Protean Protein

Winter may be over, but I struggled with seasonality quite a bit this past season. Long-time readers may recall that I usually spend this time of year complaining about how I'm totally over winter vegetables and how I couldn't possibly think of another way to use them. But this year something strange happened: there were no winter vegetables! There's been a rabid heatwave over the last several months here on the east coast, whih led to a lack of winter produce. Winter vegetables typically get their distinctively sweet flavors by growing in frigid temperatures, which in turn develop their natural sugars. Carrots, beets, celeriac, winter squash, parsnips, and black kale are among some of my favorite winter veggies not to be found at the farmers market this winter. How did I cope without winter veggies? By eating lots of meat.

Without seasonal veggies as a default side dish to lighten my many meats, I began to play with alternatives. After tearing through pantry staples and the usual starchy suspects (rice, mashed potatoes, pasta, orzo, couscous) I turned to the much lauded and much healthier "ancient grains". The category (actually a misnomer since many are in fact not actual grains) includes kamut, barley, oats, millet, farro and one of my favorites, quinoa. What's important about these is that while they're not all necessarily grains, they are indeed ancient, which is to say that they have not been genetically modified in any way since they were first cultivated thousands of years ago. Much of our modern day grains have had their structure (their nutrient balance, essentially) altered over the years for a variety of reasons. What quinoa, for example, can offer is a complete protein profile, that is to say it has a good balance of protein, carbohydrates and fat.

If you're looking to get a variety of nutrients (including iron) or to reign in a portion control issue, quinoa is the perfect foil. Because it has a slightly higher fat content compared to other grains (but is not a fatty food) and because it's so high in protein, eating just a small amount of it will help you feel full, while giving you a day's worth of protein with just a one-cup serving (it's a great choice for vegetarians or for a meatless meal). So whether you eat it alone, mixed with a few vegetables, or as a side dish, you'll end up satisfied while eating less. Nutritional benefits aside, quinoa is also quick cooking (who doesn't love that?) and delicious. I like to cook mine in stock instead of water for a little added flavor, and if I do happen to have vegetables on hand, will fold in some sauteed spinach and thinly sliced leeks (both finally available at the farmers market). Quinoa's great at absorbing flavors, so I love to serve it alongside a roast with plenty of sauce (it's pictured above alongside an oven-roasted chicken leg) or as a salad (unlike other grains it drinks up dressing). This warm recipe has leeks and overwintered spinach, but any of your favorite veggies will work. 

Quinoa with Spinach and Leeks 

1½ cups quinoa 
3 cups low-sodium chicken, vegetable or beef stock
½ tsp kosher salt
4 cups spinach, roughly chopped
2 leeks, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, very finely minced
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1. Combine quinoa, salt, and stock in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cover. Cook 10-12 minutes until all of the liquid has been absorbed and quinoa is tender.

2. Meanwhile, heat garlic, leeks and olive oil over low heat in a large non-stick skillet, about 30 seconds. Add spinach (in batches if necessary) and continue cooking, stirring frequently, until wilted. Fold in cooked quinoa until well combined. Serve and enjoy!


-Laura

Nouveau Quiche

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

Tarting It Up

As I've mentioned before, pastry is not my forte. I generally avoid baking, anything involving the words dough or batter, and I can, on very rare occasions, be seen getting enthusiastic about sweets--usually donuts and the occasional pie. So it may seem odd that I was so strongly drawn to a recipe that involved a pie crust and baking. And while I won't say it wasn't without it's petty annoyances (did I mention I don't even own a rolling pin?), the true minimal effort of this recipe was well worth it for the results. After all, who doesn't want to walk through the door after a long day to the smell of a tart in the oven? I have to admit I thoroughly enjoyed flipping channels and scanning a few magazines while the smell of a lightly browning pie crust and slowly melting cheese wafted through the air. It was such a pleasant and unfamiliar smell in my home--which is generally peppered with the aromas of paprika, bacon and garlic--that I almost forgot they were my doing.

