Weekend Farmer's Market Dinner

Had a great Saturday yesterday! Temperatures were in the 70's, the sun was shining, and the farmer's market was full of delicious food.

I picked up some orange and purple cauliflower and a happy, local, free range, organic chicken. I sliced the cauliflower lengthwise, brushed with olive oil and roasted at 400 for 30 minutes. For the bird, I did a dry brine, stuffed it with lemon quarters and thyme, then roasted at 475 for 35 minutes.

The cauliflower was beautiful, packed with antioxidants, and full of intense, caramelized flavor. The chicken had the best skin I've ever had, crisp and tasty, plus the meat was moist and plump, even the breast.

We finished the meal with a simple salad of baby arugula and a loaf of rosemary bread, yum.

World's Best Braised Cabbage

This is my kind of recipe: super simple and super tasty. It has to be tried to be believed, because this simple combination of veggies really does produce a result greater than the sum of its parts.

World's Best Braised Cabbage

adapted from Molly Stevens All About Braising

1 small green cabbage, about 2 pounds

1 carrot, peeled and cut into 1/4" rounds

1 onion, cut into 1/4" slices

1/4 cup chicken broth, veg broth or water

2 tablespoons olive oil

salt and pepper

red pepper flakes

Preheat oven to 325. Lightly oil a 9x13 ovenproof dish.

Remove wilted outer leaves from cabbage. Cut cabbage in half through the core, then make 4 wedges from each half. Place cabbage wedges into dish, sprinkle with carrots and onions and drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and red pepper flakes and seal dish tightly with foil.

Bake at 325 for 2 hours, flipping wedges over after one hour. After 2 hours, remove foil and increase oven temp to 400. Bake another 15-20 minutes or until cabbage is nicely browned on top.

No-cook cooking

I know, I know, I know. It is not original or interesting to complain about the Arizona summer heat. But, it's been 115 the last three days, which means when I get in my car, it's at least 150. They sous-vide stuff on Top Chef at 140 degrees. I am literally cooking! Myself!

Enough about the heat, more about the food. My mom is worried that my lack of posts means I am eating Chinese and Chipotle take out every night. Well, not every night, but yes, there is a fair amount of restaurant food lately, but of course I'm still cooking. I wanted to mention my two favorite no-cook meals, Fattoosh and Black Bean Corn Salad. There are lots of fattoosh variations, but I like this one by Ana Sortun. I serve the Fattoosh with store bought sides like hummus, dolmas, olives, and feta and the Black Bean Salad with chips, cheese and salsa or rotisserie chicken from Safeway. Voila, a well balanced meal with zero heat output.

Black Bean Corn Salad

1 can black beans

2-3 ears corn, kernels chopped off

1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, cut in half

1 jalapeno, finely minced

1 large mild chile, such as pasilla, poblano, bell, or anaheim, diced

1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped

1/2 cup red onion, diced

3 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp red wine vinegar

1 tsp honey

juice of 1 lime

salt and pepper

Combine everything and toss. You can add paprika, cumin, cayenne, ground ancho chiles, or whatever your favorite spice is to jazz it up.

Elizabeth David's Ratatouille en Salade

So I'm reading Elizabeth David for the Chow Cookbook of the Month project. She had quite the life. Just a few highlights:
-ran away from home to become an actress
-eloped with a married lover and toured the Mediterranean on a sailboat
-arrested for being a British spy in Italy and deported to Greece
-after German invasion of Greece, evacuated by military to Egypt
-worked as a librarian in Cairo until she married a British officer and moved to India
-moved back to London, published 11 books on food and cooking that introduced the English to then exotic ingredients like olive oil, garlic, saffron and zucchini

Cool, huh. I bet she could take Martha Stewart anyday.

Anyhoo, she has a great Ratatouille recipe that I had to share-

Ratatouille en Salade
adapted from Elizabeth David Classics

4 japanese eggplant
2 tomatoes
4 small shallots
1 clove garlic
6 coriander seeds
1 yellow bell pepper

Cut the eggplant into 1/2 inch cubes, salt and place in a colander to drain moisture. Dice the tomatoes, shallots and bell pepper. Saute the shallots for a couple minutes until soft, add the eggplant, bell pepper and 1 clove garlic (whole), cover and cook for 30 minutes. Now that everything is nice and stewy, add in the tomatoes and coriander seeds and let cook uncovered until the tomatoes "melt." Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve hot, or let cool and serve room temp. I served it hot (I am impatient). I didn't miss the zucchini that you often see in ratatouille, the dish was sweeter without it, and went so well with fresh basil. A perfect summer dish!

