needed to move ASAP and making it happen, I'm happy to report that I will continue cooking and writing from the Upper East Side of Manhattan, albeit slightly further north (is that East Harlem I see from my window?). And what better way to break in a shiny new kitchen than with a delicious, warm apple pie?

It is fall, after all, and if you're not a baker by nature, this pie's for you. The filling is simple and fast, and I opted for a deliciously crunchy, sweet and salty crumble topping. I'm personally not a big fan of pastry topping on pie (all that rolling and measuring and crimping, oy!) despite how beautiful a properly made crust can look. I much prefer a crumble-style topping, which aside from being quick-cooking and foolproof, brings an added layer of flavor and crunch.

I wanted to start fall off right with an apple pie, but decided to make use of some beautiful cherries that I bought at the height of their season and froze (for those of you doing the math, that's right, I actually moved them from one apartment to another; I ascribe to a strict "no produce left behind" policy). But if you don't have cherries, cranberries make a fine seasonal substitute. Just add extra sugar to the filling to compensate for their tartness, and go with frozen instead of fresh so you don't have to cook them down beforehand.

I used a mix of Empires and Jonahgolds for the apples, but any good baking apple works. As for the crumble, I went with a slightly unconventional ingredient, eschewing the traditional flour/butter/nut combo. I used my favorite granola which had oats, almonds, honey and vanilla, and added a nice chunky texture. All I needed to do was cut in the butter, cinnamon and a pinch of salt and it was good to go, no added sugar necessary. So, if you're looking for a new pie to make this fall, or even this Thanksgiving, this is a great option. It's stress free, and since there's a wonderful crunchy topping, you don't even have to feel guilty about buying a pre-made crust!

Apple and Cherry Crumble Pie

For the Filling:

5-6 apples like Jonahgold, Empire or Honeycrisp, peeled, cored and thinly sliced

2 cups cherries, pitted and quartered

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar

2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 9-inch pie crust (homemade or store-bought is fine)

2 Tablespoons butter, cut into small cubes

For the Crumble:

1 1/2 cups granola (like Bob's Red Mill Honey Almond Granola)

4 Tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, chilled and cut into small cubes

2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

For the Filling: Preheat oven to 350˚F. In a large bowl, combine all of the filling ingredients except for the butter and crust. Fill the crust with the apple/cherry mixture, careful to keep it as flat as possible. Dot the mixture with butter, then bake, covered loosely with foil, for 30 minutes or until apples have just started to droop and soften.

For the Crumble: While the filling bakes, combine all of the crumble ingredients in a bowl. Kneed them together until butter is well incorporated and even clumps are formed. Refrigerate until the pie filling has finished pre-baking in the oven.

Once the filling has baked, carefully remove it from the oven and top with the crumble. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the crumble has browned and crisped, then cover with foil and continue baking another 30-35 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow 2-3 hours to cool. Enjoy!

-Laura

A Kernel of Truth

2011-09-06T12:49:00.000-04:00

One of the best things about late summer (aside from the slowly subsiding humidity) is what's available at the farmers market. Tomatoes are at their peak, peppers and chilies come in all shapes, colors, and sizes, and juicy peaches and stone fruits are everywhere. But best of all, mountains of corn—white, yellow and bi-color—bookend most of the market stalls. The sound of shoppers undressing cobs by sharply removing their husks can often be heard from across the street, and making your way through the crowd to the front of the line becomes a contact sport.

Needless to say, I've found myself among the excitable throngs of folks tearing away at corn on more than one occasion, and—I'm embarrassed to admit—with equal tenacity. The difference between myself and many of my fellow corn enthusiasts is what we do with our corn once we've procured it. Lacking a proper grill and being too much of a weenie to try smoking indoors (but I'm working on it), I've discovered the next best thing: roasting corn off the cob. It's easy, it's fast, it's versatile, and best of all, it comes with easy clean up.

Simply cut all of the kernels off the cob into a large bowl with a paring knife (it's the least messy way to do this). Toss the corn kernels with a little extra virgin olive oil and the seasonings of your choice (I like salt, pepper, and a pinch of cayenne and cumin), and spread out onto a foil-lined baking sheet. Pop the whole thing into a 350 degree oven and roast for 15-20 minutes until golden brown and charred on the ends. That's it. Use it in pasta dishes (see one pasta salad example here), as a stand alone side-dish, or my favorite, as the base for a soup. Because you've already seasoned your corn, all that's left to do is blend it with chicken or vegetable stock. If you know you'll be making soup ahead of time, throw an onion and a few garlic cloves into the oven with the corn for extra flavor. Top with a few reserved corn kernels, a spoonful of sour cream, and a sprinkle of your favorite fresh herb. A little lime on the side caps off a perfectly light and sweet late summer dinner.

Roasted Corn Soup

6 corn cobs, husked, kernels removed and reserved
1 small onion, peeled and quartered
3 garlic cloves (skins left on)
1½ Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
¼ tsp ground cumin
pinch of cayenne pepper
3-4 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable stock
salt
pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350˚F. Place corn kernels, olive oil, onion, garlic, olive oil, cumin and cayenne in a large bowl and toss to combine. Spread mixture out onto a foil lined baking sheet or roasting pan (this will make clean-up easier) and bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until kernels are slightly browned on the edges.

2. Reserve ½ cup worth of the roasted corn for garnish and place the rest of the roasted mixture into a blender (reserve the garlic), or if using a hand blender, add the mixture to a pot. Squeeze the garlic out of its skin and into the mixture and discard papery skin.

3. Add enough stock to the mixture to cover, then blend to combine. Continue adding stock until your desired consistency is reached. Strain into a pot and reheat, or serve cold, topped with the reserved corn, sour cream, and cilantro. Enjoy!

-Laura

God Bless New Jersey

2011-08-22T11:12:00.000-04:00

That's right, I said it. God bless New Jersey. For many—myself included—the myth of New Jersey has long meant visions of a robust, mafia-driven economy, epic tales of partying at the shore, and questions about the curious odor that seems to permanently hang over the city of Newark. But as it turns out, they don't call New Jersey the Garden State for nothing. New Jersey produces some of the country's best fruits and vegetables, including outstanding tomatoes, super delicious, deep red strawberries, and without question, the best sweet corn in the United States (sorry, Iowa).

For us New York City dwellers, the farms of New Jersey are actually closer than most of those in our home state, and have the distinct advantage of being further south, meaning that they're always the first to have whatever is in season. Few other farms advertise their state of origin as prominently as those from New Jersey do, because savvy farmers market shoppers know that the produce from New Jersey is where the best flavors can be found. Lately I've been stocking up on Jersey corn, devilishly sweet, amber-hued sungold tomatoes, and all manner of summer squash.

With ingredients so delicious, I try really hard to do as little to them as possible. The pasta salad pictured above could just as easily be a hot pasta dish, but I love the idea of a refreshing pasta salad where the corn is nice and charred, but the tomatoes are still plump and juicy. A handful of julienned herbs from my tiny balcony herb garden (sorry, New Jersey) enhance the freshness of the dish and add an unbelievable fragrance. I very much enjoyed my plateful of New Jersey ingredients, and you will to. So the next time you're passing through the Garden State, don't snub your nose. Unless, of course, you're anywhere near Newark.

Penne with Sungold Tomatoes and Charred Corn

1 lb penne pasta (I used whole wheat)

1 pint sungold tomatoes, halved

3 ears of corn, husked, kernels cut off the cob
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp smoked paprika

5 basil leaves, julienned

5 mint leaves, julienned

1/2 cup smoked cheddar (or your favorite smoked cheese), cubed

1 garlic clove, finely minced or grated

Extra virgin olive oil

Red wine vinegar

Salt

Pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350˚F. Toss the corn with 2 teaspoons of olive oil, cumin, paprika, and salt and pepper to taste. Spread kernels out evenly on a baking tray and place in the oven. Roast until kernels are browned and slightly crispy, 15-20 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season water generously with salt and add the penne. Cook until al dente, then drain and remove to a bowl.

3. Toss cooked penne with 1 teaspoon of olive oil to keep from sticking together. Add tomatoes, corn, cheese, garlic and herbs to the penne and toss to combine. Add 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil, 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste. Toss to combine and serve warm or slightly chilled. Enjoy!

-Laura

A Spoonful of Spring

2011-07-11T14:37:00.000-04:00

Spring may be one of my favorite seasons, culinarily speaking, if only because it means that "the race is on." While summer heralds the arrival of a cornucopia of produce so delicious that it barely requires cooking, and fall has it's tasty treats including apples, pears and all manner of gourds, spring has something that no other season does: a very limited growing season for each and every product. Spring's bounty comes and goes in extremely short waves (not unlike the weather of the season itself), usually starting out with asparagus and artichokes in the first few weeks of the season, then transitioning into ramps, spring garlic and all sorts of allium family members, followed by my personal favorite spring fare, beans and legumes. Fresh peas, sugar snap peas, fava beans and garbanzo beans tend to have the shortest presence at the market, available for about two weeks before leaving me wanting sooooo much more.

And so, when they finally make their appearance, I do all that I can to elbow my way into the farmers market tents and fill my bag with whatever I can get my greedy little hands on. Usually I venture towards the fava beans, which are shockingly elusive and tend to be the first thing to go, if they show up at all. The English peas, or shelling peas, foe of many a child, are usually what I look for next. If you've never had fresh peas straight from the pod, I highly encourage you to seek them out. They have a firmness that simply can't be found in frozen (and certainly not canned) peas, and a natural sweetness befitting the season, with a tiny hint of that earthiness found in other spring veggies. They cook super quickly, and in my mind, barely need more than to be blanched for 2-3 minutes.

While I'd love to serve my peas with a simple a swig of olive oil, a touch of mint and a hint of ham, I share my table with a green pea-averse partner, and that means a little more doctoring is required.

So, I basically made the aforementioned dish and used it as a stuffing for a wonderful (and, if I do say so myself) really beautiful tortellini. Served in a light vegetable broth with a topping of watercress salad, these little pockets of spring would fool anyone into eating their veggies. And with a little help from the grocery store, I managed to make the ravioli in less than 30 minutes (if you don't already have wonton wrappers in your refrigerator, you definitely should—you can even keep them in the freezer until you need them). See below for the recipe, followed by a mini-tutorial on a tortellini folding technique that's super easy to master. And remember, you can make extra tortellini and keep them in the freezer for an even quicker weeknight meal. Just place them on a sheet tray until frozen, then pop them into a zip-top baggy or Tupperware and you're good to go!

Spring Pea and Prosciutto Tortellini

16-20 wonton skins

1/2 cup shelled English Peas

3 Tbsp finely diced or 3 slices thinly sliced prosciutto

1 1/2 tsp fresh mint, thinly sliced

1 Tbsp ricotta cheese

salt

pepper

1. Place a large pot of salted water over high heat and bring to a rolling boil. Add peas and cook for 2-3 minutes until just cooked through and bright green. Remove to a bowl using a mesh strainer, and keep the water boiling (you will use it for the tortellini later).

2. Add prosciutto, mint and ricotta to the peas and stir to combine. Taste for salt and pepper, season accordingly, then mash the mixture lightly with a fork. Fill each wonton skin with a teaspoon of filling and fold closed (see illustrated folding technique below). Add to the boiling water and cook about 2 minutes until ravioli are al dente. Serve in broth or tossed with melted butter and topped with grated parmesan. Enjoy!

How to Fold Tortellini and Wontons

1. Place a teaspoon of filling onto the center of your wonton or ravioli skin.

2. Using a brush or your finger, wet the top and two sides of the wrapper with water.

3. Fold bottom edge over the top of the filling.

4. Seal edges by pressing down on all sides, carefully removing any air from the filling.

5. Fold the top sealed edge back slightly over the filling.

6. Pull the two corners opposite the folded top around towards each other.

7. Wet the corners so they stick.

8. Pinch corners together.

9. Presto! Repeat.

-Laura

Long Weekend Warrior

2011-06-20T13:21:00.000-04:00

I don't know what it is about Memorial Day that makes most people eager to hop in their cars, board trains, cram on to buses and begin the summer tradition of weekend mass exodus, but for me it signals the beginning of something different. Sure, that first long weekend means that barbecue season has officially begun, but more importantly, it means that the city will be a virtual ghost town (hey, in a city of 8 million, we'll take all the defectors we can get). Lines at the supermarket are shorter, Saturday morning at the farmers market is (slightly) less crowded, the subway is almost comfortable, and an 8 o'clock reservation is suddenly easier to procure. And best of all, the loud children upstairs are not heard from for days (a blissful event that any apartment dweller can relate to).

And the truth is that you don't have to go away to relax in New York City, especially if you like spending any time in the kitchen. Although I grew up in the suburban US with good old fashioned barbecues, I also spent summers in Spain where you haven't seen what smoke and fire can do until you make paella. Lacking an appropriate and legal place to create a massive wood-burning fire within the confines of my apartment, I took my plans for paella to my stove. And with much of the Upper East Side left empty, I took advantage of the short lines at my normally crowded and picked over fishmonger to settle on the ingredients for a seafood paella. Why bother with the weekend beach traffic when I can get Long Island's best seafood right in my backyard?

The best thing about making paella is that it looks super impressive, serves a ton of people, but actually takes very little effort and only 25-30 minutes to make. I adapted my recipe for two since it was the only thing we planned on eating for dinner, but even my small paella pan when full serves up to six people. The key to making a great paella is using short grain rice (calasparra or bomba are best but even arborio will do in a pinch), using real saffron, and decent stock. The proteins are relatively interchangeable, and although seafood paella is the most popular in the US, non-seafood paella is the most classically Spanish (chicken, duck, rabbit, and short ribs are all great choices), and vegetable paellas are to die for (fresh spring peas, fava beans and mushrooms are a classic combo). You don't even need a paella pan. A low-sided, wide pan or skillet will do, as would a large cast iron skillet. So the next time you're at home but feel like taking a vacation, try making a paella. Make it on your grill or on your stove and I promise you'll be transported somewhere—without the nuisance of summer traffic.

Seafood Paella

1 1/2 cups short grain rice like bomba, calasparra or arborio

4 cups seafood stock (I used shrimp, but whatever you have on hand is fine)

1 pinch saffron threads or 1/8 tsp ground saffron

1 small onion, finely minced or grated

1 garlic clove, minced

3/4 cup pureed tomatoes (fresh is best, but good quality canned or jarred will work)

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

1 red bell pepper, very thinly sliced

1 lb medium to large shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/2 lb little neck clams or cockles, scrubbed

1 lb squid, cleaned, bodies sliced into 1/2 inch thick rings

1 cup cornmeal

3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 Tbsp fresh parsley

1 lemon, cut into wedges (for garnish)

salt

1. Place clams (or cockles) and cornmeal in a large bowl and cover with cold water. Set aside while you continue cooking (this helps the clams expel any sand or grit so it does not end up in your paella). In a small bowl or glass, combine the saffron with 1/4 cup warm water and set aside (this is called blooming; it allows the saffron to dissolve evenly when you add it to what you're cooking).

2. Heat olive oil on medium-low in a paella pan or very wide, shallow pan (do not use a non-stick pan for this). Add onions and peppers and cook until softened. Add paprika and cook, stirring constantly, for 15 seconds. Add garlic and tomatoes and cook for 1 minute before adding the rice to pan. Cook the mixture for 2 minutes until the rice starts to turn slightly opaque.

3. Add 3 cups of the stock and the bloomed saffron (liquid and all) to the pan and give everything a stir so it's evenly distributed; taste for seasoning (you do not want to stir the paella any further). Cook on medium-high heat for 10 minutes, until 1/3 of the liquid has been absorbed. Add clams to the paella, tucking them carefully into the rice. If your shrimp are large, add them to the top of the paella, nestling them in. If they are medium to small, add them in another 5 minutes so they don't overcook.

4. When only 1/4 of the liquid remains, add the squid and taste the rice. If it is almost al dente, continue cooking until all of the liquid is absorbed and rice is cooked through. If it is still very undercooked, add the remaining cup of stock and cook until it is all absorbed and the rice is cooked through. If it is still not cooked when the last of the stock is absorbed, add water 1/4 cup at a time until done.

5. When the rice and shrimp are cooked and the clams have opened, remove the paella from the heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Discard any clams that have not opened. Serve topped with fresh parsley and a lemon wedge. Enjoy!

-Laura

Boeuf Bourguignon

2011-05-08T16:58:00.000-04:00

It's been a somewhat dismal spring thus far here in New York, with an endless parade of gloomy weather fronts marching into town and parking themselves squarely overhead. The occasional snowy morning a few weeks ago and far too frequent rainy afternoon in recent days led to a monumental purchase for my kitchen, in the form of a brand-new, fire engine-red Le Creuset Dutch oven. I was immediately clear on how to christen my new purchase and quell my gray-weather anxiety. I'd make a boeuf bourguignon, classic in every way, even the long cooking time.

While I normally eschew anything that keeps me from my television for too long, I took advantage of the odd day off to make a long cooking stew with hearty flavor and a decidedly French flair. Momentarily transporting myself from the Upper East Side to Paris, I spent the morning walking through the neighborhood in my classic trench, making stops at the butcher, the baker and the specialty grocer (if I'd seen a candlestick maker I'd probably have paid them a visit for good measure). The great thing about this dish is that despite the long cooking time, once you're done chopping, you're pretty much done. The rest of the time is just letting it bubble away on the stove—or, if you're feeling like all that chopping requires a post cooking nap—in the oven.

I did a lot of research before making this dish on exactly what cut of meat to use since most recipes only went so far as to say "a beef roast" or a "rump roast" and I know nothing about either. It turns out that a chuck-eye roast is the best for a beef stew according to America's Test Kitchen, and after making this dish I'm inclined to agree that it has the perfect balance of meat to fat to keep the meat moist without making the dish too fatty. But, if you're making this dish on a day that's not quite as gloriously lazy as mine was, you can always use blade steaks, which are usually right in the meat section of the grocery store. They're also thinner and would cook a little bit faster than the thick chunks of a roast would. So, whether you're feeling lazy in a truly European way and have all the time in the world, or just happen to have an extra hour to make dinner special, give this recipe a try. I promise it'll satisfy no matter how much time you have.

Boeuf Bourguignon

2 tbsps olive oil
2 cups crimini mushrooms, large ones quartered or halved
3½ lbs chuck-eye roast, cut into 1½ inch chunks
5 bacon strips, cut into ½ inch pieces
2 tbsps tomato paste
2 tbsps all-purpose flour
1 bottle medium-bodied red wine (Côtes du Rhône or Pinot Noir are perfect)
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 bay leaves
2 garlic cloves, smashed
4 carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 lb miniature red bliss potatoes, larger ones halved
2 cups pearl onions (I used fresh, but thawed, frozen ones added at the end are fine)
1 tbsp unsalted butter
Fresh parsley for garnish
salt
pepper

1. Cook bacon in a large Dutch oven until crispy. Remove to a paper towel lined plate and add mushrooms to pot, cooking in rendered bacon fat until browned, about 8 minutes. Remove mushrooms to the plate with the bacon and set aside.

2. Season beef generously with salt and pepper and add two tablespoons of olive oil to the pot. Brown beef (in batches, if necessary) until browned on all sides. Transfer meat to a plate and set aside. Pour off all but two tablespoons of the oil remaining in the pot. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly until slightly darkened in color, 2-3 minutes. Add flour and cook, continuing to stir for about 1 minute.

3. Return beef and bacon to the pot, along with wine, broth, bay leaves and garlic. Bring to a boil and cover, lowering heat to bring mixture to a simmer. Cook for 2 hours on the stove top or in the oven (at 350°F) until meat is almost completely tender, then add onions, carrots and potatoes and cook another 45 minutes further until potatoes and carrots are cooked through. Add mushrooms and cook until just heated through. Stir in butter and parsley and serve. Enjoy!

-Laura

Chicken Under A Brick

2011-03-06T22:23:00.000-05:00

Clearly I've been absent from the blog for some time. And to those who have continued to check in, I say thank you. It's your patience and tolerance for my gallivanting outside of the confines of my own kitchen that allows me to find inspiration for new dishes. Although I've been obscenely busy with work, side jobs and random other activities, I must say that barely having the time to think, let alone cook, has somehow led to the discovery of my new favorite recipe. It sounds good, it looks good, it smells good, and boy, does it taste good. What's more, it's ready in about 35 minutes, with little effort required—what's better than that? Oh, and did I mention that it's also incredibly cheap? That's right, I've left no excuse not to make this dish—unless of course, you're a vegetarian, in which case I've wasted your time. Moving on...

