Monday, October 2, 2017

Roasted Radishes with Brown Butter, Lemon and Radish Tops

Ingredients:

  • 2 bunches medium radishes (such as red, pink, and purple; about 20)
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
  • Coarse kosher salt
  • 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter
  • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Instructions:
  • Preheat oven to 450°F. Brush large heavy-duty rimmed baking sheet with olive oil. Cut off all but 1/2 inch of green radish tops; reserve trimmed tops and rinse them well, checking for grit. Coarsely chop radish tops and set aside. Cut radishes lengthwise in half and place in medium bowl. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil and toss thoroughly to coat. Place radishes, cut side down, on prepared baking sheet; sprinkle lightly with coarse salt. Roast until radishes are crisp-tender, stirring occasionally, about 18 minutes. Season to taste with more coarse kosher salt, if desired.
  • Melt butter in heavy small skillet over medium-high heat. Add pinch of coarse kosher salt to skillet and cook until butter browns, swirling skillet frequently to keep butter solids from burning, about 3 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and stir in fresh lemon juice.
  • Transfer roasted radishes to warmed shallow serving bowl and drizzle brown butter over. Sprinkle with chopped radish tops and serve.

Kohlrabi Carrot Fritters

Ingredients:

  • 2 kohlrabi
  • 1 carrot
  • 1 egg
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne
  • ½ cup grapeseed or vegetable oil (enough for ¼-inch depth in a large skillet)
  • ½ avocado
  • ¼ cup plain yogurt
  • ½ lemon
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • Green onions (for garnish)

Instructions:

  • Cut the leaves off the kohlrabi and peel the bulb. Peel 1 carrot. Shred the vegetables in a food processor, or by hand using a grater. Squeeze the shredded vegetables in a tea cloth (or with your hands) to remove moisture, then add to a medium bowl with 1 egg, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, and ¼ teaspoon cayenne. Mix to combine.
  • Place ½ cup oil in a large skillet (enough for ¼-inch depth). Heat the oil over medium high heat, then place small patties of the fritter mixture into the oil. Fry on one side until browned, then fry on the other side. Remove and place on a plate lined with a paper towel to drain excess oil.
  • In a small bowl, mix ½ avocado, ¼ cup plain yogurt, juice from ½ lemon, and ¼ teaspoon kosher salt to make the avocado cream (or blend the ingredients together in a food processor).
  • Serve fritters with avocado cream and sliced green onions.

Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients:

  • One 2- to 3-pound butternut squash, peeled and seeded
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 6 cups chicken stock
  • Nutmeg
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions:

  • Cut squash into 1-inch chunks. In large pot melt butter. Add onion and cook until translucent, about 8 minutes. Add squash and stock. Bring to a simmer and cook until squash is tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove squash chunks with slotted spoon and place in a blender and puree. Return blended squash to pot. Stir and season with nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Serve.

Sour Cream and Scallion Drop Biscuits

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted, cooled, divided
  • 4 scallions, thinly sliced
  • 1½ cups sour cream
  • Hungarian hot paprika (for serving)
Instructions:
  • Preheat oven to 400°. Whisk flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, and baking soda in a large bowl. Drizzle in 6 Tbsp. butter and mix lightly with your hands just to distribute butter. Make a well in center of bowl and add scallions and sour cream. Mix with a wooden spoon until no dry spots remain and mixture forms a shaggy dough.
  • Using 2 spoons, drop ½-cupfuls of dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing at least 1½" apart, or into a 12" cast-iron skillet, arranging so sides of biscuits are just touching (you should have 8). Brush tops with remaining 2 Tbsp. butter; sprinkle with paprika. Bake biscuits until tops and bottoms are golden brown on top and bottom, 12–15 minutes.