While basking in the scents of traditional home cookery was great, there was a supermarket shortcut involved that explains the recipe's appeal. It made use of frozen pie crust, which much like frozen puff pastry, can be an excellent shortcut for an impressive meal. While homemade pie crust isn't nearly as difficult or as involved as making puff pastry from scratch, I do think it's worth using as a time saver for both quick dinners and entertaining. There's nothing worse than entertaining and spending all your time in the kitchen. By making a tart with store bought pie crust you're saving wildly on time so you'll be composed and sweat-free by the time your guests arrive to a calm house filled to the brim with the scent of baking. Some people think of it as cheating, and that's fine, because it's what you put into the tart that counts, and I think seasonal veggies and delicious cheeses more than make up for one supermarket purchase. After all, as much as I preach about organic vegetables and using great ingredients, I do believe the secret to pretty much everything is moderation. Despite what we know about how bad canned foods can be for you, I also think if you're using one or two cans of rinsed beans every few weeks you're probably okay--however, if you're popping open a Chef Boyardee or Hormel chili every night, you might want to check out this article and rethink it.

But on to the good stuff. Other than some issues with rolling out the dough (what with using a wine bottle and all), the prep was a breeze. The zucchini chops up quickly, and the potatoes slice pretty fast as well (if you're not so good with a knife you can use a mandolin or the slicing attachment on your food processor). After quickly sauteing everything in a large pan you just toss in the cheese and herbs and fill the crust with the mixture. I added in a few dollops of ricotta (not in the original recipe) for color and flavor, since I'm a sucker for any kind of white pizza or gooey tart. All that was left was to bake, which took about and hour. Other than periodically checking in to make sure the crust wasn't burning, I pretty much sat back and relaxed. It even made my day when a friend stopped by and commented on how great dinner smelled. So if you want a quick meal that will impress anyone, give this one a go. It makes use of smart shortcuts and fresh ingredients for a dish that I can say with certainty won't disappoint. And you could easily make multiples (I made 2) if you happen to be entertaining.

Potato, Leak and Feta Tart
adapted from Real Simple

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 leeks (white and light green parts), cut into half-moons
2 small zucchini, cut into half-moons
kosher salt and black pepper
1/2 cup crumbled feta (about 2 ounces)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
2 Red Bliss potatoes (8 ounces), thinly sliced
1 store-bought 9-inch pie crust
4-5 tablespoons ricotta

1. Heat oven to 375º F. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the leeks, zucchini,1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until just tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the feta and dill. Add the potatoes and toss to combine.

2. On a piece of parchment paper, roll the pie crust to a 12-inch diameter. Slide the paper onto a baking sheet. Spoon the potato mixture onto the pie crust, leaving a 2-inch border. Fold the edge of the pie crust over the edge of the potato mixture. Dollop the top with a few tablespoons of ricotta cheese. Bake (covering with foil if the crust gets too dark) until the pie crust is golden brown and the potatoes are tender, 50 to 60 minutes.

-Laura

You Do The Mash

I like to think that every meal serves a purpose beyond just keeping us fed and nourished. I especially like to imagine that with every meal we are filling a void or satisfying a craving. A meal has the potential to be much more than sustenance--it can be the missing puzzle piece in your day that, for lack of a better term (my apologies to Tom Cruise) can complete you. Whether it's a craving for fast food, greasy take-out or your favorite mac and cheese, sometimes ensuring that what you eat hits the spot can be the variable that either makes it a great day, or a disappointing one.

I never felt this more than on Sunday night, when after yet another weekend out of the city, I returned home and craved something comforting and homemade. I have to admit that all of these road trips I've been on recently are really taking a toll on my normally (fairly) decent eating habits. Somewhere between the barbecues, pizza parties and post game commiserating, I've found myself wanting the one thing that used to satisfy me the most. Although I always cooked for myself in the years before this blog, I must say that there was less variety in my diet. Part of the reason I started the blog, in fact, was to encourage myself to diversify my cooking habits and skills. I used to rely on steak and potatoes or steak and a salad a few times a week, especially when I was tired or working late. Cooking something I craved was the exception, not the rule, and soon after the blog started my steak dinners fell by the wayside.