CEiMB: Not this week

We're getting ready for houseguests this weekend, so I couldn't find time to squeeze in this week's recipe:( I haven't been slacking though, I've made 2 loaves of bread, 24 empanadas, 2 kinds of salsa, tapenade and a tortilla espanola. Now I just have to figure out what to do with all the beautiful zucchini and squash I bought...I'm thinking a grilled zucchini and feta salad, maybe a frittata tomorrow morning...

Dry Fried Green Beans

My mom makes these all the time, they have great texture, and are the perfect combination of spicy and sweet. When beans are not in season, I like to use Trader Joe's frozen haricot verts.

Szechuan Green Beans

1 lb green or long beans

1 tbsp grapeseed or other oil

1 tsp chile garlic sauce

squirt of honey

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tsp ginger, minced

a little soy sauce, to taste

Heat oil in a wok or pan til really hot. Add beans and cook until slightly brown in spots, like 3-4 minutes if fresh, and 5-6 if frozen. Remove beans to another dish. Saute ginger and garlic 1 minute, then toss in beans, honey and soy sauce, taste and adjust sweet salty and spicy seasonings as necessary.

Ellie's Sesame Stir-Fried Chinese Greens

This week's CEimB recipe is a simple Asian inspired side dish. My stir fry tendencies are spicy and sweet, so this was a different spin on a favorite technique and ingredient. Without all the chile, garlic and ginger, the flavor of the bok choy really came through, highlighted by the tangy vinegar and nutty sesame. I served it alongside one of my usual chicken stir frys, next time I think I'll pair it with a simple fish dish. I made a few changes to the recipe as written, by using olive oil instead of canola, tamari instead of low sodium soy, and grown-up bok choy as opposed to baby.


Sesame Stir-Fried Chinese Greens
adapted from The Food You Crave, by Ellie Krieger

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 bunch bok choy, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 tablespoons tamari
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

Preheat your wok for a while til it gets piping hot, and add the oil. When shimmering, add the bok choy whites and stir-fry for a couple minutes until soft, then add in the greens. Add the tamari, vinegar, and sesame oil, cook another minute or so, then remove from heat and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds. My seeds were the Japanese pre-toasted variety, but if yours are the pale raw ones, toast first in a dry pan.

I look forward to cooking along with the CEimB group, and check out the blogroll to see how everyone else fared. Thanks to Apple Crumbles for picking this recipe, and tune in every Thursday (or Friday cuz I'm always late) for more healthy Ellie recipes.

Rainbow Chard

Trader Joe's has a prepackaged chard mix with 4-5 different kinds of chard that are so pretty, I couldn't help taking pictures of this simple recipe.

Tangy Greens
serves 2 as a side dish

1 bunch or bag chard
2 leeks
1 teaspoon dijon or whole grain mustard
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
olive oil
S&P

Slice white and light green parts of leeks into thin coins, wash thoroughly, leeks are dirty little buggers with lots of nooks and crannies. The belly button equivalent of the veggie world. Saute leeks in 1 tablespoon or so olive oil for 5 minutes on medium, or until tender. Add mustard and vinegar and chard. If chard is taking a long time to cook, splash in some water so it steams as well as sautes. Really good with some salmon and a nice baguette.

Involtini di Melanzane

Sounds better than "eggplant rolls", forgive me for switching to Italian.

This is vegan and good, but if you must, add mozzarella, ricotta or another cheese to the filling, and I admit, it would be better.

I've played around with this a bunch and think this is the best permutation. Definitely the healthiest.

The sweet soft peppers contrast nicely with the crispy eggplant, the sauce rounds things out and the basil is the cherry on top of it all. So tasty you don't even notice how little fat, dairy, and carbs are involved...

Roasted Red Pepper and Eggplant Rolls

2 cups or so marinara sauce
2 eggplants
2 red bell peppers
3 tablespoons olive oil
salt
10 leaves basil, plus more to garnish

I made my marinara from leftover roast grape tomatoes, but any version would do.

For the rolls, I like to peel my eggplant, antioxidants be damned. The skin gets tough when roasted and I've found it affects the crispiness of the final product too. So peel them, or don't, and slice lengthwise (the long way) into 1/3 inch thick strips. Brush with olive oil on both sides and place on well oiled baking sheets (they stick! a lot!). Core the bell pepper and cut into inch-wide strips, and add to your baking sheets. Salt everything and bake for about 25 minutes, flipping halfway through.

Add the sauce to an ovenproof casserole and place in the oven to heat through when the veg has 10 minutes left. Remove eggplant when nicely browned and crisp, the peppers will be done too, they are pretty forgiving. Sandwich a basil leaf between 2 pepper slices, then roll into the eggplant slice. Grab your nice warm sauce out of the oven and place the eggplant rolls on top, garnishing with the extra basil.

New Things I Love

1. Leeks

They are so good, and in season now that it's winter.