The inspiration for this dish came from my experience dining at several restaurants in my favorite bearded, bespeckled, plaid wearing borough: Brooklyn. I've long been a fan of the local, sustainable movement sweeping the nation, and no single place on earth does the marriage of high quality, seasonal cuisine in a casual environment like Brooklyn does. While I may complain about the very long commute there from the Upper East Side, the trip back home always includes a happily full stomach and satisfied grin (two things rarely found in my neighborhood, to say the least). While each restaurant there has its own interpretation of roasted beet salad or butternut squash bisque, one thing can be counted on: the brick chicken will be the same everywhere. From south Williamsburg to Vinegar Hill, Bushwick to Park Slope, every menu I saw had this simple dish, and there was at least one on every table, if not two. It always appeared juicy, with a crispy skin and flavorful jus, reducing tasters to unabashed "yuuummms". Needless to say, I was intrigued, if not a little bit jealous.

I'm rarely the one to order chicken at a table, but after several recommendations from friends at one particular establishment, I bit the bullet. The chicken was just as it seemed—moist and crisp with a salty skin, served over buttery mashed potatoes (always the best accompaniment to any roast chicken, if you ask me). The first bite was followed by my own unabashed "yums" and "you've got to try this!" moments. I immediately set to make this chicken at home, and what do you know, the first time was a charm. I bought a family pack (4 pieces) of chicken legs (thighs with the drumstick attached), the same cut I'd seen at each restaurant. It came out to under 6 bucks (skin-on dark meat is such a steal, it really goes a long way for a big family), and with the addition of a sack of Yukon gold's for the mashed potatoes, I got all of it for under ten dollars.

The only tools necessary for this chicken aren't necessary at all, and are easily substituted. For example, I have nowhere to keep a brick in my apartment, so I used a heavy grill pan to weigh down my chicken and get the skin to crisp. I also cooked it in my cast iron skillet as many of the restaurants had, but you can use any oven-safe pan. The rest is simple. Simply preheat your oven and generously season your chicken with salt and black pepper. Then, heat your oven-safe skillet over high heat with just a teaspoon or so of vegetable oil. Once it's hot, add your chicken to the pan, skin side down and weigh it down with either a brick wrapped in foil, or a heavy, oven safe pan (even a pie plate filled with pie weights or dried beans works here—anything that's oven-safe and heavy will do). Once browned, put the chicken with the weight still on top, in the oven. Cook for 25-30 minutes, depending on the size and number of your chicken parts. That's it!

Once my chicken was done I removed it to a plate to rest for a few minutes while I deglazed the pan with a few teaspoons of cider vinegar. Mixed with the natural juices in the pan from the roast chicken this made for a great light sauce/gravy (if you're in a hurry, even just the natural pan juices would do drizzled over both the chicken and mashed potatoes—which are easily made while the chicken is in the oven). And so it is that I'm back to not ordering the chicken off of the menu at restaurants, only this time it's because I make it so often at home, there's no point. With a recipe as easy and affordable as this one, what's the point?

Chicken Under A Brick

2-4 skin-on chicken legs (thighs with drumsticks attached)

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

1-2 teaspoons vegetable oil (depending on how many legs you're making)

salt

pepper

1. Preheat your oven to 400°F.

2. Heat a heavy, oven safe pan over high heat until smoking hot (if you have a cast iron skillet, use it). Meanwhile, season chicken legs generously with salt and pepper and add, skin side down, to the hot pan. Weigh down chicken with a brick wrapped in aluminum foil or with another heavy skillet (oven safe). Cook 2-3 minutes or until skin is browned and crisp.

3. Move the pan (with the weight still on top and the chicken still skin side down) into the oven and roast for 25-35 minutes or until chicken is tender and cooked through.

4. Remove chicken from the oven and onto a plate to rest. Heat the pan with all its juices on the stove over low heat and carefully add the vinegar, scraping any drippings off the bottom of the pan. Allow a minute to cook together then serve drizzled over chicken. Enjoy!

-Laura

The Acorn Doesn't Fall...

2010-12-14T11:55:00.000-05:00

Even though I always looked forward to pumpkin season, for a long time I never really understood what all of the fuss was about when it came to squash. Fellow vegetable enthusiasts seem to flutter and flock and fight over them at the farmers market, but I really only knew how to use the various varieties as a puree. I made soups and risottos, all of which I loved, but none of which seemed to deserve my waking up at the crack of dawn and elbowing my way through the throngs of people clamoring for a brightly colored squash at the local farmer's stand.

Eventually (and mostly due to my CSA) I learned that so many of the varieties of squash that were unknown to me were not only unbelievably good, but completely worth my time. The first to convince me was spaghetti squash, a miraculous, buttery, canary-hued squash that needs nothing more than a roast in a hot oven to become spectacular. It may look like your average squash, but it does something magical when scraped out onto a plate: the flesh transforms into long, languid strands, not at all unlike its pasta namesake, spaghetti. The texture is similar to al dente noodles, too, and the flavor sweet and mild.

Two other varieties have become frequent ingredients at my house. The first is delicata, another yellow variety whose thin skin is often speckled with green stripes and orange splatters. The flavor is somewhere between butternut and spaghetti squash, mild and very buttery with a silky texture. It's small and elongated, so if you're looking for a quick-roasting squash with great flavor, delicata is what you want.

The other variety I love is acorn squash, the beautiful, deep green squash (pictured above) with the lovely acorn shape. It has tough, deeply flavored flesh that takes quite a while to roast (about an hour), but actually requires very little effort. The dish pictured above is my version of a squash dish I had at Vinegar Hill House in Brooklyn a few weeks ago. Theirs was halved and roasted until it was fall-apart tender, then one half was scooped out and made into a delicate, almost mousse-like puree, topped with roasted and seasoned acorn squash seeds.

I made mine the same way and it was not only delicious but beautiful, and I must say, an impressive and festive dish that would look heavenly on a Christmas table. I generally try to avoid using the oven when cooking for the holidays because my turkey or whatever I'm roasting generally takes up residence, but if you're bringing something pot-luck style or have multiple ovens or a large oven, I would definitely recommend it. So the next time you see a new kind of gourd at your local market of farm stand, pick one up and give it a try. It's totally worth your time and effort.

Roast and Stuffed Acorn Squash

2 acorn squash, halved and cleaned, seeds reserved
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground clove
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
extra virgin olive oil
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
4 Tbsp unsalted butter
salt
pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400F degrees. Drizzle squash halves with olive oil and season with cumin, clove, paprika and nutmeg. Season with salt to taste (I recommend being generous since it needs to permeate the entire squash) and place on a baking sheet and roast squash in the oven for 50 minutes to an hour, or until squash is fork tender and soft.

2. Remove cooked squash from oven and allow a few minutes to cool until you can handle it safely with your hands (you could also do this with potholders on if you're in a hurry). Scoop out flesh from two of the squash halves and place them in a blender (you can do one half at a time if your blender is small). Add stock to blender 1/2 cup at a time until puree is smooth and silky.

3. Remove puree to a pot over low heat and fold in butter, stirring until fully incorporated, and tasting for salt and seasoning. Season remaining squash halves with black pepper and fill with the puree. Serve and enjoy!

-Laura

**Note: you can keep the squash halves that are intact warm in the oven on low heat if you will not be serving this dish immediately.

Just Dandy

2010-11-15T15:11:00.000-05:00

For anyone that thinks the good times are over once winter hits (culinarily speaking, that is), I have proof positive that you can turn almost any of your favorite warm weather dishes into bright and impressive winter dishes. And even better, they're not just place holders to get you through the winter months--they're actually tasty enough to entertain with. For many, nothing says spring like a tart or quiche that's resplendent with the lush green veggies of spring (this particular example comes to mind). But the truth is that dishes like tarts and quiche are the perfect canvas for showcasing winter's bounty (or lack thereof), because they're light and relatively easy to infuse with flavor. You can go the hearty route, throwing in everything from squash or pumpkin to brussels sprouts, cauliflower or parsnips, or keep it elegant by using mushrooms, leeks or my personal favorite, fall and winter greens.

I used an asparagus and potato tart recipe from Jamie Oliver as a guide, but diverted from it substantially while making the dish a second, third, and fourth time. I knew the cheddar cheese in the recipe was strong enough to stand up to winter ingredients, so I kept that and actually went so far as to buy an extra sharp white cheddar for some added tang. Where I diverted from the recipe was in the make-up of the batter, which was a little too potato-heavy for me, and almost felt like eating mashed potatoes. To remedy this, I removed an entire potato to let the egginess come through a little bit, making the batter lighter and more quiche-like. Then I swapped out the spring-time asparagus for the more winter appropriate dandelion greens. I like to get them as small and tender as possible for this dish so you don't have to worry about removing the tough stem. For any larger leaves that sneaked in (which I confirmed with a copy editor is in fact the actual past tense of "sneak"), I removed the thick stems and finely chopped the leaves, placing them on the bottom of the tart, along with some of the cheese, which was also folded into the batter mixture.

I did go ahead and keep the phyllo dough crust from the original recipe (despite it making the recipe a bit more complicated) because the crunch goes so well with the soft interior of the tart. Overall it's a really great recipe that can be adapted to incorporate any seasonal veggie. I chose the greens because they didn't need to be pre-cooked or softened, and would completely cook through in the 20 minutes that the tart takes to bake. But in the future I'm already planning on a mushroom and leek tart using the same basic recipe. I'll just have to soften up the mushrooms and leeks in a skillet with oil or butter and carry on the same recipe from there. So if you're feeling a little less bright as the days get darker earlier, give a recipe like this a try and add in a some of your favorite veggies. Hopefully it'll make your dark days feel the littlest bit lighter.

Dandelion Green And Potato Tart

2 small Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
1 bunch dandelion greens, washed and dried (tough stems removed from larger leaves)
8 ounces phyllo dough (about 12 sheets)
1/2 cup melted butter
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
3 large eggs
1 (8 ounce) container heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook potatoes in salted, boiling water until tender, about 15-20 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, carefully layer the sheets of phyllo pastry into an ovenproof dish, brushing each with butter as you go, and letting about 1 inch hang over the side of the dish. Try to get at least 3 layers of pastry, but the more you do the more crispy crust you'll have. Put a clean, damp kitchen towel or paper towel over the top of the pastry covered dish and set aside.

3. When the potatoes are done, drain and mash them with half of the cheese. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, heavy cream, remaining cheese, nutmeg, black pepper and salt. Combine the potatoes and the eggs mixture.

4. Add the chopped dandelion greens to the pastry covered baking dish so they are evenly spread out. Pour the batter into the dish, and top with 5 or six small, tender dandelion greens (as shown above).

5. Tuck edges of pastry into the dish. Bake for 15-20 minutes until set and slightly wiggly in the center. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

-Laura

The Curious Case of Collard Greens

2010-10-27T16:13:00.000-04:00

I'm not sure exactly why, but certain ingredients have a reputation for being difficult and complicated to cook. Lentils, tough cuts of meat and quiche are prime examples of dishes and ingredients that have had their "difficulty myths" dispelled here on the blog, and now I'm tackling collard greens. Long thought of as dirty and tough, collard greens have garnered a reputation over the years as an ingredient that takes a great deal of effort to clean and hours of stewing to tenderize. The fact that they can survive cold winters easily due to their dense leaf structure has worked against them in terms of popularity, but is in fact what makes them so delicious from a culinary standpoint. They have a sweeter flavor than most greens because like most other winter vegetables, they develop more sugars as the weather gets colder, so they don't suffer from the bitterness that plagues most other greens.

The truth is that cleaning collards is as easy as swishing them in a bowl of cold water and spinning them dry like any other green, and in my experience, they happen to actually be cleaner than spinach or swiss chard. While I've so far been able to successfully convince a few people that they're not a pile of grit, I'm still working on proving that they'll be ready to eat in under an hour. Fortunately, I have a fool-proof recipe that delivers on flavor, usefulness, and it's ready in 45 minutes. And best of all, the flavors are classic southern style collard greens through and through, from the use of smoked pork bones to the affordability of the ingredients. No shortcuts here, just straight up flavor in no time.

My favorite part of this recipe is that it's more than just a tasty side dish. Because it makes a ton, I saute the leftovers up with white beans, add a splash of extra virgin olive oil and lots of grated parmesan and toss the whole thing over linguine. It makes for a great last minute dinner. I promise if you actually decide to tackle collard greens, you'll learn that they'll be more than cooked after 30-45 minutes on the stove (the time varies depending on how large your greens are). Anything more than that and they'll just turn to mush and lose too much of their flavor. Here's how to go about making them:

Collard Greens

2 bunches collard greens, ribs removed, leaves chopped and thoroughly rinsed

1 smoked ham hock (or other smoked pork bone)

1 small onion, finely diced

2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 bay leaf

1/4 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp smoked paprika

6-8 cups chicken or vegetable stock

salt

pepper

extra virgin olive oil

1. Heat onions, garlic and olive oil in a heavy bottomed skillet or dutch oven and cook until slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Add collard greens and ham hock and saute until greens wilt and reduce in size by half. Season with salt.

2. Add cumin, paprika and bay leaf to mixture and saute a minute further. Add chicken stock to cover greens and simmer at a soft boil for 30-45 minutes. Stir every 10 minutes or so to ensure that all of the stock has not been absorbed. Add more stock as needed to keep greens moist.

3. When the greens are done, they're ready to serve. If desired, use a knife and fork to pull apart the ham hock meat and add it back into the collards. Serve as a side dish or over grits. Enjoy!

-Laura

Getting Curried Away

2010-10-19T10:48:00.000-04:00

Although the calendar may not say so, it seems to otherwise officially be fall here in New York. Sandals have been tucked away until next year and boots have started to grace the city streets in their place. At home, the heat has started to sputter through the radiator, letting me know that it will soon be time to pull out my slow-cooker and heat up my stove. But before I hit the fall and winter recipes full force, I decided to welcome the changing season with a warm and cozy stew that's as easy to make as it is cheap.

This dish is an update of a classic Indian dish that a former roommate used to make for me when we were living in a very small apartment (and on a very small budget) downtown. The main ingredients were chicken thighs, tomato paste, butter and water, so as far as home cooked meals were concerned, it was a real winner in both the flavor and affordability categories. It was easy to make and fast to boot, two qualities this update also embraces. I've upped the taste factor even more with the addition of various aromatics, spices and fresh chopped cilantro. I added some extra color and veg with a full bunch of green kale, and some actual tomatoes instead of just the cheapee paste.

Chicken thighs are still the main ingredient thanks to their affordability and flavor. They're significantly cheaper than chicken breast and taste infinitely better, not to mention they're juicier and easier to cook (especially if you have a tendency to overcook chicken). I went boneless and skinless, but you could easily make this a heartier stew if you wanted to by adding bone-in chicken and letting it cook a bit longer in more liquid (like chicken stock, but water would do, too). I personally like bite-size pieces, perfect for serving over fluffy basmati rice (my current carby obsession) and a squeeze of fresh lime.

The rest of the ingredients are easily switched up with any of your faves, but what's important is that you not use a store bought curry. Mixing your own spices gives this dish a long-cooked and surprisingly fresh flavor that doesn't come from that old, stale curry tin that's probably hanging out in your cupboard (you know the one, we all have it). The kale however, could easily be replaced with spinach, swiss chard or mustard greens, not to mention left out altogether or replaced with the seasonal veggie of your choice. You could also adjust the spices as you see fit, increasing the heat to suit you or your family's preferences (I like mine medium), or adding a little smoke with more smoked paprika, or extra sweetness with a little more brown sugar. In any case, this dish is great for the cool whether that's just starting to stream in, and a great way to sneak a few veggies into kids. I'm already planning on throwing a few chickpeas into my next batch for added protein to help keep me warm!

Curried Chicken With Kale

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into cubes
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 Tbsp fresh minced ginger
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp ground fennel
1 15 oz can chopped tomatoes
2 tsp light brown sugar
1 lime
1 bunch kale (or your favorite green) ribs removed and chopped
chopped fresh cilantro
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp butter
salt

1. Heat butter and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a non-stick skillet. Add onions, garlic and ginger and sauté over medium-low heat until slightly softened, about 7 minutes. Add the cumin, coriander, turmeric, paprika and fennel and cook another minute until fragrant.

2. Add remaining olive oil and chicken to the pan, season with salt and cook until just starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, season with salt and stir to combine. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes on low.

3. Uncover and stir in the brown sugar and a the juice of half a lime. Add the greens in batches, stirring until they're fully combined. Simmer uncovered until just tender, then stir in 1/4 cup of the chopped cilantro. Serve over basmati rice and top with chopped cilantro and a lemon wedge. Enjoy!

-Laura

The Dog Days Are Over

2010-09-28T00:00:00.002-04:00

Change is in the air here in New York, and as the breezes turn slightly brisk it's hard to imagine that just last week we were suffering under the brutal rays of late summer sun. The next two months make for happy cooking as the last of summer's bounty meets the goodness of fall. It's one of my favorite times of year to cook, in fact as far as overlapping seasons go, summer's slow creep into fall can't be beat. Sweet corn, zucchini and eggplant are still an overwhelming force at the farmers market, while apples, pears, and a variety of squashes roll in. Bridging the gap between seasons is never easier than with the variety of fruits and veggies available now, and my favorite way to do it is by making soup.

As much as I love squash, I've always felt that it's best in soup. And with the lingering presence of summer squash, plus the recently emerged hard squashes like delicata, acorn and spaghetti, there's no better time to make a great squash bisque that utilizes the best of both seasons. This isn't a roasted squash soup, so there's no need to turn on the oven. I just peeled and sauteed everything (including a large acorn squash) on my stove top and let it simmer away in a golden broth until all of the squash was soft and pliable. A little bit of research led me to the common combination of squash and corn in Mexican cooking, so I was able to bring a little more summer sunshine to the dish. While waiting for the squash mixture to cool slightly before blending it (I've learned the hard way NOT to skip this step) I decided to take the Mexican theme a bit further. I sauteed up a little bit of corn with a touch of olive oil and lots of salt and pepper, then wiped out the pan and dry roasted a few pepitas (shelled pumpkin seeds) for a nutty touch and a bit of crunch.

I was really happy with the end result, which was a nice velvety and naturally creamy soup that was both slightly sweet and salty, with a great mouthfeel from the pop of the plump corn and the salty crunch of the pepitas (which are also blended in the soup). A dollop of sour cream on top added some decadence without being overly rich. It's important to strain a soup like this, because squash can often be made up of tough fibers that do not blend completely, and the pepitas can also often not blend completely because they're so small to begin with, giving the soup a grainy quality. A quick pass through a strainer or sieve will really make it a restaurant quality soup, so try to resist the temptation to skip this step. You can even strain it straight into your serving bowls so it doesn't feel like an extra step, or get another dish dirty. I know I'll be making this soup again, and adding a little extra heat as the colder weather draws near (chilies and curry are two options I already know I'll be toying with!). Give it a try and experiment with your own favorite flavors.

Squash and Corn Bisque with Toasted Pepitas
1 acorn or butternut squash, peeled and roughly cubed
1 ear of corn, husked, kernels removed and cob reserved
1 small onion, roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
2-3 cups vegetable or chicken stock
3/4 cup shelled pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
extra virgin olive oil
salt
black pepper

1. Sweat onions and garlic in olive oil over medium-low heat until just starting to soften (you don't want caramelization, just softening). Add coriander, cumin and paprika and cook, stirring constantly for 20 seconds. Add squash and cook for a minute longer. Add enough stock to just cover mixture, along with reserved corn cob and bring to a simmer. Cook until squash is tender and cooked through. Allow to cool.

2. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a non-stick skillet. Add corn and saute until slightly softened, but still firm and fresh. Remove to a plate or bowl and set aside. Carefully wipe out the skillet with a paper towel and reheat on low. Add pepitas and cook, tossing constantly until browned and crunchy, about 4 minutes. Season with salt and set aside.

3. Once cooled, discard the corn cob and add the squash mixture to a blender or food processor, along with all but 1/3 cup of the pepitas. Blend, adding more stock or water as necessary to thin mixture if it's too thick. Strain soup back into the pot, add corn (reserving a few tablespoons for garnish) and reheat. Serve topped with sour cream and remaining corn and pepitas. Enjoy!

-Laura

Some Like It (Extra) Hot

2010-09-07T00:00:00.001-04:00

A lot of people cringe and crinkle their nose at the sight of green tomatoes. The truth is they're not very common outside of the American south, and most people I know have never even tried them, so it's no wonder people are perplexed at the sight of them. I can't tell you how many times a summer I'm asked by fellow farmer's market dwellers how the heck I plan on using the green tomatoes I'm buying. While sometimes the answer is in pastas, sauces or salsas, I can more often than not be found frying them in the classic southern manner. While not a true southerner myself, I grew up far enough south that they popped up on menus from time to time, always wrapped in a crunchy cornmeal blanket, seasoned to perfection with salt, heaps of black pepper and a pinch of cayenne.

While I have fond memories of that classic version, these days I find myself growing increasingly attracted to spice. I'm not a full blown chili-head yet—proper balance and seasoning are still paramount in the food I find enjoyable—but I must admit that as my palate has expanded over the years, I've found added heat to be a compelling component of full-flavored food. That's partly why, as I've made fried green tomatoes over the years, they've become increasingly spicy with each batch. It started with a pinch of cayenne, then the addition of spicy smoked paprika, and finally it led to a topping of sriracha, that perfectly balanced tomato based Asian hot sauce. I knew I could crank up the heat because of what was inside—tart, firm tomatoes with a substantial bit of acidity—the perfect foil for anything spicy.