Collapsing on my sofa after the rainy Sunday drive back to the city, I was reminded of my pre-blog eating habits. Having feasted on pizza, coffee, donuts and beer all weekend, nothing sounded better to me than those old hearty steak dinners in front of the tv. I figured I shouldn't totally regress and perhaps find an alternative side dish to my normally very rich mashed potatoes and gravy. I decided to do a little crisper clean out and make a parsnip, potato and leek mash instead, and since I was being such a good girl, I topped it off with a pat of butter and a little crispy bacon. It turned out great and was super simple to make. It was also the perfect foil for something like steak, where you can scoop up the mash with a bit of meat. Here's my final (very satisfying) recipe:

Potato, Parsnip & Leek Mash

2 large Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced
2 small to medium parsnips, peeled, cores removes, diced
1 large leek (white and light green parts only, thoroughly washed, chopped
5 Tbsp butter
1 cup water
1/2 tsp sage
1 Tbsp ricotta cheese
salt
pepper
crispy bacon (for garnish)

1. Heat 4 Tbsp butter in a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Add leeks and cook covered until softened (not browned) about 8-10 minutes. Add potatoes, parsnips and sage, cooking another minute.

2. Add water, salt and pepper and cook covered until potatoes and parsnips are tender and water has been absorbed (add more water while cooking if necessary).

3. Remove pan from heat and mash mixture. Mix in ricotta and a little water or butter if necessary for texture. Serve topped with remaining pat of butter and crumbled bacon. Enjoy!

-Laura

Spring Is In The Air

I recently realized that when it comes to culinary fears, people are scared of more than just ingredients and sad looking veggies. Sometimes it's an entire dish or even the action in the kitchen that scares them away. I, for example, happen to face anything even remotely resembling the act of baking with a great deal of fear and trepidation. The mere sight of a pressure cooker can also lead me into a tearful, hive filled frenzy. Other people fear grilling, undercooked food or choking on a fish bone. It's recently come to my attention that many people fear risotto, even though I have it on very good authority (my own) that it's incredibly easy to make and unlikely to kill you by choking. I'm still not quite sure how risotto developed it's reputation for being difficult, but just like J.Lo and Mariah Carey before it, somewhere along the way risotto came to be known as a high maintenance dish.

While it's still unclear if the aforementioned divas actually require that much attention, risotto most certainly does not. As I've blogged about before, making risotto is not the time consuming, labor intensive treat that restaurants would have us believe. In fact, I like to think of making risotto as kind of like babysitting--you don't have to smother the kid with attention and watch his every move, but from time to time you check in on him and see what he's doing, just to make sure he's doing okay. You're basically just adding chicken stock to a pan of rice every few minutes or so until the rice is cooked through. Old wives tales about lording over the stove and stirring the rice are complete rubbish. After all, do you really think there's a chef in a kitchen at some fancy Italian restaurant standing in front of a skillet for 20 minutes, stirring without stopping? No, of course not. In fact. I recently caught an episode of The Best Recipes In The World with Mark Bittman, where chef Mario Batali said all of this, and let's face it--I'm not arguing with him about Italian technique.

So, faced with a fridge full of springtime goodness, I figured nothing would be more delicious to make than a spring vegetable risotto (risotto primavera, as I call it). I used some delicious and absolutely enormous leeks from the greenmarket instead of onions, lovely fresh asparagus, and some nice sweet French beans. For some color and a bit of tartness I threw in some sun-dried tomatoes. I topped the whole thing off with Parmesan cheese once I took the dish off the flame, and it was wonderful. The dish tasted straight out of the greenmarket, and the rice really absorbed all of the great, fresh vegetable flavors. I can't say enough great things about risotto making and how easy it is, but the best advice I can pass on is what I heard Mario Batali say the other day when asked how to make your homemade risotto taste more like the kind you get in a restaurant: "More butter, more oil."

Risotto Primavera

1 cup arborio rice
1 cup asparagus, cut into 1 inch pieces
1/2 cup French beans or green beans, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 cup leeks, chopped and well rinsed
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
4 cups chicken stock or non tomato based vegetable stock
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
salt
pepper

1. Heat oil in a large skillet. Sauté leeks on medium heat until just starting to brown, then add rice and cook another 2 minutes until rice turns opaque.