Crispy Pan Fried Beans and Wilted Greens

Ingredients:

  • 8 ounces (1/2 bunch) Swiss chard
  • 1 onion, thinly sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 12 ounces (2 cups or one 15-ounce can) cannelloni or other white beans, drained and rinsed
  • Zest from one lemon
  • Juice from 1/2 lemon
  • 1 teaspoon za'atar spice blend
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons salt
  • Good-quality extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions:

  • Trim the center stem from the Swiss chard (or Tatsoi!) and slice the leaves cross-wise into ribbons. Chop the stems into bite-sized pieces.
  • Heat one teaspoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the onions with 1/2 teaspoon salt until they are very soft and uniformly golden-brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic and the chopped chard/tatsoi stems, 1 minute. Transfer the onion mixture to a bowl.
  • Warm another 1 to 2 teaspoons of oil, enough to coat the entire bottom of the pan. Add the beans and spread them into a single layer. Cook for 2 minutes without stirring. Stir and spread them out again. Repeat until all the beans are blistered all over. Adjust the heat as needed to prevent burning the beans.
  • Stir the chard/tatsoi leaves, the za'atar, and another 1/2 teaspoon of salt into the beans. Stir until the chard/tatsoi is completely wilted and tastes tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the onion mixture back in, along with the lemon zest and juice from 1/2 lemon. Stir and taste. Add more lemon juice, salt, or other seasonings to taste.
  • Serve immediately, drizzling a little extra-virgin olive oil over each dish. Add a poached egg, a scoop of pasta, or a piece of toast to make a more complete meal. The beans will lose their crispiness as they cool, but leftovers still make a tasty meal. This dish will keep refrigerated for up to a week.

Carrot Fennel Soup

Ingredients:

  • 2 medium fennel bulbs with fronds
  • 1 pound carrots, quartered lengthwise
  • 1 medium onion, quartered
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar
  • 2 1/2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
  • 2 1/2 cups water
  • 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
  • Equipment: an electric coffee/spice grinder

Instructions:

  • Preheat oven to 450°F with rack in lowest position.
  • Chop enough fennel fronds to measure 1 tablespoon and reserve. Discard stalks and remaining fronds. Slice bulbs 1/4 inch thick and toss with carrots, onion, garlic, 3 tablespoons oil, sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Spread in a 4-sided sheet pan and roast, stirring occasionally, until browned and tender, 25 to 30 minutes.
  • Blend half of vegetables in a blender with broth until very smooth. Transfer to a medium saucepan. Repeat with remaining vegetables and water. Thin to desired consistency with extra water and simmer 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
  • Meanwhile, finely grind fennel seeds in grinder and stir into remaining 2 tablespoons oil. 3Serve soup drizzled with fennel oil and sprinkled with reserved fronds.

10 Minute Lemon Garlic Sauteed Bok Choy

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound baby bok choy (or napa cabbage)
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
  • Sea salt
  • Half of a lemon, cut into wedges
Instructions:
  • Remove any discolored outer stalks of the bok choy and discard them (or save for stock later). Place the bok choy into a colander and rinse with cool water, rubbing any grit or dirt from between the leaves. Trim the ends then slice each bok choy in half lengthwise. Or if they are large, cut into quarters. Pat dry.
  • Add the oil, garlic and red pepper flakes to a wide room temperature skillet. Place over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the oil begins to bubble around the garlic, but before the garlic starts to turn light brown.
  • Toss in the the boy choy and spread into one layer. Sprinkle with about 1/4 teaspoon of salt then cook, without stirring, until the bottom is starting to turn brown, about 2 minutes. Flip then cook another 2 minutes or until the green leaves have wilted and the white bottoms are beginning to soften, but still have some crunch.
  • Transfer to a platter then squeeze 2 lemon wedges on top. A teaspoon or so of olive oil is nice, too. Serve with more lemon wedges on the side.