The only thing missing was sweetness, which came in the form of a raw corn relish. It's been a great year for corn here in the Northeast, with truly sweet and juicy kernels that barely need any doctoring. I cut my corn off the cob and tossed it with extra virgin olive oil, lime juice and honey, along with some finely chopped cilantro. I threw in some super sweet orange cherry tomatoes and it was done—no real cooking necessary. Then I served each plate with a stack of fried tomatoes, a swirl of sriracha and a big pile of the corn relish. It's a great summertime appetizer and a great dinner for one. The relish leftovers would even make a great sauteed side dish (that that I would know, because I took to mine with a spoon and finished the would-be leftovers immediately).

Spicy Fried Green Tomatoes With Fresh Corn Relish

Tomatoes

3 large green tomatoes, sliced into 1/4 inch thick slices

1 cup cornmeal

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon spicy smoked paprika

1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

2 eggs, lightly beaten

2 tablespoons water

canola, vegetable or your favorite light oil

Sriracha

salt

Corn Relish

2 corn cobs, husked, kernels cut off of cob

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

juice of half a lime

1/2 teaspoon honey

2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro

ten cherry tomatoes, halved

salt

black pepper

1. Combine the corn kernels, extra virgin olive oil, lime juice, honey, cilantro and tomatoes in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste and stir well to combine. Set aside.

2. Season green tomatoes with salt and set aside. Combine cornmeal, flour, cayenne, paprika and black pepper in a large, deep bowl. Whisk eggs and water together in another bowl. Dredge each green tomato slice in egg, then in the cornmeal mixture.

3. Heat 1/4 inch of oil in a non-stick skillet. Add green tomatoes and cook until golden and crisp on both sides. Remove tomatoes to a paper towel lined plate to drain. Serve tomatoes stacked two at a time and top with sriracha and a spoonful of the corn relish. Enjoy!

-Laura

Does Inspiration Equal Perspiration?

2010-08-31T06:00:00.002-04:00

It's hard to admit in this time of vegetal abundance that I'm seriously lacking in culinary inspiration. The farmers markets are brimming with a Skittles variety of tomatoes, from nascent, unripe green ones to sweet ruby reds and all of the lovely yellow, orange and burgundy hues in between. Peppers are just as bright these days and available in varying degrees of size and heat. There's a fresh summer chili for every hothead out there, not to mention a sweet bell pepper in everything from green to red to purple. Eggplants are available in their well known deep purple color or with a winter white skin that renders them almost unrecognizable. Sweet summer corn is so plentiful it's nearly impossible to make it out of the market without feeling the crunch of discarded husks underfoot.

And yet as I meander from stall to stall, taking in the colors and smells of summer's bounty I find myself strangely without ideas. Perhaps I work best under pressure, when I'm forced to take winter's gnarly bits and turn them into something delicious. Maybe it's hard for me to see such wonderful produce and imagine doing anything but slicing it up as is and enjoying its natural flavor and texture. Whatever the reason, I've been suffering a crisis of conscience lately about my lack of passion for creative cooking. So after a nice walk through the market I decided to shop at random, picking up ingredients that are around in the summer, but that I often ignore.

A lovely small head of cauliflower jumped out at me, as did some zucchini and green beans. After a little recipe researching for ideas I decided to take two of my ingredients, along with some summer squash from my Urban Organic delivery, and try out a nice, light Bon Appétit pasta dish. It married a combination of vegetables that would most likely not have come to mind (cauliflower, zucchini and summer squash) and threw in a little orecchiette along with great homemade croutons for extra crunch, and some anchovies for salty punch. I ended up deviating from the recipe (as usual) because it was coming off a tad bland, but all in all it was really tasty and even made a decent pasta salad the next day. It's definitely worth trying, especially if you want to sneak a ton of vegetables into your dinner, or you're just looking for a light summer dish. I almost doubled some of the ingredients to punch up the flavor in the sauce (more anchovies, more cheese, more olive oil) and added some herbs and spices to the croutons for the same reason. Check out my adapted recipe below and never fear: it doesn't taste like anchovies, just salty, cheesy goodness.

Orecchiette With Cauliflower, Anchovies And Fried Croutons

adapted from Bon Appétit

1 large head of cauliflower (28 to 30 ounces), trimmed, cut into 1-inch florets
8 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 pound orecchiette or medium-size shell pasta
1 1/2 cups cubed crusty country-style bread
3 medium zucchini, trimmed, cut into 1/3-inch cubes (about 3 cups)
3 large garlic cloves, chopped
10 anchovy fillets, finely chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley, divided, plus 2 tablespoons
1/2 cup (packed) freshly grated Parmesan cheese plus additional for serving
2 tablespoons freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese

salt

pepper

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Toss cauliflower florets with 1 tablespoon olive oil in large bowl to coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and spread in single layer on large rimmed baking sheet. Roast until cauliflower florets are tender and beginning to brown in spots, stirring occasionally, about 25 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of boiling, generously salted water to a boil. While you wait for the water to boil, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in large deep nonstick skillet or large pot over medium-high heat. Add bread cubes and sauté until golden brown and crisp, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to small bowl and toss with parsley, salt and pepper and cool. Reserve skillet or pot. Add pasta to boiling water and cook until al dente. Reserve 1 1/2 cups pasta cooking water before draining pasta.

3. While pasta cooks, add 2 tablespoons olive oil to same skillet or pot and heat over medium-high heat. Add zucchini and garlic and sauté until zucchini is golden brown and crisp-tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Add cauliflower and anchovies and sauté until heated through, 3 to 4 minutes. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add drained pasta, reserved 1 1/3 cups pasta cooking liquid, remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil, 1/3 cup parsley, 1/2 cup Parmesan, and Pecorino Romano cheese and toss to coat. Season pasta to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Serve topped with fried croutons, remaining parsley, and additional Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

-Laura

Fry Me To The Moon

2010-08-19T12:15:00.000-04:00

You may be wondering where the hell I've been, and I don't blame you. Between starting a new full-time job, late nights at said new job and several other adventures, I've been neglecting the blog. Fortunately I haven't been neglecting my kitchen and I have a pile-up of recipes I can't wait to share, starting with two great summer classics. I've always made decent fried chicken—juicy, flavorful and crisp, with just a hint of spice. But recently I discovered an excellent and foolproof recipe from Cook's Country (the people behind America's Test Kitchen and Cook's Illustrated) for the crunchiest chicken you've ever had. Most of the recipe is fried chicken 101: a soak in buttermilk, a dip in seasoned flour and straight into the hot oil. But with a few minor tweaks, they've managed to up the flavor quotient while also creating a super crunchy crust that doesn't compromise the juiciness of the meat, like so many chicken recipes do.

While I admire a good fried chicken with a thin and crispy crust, I've always been a bigger fan of the craggy and thickly coated chicken with an audible crunch-factor, because as much as I like juicy chicken, I will always be a bigger fan of the crispy fried skin. This recipe does just that, delivering on its promise of extra-crunchy chicken. And it tastes even better when served with ranch potato salad, another great recipe courtesy of the Cook's Country gang (my latest obsession if you couldn't already tell). I like potato salad of all sorts: German, creamy, vinegar based, plain and complex, but this one really takes the cake. It's tangy and creamy without the thick mayonnaise base of most potato salads, thanks to the welcome addition of buttermilk, which cuts the mayo almost by half, rendering the salad less cloying than most. Fresh additions like cilantro, scallions and roasted red peppers keep the flavors bright while lending that classic ranch tang to the whole dish (without the heavy texture).

An important tip I can't stress enough when making any potato salad is to under-cook your potatoes slightly. They always carryover cook while cooling and before you know it you have a squishy salad that falls apart if you've fully cooked your potatoes (trust me, I've learned the hard way). It's also crucial to let the potatoes cool before you dress them. Otherwise, they'll absorb all of the dressing and became too soft, leaving you with a grainy, dry potato salad. The best thing to do is to infuse them with a small touch of flavor while they cool as the recipe below does, utilizing a small quantity of mustard and vinegar. The only real tip that I can stress as far as the chicken is concerned is to not skip the mini-brine. Some people like to soak chicken in buttermilk overnight for the sake of tenderizing, but this recipe calls for a quick dip (just an hour) in salted buttermilk, which acts both as a tenderizer and a brine, seasoning the meat and helping it stay juicy all at once. There's not much else you can do to season a thick piece of meat all the way through, so this method is hard to beat (plus, all you have to do is toss it in the seasoned flour, so it's even saving you a step!). Hopefully these recipes can carry you through what's left of the summer—I know they'll pop up in my kitchen again before season's end.

Extra-Crunchy Fried Chicken

adapted from Cook's Country TV

2 cups buttermilk plus 6 additional tablespoons
2 tablespoons table salt
1 whole chicken (about 3 1/2 pounds), cut into 8 pieces, giblets discarded, wings and back reserved for stock (see note below for other options)
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
4 - 5 cups vegetable shortening or peanut oil

1. Whisk together 2 cups buttermilk and salt in large bowl until salt is dissolved. Add chicken pieces to bowl and stir to coat; cover bowl with plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour. (Don't let chicken soak much longer or it will become too salty.)

2. Whisk flour, baking powder, thyme, pepper, and garlic powder together in large bowl. Add remaining 6 tablespoons buttermilk; with your fingers rub flour and buttermilk together until buttermilk is evenly incorporated into flour and mixture resembles coarse wet sand.  

3. Working in batches of two, drop chicken pieces into flour mixture and turn to thoroughly coat, gently pressing flour mixture onto chicken. Shake excess flour from each piece of chicken and transfer to wire rack set over rimmed baking sheet.

4. Heat oil (it should measure 3/4 inch deep) in large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven with 11-inch diameter over medium-high heat until it reaches 375 degrees. Place chicken pieces, skin-side down, in oil, cover, and fry until deep golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove lid after 4 minutes and lift chicken pieces to check for even browning; rearrange if some pieces are browning faster than others. (At this point, oil should be about 300 degrees. Adjust burner, if necessary, to regulate temperature of oil.) Turn chicken pieces over and continue to fry, uncovered, until chicken pieces are deep golden brown on second side, 6 to 8 minutes longer. (At this point, to keep chicken from browning too quickly, adjust burner to maintain oil temperature of about 315 degrees.) Using tongs, transfer chicken to plate lined with paper towels; let stand for 5 minutes to drain. Serve.

Ranch Potato Salad

adapted from Cook's Country TV

3 pounds red potatoes , peeled and cut into 3/4-inch chunks
Salt
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup drained jarred roasted red peppers , chopped fine
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
3 scallions , chopped fine
1 garlic clove , minced
1/8 teaspoon dried dill
2 teaspoons pepper
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1. Bring potatoes, 1 tablespoon salt, and enough water to cover by 1 inch to boil in large pot over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until potatoes are just tender, about 10 minutes. While potatoes simmer, whisk mayonnaise, buttermilk, 2 tablespoons vinegar, red peppers, cilantro, scallions, garlic, dill, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper in large bowl.

2. Drain potatoes, then spread in even layer on rimmed baking sheet. Whisk mustard and remaining vinegar in small bowl. Drizzle mustard mixture over hot potatoes and toss until evenly coated. Refrigerate until cooled, about 30 minutes.

3. Transfer cooled potatoes to bowl with mayonnaise mixture and toss to combine. Cover and refrigerate until well chilled, about 30 minutes. Serve. (Salad can be refrigerated in airtight container for 2 days.)

-Laura

In Full Bloom

2010-07-19T11:36:00.000-04:00

If you've ever given any thought to whether edible flowers are tasty, now is a good time to find out. Most edible flowers on the market include nasturtiums, marigolds, snapdragons and basil blossoms, but there are plenty of edible flower plants that actually produce familiar vegetable parts as well. Zucchini or squash blossoms are a perfect example of a flower that appears at the same time as its "fruit", coloring the market with beautiful orange and yellow blooms, sometimes still attached to the tail end of a dark green zucchini. While you might consider them to be a specialty or fancy ingredient, squash blossoms are actually quite common in many cultures that don't let anything edible go to waste.

Despite appearing delicate, squash blossoms are actually quite forgiving when it comes to aggressive cooking techniques like stuffing and frying and are far more versatile than it would seem flowers could be. They can be treated gingerly, folded into sauces or becoming a stuffing or filler themselves (like in a lot of Mexican cookery), but I personally like to enhance their beauty and flavor by keeping them intact. My favorite cooking method is battering and frying, which can be done with or without a filling. I always go for "with", because what's the point of a crispy fritter if there isn't a soft, cheesy filling inside? There are a ton of possible fillings but my favorite is goat cheese with fresh herbs ad a little bit of chopped chilies. The batter is a simple mix of nearly equal parts flour and white wine, but flour and beer or a tempura style batter of flour and soda water works well, too.

The most difficult part of cooking with squash blossoms is removing the stamen, which really just means snipping it out of the center of the flower. Once that's done you can just fill the flower with a teaspoon of the filling of your choice, leaving about an inch on the top without stuffing so it can be twisted to seal the flower shut. They can be dipped in breadcrumbs or grated cheese and fried in oil or battered as I like them, for a thick, crispy crust. They fry up quickly since the only real goal is for the batter to fry and crisp and there's no waiting for anything to cook through. Once they're done and still hot I like to season them with salt and fresh herbs for an extra punch of flavor. You can serve them with a dipping sauce or a side of lemon wedges, but I mostly leave them on their own, not wanting to distract from their crunch and the flavor of the rich stuffing. So if you see them at your farmer's market don't be afraid. They're easy, delicious, and guaranteed to impress if you're entertaining, so give those beauties a try.

Fried Squash Blossoms with Spicy Goat Cheese

8 squash blossoms, stamens removed
7 ounces goat cheese
1 Tbsp fresh mint, finely chopped
1 Tbsp fresh dill, finely chopped
1 Thai chili (jalapeño can substitute) finely chopped
zest of one lemon
2 Tbsp freshly grated Parmesan
1 1/4 cup flour
1 cup white
vegetable oil
salt
pepper

1. Combine goat cheese, mint, dill, chili, lemon zest and Parmesan in a bowl until well incorporated. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Using a teaspoon or a zip-top bag with a corner cut off, pipe or scoop the mixture into the center of each blossom, leaving the top 1/2-inch of the blossom without filling. Twist the tops together to seal the blossom shut.

2. Heat vegetable oil (about 4 inches deep) in a heavy-bottom pot to 350 degrees (I usually eyeball it). Whisk together flour and white wine in a large bowl to form a batter. Carefully dip stuffed blossoms in batter and fry in the hot oil until crispy and golden (you will probably have to do this in batches). Sprinkle fried blossoms with salt and any leftover herbs and place on a paper towel lined plate to drain before serving. Enjoy!

-Laura

Cool As A Cucumber

2010-06-28T13:20:00.001-04:00

Summer in the city can be hellish, both above ground and below, where the heat thickens and concentrates, creating a seemingly invisible barrier between people and oxygen. My calendar tells me that summer officially started this week but my sweat glands and frizzy ends tell me that we began our decent into outdoor hell several weeks ago. This is about the time when I become kitchen lazy, a term that doesn't mean I've lost interest in cooking, but rather that I've developed a strong aversion to my stove, stove top and pans. I long for lighter, cooler, faster dinners that allow me to bask in the freon glow of artificially cooled air and lazy nights in front of the television. The variety of great summer ingredients popping up each week at the farmers market makes it increasingly easy to prepare a heatless meal, which with a little creativity can mean much more than just a salad or a sandwich (although those are good, too).

My latest Urban Organic box dealt me three large cucumbers, an ingredient I don't happen to love on its own but enjoy eating with other things. I considered some of the obvious options–among them a cucumber raita to use with leftover chicken, a tea sandwich with homemade aioli, and a refreshing quick pickle salad—all great no-cook dishes that sounded delicious. But a sweaty, foggy, musty commute left me thirsty and craving relief. Cold soups had recently started popping up on menus across the city, so I figured I should apply the same timeline to my kitchen. A cool cucumber soup it would be, and mine would have an herby, spicy twist with the addition of basil, dill, mint and jalapeño. A little sour cream would go in for body and some lime juice for an extra refreshing kick. Scallions, salt, pepper and a few tablespoons of water rounded out the ingredients and made for the perfect light summer dinner.

Bread with a schmeer of smoked farmer's cheese was served alongside the soup for a little added heft, but any type of sliced meat, especially a nice slice of prosciutto or serrano for some saltiness will do. You can always top it with croutons or a dollop of something creamy, whether it's cheese, yogurt or sour cream. A snip of chive, your favorite herb or anything dark green would make a nice garnish as well. Try it out on a blazing hot day when your kitchen suddenly becomes the enemy or when all the pots and pans are dirty. A blender and bowls are all that's required, or simply drink it straight out of a glass or shooter. The ingredients are cheap and open to interpretation, so give it a try and make it your own. I promise at the very least it'll cool you down and perk up your spirits on a blazing hot day.

Spicy Chilled Cucumber Soup

3/4 cup sour cream
3 scallions, roughly chopped
2 jalapenos, seeded and roughly chopped
1 tsp fresh chopped dill
4 mint leaves, roughly chopped
4 basil leaves, roughly chopped
Juice of 1 lime
2 pounds cucumbers (about 4)—peeled, seeded, and roughly chopped
salt
black pepper
1/2 cup water, reserved

Using a blender, process all of the ingredients except the water until well combined. If the soup is too thick, add water 1/4 cup at a time until thinned out. Pass soup through a sieve (this is optional but makes it much silkier) and chill until cold. Serve with bread and cheese or topped with sour cream. Enjoy!

-Laura

You Say Tomato—I Say Yes, Please

2010-06-10T00:00:00.001-04:00

I have a general rule about tomatoes that basically amounts to avoiding them until 50% of farmers market stalls have them. This is less about being a good seasonal shopper and more about getting the best tomatoes possible because I hate dry, mealy, flavorless tomatoes. It's not even July and already the markets have multiple stalls with real local, heirloom tomatoes—a far cry from the hydroponic fare sold at the market year 'round. I'd avoided temptation and stuck to my principals until late last week when my Urban Organic delivery brought with it three plump, shiny, red tomatoes. It seemed too early in the season to bust out the big guns like a gazpacho, which I only make when tomatoes are beyond sweet and juicy, or my raw tomato capellini, which is similarly relegated to late summer.

But a new raw tomato recipe recently caught my eye; a variation on a classic pesto, with a few interesting and unexpected ingredients thrown in, including tomatoes. Pesto alla Trapanese is a fresh tomato based pesto, meaning that the tomatoes are never cooked, so good tomatoes are a must (no mushy beefsteaks allowed), but as long as they're juicy and flavorful, needn't be the best you've ever had. The changes don't stop there, as the traditional pine nuts are replaced with slivered or sliced almonds, and a pinch of red pepper flake (or pepperoncini) is also added for extra heat. The rest is standard pesto procedure, combining the aforementioned ingredients with basil, garlic and parmesan in a food processor while streaming in some extra virgin olive oil. Because the sauce has juicy tomatoes as a main ingredient, less oil is required for the sauce to form in this recipe than a traditional pesto (which actually has quite a bit of oil in it, sometimes as much as half a cup).

Originating in Trapani, a port town on the western coast of Sicily, pesto all Trapanese is an authentically local recipe, served either with pasta or even as a sauce under a nice piece of fish (a nice hunk of cod would be delicious). Mine came out great, with a lovely robust flavor and a silky texture somewhere between tomato sauce and a heavy pesto. It was a perfect dish alongside simply roasted asparagus. I'm already imagining a version where the tomatoes are roasted or charred over an open flame to add yet another layer of flavor. Until I get my hands on another batch of tomatoes I'd highly recommend this recipe to anyone looking for a quick supper. The sauce itself is completely no-cook and comes together in the time it would take to boil a pound of pasta or roast a nice piece of fish. If you're unable to find good full sized tomatoes and are absolutely dying to try this recipe, America's Test Kitchen has used cherry and grape tomatoes to great effect in their version, so I suggest that as an alternative in a case of emergency.

Pesto alla Trapanese

1/3 cup slivered or sliced almonds (must be skinless)
3 medium sized tomatoes, quartered (or 2 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes)
1/2 cup basil leaves
1 medium garlic clove
1 small pepperoncini (or 1/4 tsp red pepper flake and 1/2 tsp vinegar)
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan

1. Toast almonds in a skillet over medium heat until lightly browned and fragrant. Allow a few minutes to cool, then add to a food processor along with tomatoes, garlic, basil, pepperoncini (or red pepper flake and vinegar) and salt, and process until smooth, about a minute.

2. Slowly drizzle in the oil while the processor is running, remembering to scrape down the sides of the bowl when necessary. When the sauce is done, mix in the parmesan cheese and serve over cooked pasta or roasted fish. Enjoy!