2. Add all of the vegetables and sauté another 2 minutes. Add 2 ladles full of stock to skillet and cook until almost all liquid is evaporated. Repeat until rice is cooked through.

3. Remove dish from heat and stir in Parmesan cheese. Plate and serve. Enjoy!

**This would also be great with fresh spring peas!!

-Laura

Some Like It Warm

After several days of chicken broth and no real effort in the kitchen, I decided to bounce back with a soup that has real sustenance with minimal effort. I'm not usually a big fan of chilled soups (and believe me, I know that gazpacho, the mother of all cold soups, is from Spain--I'm still not into it) but I really love a certain cold soup served warm and with a few changes. Traditionally, vichyssoise is a puree of potatoes and leeks mixed with a bit of cream, but I like to add a bit of a twist by adding a few more ingredients to beef up the flavor.

Since this was the first truly homemade meal I'd be making post fever (and keeping in mind that I'm still a bit froggy in the voice department) I figured a good place to start would be to add more veggies. A few years ago I took a stab at Ina Garten's warm zucchini vichyssoise from her cookbook, Barefoot in Paris. In general, I found the recipe a bit bland for a warm soup (it would probably work well cold), but decided that with a few tweaks, it would have the potential to be a delicious light puree. It wasn't until this week that I finally got to test it with my changes, but I think it turned out great. One of the flaws that I found in Garten's recipe is that she doesn't sauté all of the vegetables. After heating the leaks in olive oil and butter, she simply adds the chopped zucchini and potatoes to the pan and immediately brings the mixture to a boil in chicken broth. Instead, I sautéed everything together and allowed for a bit of carmelization and also made sure to lightly salt everything to draw out those veggie juices and flavors.

I'd originally toyed with adding some kind of herb for freshness, or maybe a dry spice for heat, but couldn't really find anything that worked. So after a few moments of reflection (and watching Project Runway) I finally decided to try adding a bit of acidity. In staying with the soup's lovely green theme, I dug out a few limes and pretended like I knew this flavor combination was going to work. In the end, it did. But then again, I generally find that adding a squirt of lemon or lime to most soups really brightens up the flavor, so there wasn't a huge window for failure. The last thing I changed was the amount, and type, of dairy. Instead of heaps of heavy cream (although in Ina's defense, I think it was only a few tablespoons in her recipe) I went with just two tablespoons of half and half. I know that seems like a cop out, but I mostly added it for finish (also, it broke my heart to mess with the lovely color that develops as the vegetables slowly brake down).

That said, it won't look like much until after it's pureed, but once it is, the soup takes on a beautiful velvety texture, and a radiant spring green color that you don't see very much of in the winter. Although I normally find running food through a mill exhausting, the vegetables in this recipe are so soft and delicate after they're cooked, that it's a breeze--I was done in less than five minutes. I'm also normally a stickler for peeling vegetables for purees, but the zucchini peel is so soft after cooking that it almost melts--and the small pieces that don't are tender and harmless, just lovely emerald dots studding the soup for an almost rustic feel. If you don't have a food mill, they're actually pretty cheap, can be taken apart for easy storage, and are usually available at the hardware store. They're not required kitchenware, but are the best way to puree without whipping any extra air into your dish, and a great way to catch the skins from hard to peel veggies. If you don't have one handy, go ahead and use an immersion or stick blender. That's enough talk, here's the actual recipe:

Zucchini Vichyssoise

2 large leeks, washed and sliced
2 large zucchinis, chopped
4 Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and chopped
2 1/2 Tbsp butter
2 1/2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 cups chicken or vegetable broth (non-tomato based)
2 small garlic cloves
juice of 1/2 a lime
salt
white pepper

1. Heat butter and olive oil in a medium skillet. Add leeks, a pinch of salt, and sauté until soft.

2. Add zucchini and potatoes, season with salt and pepper and sauté another 5 minutes.

3. Add chicken broth and garlic to pan and bring to a boil. Cook until zucchini and potatoes are done, about 20-30 minutes.

4. Remove pan from heat and allow to cool until it's almost warm to the touch, then run mixture through a food mill until smooth.

5. Add lime juice, taste for salt and garnish with lime zest. Enjoy!

-Laura