My favorite is to saute with garlic and a little oil for about 5 minutes, then add a scoop of dijon mustard and a squirt of lemon juice. If you have some greens, i.e. chard, spinach, throw that in too. Mmm.

2. Fingerling Potatoes

I always thought people who bought these were idiots, because potatoes shouldn't cost $5.99/lb. Then I saw them at the farmer's market, where they were $1. Farmer Bob said they don't pack well, so they are 'spensive at the Safeway.

They are small enough to roast whole and not take a year, and keeping them intact in their skins seals the moisture in(at least I think so).

I adore them tossed with olive oil and salt, then roasted at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes.

3. Plain Yogurt

The greek style (e.g. Fage) is cool, but the regular kind works too for a different, thinner version. Swirl in a flavor booster and you have an amazing sauce that livens up roast veggies, eggs, salad, fish, lentils, really anything, the options are endless. My favorite swirl-in additions are:

-smoked paprika (got the idea here http://www.alwaysorderdessert.com/2009/01/split-pea-soup-w-smoky-garlic-yogurt.html)

-pureed roasted red peppers (or any chile really, poblanos rock)

-cukes, herbs and garlic (for traditional tzatiki)

-turmeric, cumin and lime

-chipotles in adobo

4. Fennel Seeds

You know, the seeds they give you at the end of the meal at Indian restaurants? They are a good substitute for dessert when you need a little something. They are good with tea, especially if you have a little candied ginger lying around too.

But how I love them is in salad - get this - embedded into goat cheese (or feta if you are not depriving yourself as I am). Really good with a orangey vinaigrette and bitter greens. I think I invented this.

5. Lentils

Ok, I have always loved lentils, but I do now more than ever. I have perfected 3 different kinds of lentil soup. Though it may be impossible to make bad lentil soup.

Slow-Roasted Tomatoes

Had a close to perfect Sunday yesterday involving a long run, coffee, reading the whole paper, football-happy husband, rain, soup and slow roasting something fragrant all day in the oven. Not pork again, it's the new year, dammit and we are healthy! Tomatoes. Weak, winter, supermarket (actually worse: supermarket on-sale) tomatoes. If you see them, fear not bargain shoppers, you CAN buy them and get a tasty result.

Slow Roasted Tomatoes

tomatoes, preferably Roma, Grape or Cherry
olive oil
dried oregano, and other herbs if you have 'em
salt

L: my ugly picture, R: pretty picture from Google images


Put tomatoes in baking dish. If they are romas, cut in halves or quarters. Bake at 225 for 6 hours or so. Can be longer, or shorter, depending on how hungry you get or how many errands you have to go do. Eat in a million ways, I like to involve fresh bread, basil and standing over the sink yet still staining my only white shirt. The white shirt, no!

Broccoli Cheese Soup

This was sooooo good. One of my all time faves. Sooo good.


4-5 cups broccoli
1/2 onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 stalk celery, minced
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup milk
1 cup half and half
4 T butter
1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 cups grated sharp cheddar
Dash of freshly ground nutmeg
S&P


Separate broccoli florets from stems, so that there is barely any trunk on each mini tree. Think spoon size florets. Mince stems, and saute in olive oil, along with onions, celery and garlic for about 7-8 minutes, or until onions are translucent. Remove from pan and set aside to cool. Melt butter in soup pot and slowly whisk in flour to make a roux. Cook for 3-5 minutes, or until dark blond. Slowly whisk in milk, half and half, and broth. Bring to a simmer, uncovered, for 8 minutes. While that is cooking, puree broccoli stems/onion/celery/etc. mixture (technically this is optional). Add to soup, along with broccoli florets, and cook at a low simmer for another 12-15 minutes, or until florets are tender. Stir in the cheese. Season with dash of nutmeg and S&P as needed.

Veggie Delivery's Here: What to make?

This week I got broccoli, chard, hankei turnips, green onions, green garlic, spring mix, butternut squash, and spinach. What should I make?

My new babies!

Reasons why my indoor herb project might not last:

1. I didn't buy indoor or mini varieties

2. I didn't allow for drainage in the bottom

3. I didn't want to buy a whole bag of potting soil, and there was an open damaged bag so I just scooped a couple handfuls into my container when no one was looking but I'm a wimp and didn't take enough. It didn't help that I was using my bare hand and trying not to get my work clothes dirty.

4. I don't have a south or westerly facing window that gets 10 hours of sun a day. They are facing east.

5. I planted them all in the same container, including the mint and parsley, which are noted to be "invasive" on the label that I didn't read at the store.

That said, I am hopefully optimistic that it'll be fine, and they'll flourish, and magically repel pests and mold and my cat's dig-and-poop instincts.