-Laura

Dinner In Forty Five (For Less than A Twenty)

2010-06-03T11:16:00.000-04:00

Everyone always says that cooking for one is hard. I never found it to be all that difficult because of all the freedom involved. There was no one to please but me, and I more often than not found myself just eating a heaping serving of whatever veggie was in season (long-time readers may remember those days). It was a great way to stay in shape and most of all it was easy to do after a long day's work or a late night at the office. Now that I cook for two it's a different story, as I find myself planning for meals instead of an easy dinner dish. Anyone out there with a large family to feed is a saint in my book, as cooking for more than two on a daily basis seems like the sort of task that should involve the marines or a congressional sub-committee.

As our summer vacation approaches we've been making a concerted effort to exercise after work, which of course leaves precious little time for preparing a complete meal. I long ago realized that the oven is a cook's best friend when trying to multi-task, whether it's for roasting veggies to make a flavorful (and healthy!) soup or side dish, or for cooking a lean protein. I've blogged before about the advents of buying chicken on the bone—more flavor and more food for less money—but never has it been more important to me than now. I'd been buying whole, organic chicken cut-up for some time and storing it in the freezer until I figured out what the heck to do with it, but nothing sounded right. I wanted a fast recipe that could lead to a full meal, most likely utilizing the oven, but everything seemed to only meet me halfway, providing either a chicken dish with no sides, or a chicken dish that needed too much attention, or one that took too long to cook.

In the end I took the recipes that sounded the best and put them together to make an even more flavorful one. This great chicken recipe from Everyday Food included roasted lemons, delicious orzo that made use of my overgrown dill, and even left enough time to make a side salad. It sounded perfect but the last time I made the chicken part of it, I found that it was a little bit bland. As a remedy, I decided to add a little bit of the spice flavor in this Real Simple recipe for spiced chicken, and some of the flavors from a classic Spanish dish called Pepitoria (which I made here during the early days of my blog). Garlic and paprika always seem to come to the rescue in my kitchen, and they made all the difference in my final recipe. While I liked the idea of roasting the garlic whole as in the Everyday Food recipe, in the end it didn't add much flavor to the actual chicken. So I did as many Spanish recipes do and chopped it up and added it to the spices I rubbed the chicken with.

The prep really couldn't be easier since chopping the garlic and slicing the lemons is just about the hardest part. I even tossed the chicken and spices together on the very baking sheet where they'd cook to save myself from washing a bowl. While the chicken was in the oven for a mere 30 minutes, I brought some water to a boil and tossed in the orzo. While that cooked, I chopped the dill and some mint, which I just love to use in the spring and summer with dill. Once the orzo was done I drained it and added just a drop of extra virgin olive oil, along with the herbs and a little extra salt and pepper. Once I spread it out on the platter, all I had to do was dress the salad (I like just a simple vinaigrette, personally) and pull the chicken out of the oven. It was perfectly cooked and rife with spices, so I just piled it on top of the orzo and squeezed a few of those roasted lemons over it for some sweet and sour kick. And that was it. About forty-five minutes had passed since I started cooking and I had a full meal on the table.

Even though we scarfed down our share, we still had leftovers for another night's dinner and for my lunch the next day. Not to mention, other than the chicken—which I prefer with the skin on—the only fat really involved is the drizzle of olive oil that went into the orzo and what's in the vinaigrette. If you have growing kids in the house, you have some great lean protein, a few carbs, and a nice green salad, all in one meal. And if you're just two adults starved after a day's work or a workout, it's pretty good too. Oh, and did I mention that if you have a well-stocked pantry you can make the whole thing for under 20 bucks? And even if you don't, you can always use whatever herbs and spices you happen to have on hand and make it on the cheap (which is what I do most of the time). If you need to stock up on spices, the dish still hovers somewhere around twenty dollars total.

Spice-Rubbed Chicken with Herbed Orzo and Arugula Salad

For the chicken:
1 whole chicken, cut into 8-10 parts
4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 Tbsp paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp dried oregano
2 lemons, quartered
salt
pepper

For the orzo:
2 teaspoons fresh dill, chopped
1 teaspoon fresh mint, finely chopped
1 cup orzo
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
salt
pepper

For the salad:
2 bunches or 1 pre-washed pack of baby arugula (about 12 ounces)
extra virgin olive oil
red wine vinegar
salt
pepper

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Set a large pot of water to boil.

2. On a rimmed backing sheet, toss chicken with garlic and all of the spices. Season with salt and pepper. Place chicken skin side up on the baking sheet and roast until golden and cooked through, 25-30 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, salt the boiling water and add orzo. Cook until al dente. When the orzo and chicken are just finished, dress arugula with olive oil and vinegar (I like three parts oil to one part vinegar and lots of salt and pepper). Add dill, mint, olive oil, salt and pepper (to taste) to the orzo and stir gently to combine.

4. Remove chicken from oven when cooked through and serve over orzo along with the roasted lemons, drizzling chicken with any accumulated pan juices. Serve arugula salad on the side. Enjoy!

-Laura

Nouveau Quiche

2010-05-26T11:24:00.001-04:00

I've always found baked egg dishes to be impressive and deceptively difficult. Give me a few eggs and I'll take a scramble, soft boiled egg or even a classic french omelet to task with ease, but somehow baked eggs, souffle, and—most notably—quiche, have always seemed just beyond my reach. I'll happily leave the breakfast-style eggs to the restaurants if it saves me the trouble of poaching or buying oven-safe ramekins, but the quiche I just can't get over. It seems like the perfect vehicle for any number of ingredients regardless of season (I've always noted that in my imaginary restaurant there would be a Quiche of the Day), and can be served for breakfast, lunch or dinner. It goes well with soup or salad and a myriad sides, not mention it can sit alongside a sweet or a savory dish, and even act as an appetizer. Nothing seems like a more impressive dish for entertaining than quiche, with its aura of mystery and difficulty (is it eggs? cream? a batter? doesn't it take forever?), and I wanted to solve the mystery.

After researching a few recipes and quiche making methodologies that suggested everything from baking it with a water bath to avoiding opening the oven door, I decided to consult an expert. The one person I imagined could probably bake a quiche with her eyes closed is Martha Stewart, but since I don't know her personally, I decided to look into some of her recipes. Her website is a wonderful resource for cooks of all levels, and since her media empire runs the gamut from the fussy and complicated to the easy and delicious, it was the perfect place to look. Her site has slide shows for pretty much anything you can imagine, and quiche recipes are no exception. As expected, there are complicated and complex quiches using up to 10 eggs in addition to crème fraîche and milk, but fortunately for people like me, the Everyday Food arm of her vast empire came to the rescue once again.

Among the many recipes was an unbelievably easy one for an asparagus, leek and Gruyere quiche with a shockingly low ingredient count. I was dubious of its simplicity since it really only used four eggs and a little half and half to create the filling, which differed vastly from all of the other recipes I'd seen. The first step was making a pie crust, which I managed to avoid completely by buying one (baking is not my forte). Then I whisked together the eggs and half and half, sauteed the asparagus and leeks until just slightly softened and added them to the egg mixture. The Gruyere lined the bottom of the crust, creating a nice barrier from the wet egg mixture and keeping it nice and dry. Then in went the filling and the whole thing baked in the oven for 50 minutes.

The result was unbelievable. It was a perfectly soft, custardy quiche, still moist but perfectly set (a small miracle for my uncalibrated oven). The top was slightly browned in spots, the crust was crispy, and the asparagus was cooked without being rubbery. The flavor was spot on, and I can't tell you how well it re-heated (actually I can can: super well, even in the arcane microwave at work). It would be an absolute breeze to take this recipe and swap out the ingredients for whatever you have on hand. I'm already planning on doing something with swiss chard or kale, and definitely something with zucchini and tomatoes later in the summer. If you've feared this moment as I have for so long, I suggest you get a glass of white wine and throw caution to the wind. Sip your wine, pretend you're in France and make an awesome quiche. While it bakes you can toss together a salad, and in an hour you'll have an easy Parisian dinner right in your own home. Give it a try or put together your own. I either way, I promise you'll impress even yourself.

Asparagus, Leek and Gruyere Quiche
adapted from Everyday Food

1 tablespoon butter
1 leek (white and light green parts only), halved and thinly sliced, then well washed
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 bunch (1 pound) asparagus, tough ends removed, thinly sliced on the diagonal
4 large eggs
1 1/4 cups half-and-half
Ground nutmeg
9-inch pie crust, well chilled
1 cup shredded Gruyere cheese (4 ounces)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with rack in lowest position. In a large skillet, melt butter over medium. Add leek and asparagus; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until asparagus is crisp-tender, 6 to 8 minutes; let cool.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, half-and-half, 1/2 teaspoon salt, teaspoon pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg. Place pie crust on a rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle with cheese; top with asparagus mixture. Pour egg mixture on top.

3. Bake until center of quiche is just set, 50 to 60 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through. Let stand 15 minutes before serving. (To store, let cool, then refrigerate, up to 1 day. Reheat at 350 degrees until warm in center, about 30 minutes.) Enjoy!

-Laura

What In The World Is Aguachile?

2010-05-24T14:50:00.000-04:00

If, like me, you're a lover of fish and seafood in their near-raw state, it's possible you've heard of aguachile. No? Then it's possible you've had it under the guise of ceviche, seafood carpaccio or pickled sashimi, but the truth is, it may have been closer to aguachile. What is aguachile, exactly? Well, it means "chili water" and I think of it as the spicy, tart cousin of ceviche, the method of cooking where acid cooks seafood in place of heat. In the case of aguachile the star ingredient is only barely permitted to cure in its sour soak before being served icy cold and almost entirely raw. Unlike ceviche, the purpose of aguachile is not to use the acid as a cure, but as a flavoring agent. The acid is either infused or in some cases blended with chiles for a spicy bite that stands up to the ice cold seafood. Sweet rock shrimp and gorgeous diver scallops make perfect foils for aguachile because of their natural sweetness and soft texture. Quality and freshness of ingredients is of the utmost importance when making aguachile, since you will essentially be eating them raw.

Shrimp are typically halved lengthwise, rendering them thin and flat, while scallops can be cut into halves or thirds, and (my favorite) pounded thin, carpaccio-style, if they're large. The main ingredient should essentially be sitting in a puddle of liquid, be it lemon, lime or yuzu, barely covering the protein (as the photo above demonstrates, the lime juice puddle is just barely detectable around the edges of the scallop). The only other necessary ingredients are cilantro, onions and chilies, which depending on your mood or preference can be chopped finely for added crunch, or all blended together like a jalapeño pesto, spooned over the protein. I generally go for the former because I like to savor each ingredient on its own and find the flavors to be cleaner that way.

If you decide to take on aguachile (and I highly suggest you do) I recommend you start by buying the freshest possible shrimp/scallops/fish, at a farmers market if at all possible (these guys actually catch what they're selling and know exactly how long it's been out of the water). Don't feel bad about being picky, and ask the fishmonger if you can smell what you're buying—it should smell of the sea and not at all "fishy". Ask where it's from, and in the case of scallops, if they're "wet" or "dry". Anyone that's tried searing scallops only to end up with a watery pan and no crust was using "wet" scallops, which are soaked in phosphates during transport to help them retain moisture and look like the plump, picture perfect scallops we'd all like to see in the market—not mention add to their weight, and therefore what you paid for them. I've fallen for these plump beauties many a time, and the truth is they'll never form a crust and should be avoided. Always go for "dry" scallops and you won't have a problem with flavor or texture.

Once you're set with ingredients, make sure to keep your proteins refrigerated until you've prepped everything else so they're nice and cold for serving. Squeeze lemons or limes into a container and also keep refrigerated while you chop the remaining ingredients. The scallops in aguachile pictured above are simply sitting in a lime juice bath that marinated on its own with red and green jalapeños, chives in place of onions (because it's spring) and micro cilantro (because...well, my cilantro plant is still tiny). While the spicy-sour mixture chilled in the fridge I got to halving scallops and pounding them thin between two pieces of cling wrap, setting each piece on a plate in one thin layer as I went. When I was done I retrieved the lime mixture from the fridge and poured it over the scallops along with a few fresh sprigs of the cilantro and chives, and served it immediately. It made two very generous portions and could absolutely have been divided into four appetizer portions for entertaining. I like mine extra tart and quite spicy (which is really what it should be) so I made use of any leftover lime mixture by pouring it over my own plate. Here's the simple recipe I made, a great base to start from if you're new to aguachile, but that can easily be expanded upon with spicier peppers, various proteins and a variety of herbs.

Diver Scallops In Aguachile

1/2 lb dry fresh diver scallops, halved lengthwise

1/3 cup lime juice

1 jalapeño, finely minced (I used half a red and half a green for color)

1 Tbsp finely chopped cilantro, divided

1 Tbsp finely chopped chive, divided

salt

1. Combine lime juice, minced jalapeño, half of the cilantro and half of the chive in a small bowl or measuring cup. Refrigerate.

2. Meanwhile, place a scallop half between two pieces of cling wrap and lightly pound flat using a mallet or heavy bottomed pan (they should be 1/8"-1/16" thick). Place on your serving platter or plate. Repeat with all pieces until they are flattened.

3. Pour an equal amount of the refrigerated mixture onto each plate and top with the remaining cilantro and chive. Season lightly with sea salt and serve immediately, or chill for up to 15 minutes before serving (any longer and the scallops will be completely cured and you'll have ceviche). Enjoy!

-Laura

All Hail Caesar

2010-05-18T12:16:00.001-04:00

My first memories of eating out are from the 1980's, when a restaurant-quality salad was comprised of prissy watercress-heavy fare, or a mixed salad so colorful it could make even Rainbow Bright blush (carrots and radishes and cucumbers, oh my!). Jazzercise was all the rage and salads were meant to be healthy, vinaigrette dressed affairs, leaving classically heavy salads like the creamy, salty, Caesar to appear only on the menu of corner Italian joints. Its undoing was due in part to the fact that a true Caesar involves careful handling of a raw egg yolk (an enemy to pregnant women, young children and the elderly alike), and a good deal of chopped anchovies (an enemy to, well...the millions of people that hate anchovies). With the odds stacked against it, a proper Caesar seemed to wither and fade off of the collective consciousness until the late 90's when everyone and their mom discovered light dressings and the wonder of the Atkins diet (not to mention South Beach, etc...).

While the caesar salad seems to have reappeared, the salty goodness of anchovies is now conspicuously missing from the dressing, and I for one can't remember the last time an anchovy filet actually made its way onto the plate. I've tried for years to find an authentic caesar, ordering it in multiple restaurants around the city in the hopes of finding a creamy, slightly salty, cheesy, peppery and perfectly balanced one, but I've mostly been disappointed. I recently figured I might as well try it myself at home. After all, I successfully make mayonnaise and aioli's all the time using not only raw egg yolks but even a full raw egg—how much harder could this be? After some research I discovered that a common alternative Caesar salad actually makes use of a coddled egg—a technique that I have yet to master—in order to avoid using a raw yolk. So it was like a gift from the food gods when I spotted an easy recipe for a creamy Parmesan dressing in the May issue of Real Simple. I immediately thought that with a few tweaks and additions, it would make an excellent base for a Caesar dressing, saving me from the hell of coddling an egg. The recipe used sour cream as a thickening base in place of the egg, and olive oil to mellow out the flavor and texture. I switched the white wine vinegar for the more Caesar appropriate lemon juice, and kept the Parmesan cheese the same.

The additions were easy to figure out since it was mostly a matter of playing with the ratio of new ingredients and making sure to just taste it non-stop as I went along. I began with just one anchovy filet but ended up increasing it to 3 (a really good quality anchovy filet would be best here—Roland jarred anchovy filets in olive oil can't be beat). Next came the Worcestershire sauce, another pungent ingredient where a little goes a long way, and a mere teaspoon was plenty. Two medium-sized cloves of garlic were perfect, especially since I didn't have any super-seasoned croutons on hand for that garlicky punch (if you're using garlic croutons however, I'd only use one clove for the dressing).

I'd perfected the flavor but hit one major impasse: the texture was totally gross. It was lumpy and began to separate seconds after I'd mixed it. This is where the egg yolk works its fatty magic, acting as nature's perfect binder. The lack of binder here meant that the dressing would have a tough time staying together without some major help. I often use mustard as a binder but really didn't want to alter the flavor by adding another strong ingredient. I decided to try and alleviate the lumpiness first while my brain worked on a flavorless solution to the separation issue. In the end it was my stick blender that saved the day. I blended the dressing right in the bowl, adding a little bit of water and a thin stream of olive oil to thin it out slightly. And wouldn't you know, the dressing was perfectly emulsified by the time I was done blending it. It was now smooth and creamy and exactly the right consistency. Having killed two birds with one stone, I blended it again right before serving so it would be creamy with a little added lightness (getting some air into it always helps). I'm happy to report that the dressing was a hit, and I didn't miss the egg at all. So if you like caesar salad but thought it was too complicated to do at home or, like me, were wary of the egg, give this recipe a try. Serve it topped with garlicky croutons and a ton of shredded cheese, and of course, a few anchovy slices for old times sake. I promise it'll take you back in time.

(Almost) Classic Caesar Dressing

1/2 cup olive oil (NOT extra virgin)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup sour cream
2 Tbsp lemon juice
3 good quality anchovy filets, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
freshly cracked black pepper (I like at least 1/2 tsp)
1/3 cup water

1. Add sour cream to a medium sized bowl and stream in the olive oil, whisking constantly. Add lemon juice and whisk to combine. Add the remaining ingredients except for the water and whisk together.

2. Add 2 Tbsp of the water and blend mixture in the bowl with an immersion blender or in a standing blender. Add more water as necessary while blending to achieve desired consistency. Serve with romaine or other sturdy lettuce and top with croutons, Parmesan cheese and anchovy filets. Enjoy!

-Laura

Hot Child In The City

2010-05-05T11:41:00.003-04:00

I know that for many people, any dish that's packed with heat is generally thought of as being winter fare. But for me, certain hot and spicy dishes are exactly what the doctor ordered as the weather turns warm. Of course, none of us wants a warm bowl of anything once the humidity of summer kicks in, but in that blessed post-winter mirage we call spring (I think it technically still exists), when the sun is warm but shady breezes tickle our newly exposed ankles and virgin toes, nothing welcomes me home like a light stew. The house doesn't need heat, but it's too soon for the AC, and the temperature in the kitchen is just right. There may only be one day a year that fits this description, but on that day, I'm making white chili. It's faster than a traditional beef chili which means less time in front of that hot stove, and it's lighter not just in the use of ground turkey over beef, but also in bringing juicy morsels of sweet corn and creamy white beans to the flavor party. There's no tomato and therefore less thickness to this type of chili, plus it has lemony-fresh cilantro and plenty of diced jalapeños. For me the added bonus are cooling toppings like sour cream and super creamy avocados, not to mention a big handful of cheese and a big squirt of lime juice.

Everyone has their own style when it comes to chili, especially the turkey variety. For some people it's a way to get their daily serving of vegetables, tossing in everything from zucchini to bell peppers and kale, but I generally keep it pretty simple. If I'm trying to really be healthy I stop at turkey, beans, and corn as main ingredients (not counting the onions and garlic), but if I want a little added punch, as I did recently, I like to add a bit of spicy sausage. Chorizo is my first choice, but coming in at a close second is andouille, which I used in this recipe. If you've never had it before it's truly a superior sausage. Smoky and spicy, it hails from the Cajun kitchens of Louisiana, where the black pepper is plentiful and there are green peppers in almost everything. That's why I like using it here, because the mild jalapeños and plethora of spices subtly echo the types of flavors in that wonderful and highly flavorful cuisine. It's also smoked, which much like chorizo with its smoked paprika, really lends an earthy, smoky punch of flavor. You can always use any type of sausage that may be on hand, but this will give you the most flavor bang for your buck, and like I mentioned, really gives the dish a harmonious, layered flavor--no small feat considering how quickly and easily it comes together.

Like any good chili it starts with a large, heavy pot or dutch oven and some onions, cooked down with garlic and a few spices (toasting dry spices is essential to developing their flavor). Once that's done I like to push the mixture to one side and brown the sausage in the new little hot spot I've opened up. Then I do the same with the sausage, pushing it to one side and browning the turkey in the new hot spot. Once it's cooked through and no longer pink, I combine it with the onion and sausage mixture and in go the jalapeños (I personally prefer them not softened because I like their fresh bell pepper flavor, but you could certainly cook them down). After a minute or so I add the chicken stock along with chopped cilantro. After letting the mixture boil together for 10-15 minutes I toss in the beans, which are canned and only need a minute in the soup to heat up. Then in goes the corn (I prefer frozen over canned) and you're ready to serve. There are a ton of different toppings to be had, including spring radishes, avocado, raw onions, lime, sour cream, chopped cilantro and any number of cheeses. I like all of them and usually put out everything I have on hand. So the next time you feel that spring breeze or a slight chill while walking in the shade, give this chili a try; it'll warm you and your soul.