Roasted Fennel and Baby Carrots

Ingredients:

  • 6 bunches baby carrots, peeled and trimmed, leaving 1/2 inch of stems intact
  • 2 medium fennel bulbs, stalks discarded and bulbs cut into 1/2-inch-thick wedges
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons water
  • 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions:

  • Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 450°F. (If you are making just this dish, you can put oven rack in middle position and roast vegetables on that rack throughout.)
  • Toss carrots and fennel with olive oil, water, fennel seeds, salt, and pepper and arrange in 1 layer in a 17- by 11-inch shallow baking pan. Cover pan with foil and roast vegetables in lower third of oven 10 minutes, then uncover and roast, turning occasionally, 10 minutes more. Switch pan to upper third of oven and roast until vegetables are tender and browned, about 10 minutes more.

Roasted Delicata Squash with Tumeric

Ingredients:

  • cooking spray
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 delicata squash, about 14 oz each, washed and dried
  • 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • fresh black pepper, to taste
  • chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish

Instructions:

  • Preheat oven to 425°F. Lightly spray 2 large nonstick baking sheets with oil.
  • Slice the squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds with a spoon. Slice the seeded halves into 1/4-inch thick slices (half circles) and place them in a large bowl.
  • Drizzle the olive oil, salt, turmeric, garlic powder and black pepper, tossing toss well to coat. Lay flat on the prepared baking sheets and bake in the center of the oven until golden brown, about 10 to 14 minutes on each side. Remove from oven and top with fresh cilantro and eat right away.

Black Eyed Peas with Leeks and Chard

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup dried black-eyed peas (about 6 ounces), sorted and rinsed
  • 3 quarts water, divided, more if needed
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 1 bunch chard (9 to 12 ounces), rinsed well
  • 2 large leeks (1½ to 2 pounds)
  • 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided, more if needed
  • 3/4 to 1½ cups shelled fresh black-eyed peas, if desired (from ½ to 1 pound whole)
  • 4 large cloves garlic, chopped (5½ teaspoons)
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • Cayenne pepper to taste, if desired
Instructions:
  •  1. In a medium saucepan, bring the dried black-eyed peas and 1 quart water to a boil over high heat. Cover and cook over low heat for 45 minutes. Add a pinch of salt and simmer until peas are tender, 20 to 40 minutes more; if the peas look a little dry, add additional water as needed to cover while cooking. Remove from heat and set the peas, still in their cooking liquid, aside.
  • 2. Meanwhile, clean and chop the chard: Pull the chard leaves from the stems and keep each in a separate pile. Peel the stems if they are stringy. Cut the stems in one-half-inch slices. Roll the leaves up, slice them in ribbons and coarsely chop them.
  • 3. In a deep, medium sauté pan, bring 1 quart water to a boil and add a pinch of salt. Add the chard stems and return to a boil. Cover and cook over high heat for 2 minutes. Add the chard leaves, stir and return to a boil. Boil uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the chard is tender, about 3 minutes. Drain the chard, rinse it with cold water and drain it well. Dry the pan.
  • 4. Cut off the dark green tops of the leeks (discard them or use them to flavor the broth in the recipe for couscous with seven blessed vegetables). Cut the white to medium-green parts of the leeks in half lengthwise, leaving them attached near the base, and rinse them thoroughly, spreading the layers to clean off any sand between them. Cut the leeks crosswise into thin slices, about one-fourth-inch thick. (You will have about 6 cups.) Submerge the sliced leeks in a bowl of water and rub to separate the pieces. Let them stand about 2 minutes, and then lift them out of the water and drain them in a colander. If the water is sandy, soak them and drain them again.
  • 5. In the same sauté pan, heat 3 tablespoons oil over medium-low heat. Add the sliced leeks and one-eighth teaspon each of salt and pepper. Cover and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the leeks are very tender, about 15 minutes. If there is liquid in the pan, cook the leeks uncovered over medium heat until it evaporates, about 3 more minutes. Remove from heat and transfer the leeks to a bowl.
  • 6. If using fresh black-eyed peas to garnish, shell the pods that have bulges, indicating there are developed peas inside. Break the slim pods in 1-inch pieces, removing any strings. Add the green pod pieces and the shelled black-eyed peas to a saucepan with enough boiling salted water to cover them, about 1 quart. Return to a boil, cover and cook the black-eyed peas over medium-low heat until they are done to your taste; their cooking time can vary from 7 to 20 minutes. Drain them and spoon them into a small serving bowl. Drizzle them with 1 to 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle them with salt and pepper to taste.
  • 7. Drain the cooked dried black-eyed peas, reserving their liquid.
  • 8. Heat the sauté pan over medium-low heat until hot. Add 2 tablespoons oil and the garlic and stir until aromatic, about 30 seconds. Add the cumin and paprika, stir briefly and add the chard and leeks. Heat, stirring, for 3 minutes. Add the cooked dried black-eyed peas and 2 tablespoons of their liquid and heat through, about 3 minutes, adding additional reserved liquid as desired to moisten the dish. Taste and season the dish with 1 teaspoon salt, one-fourth teaspoon pepper and one-eighth teaspoon cayenne pepper, or as desired. Drizzle with 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil.
  • 9. Serve hot, at room temperature or cold. Serve the fresh black-eyed peas in a separate bowl, for topping each portion.