Greek Winter Greens

My mom came to the rescue with a recipe when I told her about the terrible mountains of greens in my fridge. Have you ever tasted collard greens raw? Kale reminds me of garnishes, and dandelion greens don't even pretend not to be related to weeds. I persevered and I don't know if it turned out as the recipe intended, but it's actually pretty good. The sauce has a nice depth to it from the wine and capers, and that, along with the tomatoes, really transforms the usual rabbity harshness of greens into well rounded flavors that I can more than just tolerate.

The original recipe called for leaf celery, or chinese celery, which I think is just more leaf, less stalk than the usual celery, and Aleppo pepper, but I couldn't find either so I used regular celery and red pepper flakes. I also substitutued whole canned tomatoes because that's all I had.

Greek Winter Greens

3 bunches greens (I used collards, kale, and dandelion greens)

2 small onions, minced

3/4 c stalks of leaf celery, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

10 capers, chopped

olive oil

14.5 oz can of crushed tomatoes

1 c wine

3 T mint, chopped

1/2 c leaves of leaf celery, chopped

1/2 c parsley, chopped

zest of 1/2 lemon
juice of 1/2 lemon

Blanch greens by dropping 'em in boiling water for 2 minutes and then plunging immediately into an ice bath. If you use spinach, or other tenderish greens, reduce boiling time as low as 30 seconds. The greens will cook more later, so half done is fine fer now. Drain and chop the greens, you should have about 3 cups at this point. Don't squeeze the liquid from the greens, enough will come out from the chopping; you'll need this vitamin packed juice to thin out the sauce later(I did squeeze and then had to add water later).

Saute garlic, onions, celery and capers in olive oil until soft and caramelized, about 20 minutes(I didn't cook mine long enough, you can tell in the pic). Add wine to deglaze, along with the tomatoes. In hindsight, if I had any anchovies, I'd throw them in too, mmm. Add S&P to taste, be careful capers are salty so you won't need too much salt. Bring to boil, then lower to a simmer for 20 minutes so flavors can mingle. When sauce is yummy, add in the greens, along with the mint, parsley, celery leaves, lemon juice and lemon zest. Simmer a little more to get the sauce flavor into the greens, or until the greens are tender and sauce is the right consistency.

Next time I might play with red wine vinegar in addition to, or instead of the lemon juice, and maybe top it off with some extra virgin olive oil...but it was pretty good for the first time around, and the first dish where I've actually enjoyed all this healthy stuff. You're welcome, digestive system!

Frozen Cauliflower

So I have a ton of cauliflower from my CSA. Despite our valiant efforts to finish it off in the last 5 days, I still have a head and a half left so I am going to experiment with making frozen microwavable cauliflower.

I blanched it, dried it and bagged it. We'll see how the reheated version goes. But not for a while. I am sick of cauliflower.

On my bedside table...

Recently I've been reading Alice Waters' The Art of Simple Food. I usually prefer cookbooks with lots of pretty color pictures, but this book has drawn me in with more content and background, rather than primarily recipes. As a relatively new cook, I figured I should start with the basics, and this hasn't disappointed. I'm trying to learn techniques instead of duplicating recipes, and I'm going to post as I go this month (I'll paraphrase the recipes since I'm not sure on copyright stuff, and it'll help me remember anyway).

Veggie Gratin

2 cups chopped veggies (I used a head of cauliflower and some broccoli)
1 1/2 T flour
2 T butter
1/3 cup milk
1/3 cup blanching liquid
1/2 cup grated parmesean
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
pinch of cayenne
pinch of freshly ground nutmeg

Preheat oven the 375. Blanch veggies for about 5 minutes in boiling water and drain. Don't forget to reserve some of the liquid (but I usually do and just sub in water or more milk). Butter a pieplate or baking dish and dump in the veggies. Make a roux by first melting butter in a heavy saucepan, and then adding the flour. Cook on medium for about 5 minutes and then slowly whisk in milk and liquid, letting the flour absorb each batch before adding more. Bring to a boil and then lower to a low low simmer for 10 minutes or so. Melt in the grated Parm and pour sauce over veggies. Top with breadcrumbs and bake for about 20 minutes or until brown on top. Good for 2 people as a main dish or 4 as a side.

My CSA

This month I joined a CSA through Desert Roots Farm and so far I love it. It has expanded my usual repetoire and sent me to the cookbooks to figure out what to do with things like turnips, green garlic, and mizuna. It comes out to about $20 a week and everything is fresh, local, organic, and delivered weekly to my door. It is my first real foray into organic veggies and to be honest, so far I can't really tell if the produce is better tasting, but I swear the onions smell more onion-y and the carrots are orange-er. Plus, they have a compost program for my scraps, allowing me to compost without smelling up my kitchen or having to dig a hole in the backyard. Eventually, I want to start a little veggie garden and have my own compost pile, but I have to do some research first. I'll put it down for 2010. Anyway, the delivery comes tomorrow, I can't wait to see what I get!