White Turkey Chili

1lb ground turkey
1 15 oz can white cannellini beans, rinsed
3 cups chicken stock

1/4 cup cider vinegar
1 large onion, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp coriander
1 cup andouille sausage, roughly chopped
1 cup chopped cilantro
1 cup frozen sweet corn
2-3 jalapeños (spice to your taste), finely diced
salt
pepper
extra virgin olive oil

1. In a large pot or dutch oven, heat onions and garlic over medium-low heat in a few tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and cook until softened, about 5-7 minutes. Add all of the dried spices and cook 1 minute further.

2. Move onion/spice mixture to one side of pot and add sausage, cooking until browned. Scoot sausage to the side with the onions and add turkey to the empty space in the pot. Cook turkey on medium-high heat until no longer pink and combine with the rest of the items in the pot. Add jalapeños and stir to combine.

3. Add enough chicken stock to cover, along with cider vinegar and half of the cilantro and cook, partially covered, about 15 minutes. Add white beans and frozen corn, cooking just until each are warmed through. Add stock as necessary if it becomes too dry. Serve topped with sour cream, avocado, sliced radishes, shredded cheese or a squeeze of lime. Enjoy!

-Laura

Totally Baked

2010-05-03T11:59:00.003-04:00

With summer just a few weeks away and a beachside vacation on the horizon, I've been looking for waist-friendly meals to add to my dinner repertoire. When seeking out new dishes I often start with the ingredients. Being a seasonally minded cook, I try to think about what's around, what's in season, and then find inspiration from there. These days, however, I've been taking a different approach, looking to new techniques as a way to create dishes with the seasonal ingredients I love. I was recently watching Everyday Food--a great cooking show that airs on PBS and other public television channels, and is created by the Martha Stewart test kitchens--for inspiration. Their recipes are significantly less fussy than what you'd normally associate with Martha, and are aimed at home cooks looking to put delicious, fresh meals on the table in a flash. They find a way to keep food sophisticated and seasonal while making it easy and approachable, especially for families. Their first cookbook got me through the early days of my home cooking obsession, and I highly recommend their magazine and subsequent cookbooks to home cooks of all levels.

A recent episode of their show revolved around finding alternatives to a baked lasagna and other standard pasta dinners. I've never been one to make baked pasta dishes at home, and having grown up with mostly Spanish food at home, anything resembling a casserole was completely foreign to me. But their baked pasta dish really called out to me because it was both healthy and flavorful, and frankly, pretty neat looking. The dish was basically baked orzo with chicken, but also made use of the wonderful citrus that was in season and is still abundant, not to mention some great feta cheese and fresh dill. It didn't use much fat, only a tablespoon of butter dissolved into chicken stock, and boneless, skinless chicken breast. Despite the lack of fat and use of lean lean ingredients, the dish was super flavorful. I definitely made adjustments and felt that it needed a little flavor boosting. It needed more cheese, more salt and pepper, and more herbs, in my opinion, (which is reflected in the recipe below) but otherwise I'd say it's a really solid dish. There's minimal effort that goes into putting it together, and with the exception of bringing the chicken stock to a boil, it's pretty much a case of "everyone in the tub".

What I especially liked about the dish was the potential for adding more things to it. I can easily see sneaking in delicious veggies so that picky kids (or husbands) don't see them (zucchini, asparagus and broccoli come to mind), or playing around with the proteins and adding chopped shrimp or bay scallops, which I know would pair really well with the super lemony and dill scented broth. I can definitely see multiple iterations of this dish in my future, but in the meantime, this original version is healthy and super affordable. It feeds an army for under ten dollars, and would probably be an excellent pantry clean-out dish (toss in that jar of olives, roasted red peppers or artichokes). You could even play with the type of pasta, using Israeli couscous or even orecchiette or pinwheeled shaped pasta or something fun to keep little kids from noticing what else is in there. You could even add a little more crunch with a crumbly topping, say some toasted, seasoned breadcrumbs, perhaps mixed with some crushed nuts and a nice big pile of mint and dill. Regardless of how you may adjust it, it's certainly a dish worth making. Between prep and cooking and even 5 minutes of resting time, I found that the dish was on the table in under an hour. I had leftovers for lunch at work for two days, and with the addition of a few tablespoons of water and a sprinkling of parmesan cheese, it reheated in the office microwave like a dream. Not that leftovers would be a concern if you're feeding a large family--it's so good, I'm sure you'll have a clean baking dish by the end of the night.

Chicken, Lemon and Dill with Orzo

adapted from Everyday Food

4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

3/4 cup water

1 Tbsp butter

2 tsp coarse salt

1/2 tsp ground pepper

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 lb orzo

2 cups (4 oz) crumbled feta cheese

1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh dill

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh mint

2 tsp finely grated lemon zest, plus juice of 1 lemon

2 cups grated Parmesan

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a saucepan, bring broth, water, butter, salt, and pepper to a boil. In a 3-quart baking dish, combine chicken, orzo, feta, dill, mint, lemon zest and juice, plus 1 cup of Parmesan cheese. Pour broth mixture over orzo and stir once to incorporate. Bake until orzo is tender and cooking liquid is creamy, about 40 minutes. Sprinkle remaining cup of Parmesan on top and let stand 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

-Laura

How To Pull A Henry Higgins

2010-04-21T15:33:00.002-04:00

Much like people, some vegetables are just not attractive. There, I said it. I know, I know, all people are beautiful in their own way, but let's get serious: If you had to choose between a gorgeous, plump peak tomato, or a knobby, peak Jerusalem artichoke, which would you choose? In fact, I can think of not one person holding their breath for any of the pale, hairy produce of winter, while most of us are clamoring for even just a glimpse at the season's first piece of asparagus. But again, as with people, sometimes the beauty of fresh ingredients lurks deep within, requiring careful coaxing and manipulation to shine through. But more often than not it lies just beneath the surface, requiring little more than a peel and scrub to reveal its inner Eliza Doolittle.

I recently decided to perform my own little My Fair Lady/Pygmalion style transformation on the aforementioned Jerusalem artichoke, also known as the sunchoke. Knobby and brown and generally unremarkable in flavor and appearance, they're often missed by farmers market shoppers or confused with potatoes and turnips and other miscellaneous winter produce. They certainly are the wallflower of the market, but something about them struck me during my most recent visit. Surrounded by the season's first spring greens—watercress, arugula, and baby swiss chard, I couldn't help but see these woody little suckers in a new light. Why not pair them with the best of what the season has to offer, dressing them (so to speak) with a simple and sophisticated vinaigrette? Adding some bright ingredients might act like a sweep of shadow over the lids or a dab of gloss on the lips, contouring the sunchokes and making up for what isn't there while accenting what works. Its crunchy texture and mild flavor are its best asset, which are easy to flaunt with the right companion ingredients.

With all of what was now available at the market it wasn't hard to find what to use or figure out what the final dish should be. I find sunchokes to be significantly more delicious in their raw state, which is crunchy with a raw potato-like texture. The flavor is somewhere between a Yukon gold potato and an artichoke heart or stem, which I much prefer to its cooked flavor (which I find to be overly sweet and reminiscent of parsnips). After wrestling with exactly what to do I decided to finely slice the sunchokes (which were at their peak and abnormally large and smooth) with my mandoline, and use them as a base for a transitional seasonal salad. I laid them flat on a plate, slightly overlapping each other, and gave them a good drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a squeeze of lemon, which would help them to stay nice and bright (much like potatoes, they can start to brown once peeled). After a healthy pinch of salt and fresh black pepper I reached for the lovely spring greens I'd bought at the market—arugula, watercress and young rainbow Swiss chard, and dressed them simply as well (but with a little lemon zest for extra zip). I piled them high atop my plate, already blanketed with sunchokes, and ate the whole thing (along with seconds) as a light spring dinner.

The sunchokes held their own alongside the gorgeous greens, standing out for their snappy crunch and subdued sweetness, the perfect compliment to the airy, peppery greens. I'm sure we can all relate to this Cinderella story somehow, although I do find that with food (unlike people) it's a lot easier to make the unappealing beautiful. Sometimes it's about cracking that tough outer shell, or carefully peeling back the layers and digging deep within, like an artichoke whose thorny leaves struggle to protect its tender heart. I suppose in the end we're not so different from that artichoke. So the next time you see something at the market or in a store that looks tough, complicated, or maybe even a little bit ugly, give it a try. You never know what beauty and flavor may lurk beneath the surface.

Sunchoke and Spring Green Salad
(makes 2 generous portions or 4 salad course portions)

2 large or 4 small sunchokes (try to get the fattest ones you can find)
4 cups of spring greens (this can be anything from a mesclun mix to arugula, baby swiss chard, or watercress)
1 lemon (juice and zest)
extra virgin olive oil
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper

1. Zest the lemon into a small bowl or plate and set both the lemon and the zest aside.

2. Thinly slice sunchokes (about 1/16 inch) using a mandoline or the slicing tool of a box grater (or very steady knife-work). Place slices flat on a plate so most of the plate is covered in a thin layer of overlapping slices. Drizzle with good extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice. Season liberally with salt and black pepper.

3. Place greens in a large bowl and drizzle lightly with extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice. Season liberally with salt and pepper and toss to combine. Add lemon zest and toss to combine. Top sunchokes with greens and serve. Enjoy!

-Laura

Taking A Swipe At Summer

2010-04-19T11:17:00.002-04:00

While it would kill me slowly to ever buy a tomato out of season or from anywhere but a local farm, I must admit that there are some things I just have to buy however I can get them. Citrus is obviously one of them, which is in season during the winter, but requires warm weather conditions to really thrive. I've tried to buy local, indoor rooftop lemons and the truth is I'd rather have Florida's best flown in any day. The indoor variety tastes like it was grown in the dark, quite literally lacking the sunshine of a proper lemon, while managing to cost me twice as much. Bell peppers are another example of something I rarely purchase at the farmers market. Peppers of all sorts originated in South and Central America with the discovery of the New World and spread throughout the globe, quickly becoming dietary staples the world over. The problem is they're finicky to grow and are essentially tropical in nature. Sure, they can be manipulated to grow in certain areas, but their local sustainability in an area like the Northeast is brief, which means they're hard to find and heavy on the wallet (and much like the lemons, you can taste that they're out of their element).

And so when it comes to peppers I'm a terribly bad locavore, buying them out of season, but always from the United States whenever possible (thanks California!). While I do my best to buy jarred roasted tomatoes as penance for my seasonal sins, there are some things that just taste better with the fresh stuff. Romesco sauce, a wonderfully delicious emulsion traditional in Spanish cooking (especially the area called Catalonia, where Barcelona is located) is one of my all time favorite things on the planet. It's quick to make considering the power packed flavor punch it provides, delivering a quick jab of flavor that spreads slowly over your taste buds, tickling them with sweet and smoky flavor. It can be made very easily from jarred roasted red peppers if you're in a hurry or cleaning out your pantry, but there's just something about what happens when you use a freshly roasted red pepper that takes it to a whole other level. The distinct advantage of using a fresh red pepper is that you're preserving the sweetness of the bell pepper, much of which is lost to pickling and preservative juice or even the oil in which jarred peppers may be packed. And the beauty of Romesco is, after all, the interplay of sweet, salty and smoky flavors, all in one sauce.

Aside from using a freshly roasted red pepper, part of achieving that flavor balance is using almonds for added milky sweetness, along with good olive oil, a hint of smoky paprika (Spanish pimentón is best if you can find it) and of course, the ever present garlic clove for some raw-garlic heat. No individual flavor is overly pronounced, making romesco a perfect pairing for almost any meat or protein. It's classic under a snowy white piece of cod, great with a simply roasted chicken or breaded cutlets, and a great sauce for vegetables. If, like me, you can't help but eat it with a spoon, it's tremendous when spread on crusty bread or surrounded by a platter of cru d'ete. I generally avoid pairing it with heavy meats like beef, lamb or pork, but do like to bust it out come grilling season. Grilled leeks and scallions make wonderful romesco cohorts, and hark back to a traditional Catalonian treat called calçot. Calçot is a milder, less bulbous relative of the onion (it actually resembles a skinny leek) that is grilled and served alongside romesco for copious dipping. Replace the calçot with leeks or scallions and you have a great grilled vegetarian treat that would pair well with other grilled veggies like eggplant, zucchini and radicchio. You could even grill the romesco's peppers instead of roasting them--after all, the important thing is that they soften slightly and bring a little bit of that outer char to the party. There are a million variations on the sauce, and every family has their own take. Some like equal parts peppers and tomato (I could personally take it or leave it or use it mostly for texture) while others insist on using hazelnuts or pine nuts. Others still like theirs spicy, adding ancho chilies or red pepper flake to the mix. I like to think of myself as a romesco classicist, but it's really up to the cook. Take my recipe and expand upon it, play with possible ingredients and tune it to your tastes, remembering that sometimes the flavor is worth the sin, and what really matters is that we cook at all.

Romesco Sauce

1 large or 2 small red bell peppers
1/4 cup tomato puree (or half a ripe tomato if they're in season)
1/2 cup blanched almonds (use sliced or slivered to help your blender along)
1 large garlic clove
1/4 tsp smoked paprika (Spanish pimentón is best)

extra virgin olive oil (about 1/4 cup)

salt

freshly cracked black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Drizzle or brush bell pepper lightly with olive oil and roast in the oven until softened and charred, about 30-40 minutes (you can also do this on the grill if you're so lucky as to have one!).

2. Combine tomato, almonds, garlic and paprika in a blender. Add the roasted red pepper (removing any thick bits of skin that have not charred) and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil to get the blending started. Blend on high, slowly streaming in the remaining olive oil until a nice emulsion forms. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with vegetables, fish and pretty much anything off the grill. Enjoy!

-Laura

A Horse Is A Horse

2010-04-13T10:37:00.001-04:00

Have you tried fresh horseradish, the gnarly, spicy, slightly bitter root pictured above? Few people ever see fresh horseradish unless they're in the habit of serving it for Passover, a holiday that coincides perfectly with the root's arrival in supermarkets and farm stands (it's actually far from coincidental since it's often served as a "bitter herb" at Seders and as a traditional garnish for gefilte fish). If, like me, you've ever struck up a conversation with your local produce manager, you'll find they know a lot about traditional holiday foods. When I couldn't find celery root a few months ago for a winter vegetable shoot, I berated my local produce manager for not stocking enough local winter veggies. He immediately informed me that because demand for it is so much higher around the high holy Jewish holidays, many farmers don't even bother planting it or shipping it until later in the season when they know people will buy it (oops, my bad--sorry Tom).

Horseradish faces a similar fate, generally popping up for public consumption about a week or two before Passover. While it has a distinctive spicy bite thanks to its relation to the mustard family, fresh horseradish has a particular flavor component that's lost in the jarred variety. Slightly bright with a lemony freshness reminiscent of ginger root, fresh horseradish is surprisingly light and refreshing when grated straight from the root. It doesn't have that faint garlic flavor and pickling liquid that plagues packaged horseradish, and of course has no preservatives or salt content. If you like Bloody Mary's you'll go nuts for the ones made with fresh horseradish, and if you like horseradish cream on your lamb or roast beef, you're definitely in luck. It has a clean flavor that meshes well with sour cream or creme fraîche (my favorite bases for a horseradish cream), and is just divine when paired with citrus. Much like dried herbs versus fresh, you'll need way more of the fresh stuff than the bottled business, which has a stronger flavor due to additives and the fact that it's steeped in liquid.

There are a myriad uses for it, whether it's replacing ginger in a dish where you want a little spicy kick or using it instead of a hot sauce or cayenne pepper. I like adding it to mashed potatoes or even a parsnip puree, both of which pair well with a great steak or chop (especially if you've already busted out the grill). My recent favorite use of fresh horseradish is for a horseradish cream, which I start making a lot more often around this time of year as I start looking towards cooking spring lamb. I don't know if it's because I'm used to eating it around Easter or what, but for some reason lamb starts to make itself present in my culinary repertoire once the whether turns warm. I like to make an amalgam of a traditional horseradish cream and a tzatziki sauce by combining delicious fresh herbs like dill and mint with some fresh lemon juice and zest. I prefer to use a low-fat sour cream or strained Greek yogurt for the base (sometimes I actually use both), which makes it nice and healthy, in addition to using cornichons or chopped pickles instead of cucumber for a little extra crunch and kick. With a heavy dose of freshly cracked black pepper it's ready to go, and can do more than just top your spring lamb. It can accompany a roast beef, brighten up a beef or lamb pita, sit atop a grilled burger, or sit under a piece of grilled or roast fish (it's just divine with a good piece of salmon). I personally enjoy it with little lamb keftedes, succulent little meatballs tucked inside a fluffy piece of naan (pita will do, too), topped with lettuce, tomato, cucumber and a dash of hot sauce. The horseradish adds a hint of spice, but mostly provides a cool counter to the rich meatballs and spicy hot sauce. It's a great, easy spring/summer dinner, and a wonderful way to make use of this wonderful and undervalued root. Look for it now at your local market or farm stand--I promise it's worth giving a try.

Horseradish Cream

2 cups reduced fat sour cream
3 Tbsp fresh horseradish, peeled and grated
1 lemon, zest and juice
1 tsp Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp fresh chopped dill
2 Tbsp fresh chopped mint
2/3 cup finely chopped cornichons or dill pickles
1 1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
salt to taste

Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl and stir well to combine. If the sauce is too thick, loosen it with 1/4 cup milk (this often depends on how juicy your lemon is). Salt to taste and serve alongside your favorite springtime roast, burger or lamb dish. Enjoy!

-Laura

Hello, Gorgeous

2010-04-08T11:15:00.000-04:00

The weather here in New York has taken a turn for the gorgeous, prompting us to start eating a little lighter and healthier at my house. For me the secret to eating lighter doesn't lie in eating less, eating cardboard, or over-seasoning, but rather in mixing up proteins, eating lots of veggies, keeping carbs to a minimum, and throwing in legumes as often as possible for an extra helping of heart healthy protein. People often ask me how I come up with different meals every night and I find that the key to cooking healthier and more balanced meals (whether it's for one or a whole family) is variety. Starting with the protein, make sure you have a different one every night, and keep those that are higher in saturated fats (like red meats) to only once a week. Fish is not only less fatty than other proteins, but has more health benefits, so salmon and other omega-3 rich fish are a great option. When it comes to chicken, pork, veal and other proteins, look for healthier options to the greasy things you love, like crusting chicken in mustard and crushed nuts and baking it instead of dredging it in bread and frying. Try breakfast for dinner and bring eggs into the equation as a viable protein option--veggie frittatas and baked eggs are good for you and make a great vehicle for almost any vegetable. Trust me, there are alternatives to almost everything you love, so there's no need to eat salads every night.

Vegetables are of course always okay, but try to roast whatever you can, and remember that when it comes to eating healthy, the oven is your best friend. It requires significantly less oil than stove-top cooking, so you won't be tempted to fry up those brussels sprouts with bacon or douse that squash in butter. You'll get plenty of flavor from browning and heaps of wonderful crunch, to boot. But the oven isn't just good for veggies--it's great for proteins. Whether you're roasting a whole chicken, lean cut pork chops or a great piece of fish, it's a time saver that can help one easily multi-task. After all, if you're constantly eying a frying pan, you can't be dressing a salad or chopping vegetables. But, if you have 15 minutes of distraction-free time, you can make better decisions about what you're cooking and how you're cooking it.

For my first act of decidedly healthy but delicious cooking, I went for a twist on a French classic: salmon and lentils. Even though we're at the tail end of citrus season, lemons, limes and blood oranges still abound and they're a key player in making food (especially healthier food) flavorful and complex. Fish and citrus are the ultimate flavor friends and using every part of the fruit is a must--zest, juice and everything. I zested lemons, limes and oranges to create a citrus-scented salmon that was steamed in the oven in a parchment paper pouch (also known as "en cartouche" or "en papillote"). The juice of all three fruits went in as well, ultimately thickening into a wonderful bit of sauce. I topped the whole thing with a little cilantro and a few lemon slices and tossed the pouches in the oven for 10 minutes. In the meantime, I was able to start everything I needed for my warm lentil salad. I'd started them a-boiling while I zested the citrus and sliced the fish, so while it all cooked in the oven I chopped scallions and whisked together the dressing. The whole meal is really simple, flavorful and elegant. It was easy to make and used only a teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil per piece of fish, and three teaspoons for the vinaigrette (I happen to prefer lentils on the tart side). So give this dish a try and then work on your own tasty, healthy treats. Of course, leave some room for indulgences, but remember that ultimately, it's all about moderation.

Citrus-Scented Salmon with Warm Lentil Salad

2 boneless salmon filets, about 6 oz each
1 lemon, zested, then halved
1 lime, zested, then halved
1 orange, zested, then halved
2 Tbsp cilantro, divided, finely chopped
1 cup French green lentils
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1 tsp Dijon mustard
5 tsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
1/8 cup red wine vinegar
salt
freshly ground pepper

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add lentils. Cook until soft but still slightly firm in the center, about 20-25 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, cut two large pieces of parchment into a heart shape and place one piece of salmon on the right half of each heart.