Egg Drop Soup

Ingredients:

Soup Ingredients
4 cups (32 ounces) chicken or vegetable stock or broth
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 to 4 large eggs
Salt or soy sauce
Flavoring Extras (use one or all)
1/2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and cut into rounds
1 stem lemongrass, bruised
1/2 teaspoon peppercorns
2 star anise
6 to 8 whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons miso
Soup Extras (use one or all)
1/2 block (7 to 8 ounces) extra-firm tofu, cut into bite-sized pieces
8 ounces mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 bunch baby bok choy, thinly sliced
4 spring onions, thinly sliced

Instructions:

  • Warm the stock or broth: Pour the stock into a saucepan and place over medium-high heat. Put the smaller flavoring extras you're using into a tea ball or spice bag. Add all your flavoring extras to the saucepan with the stock. Turn down the heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes. Scoop out all the flavoring extras with a slotted spoon. Taste and add salt or soy sauce as needed.
  • Add any extra ingredients: Add any soup extras to the stock and simmer for five minutes. Save some scallions for sprinkling on top of the soup at the end.
  • Whisk cornstarch into the broth: Scoop out 1/4 cup or so of the stock and whisk it with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch in a small bowl. Whisk this back into the stock and let it simmer for a minute or two until the broth no longer tastes starchy.
  • Whisk the eggs with cornstarch: Whisk together the eggs in a small bowl with the remaining teaspoon of cornstarch. Make sure your soup is at a bare simmer.
  • Drizzle the eggs into the hot broth: Holding a fork over the bowl (see photo), pour the eggs slowly through the tines. Whisk the broth gently with your other hand as you pour. Let the soup stand for a few seconds to finish cooking the eggs.
  • Serve immediately, topped with thinly sliced scallions.

Garlic Chive Butter


Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup butter (1 stick, softened)
  • 1 small clove garlic (minced)
  • 1 tablespoon chives (chopped)

Instructions:

  • Cream the butter, garlic, and chives together in a bowl or container you will be storing the butter in.
  • Cover the herb butter and store in the refrigerator for 3 hours before use.
  • The butter will keep for several days, but it is doubtful it will last that long.
 

Roasted Sunchoke Soup with Carmelized Shallots


Ingredients:

  • 3 1/2 cups scrubbed and peeled sunchokes, cut into 1″ pieces
  • 3 cloves of garlic
  • 1 medium yellow onion, cut into 1″ pieces
  • 4 large shallots, thinly sliced
  • 2 tablespoons grape seed oil
  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil
  • 1 1/2 cups almond milk (unsweetened)
  • 1 1/2 cups low sodium vegetable broth
  • 1/2 + teaspoons sea salt
  • fresh thyme for garnish
Instructions:
  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees
  • Thoroughly clean sunchokes, use a paring knife to peel off the skins.
  • On a large baking sheet combine onion, garlic cloves and sunchokes. Sprinkle with a couple hearty pinches of sea salt.  Toss vegetables in 2 tablespoons of grape seed oil and cook for 15- 20 minutes or until sunchokes can be easily pierced with a fork.
  • While vegetables are roasting combine shallots and coconut oil in a nonstick pan.  Heat over very low heat, stirring every 7 minutes, until browned and slightly crispy.  The trick to the best caramelized shallots is to cook over the lowest possible heat!  If cooking with an electric oven consider using a flame deflector.
  • In a medium soup pot combine roasted vegetables, almond milk, vegetable broth and sea salt.  Bring to a low boil and cook for 3-5 minutes, until sunchokes are easily crushed with a fork.
  • Transfer soup to a blender and blend until creamy.  Add more sea salt to taste.
  • Garnish soup with caramelized shallots and thyme.  Serve immediately!