3. Squeeze about a tablespoon each of lemon, lime, and orange juice over the salmon and season with salt, pepper and the lemon, lime and orange zest. Sprinkle 1 Tbsp cilantro over salmon (reserving the other tablespoon for the lentils) along with one teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil per fillet.

4. Fold empty parchment half over the salmon. Starting at the top of the heart, crimp edges with small, overlapping folds to seal package tightly. If you can't secure the end closed tight enough, use a paperclip. Place packets on a baking sheet and then into the oven for 10-15 minutes, depending on how you like your salmon (I like a 10-12 minute salmon, which is about medium).

5. While the salmon cooks, drain the lentils and whisk together the mustard, olive oil, vinegar and the remaining cilantro. Season with salt and pepper and pour over the lentils, tossing to combine. Add green onions and toss to combine.

6. When the salmon is done, remove it from the oven and serve still in its paper container, or remove to a plate along with any accumulated juices. Serve with warm lentil salad and enjoy!

-Laura

Don't You Forget About Me

2010-04-05T11:42:00.001-04:00

I've been really bad about giving dried beans and legumes a chance this year (with the exception of lentils, an iron powerhouse that cooks up in 30 minutes or less and always seems to get all of my attention). But the truth is that dried beans that take longer to cook and often require overnight soaking shouldn't be ignored. Despite the quality of today's canned beans, homemade beans just manage to have a texture and flavor that can't be matched. They actually absorb the flavors they're cooked in, a distinct advantage over the canned variety. While I like adding canned beans to a multitude of dishes for the added protein and color, they don't bring a great deal to the party in the way of added flavor (there's some nuttiness to be had, but that's about it).

It was my good fortune, then, that during my last CSA distribution we were given a pound and a half of dried black beans, which it turns out is a hell of a lot of beans. We'd never bean given dried goods before so the entire membership was somewhat flummoxed. Several members mentioned that they were unfamiliar with how to use dried beans and asked how exactly to go about using them. Attempting to quash any misconceptions, I admitted that yes, soaking is required, but like so many things in the kitchen, there's an alternative. I told them about the "quick soak", a neat trick where the beans are boiled on high heat for two minutes and left to sit in the hot water for an hour. I really like this method, and have used it even if I'm planning on putting beans in the slow cooker. Quick soaking makes using dried beans a real option for every day use and not something for strictly "plan-ahead" meals. They can quick soak while while the rest of dinner gets prepped, or in my case, while I spend a half an hour decompressing before starting to cook dinner in earnest.

I knew immediately that my sack of beans would go towards a big pot of Cuban-style black beans. It's hands down my favorite way to eat black beans, and a dish I'm quite picky about. They're actually easy to make, requiring little more than beans, stock, herbs, spices and pretty much any kind of smoked meat. I like using ham hocks or neck bones because they're so incredibly cheap, but if you're wary of them, a good thick slab of heavily smoked bacon will do. Some people like to add green bell peppers and other veggies, but I'm a black bean purist. A pinch of cumin and a bay leaf or two are the only other major flavor elements. The firm beans take on a rich, smoky flavor with a bit of salty bite that's perfect over fluffy white rice. Freshly cooked beans also do really well when frozen, so cooking up a big batch is ideal (freeze them in zip-top bags and reheat in a pot or pan--no defrosting necessary!). And leftovers are easy to deal with, whether it's making black bean burgers, black bean cakes, bean burritos or re-fried beans (which are actually made from leftover beans).

So if you can, give dried beans and legumes a try. I've already written about how easy lentils are, and beans and chick pea are a cinch to master. And if you have a slow cooker, you're in luck, because they're even easier to make there and require even less attention (most recipes translate pretty well from the stove top to the slow-cooker). So please, don't forget about these wonderful dried legumes. They're definitely a pantry staple with incredible health benefits (especially for people with high cholesterol, heart disease and diabetes) and the ability to leave you feeling pleasantly full with minimum negative calories. Here's my recipe, which you can easily move to your slow-cooker.

Cuban-Style Black Beans

1 lb (about 2 cups) dried black beans
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves
extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp ground cumin
2 dried bay leaves
chicken or vegetable stock (enough to cover beans, 4-6 cups as needed)
1 smoked ham hock (or 2 smoked neck bones or 1 large slab of smoked bacon)
salt
pepper

1. Soak beans in a large bowl of cold water overnight. If you don't have time, "quick soak" beans by boiling them in water for two minutes then removing them from the flame, to sit covered, in the hot water for 1 hour.

2. Drain beans and rinse in cold water, setting aside. Heat onion, garlic and olive oil in a heavy bottomed soup pot or Dutch oven. Sweat onions until soft, then add cumin and cook 30 seconds further. Return beans to pot along with ham hocks, bay leaves and enough chicken stock to generously cover beans.

3. Cover pot and cook on medium heat until beans are cooked through, about 30-45 minutes, stirring often. Beans should be slightly soupy, so add water as necessary. Once beans are cooked through, remove ham hocks, bay leaves, and serve over rice. Enjoy!

-Laura

A Farewell To Farms

2010-03-29T00:00:00.002-04:00

The weather here in New York has become an exercise in duality, flip-flopping somewhere between gorgeous, bright sunny days demanding the darkest of sunglasses, and dismally depressing rainstorms that flood our poor New Jersey neighbors. Vicious gusts of wind add some extra excitement to the mix, sending broken umbrellas tumbling down the street like miniature fabric zombies. Despite the many sunny days it's hard to get overly excited about the possibilities of Spring when you're doing battle with the elements. As badly as I'd like to embrace the comings of the season, I'm not quite ready to let go of some parts of winter. Strange to hear from someone that raises all hell when winter shows up and does nothing but complain about it, I know, but the truth is that I haven't really been able to exploit the best of what winter has to offer.

My Winter CSA provided me with an abundance of beets, carrots and various pantry ingredients, including tomato puree (awesome), pickled green tomatoes (a bit of a question mark) and pickled beets (yikes). There were also a few basics like eggs, milk and yogurt, all of which I loved, but in general I was really looking forward to great produce that I could use every day. Instead I got some not so versatile ingredients that were difficult to make shine on their own. I'd hoped for winter greens and a myriad squashes in addition to the multitude of roots I'd received, but none of those showed with the exception of one lonely spaghetti squash. And so I have a deep yearning to take advantage of what I missed of winter, before it's gone. I think I rose fairly well to the challenges of using beets and carrots on an almost daily basis, but now it's time to have a little fun!

Overwhelmed by the urge to experiment with squash on a rainy day last week, I broke with tradition and bought my produce in the supermarket. One acorn squash and a few local apples later I was well on my way to making a delicious squash and apple soup. I was really looking forward to harnessing the sweetness of the squash by roasting it and then combining it with tart green apples. The interesting thing about apples is that when you saute them slowly with onion you get a sort of apple/onion jam. It's sweet and tart and really good smeared on toast with a piece of brie, but even better in a squash soup. If you think that part's easy (sliced onions, chopped apples and a whole garlic cloves slowly cooking down in butter or olive oil), the squash is even easier. Simply cut it into quarters, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, a pinch of salt, and toss into a hot oven. Roast 30-45 minutes or until soft, and scoop straight into the blender. Add the apple-onion mixture, a little liquid and blitz until smooth. All that's left is to heat it back up and season with salt and pepper.

It's a really great soup with complex and layered flavors. I decided to top mine with roughly chopped walnuts for an extra nutty bite and a bit of crunch, but a handful of toasted pumpkin seeds would be equally delicious (in facts it's what I'm doing the next time). A swirl of olive oil later I had a soup to help me transition between the seasons (this would make a really great cold soup too, especially with a little extra apple). It also helped me come to the conclusion that this will be my final season with a CSA, at least for now. While the summer shares are infinitely better than their winter counterparts, and I so love the idea of supporting a farm and knowing that my money goes directly to it, I also love experiencing the range of the seasons. I love the challenge of using everything in my CSA box, but by tying myself solely to one farm, my culinary version of the seasons reflects only what their farm can provide. By joining a group like Urban Organic, I can get produce (both fruit AND veggies) from a variety of local, organic farms delivered straight to my door, AND I don't lose out on getting organic produce that isn't available in my area, like citrus and other winter fruits. Urban Organic acts as an aggregator for organic produce, sourcing the best products available from local, sustainable farms, while casting a wider net on regional items like the many fruits only available in Florida or California (those are still organic and sourced from family farms and farm co-ops/CSAs). I'm hoping that by becoming part of this organization, I can get a better and more complete feel for the seasons, and have a better overall experience of each one. And maybe one day, after all my griping, winter will end up becoming my favorite food season of them all. Unlikely, but it's worth a try!

Squash and Apple Soup

1 acorn squash (butternut or spaghetti work too), quartered, seeds remooved
2 semi-tart apples, peeled, cored and chopped
1 small onion, sliced
1 garlic clove
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1 Tbsp butter
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
extra virgin olive oil
Garnish: chopped walnuts or toasted pumpkin seeds

1. Heat oven to 400 F degrees. Place squash wedges on a sheet pan, drizzle with olive oil and bake until flesh is soft, about 30-45 minutes depending on the size of your squash.

2. Meanwhile, heat butter, a few teaspoons of extra virgin olive oil, apple, onion and garlic in a non-stick skillet. Cook on medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until apples and onions are soft. Remove from the heat and add mixture to a blender to cool.

3. When the squash is done, scoop it into the blender. Add nutmeg and 1 cup of stock and blend until smooth. Continue to add stock 1/4 cup at a time until the soup reaches your desired consistency. Reheat soup before serving, season with salt and pepper to taste and serve topped with chopped walnuts or toasted pumpkin seeds and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Enjoy!

-Laura

Roast With The Most

2010-03-24T11:06:00.000-04:00

After years of languishing on my shelf relatively unused (except, of course, for chili) I've finally gotten into the groove of looking to my slow-cooker for help. I've used it more this year than ever before, which has taken some of the heat off of my oven and stove top, and also made for super easy clean-up. But as the days turn slightly warmer, I'm reminded that soon I'll turn to the stove in anger for heating up an already sweltering kitchen. And as I mentioned in a recent post, putting dinner on the table this winter has become a much easier feat thanks to my new penchant for oven roasting. And it was roasting to the rescue once again as I finally tried out a wonderful new technique for oven roasting shrimp. I love shrimp, but they always seem to either be boiled or sauteed in oil. Boiling and steaming doesn't do much for their flavor and in fact can extract flavor, which is great for a stock, but not for shrimp. Sautéing is great if you're eating shrimp on their own, but not if you mean to add them to a sauce. Cooking them in a sauce is okay, but doesn't develop any extra flavor.

A few months ago I saw a great tip on Ina Garten's new show, Barefoot Contessa: Back to Basics. I don't normally watch her show, but on this particular lazy weekend morning I was drawn in by her recipe for shrimp cocktail. Instead of boiling or steaming her shrimp she tossed them with a little olive oil, placed them on a sheet pan and threw them in the oven to roast. In roasting them she was able to develop flavor (the shrimp caramelize a bit on the sheet pan) and also contain flavor by not boiling it out into the water. Her method also allows the shrimp to cook quickly, taking only 5-6 minutes even in the oldest and most uneven of ovens (and mine's one of them). There's no waiting for a pot to boil—just turn on the oven and let it preheat while you prep your other food, or even while you peel and devein the shrimp (if you've bought them with the shell). Because shrimp cook so easily and so quickly with this method, they're great for entertaining. The host of a Christmas party I attended this year used Ina's shrimp cocktail recipe and it was a huge hit. The fact that she could have another batch of shrimp on the table in 5 minutes made it easy for her to make more when the plate was inevitably licked clean by me all her guests.

I've really taken to this method, especially for pasta dishes. After all, the stove-top can often become precious real estate when pasta is involved, with a big pasta pot on one burner, a sauce pan on another, and possibly a protein on a third, all vying for space, not to mention your attention. I most recently roasted shrimp to serve atop a puttanesca-style sauce (the ultimate pantry clean-out sauce) and found that having one less thing to watch on the stove was perfect. In fact, as long as your oven is pre-heated, you could pretty much cook everything in advance and not worry about the shrimp until your burners are just about off. I made my sauce and boiled the linguine, leaving my olive oil coated shrimp on a sheet pan ready for action. By the time the pasta was al dente I simply chucked the sheet pan into the oven, taking the five minutes that the shrimp would roast to drain my pasta and fold it into the sauce. By then the five minutes had passed and the shrimp were pink, plump and juicy, with slightly caramelized edges. All that was left to do was to top the plated pasta with the shrimp and serve. The whole dish took about 30 minutes including all of the chopping and prep work, which is pretty good for something so flavorful. A lot of that is thanks to the roasting technique, which explains why restaurants like roasting so much. Below is the easy-peasy recipe for oven roasted shrimp (good for a myriad uses) in addition to my easy pasta puttanesca with roasted shrimp.

Oven Roasted Shrimp

Preheat your oven to 400 F degrees. Peel and devein shrimp and toss with a light drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Spread shrimp out in one layer on a sheet pan and roast in the oven for 5-6 minutes, or until shrimp are pink and cooked through.

Pasta Puttanesca with Oven-Roasted Shrimp
makes 2 generous portions or 4 first course portions

16 large, uncooked shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 lb linguine (I like whole wheat)
2 cups crushed tomatoes or tomato puree
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
3 oz jar oil-packed anchovies, finely chopped, oil reserved
2 Tbsp capers
4 basil leaves, torn into pieces, plus more for garnish
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 cup pitted olives, roughly chopped
extra virgin olive oil
salt

1. Preheat oven to 400 F degrees. Toss shrimp with a drizzle of the olive oil and a pinch of salt. Set aside on a baking sheet.

2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil in a large, non-stick skillet along with 1 tablespoon of the reserved anchovy oil. Add anchovies and cook over medium-low heat for 2 minutes or until beginning to dissolve. Add onions and garlic and cook another two minutes, careful not to brown them. Add capers, olives and oregano, cook a minute further, then add tomatoes and basil. Simmer over low heat until pasta is cooked though.

3. When the pasta is done, put shrimp in the oven and bake for 5-6 minutes. Drain pasta (reserve 1 cup of pasta water) and add to the sauce, tossing to combine. Add reserved pasta water as necessary to thin out sauce. Plate and top with roasted shrimp and finely sliced basil. Enjoy!

-Laura

Springing Forward

2010-03-22T11:30:00.002-04:00

Although the last few days here in NYC have been punctuated by rain, they have fortunately for us all been encapsulated by a welcome parenthesis of warm weather. Sunny days are here again—briefly, no doubt—but that doesn't mean we haven't all immediately broken out our spring coats and fought a stranger for an outdoor seat. While the food may not have caught up with the seasons quite yet, I'm happy to say that I'm feeling the need to eat a bit lighter. Not healthier, per se, but certainly something that takes the weight of winter off my shoulders (if it also takes a little something off my hips along the way, all the better). Most winter produce doesn't really permit for much light cuisine, but there is one particular soup that is light in texture, and yet filling, with a handful of a great winter ingredient tossed in.

Escarole is often ignored because it's considered bitter, which of course it is, if eaten raw. But the funny thing about escarole is that even though we often treat it as a lettuce here in the states, it is in fact a winter green in the chicory family, much like its bitter cousin the endive. While it works well in mixed green salads, many with an Italian background may be more familiar with it as a cooking green. It's a wonderful ingredient for bridging the gap from winter to spring, when we're all looking to layoff off the heavy stews and move on to something bright and vernal. Escarole is a great transition ingredient, especially because it cooks up incredibly quickly. It's almost always ready before you think it is, and requires almost no extra liquid to wilt. It's bitterness melts away with a hint of garlic and lemon, almost lending it a sweet flavor.

I most commonly associate escarole with Italian wedding soup. With its light broth and buoyant, meaty little orbs, Italian wedding soup is a festival of protein (there's also egg cooked into the broth) that's wrapped up in a seemingly weightless package. The meatballs are cooked right in the broth, lending their meaty flavor to the base of the soup, and the escarole is tossed in at the last minute to avoid overcooking, right before the egg goes in. Everything about this soup is fast, the most time consuming portion being rolling the meatballs. The smaller the meatball, the easier they are to roll, and the faster they cook, so 1-1 1/4 inch meatballs (traditional size for this soup) are your best bet.

I try to use a low sodium broth for this whenever possible since you'll have salt and seasoning from the meatballs flavoring your broth, in addition to grated parmesan cheese. Freshly grated is a must here both for flavor and texture. This is also a great place to use your leftover parmesan rinds--just toss them into broth to cook away with the meatballs, and whatever hardened cheese is left will melt away into your soup (but make sure to remove any wax or paper on the outside of your rind--natural rinds are fine to throw in as is). Some recipes call for pasta, but it's certainly not a requirement. I often like to throw in a handful of something small, like a tiny pastina or even Israeli couscous if I'm looking to make something a little heartier. Kids love this soup and a handful of star shaped pasta certainly couldn't hurt. So if you feel like eating lighter as the days get longer, give this soup a try—you'll be surprised by how pleasantly full you'll feel.

Italian Wedding Soup

1/2 lb ground beef
1/2 lb ground pork
1/4 cup milk (soy is fine)
2 Tbsp seasoned breadcrumbs
2 Tbsp finely chopped parsley
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
6 cups chicken stock
2 eggs, lightly beaten
6 cups escarole, washed and roughly chopped
salt

1. Bring stock to a boil and keep heated on low while you make the meatballs. In a bowl, combine beef, pork, milk, breadcrumbs, parsley, nutmeg, 1/2 tsp salt, garlic powder and onion powder with your hands until well mixed. Roll into 1- 1 1/4 inch balls and set aside.

2. Add meatballs to the hot stock and bring mixture to a low boil. Cook until meatballs are still soft but cooked through, about 5-7 minutes. Stir in Parmesan cheese and eggs and continue stirring until they are cooked and form long white threads, about 30 seconds. Add escarole and cook until just wilted. Taste soup for salt and add as necessary. Enjoy!

-Laura

Thick As Thieves

2010-03-16T07:00:00.002-04:00

As the winter months roll on I find myself turning increasingly to the pantry for help in planning a delicious and satisfying dinner. Although I'm the first person to extol the virtues of eating fresh fruits and vegetables over anything that looks pre-fab and preservative ridden, I also believe in moderation and modern necessities. While in the summer, for example, I'd encourage everyone to go out and buy fresh tomatoes at their peak, I admit it's difficult to go tomato-less for the rest of the year. That's why I'm not embarrassed to say that I like to keep sun-dried tomatoes in my pantry whenever getting good quality fresh tomatoes is out of the question. Sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil are wonderful because they don't need re-hydrating, and are picked at the height of the summer tomato season, so their concentrated tomato flavor is all the more powerful. I'd much rather use those during the winter months than settle for what the supermarket tries to pass off as tomatoes.

I recently caught an episode of Sara's Weeknight Meals (on PBS), hosted by Sara Moulton, formerly of the Food Network and Gourmet magazine. Her show is a great example of how to make fast, sophisticated dinners that could feed an entire family both on a budget and in a time crunch. There are no shortcuts to flavor, just great ingredients prepared simply and smartly. One recent episode had her cleaning out her pantry and using much of the staples that we all might keep to use in a pinch—pasta, canned beans and the like. It was a great example of when and how to use what lives in your pantry, and for me a great reminder that if I'm ever going to break down and not use fresh produce, this is how (and when) to do it. She made a great vegetarian pasta dish of linguine in a thick, creamy white bean sauce with sun-dried tomatoes and olives. The best part was that the sauce was thickened with mashed white beans instead of a roux, so there's no cream or butter involved and it makes the sauce all the more flavorful.

Her recipe was wonderful and reminded me that it's okay to get a little help from the store every once in a while when necessary. I do try and avoid prepared canned products (soups, etc...) because of their high sodium and preservative count, but in general I keep all of my canned food use to a minimum because of the actual dangers of canned packaging. While the super low price of most common supermarket canned foods is tempting, I do try and stick to purchasing Eden Organic canned beans and lentils whenever I can. Their cans are made without BPA, a chemical commonly used in the plastic linings of canned foods and has been known to leach into contents of cans. Lab tests have shown that the average amount of BPA that leaches into canned foods can cause breast cancer cells to grow at an alarming rate. Sadly, BPA is ubiquitous among common household plastic items, including several baby bottles, toys and breasts pumps, and is having a difficult time getting banned. So I do urge everyone to use canned items wisely and sparingly, and always remember to rinse anything that comes out of a can thoroughly. For more info on how to avoid exposure to BPA, go here.

Now that I've worn my soapbox down to a plank: back to the fun stuff. The great thing about this recipe is that it's super fast and has the potential to be even faster. The olives could very well go in whole (pitted, of course) and the sun-dried tomatoes could just be halved or even torn with your hand if you're really in a rush to put food on the table. And this dish would certainly take well to any other ingredients taking up residence in your freezer or pantry. Artichokes and capers come to mind, or for a delicious twist even anchovies or sardines would be tasty (a great olive oil packed tuna would be good too!). Something green and fresh would also be wonderful, like a little wilted spinach or even fresh basil in place of the rubbed sage, and chopped up crimini's for a meaty-but-still-veggie feel would also be divine. So give this recipe a try if you're up for a good pantry clean-out, or consider it your first step towards spring cleaning!

Linguini with White Bean, Sun-dried Tomato, and Olive Sauce

adapted from Sara's Weeknight Meals

Kosher salt
1 pound linguini
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
3 garlic cloves, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
1/2 teaspoon rubbed sage
1 ounce sun-dried tomatoes (about 6 halves), sliced crosswise into 1/4-inch strips (scant 1/4 cup)
1/2 cup white wine
One 19-ounce can white beans such as cannelini, navy, or Great Northern, drained and rinsed
One 14 or 14 1/2-ounce can vegetable or chicken broth, or 1 3/4 cups Chicken Stock
1/2 cup pitted, brine-cured olives such as kalamata, chopped
Freshly milled black pepper
1 1/2 ounces grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, finely grated (about 1/2 cup), optional

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Cook the linguini in the boiling water until al dente, 8 to 10 minutes; drain, reserving 1 1/2 cups cooking liquid.

2. While the water comes to a boil and the pasta cooks, heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat until hot. Reduce the heat to medium; add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sage and cook 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and wine and simmer until reduced by half, about 4 minutes. Add the white beans and broth and simmer for 5 minutes. Coarsely mash the sauce with a potato masher or fork.

3. Add some of the reserved cooking liquid to the sauce, as necessary, to reach a creamy consistency; add the olives and salt and pepper to taste. Toss the sauce with the linguini and serve. Top with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, if desired.

-Laura

Roasting: God's Answer To Winter

2010-03-12T07:00:00.002-05:00

As the frigid winter months trail off and taunt us poor, northeastern souls with three days of nearly 60 degree weather, many of us find that despite our lighter coats, our refrigerators continue to crumble under the weight of winter produce. My spirits have been much higher this winter than last, as I finally figured out the secret to making it work (culinarily speaking). I'd originally balked at winter's arrival, having barely made it through the last one with any shred of enthusiasm. But this year I discovered what chefs have known for years—the trick that keeps their menus afloat when it should otherwise drown in a sea of roots and Seasonal Affective Disorder. It turns out that even the least delicious of winters is surmountable by mastering the simple act of roasting. It seems so easy a solution when I look back at it now, like I've been thinking so long and hard about the individual ingredients that I've missed the bigger picture. Sometimes a variation on one technique is all you need to make it work.

I'd long ago hit a wall when confronted with cabbage and thought for sure the two enormous ones I'd received during my last CSA distribution would be the straw that broke this camel's back. There was nothing left to do with them. I'd sauteed and braised, stuffed and dressed. There were slaws and stir-fry's aplenty, not to mention soups and stews. It seems I'd done all that my stove-top permitted, except for, of course, lowering my head and seeing what was lurking below. But one day while pondering what had suddenly made everyone love brussels sprouts and other formerly detested vegetables, I got to thinking: people love them because they're roasted. Roasting diffuses that fetid odor associated with the overcooked sprouts of many childhoods, while also rendering them crunchy and almost entirely maintenance free. You just coat them lightly in olive oil and toss them in a hot oven. What are brussels sprouts, after all, but teeny, tiny cabbages? Couldn't I just apply the same technique with a few adjustments?

Of course I could! The question was really how to down-size the cabbage in order to not roast it in one big sphere. I decided to try halving the cabbage, removing the core, and then slicing down on the cabbage halves to create wide strips (about 1 inch wide). The rest went just like roasting any old veggie. I tossed all the strips in extra virgin olive oil and lightly salted them before spreading the strips out on an aluminum foil lined sheet pan (easy clean-up!). I popped the tray into a nice hot oven (400 degrees) and 20 minutes later I had roasted cabbage. The edges closest to the core were soft and buttery while the outer edges crisped and charred, adding a wonderful crunch. It reminded me of the kale chips I'd made so many times this year, where the stems softened and the outer bits crisped and browned. I knew immediately that the cabbage would make a great side for a meat dish, so I served it alongside an Argentinean-style steak topped with a spicy chimichuri (but it'd be even better alongside a pork roast or even some chops). And so, as I wait patiently for the bounty of spring and summer I leave you with this one winter blues remedy. Cabbage is super cheap, especially when you consider how much of it you get. One head makes a ton of food, so if you're trying to find a way to eat seasonal and/or local, give this roasted cabbage a shot. It'd make a great and healthy side to some sausage or even a hot dog night. The next time, I think I'll do what I do with brussels sprouts and add a pinch of red pepper flake and vinegar for some heat!

Roast Cabbage

1 medium head of cabbage (green or red)
extra virgin olive oil
salt

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Halve and core the cabbage. Place cabbage cut-side down and cut into 1-inch strips.

2. Toss cabbage lightly with extra virgin olive oil and spread out on an aluminum foil covered baking sheet (you may need to roast on two sheets to avoid crowding the pan). Roast in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until browned and crispy. Enjoy!

-Laura

I Am Iron, Man

2010-03-10T07:00:00.002-05:00

Does anyone else feel like lentils don't get the attention they deserve? For some reason over the years they've become the Jan Brady of legumes, only popping up on menus alongside the occasional poached salmon or in a curried soup during the winter months. They remain ignored during the rest of the year, pushed to the back of the pantry, save for the possible summer lentil salad. Beans and chickpeas seem to benefit from the attention they get in purees and hummus, not to mention from being easily available (and affordable) in canned form. Lentils are best when made fresh, which has unfortunately put them on the opposite end of the spectrum from their more popular legume friends. They're seen by many as taking too long to make and requiring too much maintenance.

But the truth about lentils is that they're not nearly as fussy as many cookbooks would have you believe. The old adage that lentils must soak overnight in order to render them edible is completely false and often leads to mushy results. The overarching mother-of-all-lentil-myths however is that they need any help at all to cook relatively quickly. Many recipes suggest a cooking time of 45+ minutes which is absolutely ridiculous. Provided they are cooked properly (with plenty of water and a in a nice large pot to swim in), lentils should take no more than 30 minutes of cooking time, max. And don't even get me started on those delicious French green lentils. With their compact shape and gorgeous slate coloring, they cook up in 20-25 minutes, even in large batches. They hold their shape well and have a wonderful toothsome quality that make them perfect for any type of dish.

Knowing that the whole soaking-then-overcooking business is a sham, I've always had several varieties of lentils on hand in case of emergency. Because they're packed with iron and fiber, lentils provide great heart healthy energy and make a wonderful substitute for protein. I like a big bowl of lentil salad before evening exercise (like a late-night volleyball game) for that extra bit of energy that won't weigh me down. They're also great for folks like myself that are anemic and need all the extra iron they can get, but who don't want a steak for dinner every night.

As a kid I longed for visits to Spain and my grandmother's kitchen where the best lentil soup lived. True to the Spanish way of doing things it was chock full of smoked paprika, both the sweet and spicy variety, along with heaps of garlic, chunks of potato, chorizo and Spanish iberico ham. Like Goldilocks I've spent my adult days searching for the lentil soup that's "just right" but the truth is they're all too watery, too thick or just plain wrong. Not one of them holds a candle to hers, all of them lacking in either flavor or texture. So one night as I found my fridge empty of proteins and brimming with vegetables and bacon, I decided to challenge myself to recreating the soup at home. After all, why should I expect to find it anywhere else?

After a little noodling around with ingredients I managed to make it work. While I didn't have any chorizo on hand I still managed to capture the essence of the soup, including the spot on consistency. I used a neat little trick for thickening that you should definitely try if you'd like an alternative to a fatty (albeit delicious) roux. A mere tablespoon of breadcrumbs toasted in a few drops of olive oil will do the trick just as well, and without all that flour and butter. It's my favorite way to thicken soups and stews, and can even help with seasoning if your soup is a little bland (simply use seasoned breadcrumbs instead of plain). So I encourage everyone out there that's dubious about lentils to please give them a shot. Try buying smaller lentils like the French green variety that cook quickly and have a thinner skin. Despite being a tiny bit more costly than large brown lentils (which can be as cheap as 99 cents for a pound) they're still a relative bargain. I buy several pounds in bulk for less than 5 bucks and they last forever. This soup is a great introduction, and makes for unbelievable leftovers.

Spanish-Style Lentil Soup

1-1/2 cup French green lentils (or other small lentil)
6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1/4 cup tomato puree or crushed tomatoes (not tomato paste)
3 small carrots, finely diced
1 small onion, finely diced
2 medium Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and chopped
4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
3 strips thick-cut bacon, chopped
1 Tbsp smoked sweet paprika (pimentón)
1/2 Tbsp smoked hot paprika (pimentón picante)
1/4 tsp cumin
1 dried bay leaf
1 Tbsp breadcrumbs
1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
salt
pepper
Garnish: chopped parsley (optional)

1. Cook bacon in a large soup pot until crispy and browned. Remove to a paper towel covered plate to drain. Add onion, garlic and carrots to the pot along with a tablespoon of olive oil. Cook over medium-low heat until softened (not browned), then remove pot from heat and allow the mixture a few minutes to cool (this is necessary so the paprika doesn't burn--do not skip this step).

2. Add both types of paprika and the cumin to the pot and cook over low heat for 30 seconds, stirring frequently. Add stock, lentils, tomato puree, and the bay leaf to the pot and bring to a boil. Cook covered about 15 minutes (the lentils will only be half cooked), then add the potatoes. Cover and continue cooking another 10-15 minutes or until lentils are done and potatoes are tender.

3. Meanwhile, heat breadcrumbs and the remaining teaspoon olive oil in a small non-stick skillet and toast breadcrumbs until they are golden brown, tossing frequently to avoid burning. Once the lentils are done, add breadcrumbs to the soup and stir to combine. Allow the mixture 5 minutes to cook together and thicken, and served topped with fresh chopped parsley and crusty bread for dipping. Enjoy!

-Laura

Great Expectations

2010-03-08T10:30:00.000-05:00

If there's one thing that's not welcome in our home, it's carrots. Sure, I include them in all of my soups, stocks and stews, but generally they are met with resounding boos and guffaws and have on very rare occasion been the focal point of any meal (an event that only occurs when I'm home alone with no more culinary options than a fridge full of carrots and condiments). Disappointment at the mere speckling of carrots within a soup is enough to put a cloud over dinner, so I was more than shocked when my fella (long scarred by the frozen carrots and peas of childhood) suggested I use the abundance of carrots and ginger in our fridge to make a soup. Clearly my unemployed sulking period would be coming to an end if carrot soup were preferable to another night of take-out.

As a result I began to formulate a recipe that would appeal to even the most enthusiastic of carrot haters. It didn't help that while I don't hate carrots, I'm not particularly fond of ginger in large quantities. I decided to use my favorite carrot-tahini ginger dressing as inspiration. As one of the few food items that combines ingredients I don't normally care for and makes them delicious, this dressing doesn't completely mask the ingredients' flavors. It uses what's actually great about them (sweetness from the carrots, tart, lemony-freshness from the ginger) in order to compliment one another. The dressing is fresh and substantial and enhances the best parts of each ingredient for a resulting product that is the true sum of its parts (only better).

In keeping with the dressing's philosophy (the dressing, by the way, is from Dojo's) I started by sauteing the carrots and ginger with onions and garlic over low heat in order to pull out some of that sweet carrot flavor (without over caramelizing). Once I tossed everything in the blender I used chicken stock to help thin out the puree (vegetable stock would be lovely as well so long as it's not tomato based), along with freshly grated ginger, a splash of vinegar and a spoonful of sour cream for rich body. Not wanting to mask any flavors I was judicious in my use of spices, adding only a hint of smoked paprika, cumin and coriander to help the main ingredients' natural flavors pop. Once I'd gotten a nice smooth soup (relatively thin but not watery) I ran everything through a sieve. I would normally say this is optional, but ginger can be quite fibrous and woody and I've yet to encounter a blender that manages to break apart those fibers in any satisfying way.

The soup, it turns out, was a rousing success. It was not at all what I expected to be making, nor did I expect to enjoy it as much as I did. So much so that I'm proud to induct it into my winter recipe repertoire. It reminded me a great deal of my beloved dressing (available for purchase by the pint!), only better. In researching recipe ideas I found that carrot soups--even those from very reputable sources--often begin with carrot juice. I can't stress enough how important it is to use fresh carrots for this or any other carrot soup. Carrot juice is just that, raw carrots put through a juicer. There's no flavor development through cooking, meaning that the juice is not sweet or complex--it's like a bite out of a raw carrot in juice form. While this might explain why I've hated carrot soups in the past, it's also a good argument for what to do with all those winter carrots. Carrots are in top form this time of year, having used all that cold winter air and frigid soil to their advantage, concentrating their sweet flavor. They're always best in the weeks and months just before spring when they've put up with the coldest weather of the year. So if you're wondering how to best take advantage of this winter season, find yourself some organic carrots (roots like fresh ginger and galangal are also great in winter) and put them to good use. I suggest a soup or carrot dressing, but your favorite dish is good, too (anyone that likes sweet buttered carrots should be in heaven). Here's what I came up with:

Carrot-Ginger Soup

6 medium-sized carrots, peeled, trimmed and diced
1 small onion, peeled and chopped
2 small garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 2-inch knob of ginger, peeled and chopped, plus 1 tsp freshly grated ginger
1/8 tsp smoked paprika
1/8 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground coriander seed
1-1/2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
2 Tbsp cider vinegar (anything but balsamic will do in a pinch)
1 Tbsp sour cream (low-fat is fine)
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp butter
salt
pepper

1. Saute carrots, onions, garlic and ginger in the olive oil and butter over low heat in a non-stick skillet (make sure nothing has developed too much color and that the garlic has not burned). Once the carrots are cooked through, add the mixture to your blender and allow a few minutes to cool.

2. Add the paprika, cumin, coriander and fresh ginger to the blender along with 1/2 cup of the stock. Blend the mixture, slowly adding stock 1/2 cup at a time until you reach your desired consistency (you can even add more or a splash of water if you need more liquid). Add the vinegar and sour cream and blend once more.

3. Run the mixture through a sieve into a soup pot and reheat. Cook covered over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, then taste for salt and pepper and season to taste (I like a lot of pepper). Serve garnished with chopped nuts (I like almonds or hazelnuts) or croutons. Enjoy!

-Laura

Baby It's Cold Outside

2010-03-04T11:20:00.044-05:00

One of the best things I did while I was home was to take advantage of my slow-cooker. Do you have one? Or even a Crock-Pot? If so, you're one lucky devil. Believe it or not they've come a long way in the last few years and are now often used to make real food instead of just mushroom casserole. That's right, real food goes in and real food comes out, unlike what some folks may remember from the 70's. The odd can of tomatoes aside, these days the slow-cooker can be filled with wonderful thick cuts of meat for braising, beans and lentils for stewing, and notoriously long cooking vegetables like collards and beets for growing boys and girls that need their veggies.

Although I've used it for everything from split-pea soup to osso buco and short ribs, my all time favorite slow-cooker dish is chili. While it's not a difficult dish to make on the stove top, it does require some attention to ensure it's not burning or sticking. The slow-cooker on the other hand requires no such babysitting. Once you've browned your meat and onions it's everyone in the tub: Meat, onions, beans, tomatoes, chipotles and spices. An even better argument for making chili in the slow-cooker is that (like with every stew) the longer it lingers the better it tastes. While a four hour stove-top chili is tasty, an eight hour slow-cooker chili is to die for. And during those eight hours, you're absolutely free to do whatever you want. Those with newfangled slow-cookers are even luckier because most shut themselves off once the designated cook time has passed, unchaining the home cook and releasing them from their kitchen.

This version of chili is made up of the standard fare, with the addition of a few chipotles in adobo throw in. The great thing about the recipe (and chili in general) is that you can adjust it to fit whatever type of chili you'd like--just use it as your base recipe and take it from there. Hate chipotles? Leave them out and add finely diced jalapeños or extra cayenne pepper for heat instead. Want more veggies? Add two cups of frozen corn and two diced bell peppers. The possibilities are truly endless and probably delicious no matter how you choose to change it up. I personally rarely make chili outside of fall and winter, so if you're anything like me, grab that slow-cooker, a bag of tortillas and make yourself a big batch before the weather turns from frigid to merely cool. And if you're in a hurry, this recipe carries over just fine to the stove top. Just make sure to keep the heat on low and you'll have chili in no time :)

Chipotle Chili

2 lbs ground beef
1 onion, finely diced
4 garlic cloves, finely diced
1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes (or diced if you like them chunky)
2 Tbsp chili powder
1 1/2 Tbsp cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 Tbsp smoked paprika
3 chipotles in adobo, minced, plus 2 tsp adobo sauce
olive oil
salt
pepper

1. Saute onions and garlic in olive oil in a non-stick skillet until soft and add to your slow-cooker crock.

2. Add ground beef to the hot skillet, season with salt and cook until still just slightly pink in the center, making sure to break it up to your desired thickness.

3. Add meat (with any accumulated pan juices) chili powder, cayenne, cumin, paprika, pepper (to taste) chipotles, adobo and tomatoes to the slow-cooker crock. Stir to combine, cover and set on low to cook for 6-8 hours.

4. Once cooked, skim any extra fat that's risen to the top with a serving spoon or ladle. Check for salt and season to taste. Serve with sour cream, grated cheese and tortillas for dipping, or top with chives. Enjoy!

-Laura

Where I've Been All This Time...

2010-03-02T11:47:00.003-05:00

For those of you that waited patiently for me while I was lazy and sulking, I have what I hope you will consider to be a delectable treat. A tiny nugget of 'thank you' wrapped in a crunchy outer layer of 'you're awesome'. Just before my sulking period began I alluded to a styling project that was keeping me busy, and I'm happy to say that it's ready for public consumption. The project was a story that brought together the winter recipes of 11 great celebrity chefs that also happen to have an affinity for green cooking (seasonal, local, organic, etc...). I was able to work once again with my best friend Gloria (who you may remember from our Montreal road trip and her own great blog), a renaissance woman for the digital age, but first and foremost an outstanding photo editor and my first choice to art direct any photo shoot.

Other than working with people I love, the great part about the shoot was getting to work in real time. Having worked for years in the print world, I'm used to months of lead time and testing Thanksgiving food in June. In this case, I was actually buying ingredients and prepping recipes in their season, which was all the better for the photos. Not to mention it's a lot easier to cook and style winter fare with gusto when there's actually snow on the ground. The recipes are wonderful, even the few that I didn't prepare and style, and they run the gamut from appetizer to soup, salad, side and main course. There's wonderful color and flavor in each dish, so they're definitely worth making (we actually ate most of them for lunch during the shoot, so I can attest first hand). And as you can see, some of the shots don't really pertain to a particular recipe, but are actually really interesting and beautiful, and even ended up running on another site.

So, go ahead and check out the recipes here. I worked hard to make sure everyone would think they looked delicious, but my real hope is that they encourage everyone to get out there and cook seasonally and locally during this less than bountiful season. Spring is just around the corner and we'll all be snacking on asparagus and fava beans soon enough, but in the meantime I can say with all certainty that the Beet and Beef Stew is delicious and warming, the Spicy Cauliflower Soup is to die for on a cold day (especially with a dollop of sour cream), and the Lemongrass Poached Salmon is healthful and elegant. So make a pit-stop at the grocery store or farmers market and get cooking. I'll be back with some more winter recipes later this week in hopes of keeping everyone inspired!

-Laura

How to Roast a Chicken Without Even Trying

2010-02-25T12:56:00.003-05:00

Well, as the four of you that are still reading may have noticed, I've been absent from the blog for some time. You'd think that being home and unemployed as I have for a month (did I mention that?) would leave me with all the time in the world to blog, but unfortunately for me I've been uninspired as of late. As I've mentioned before, I enjoy cooking most as a release, and without anything to release from (except the stress of when I'll be seeing my next paycheck), I fell into a bit of a slump. I wasn't sure exactly what I needed to pick me up, but by my third week of moping it became clear that release or no release, I'm just not the same when I'm not cooking. So I picked myself up off the couch, shut off the Lost marathon and got back to cooking. I now have an arsenal of wonderful winter recipes to carry me (and anyone out there that is still reading) through the end of the season and into spring.

Shortly before my blogging sabbatical began I had an overwhelming urge to start making comfort food. The first thing that came to my mind was roast chicken, one of the many dishes I remember from my childhood with lip-smacking clarity. Despite the many misconceptions people have about roasting a chicken (it's hard/it takes too long/I don't know how to), it's actually a home cook's dream. There are a variety of different ways you can prep a chicken for roasting, but even if you did the bare minimum of washing, drying and salting it before tossing it into a hot oven, you'd only have spent 10 minutes on dinner, with an hour of roasting time left to help the kids with their homework, balance your checkbook or watch another Lost rerun (but that's just me).