Spanish Tapas Peppers

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup cream sherry
  • 1/2 cup golden raisins
  • 3 medium red bell peppers
  • 2 medium yellow bell peppers
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
  • 3/4 cup chopped green pitted olives (4 to 6 ounces with pits)
  • 8 oil-packed anchovy fillets, drained and minced
  • 1 large tomato, seeded and diced
  • 1 scant teaspoon saffron threads, crumbled
  • 2/3 cup coarse fresh bread crumbs from a baguette (crusts removed)
  • 1/3 cup good olive oil
  • Minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

Instructions:

  • Preheat the oven to 375°F.
  • Combine the sherry and raisins in a small saucepan, bring to a boil, and simmer for 5 minutes, until most of the liquid has evaporated. Drain the excess liquid and set the raisins aside.
  • Meanwhile, cut each pepper in half through the core and remove the ribs and seeds. Cut each half lengthwise into 3 wedges and arrange them cut-side up in a single layer in two large shallow oven-to-table baking dishes. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt.
  • In a medium bowl, combine the steeped raisins, garlic, olives, anchovies, tomato, saffron, bread crumbs, olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Spread about a tablespoon of the mixture on each pepper wedge.
  • Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the peppers are tender and the filling is a little crisp on top. Sprinkle with parsley and serve warm or at room temperature.

Crispy Edamame


Ingredients

  • 1 (12 ounce) package frozen shelled edamame (green soybeans)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Place the edamame into a colander and rinse under cold water to thaw. Drain.
  • Spread the edamame beans into the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle cheese over the top and season with salt and pepper.
  • Bake in the preheated oven until the cheese is crispy and golden, about 15 minutes.

Okra with Tomatoes


Ingredients/Instructions:

  • Saute 4 smashed garlic cloves in 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat until golden. Add 4 cups okra (halved lengthwise) and 1 small onion (cut into wedges); season with salt and pepper and cook until the okra is tender and bright, 10 to 12 minutes. Add 1 pint halved cherry tomatoes; cook until just bursting, 3 minutes. Finish with a splash of cider vinegar.

Greek Style Dandelion Greens with Lemon and Olive Oil


Ingredients:

  • 2 bunches of dandelions, roots removed
  • 2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 lemon, juice and zest
  • ½ teaspoon salt and /14 teaspoon pepper

Instructions:

  • Rinse dandelions in water and drain. Cut off the bottom roots and coarsely chop.
  • Place a medium pot on to boil, add dandelions and reduce heat to simmer.
  • Cook for 5-8 minutes,making sure greens have softened.
  • Remove and strain into a bowl, and reserve the juices. (great for a drink later)
  • Add back 1 cup of juice, extra virgin olive oil, juice of one lemon, salt and pepper.
  • Add zest to the top when ready to serve.

Easy Roasted Sunchokes


Ingredients

  • 1lb Sunchokes (Jerusalem Artichokes), scrubbed
  • ½ tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon fresh chopped Italian or curled parsley

Instructions:

  • Preheat oven to 450 degrees
  • Scrub the Sunchokes with a potato brush and chop into 1 inch bite-size chunks
  • Toss in a medium sized bowl with olive oil, salt and pepper until coated
  • Place onto a baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes, turning once, until the skin is slightly browned
  • Sprinkle with fresh parsley. Serve plain or with a side of ketchup.