My mother did it after an hour long commute home from work and it was perfect every time, with a side salad and mashed potatoes to boot. Hers was a classic and simple preparation with nothing more than salt and pepper and a butter rub on the skin for extra flavor. It's still the way I most often roast chicken, and by far my favorite, although I've recently started to experiment with some unlikely but delicious flavor combinations. I decided that a roast would be the perfect vehicle for the enormous bag of winter CSA veggies taking up residency in my crisper. Taking a little inspiration from a maple carrot recipe I made a while back, I decided to give the chicken a maple, butter, and soy sauce rub that would end up infusing the jus with a delicious east-meets-west flavor. They may sound like strange bedfellows, but trust me, these ingredients come together extremely well. Once I'd whisked the smokey maple syrup (the real stuff, guys--the fake stuff is mostly corn syrup) and soy sauce together and given the chicken a little bath with the mixture, I simply lathered on the butter. Then I scattered some carrots, parsnips and pink potatoes around the chicken so they could cook in the pan juices and impart their own flavor to the final jus (I also add half a cup of chicken stock and half a cup of water so there's enough of it for the whole chicken--I really looove gravy).

That's about it, and not to mention, it's really affordable and feeds a very large crowd. Roasting is one of my favorite things to do for company, whether it's a chicken, a duck or little Cornish hens, because you can get it started before anyone gets there and actually spend some time chatting with your guests instead of stuck in the kitchen. Not to mention that few smells are as delicious or as comforting as a chicken roasting in the oven. Your guests will automatically feel at ease, and your family will be itching to get to the table. Whether or not you make it a simple roast or one with more complex flavors, I can promise you you'll be shocked by how little effort is involved in making such a great meal. Here's the recipe for the chicken I most recently made:

Maple-Soy Roast Chicken

1 medium-sized whole chicken
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/8 cup soy sauce
3 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened if possible
1/2 cup chicken or vegetable stock
1/2 cup water
salt
pepper

1. Preheat your oven to 375 F degress. Wash your chicken thoroughly in cold water, careful to remove the neck and gizzards from the cavity first. Dry well with paper towel and place in an oven safe baking dish or casserole. Season with a few pinches of salt and pepper (the soy sauce is fairly salty so don't go too crazy).

2. Whisk maple syrup and soy sauce together and brush or rub over the chicken. Give it a minute to dry and if you have time and place it in the fridge to give the process a hand (I like to do this while I prep the veggies), but if not just go ahead and rub the softened butter all over the skin. Tie drumsticks together with kitchen twine.

3. Add water and stock to the dish and any vegetables you'd like to roast along with the chicken. Place in the oven and roast for 1 to 1 and half hours until cooked, depending on the size of your bird. I recommend peeking in every 20 minutes or so to make sure the breast isn't browning too fast (and if it is, cover just the breast with a piece of tin foil) and that the juices aren't disappearing (if so, simply add water 1/2 cup at a time). However, if you don't have time to check in, it won't catch on fire or explode and you'll still have a delicious roast chicken, so don't sweat it, and enjoy!

-Laura

Tender at the Bone

2010-01-26T10:44:00.003-05:00

I've known for a long time that it would probably be better for me to start cooking chicken on the bone. Money-wise, buying chicken or any other protein on the bone is always the way to go--the less work involved in getting your meat to you the cheaper it will be. So it stands to reason that bone-in, skin on chicken would be cheaper than even the largest "family value" pack of boneless, skinless chicken breasts, not to mention packed with flavor in the form of delicious (albeit fatty) skin. So why then, have I been buying the more expensive, less flavorful chicken breast? While I could blame the ubiquity of the boneless skinless chicken breast, the real culprit is unadulterated laziness. Sure, 90% of the chicken case at my local supermarket is made up of these "healthy cuts" (as is 100% of the organic chicken section), but the truth is that it's just as easy for me to reach for a package of chicken thighs, wings or even a whole chicken. It's like the people I chastise for leaving the house in sweat pants--doesn't it take just as much effort to reach for your jeans and not look like a total slob? So why can't I take my own advice?

This all started when I received my first winter CSA share, which came chock full of veggies, eggs, milk, canned tomatoes, and half a chicken. At first excited by the prospect of an entire half of an organic, free-range chicken, I set it in the freezer while I took a few days to plan how I'd use it (sadly they're partially frozen anyway for the long drive from our farm in upstate New York). Several days later I found myself stuck. It turns out that I don't really cook with chicken all that much, and when I do, it's usually just as a vehicle for some kind of sauce or vegetable. In the rare cases when it's not, it's usually because I have a few of the aforementioned boneless cutlets in the freezer and they're easy enough to cook and defrost when I'm feeling lazy (what appears to be a keyword in today's post). So looking for a way to use this half a chicken in a way that didn't take all day proved to be more difficult than I had thought. I considered using the slow cooker, which meant that I could start the chicken in the morning and have it ready by the time I came home from work. The obvious downside was not that I'd need to leave the slow cooker unattended, but that I'd need to wake up early enough before work to brown the chicken and chop/prepare any veggies that would go with it. I ultimately discounted the slow cooker idea, on account that it was more trouble than it was worth (i.e. I was too lazy to wake up 45 minutes earlier than normal).

With my half a chicken wasting away in the freezer I decided on a whim to just defrost it and spend my lunch hour coming up with a way to use it. A Barnes and Noble coupon eventually led me to the answer, as I took to the web in search of a way to use said coupon (a gift from heaven just begging to be used on a cookbook). After a few minutes of searching it became clear that the two cookbooks I'd received for Christmas were the only ones I'd really wanted, so I called off the search, but not before encountering Daniel Boulud's cookbook focused on braising. Of course! How could I have been so blind? Meat on the bone just calls out for braising, a process that despite it's longer cooking time, doesn't actually always require much preparation if you seek out the right recipe. Armed with this new insight I quickly remembered that my favorite braised chicken dishes as a kid usually involved olives and roasted red peppers. After a quick look around the kitchen I found I had pretty much everything else that I needed to make the dish. And since oranges are in season and so wonderfully delicious this time of year, I decided to braise the chicken with oranges. It turned out great, and now I have a great new (affordable) dish in my repertoire. Here's the final recipe:

Chicken Braised with Oranges, Olives and Roasted Red Peppers

1/2 chicken's worth of bone-in chicken parts (about 6, light or dark meat)
3/4 cup chicken stock
1/4 white wine
1/2 cup olives, roughly chopped (I prefer green, but any other is fine)
1/2 an onion, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, roughly chopped
2 large oranges, 1 cut into 6 wedges, the other halved
3 roasted red peppers, thinly sliced (jarred or fresh)
extra virgin olive oil
salt
pepper

1. In a large skillet (or even a Dutch oven) saute onions, peppers and garlic in oil until just starting to brown. Remove onions and garlic and reserve for later, leaving as much oil as possible in the pan.

2. Season chicken generously with salt and pepper and add to skillet, browning thoroughly on both sides (this is only for color--it will not be cooked through). When the chicken is browned on all sides, remove it to a plate. Deglaze the pan with the white wine, careful to scrape up all of the browned bits. Cook a minute further, then add the chicken stock, olives and juice of half an orange. Stir to combine and return chicken, onions, garlic, and red peppers to plan. Arrange orange slices in pan.

3. Cover and cook on medium heat until chicken is cooked through. White meat will be done faster, so if you have a mixture of white and dark, remove the white meat immediately after it's done to prevent it from overcooking. Serve over rice, farro or quinoa and enjoy!

-Laura

A Classic Case of the Munchies

2010-01-12T10:50:00.001-05:00

As I alluded in an earlier blog, I spent the week prior to Christmas working on an exciting photo shoot that I can't wait to share with you all. Although it kept me busy and on my feet--one whole day of shopping, prepping and cooking plus another day of cooking and styling on set--it was also inspiring in countless ways despite all the work involved. The recipes I styled were tailored towards the winter season so it was nice to actually work with the foods and vegetables that are currently in stores and at the market (often times publications shoot stories with a lead time of 2-4 months, so working in relative "real time" is a rarity). One dish I worked on utilized salmon, a protein that I am sad to say I do not cook nearly enough of these days despite how incredibly good it is for you (in addition to being delicious). I've been so focused on vegetables as of late that my once meaty ways have appeared to be a thing of the past. But I do still love my proteins, and it's nice to be reminded once in a while of how good some can actually be for you.

Once I was reminded of how tasty salmon was, the undeniable health facts came flooding to mind: it's packed with omega-3 fatty acids (especially the wild varieties) which are healthy, unsaturated fats that are great for your heart and even better for your skin and hair. The American Heart Association recommends eating these "fatty" fish (and others like mackerel, herring, lake trout, sardines and albacore tuna) at least twice a week, especially as a replacement for proteins packed with saturated fats. Unfortunately for all of us, the mercury levels found in some fish have deterred people like me, who used to eat fish 1-2 times a week from continuing to do so. I've instead turned to lean cuts of pork (remember when it was "the other white meat"?) and mountains of protein-rich grains like quinoa, but I'd like to once again give fish the old college try. The truth is that fish like salmon are filling and meaty without feeling heavy, and healthy preparations like oven roasting, poaching and steaming are often the way they're most delicious (try steaming that rib-eye and tell me how it tastes).

A healthy and filling portion of salmon generally weighs in at 6 ounces, which initially didn't sound like much to me, but after researching in several supermarkets and cookbooks it became clear that 6 ounces was plenty when served with a side of, well...pretty much anything. In fact, most supermarkets will get you by packaging one piece that's twice as large (and thus twice as expensive), and selling it to you as one portion. I've found that getting your portions cut at your fish counter is usually a better bet than getting the pre-packed pieces in the refrigerator case. Not only can you dictate the portion size, but you can often verify that a piece you see cut from a whole fish has not been previously frozen. Some higher-end markets like Whole Foods even have special deals on "healthy" portions of certain types of fish, which are worth taking advantage of, especially if you're only cooking for one.

Once I had salmon on the brain I knew exactly what to serve with it. I love the classic French pairing of salmon over lentils (talk about a health wallop), and there just happened to be enough French green lentils leftover from my photo shoot to round out the meal. These are small, dark lentils, which I really like because you can cook them fairly quickly (about 30 minutes) without having to let them soak in water overnight like larger lentils or dried beans. While they cooked I melted some butter and olive oil in a non-stick skillet and added the salmon, skin side down. Once it was browned I flipped it over and cooked it on the other side until the fish was medium and still slightly pink in the very center (which is my personal salmon preference). Then I removed it to a plate, lowered the heat and added the tiniest splash of white wine and the juice of 1 lemon. I let the mixture cook down a minute or two, then added one pat of butter, a little parsley and pulled it off the flame. While the salmon rested for a minute I sauteed the cooked lentils in olive oil with green onions, shallot, salt and pepper, then finished with a tiny splash of red wine vinegar. I plated the lentils with the salmon on top and a nice little arugula salad on the side. It was a perfectly filling meal which despite my lemon-butter sauce, I would consider relatively healthy and certainly affordable. I'll bet you could even entertain with this meal and only spend about $15 total for four people. Here's my final recipe.

Lemon-Butter Salmon with Lentils

(4) 6 oz portions of boneless salmon
3 Tbsp unsalted butter, divided
extra virgin olive oil
1/8 cup white wine
juice of 1 lemon
3 Tbsp fresh chopped parsley, divided
salt
pepper
1 1/2 cups french green lentils
4 scallions, thinly sliced
2 small shallots, finely chopped
1 Tbsp red wine or sherry vinegar

1. Add lentils to a large pot with 2 tablespoons of salt and cover generously with water. Bring to a boil and cook until done (soft but not mushy--I prefer mine a bit al dente), stirring occasionally. Set aside.

2. Heat 2 tablespoons of butter and about 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat in a large non-stick skillet. Season the salmon with salt and pepper and add to the pan, skin side down (if all four pieces don't fit, do it in batches to avoid crowding the pan). Cook until crispy and flip to cook on the other side to your desired doneness is achieved. Remove salmon to a plate to rest.

3. Reduce the heat to low and add the wine, allowing it a minute or two for the alcohol to cook off. Then add the lemon juice and allow the sauce to thicken and reduce slightly. Finish with the last tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of parsley.

4. Add shallot, green onion and extra virgin olive oil to a non-stick skillet and cook on medium low heat for 30 seconds. Add lentils and toss to combine. Taste for seasoning, adding salt and fresh black pepper as necessary. Remove pan from heat, add vinegar, toss to combine and plate with salmon, drizzling salmon with lemon butter sauce. Enjoy!

-Laura

Kiss My Grits

2010-01-06T11:53:00.000-05:00

Sorry for the long absence folks, but between the holidays and a food styling gig, I've clearly been otherwise engaged. Despite being MIA, I did get my first winter CSA box. While I didn't expect the kind of squeal-inducing produce that I received over the summer, I was pleasantly surprised to see gorgeous rainbow swiss chard among the pounds of potatoes, beets, carrots, squash and cabbage. I'd been waiting all year to make a dish that I found on a photographer's website while searching for photo inspiration. It appeared to have made excellent use of the lovely multi-hued greens, or at least that's what I got from the photo. Somehow I managed to go through all of 2009 without making it despite seeing the photo almost everyday and telling myself that it'd be a beautiful and easy dish. I thought of it often, but as almost always is the case, I went with something I already knew.

So finally, as things returned to normal and the Christmas season began to fade away, I flipped through my file of photo inspiration hoping to find a new way of using my winter CSA produce. As soon as I saw the photo it hit me that if I didn't make the swiss chard dish now, I'd probably never make it. It also helped that the greens were the most delicate of all my vegetables and likely the first to spoil. In the photo, a heaping pile of rainbow swiss chard rests on a bed of fluffy yellow polenta. It had been enticing me for a year, daring me to find a more comforting winter dish. With the photo as my guide I took to my pantry in search of polenta. I usually buy the cheapest possible cornmeal in the grocery store, foregoing the teeny tiny specialty packages labeled as polenta for the gargantuan, affordable ones labeled as cornmeal and located in the baking aisle near the flour. You could also buy grits, which are typically made with white hominy corn instead of yellow, but cornmeal is cheaper and usually worth more bang for your buck in terms of quantity (and quality wise I find they're the same, because in fact, they are). I like my polenta the way I like my grits--with heaps of salty butter and creamy cheese--and so, no matter what the preparation may have been in the photo, mine would simply consist of butter and cheese (with a dash of milk for creaminess and a big twist of white pepper for a little heat).

Once that was decided I figured I'd prepare the greens on the spicy side, the way I really like them, simply sauteed in olive oil with lots of garlic and red pepper flake. Departing from the photo I topped my dish with shrimp cooked similarly to the greens, creating a play on shrimp and grits. The shrimp were juicy and plump and cooked up in no time at all (honestly, if you're cooking shrimp more than 5-7 minutes they're probably overdone), as did the rest of the dish. The polenta is what takes the longest to prepare, but if you're really in a pinch you could use quick cooking grits or polenta. I'd say this is about a 30 minute meal already, but quick cooking grits would cut the time down to at least 20 minutes. But the truth is that despite the short cooking time the final dish manages to be both homey and elegant, two adjectives that popped into my mind when I first set eyes on my inspiration photo. I'd hoped that the shrimp would add enough protein to make it into a complete dish without cramping the elegant style of my inspiration dish. It ended up working out for the best, I think in fact adding a touch of sophistication to the overall dish. In the future I think I'll try it again with some kind of broth in the bottom of the bowl for a little added oomph--lately I've been daydreaming of the gorgeous meyer lemons that are currently in season, so maybe a nice lemony broth to contrast the rich polenta and spicy shrimp and greens. Stay tuned!

Spicy "Shrimp and Grits" with Rainbow Swiss Chard

16 jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
6 cups rainbow swiss chard (or beet greens), washed and chopped
1 cup polenta or grits
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
3 Tbsp butter (I like salted for this)
4 large or 6 small garlic cloves, finely sliced
1 tsp red pepper flakes, divided
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese (or any cheese of your liking)
extra virgin olive oil
salt
black pepper

1. Bring stock to a boil and stir in polenta/grits and 1 Tbsp of butter. Simmer over medium-low heat, stirring frequently until cooked through, about 30 minutes. If using quick cook polenta/grits, save this for the last step.

2. Meanwhile, heat olive oil, swiss chard stems, half of the garlic and half of the red pepper flakes in a non-stick skillet. Add the greens in batches if necessary and cook until wilted. Set aside.

3. Heat olive oil and the remaining garlic and red pepper flake in another skillet. Add shrimp and cook on each side until pink and tender. Stir cheese, milk and remaining butter into the cooked polenta/grits and plate, topping with swiss chard and 4 shrimp. Spoon garlic oil and bits of garlic over shrimp and serve. Enjoy!

-Laura

Back to the Future

2009-12-14T09:34:00.001-05:00

Now that I'm no longer stressing about Thanksgiving I can go back to focusing on making easy dinners. The holiday leftovers lasted for one long week despite how hard we tried to incorporate them into every single meal (including bag lunches). I think I've had more turkey in the last 8 days than I have in my entire life, and I'm not happy about it. I've never been a fan of turkey and even the delicious garlic-cream pasta with spinach that I made last week for dinner seemed to mind that I deigned to add in some leftover turkey. But now all that has passed and I'm ready to go back to cooking from scratch. Unfortunately, while I was in the fifth circle of leftover hell, the majority of late fall's appetizing seasonal ingredients seem to have disappeared from most farmers markets. Some brussels sprouts can be found lingering and there are still plenty of winter squashes to be had, but other than that I'm left mostly with tubers and roots, which is when I predictably turn to soups and stews. It's not completely hopeless (yet) for a seasonal locavore such as myself, but until my winter CSA starts up in two weeks, I'll have a little bit of a challenge.

One of the things I can always count on regardless of the season is my pantry, the one little cheat that I allow myself when what's is season just doesn't satisfy. Cannellini beans can most often be seen coming to my rescue. They're a great bit of added protein that can really pull together a meal if you have a few ingredients that still need a little "something". I had a big bag of carrots still going strong and a few turnips and potatoes that I knew I needed to be used soon. These ingredients wouldn't amount to much on their own since they're in the same flavor and texture range, but with the addition of a little texture and an injection of flavor, you could really make all of the ingredients sing harmoniously. In the way of texture I popped open two trusty cans of cannellini beans, which would bring in a creamy mouth-feel and a slight legume nuttiness that would contrast really nicely with the firm, potatoes and sweet carrots. For added flavor I browned up some spicy sausage that I knew had smoked paprika and cayenne pepper, which would also lend some color to the dish.

I originally thought of making a hash, but the thought of having to chop everything teeny tiny or grating all of those vegetables after a log day at work made me change my mind. Instead I decided I'd make a winter vegetable soup with sausage and serve it with a side of arugula salad. The most time consuming part was preparing the vegetables, but it really only took me about 20 minutes total to wash, peel and chop everything (I did a rough 1/2 inch dice on all veggies--it didn't really need to be too perfect). I don't like the way onions feel in soup but love the flavor, so I just quartered mine and sauteed them in extra virgin olive oil with two cloves of garlic (smashed) and all of the vegetables. Before anything browned I removed the onions and garlic and added in a few cups of chicken stock. While everything came up to a boil and the vegetables cooked in the chicken stock (and added flavor to it) I began to brown the sausage in a separate skillet. Once the vegetables were tender I added the sausage and the beans and let them cook at a low boil until warmed through. That's all it took and it was hearty without being heavy, and all of the fall/winter veggies played their part. You could do this easily with any of your favorite veggies, not to mention you could even toss in some greenery like spinach, chard or turnips greens (ooh, ooh, or kale, yeah, kale!). It's a great way to make use of veggies or beans, and you could even switch up the type of beans. Once I get my slow cooker under control (after the holidays) I hope to start cooking dry beans en masse so I can forgo the canned ones for a while. But for now, they're still my pantry saviors. Here's how to make this soup yourself:

Winter Veggie Soup

3 small carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
2 medium potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
3 large or 5 small turnips, peeled and roughly chopped
1 onion, quartered
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 cans of cannellini beans, rinsed
4 spicy sausages (like hot Italian, andouille or chorizo), casings removed
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
8 low sodium cups chicken stock
salt
pepper

1. In a large pot, sweat onion and garlic in olive oil until slightly softened and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add carrots, potatoes and turnips and sauté briefly (about 30 seconds) before removing onion and garlic from pan (you can discard them). Cover with stock and cook until vegetables are tender.

2. Meanwhile, brown sausage in a skillet and set aside. When the vegetables are cooked, add beans and sausage to the pot and cook on medium low until beans are heated through and the sausage has colored the soup (about 5 minutes). Serve and enjoy!

-Laura