Though traditional paella centers on a variety of meat and seafood, we wanted to develop a vegetable-focused version that highlighted the array of hearty vegetables common in Spanish cuisine: artichokes, bell peppers, fennel, and peas.
We gave the artichokes and peppers extra flavor by roasting and then tossing them with a bright, lemony sauce. We sauteed the fennel with chopped onion to give it a rich caramelized flavor that gave the dish aromatic backbone. Chopped kalamata olives brought in a distinct pop of briny, contrasting flavor.
To infuse the rice with complex, authentic flavor, we bloomed the paprika with the garlic and browned diced tomatoes to give them savory depth. We coated the rice with this potent mixture before adding broth, wine, and saffron and simmering the rice until tender.
Cooking on the stovetop alone yielded unevenly cooked rice, so we transferred it to a 350 F oven where the grains cooked to perfection in the steady, even heat. You will need at least a 6-quart Dutch oven for this recipe. While we prefer the flavor and texture of jarred whole baby artichokes, you can substitute 18 ounces frozen artichoke hearts, thawed and patted dry, for the jarred kind.
Bomba rice is the most traditional rice for this dish, but you can use any variety of Valencia rice. If you cannot find Valencia rice, you can substitute Arborio rice. Socarrat, a layer of crusty browned rice that forms on the bottom of the pan, is a traditional part of paella. In this version, socarrat does not develop because most of the cooking is done in the oven; if desired, there are directions on how to make a socarrat before serving.
Vegetable paella
Servings: 6
Start to finish: 2 hours
INGREDIENTS:
3 cups jarred whole baby artichokes packed in water, quartered, rinsed, and patted dry
2 red bell peppers, stemmed, seeded, and chopped coarse
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, chopped
9 garlic cloves, peeled (3 whole, 6 minced)
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 onion, chopped fine
1 fennel bulb, stalks discarded, bulb halved, cored, and sliced thin
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained, minced, and drained again
2 cups Bomba rice
3 cups vegetable broth
1/3 cup dry white wine
1/2 teaspoon saffron threads, crumbled
1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
DIRECTIONS:
Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position, place rimmed baking sheet on rack, and heat oven to 450 F. Toss artichokes and peppers with olives, whole garlic cloves, 2 tablespoons oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in bowl. Spread vegetables in hot sheet and roast until artichokes are browned around edges and peppers are browned, 20 to 25 minutes; let cool slightly.
Mince roasted garlic. In large bowl, whisk 2 tablespoons oil, 2 tablespoons parsley, lemon juice, and minced roasted garlic together. Add roasted vegetables and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and fennel and cook until softened, 8 to 10 minutes.
Stir in remaining minced garlic and paprika and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomatoes and cook until mixture begins to darken and thicken slightly, about 3 minutes. Stir in rice and cook until grains are well coated with tomato mixture, about 2 minutes. Stir in broth, wine, saffron, and 1 teaspoon salt. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to boil, stirring occasionally. Cover, transfer pot to oven, and bake until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender, 25 to 35 minutes.
For optional socarrat, transfer pot to stovetop and remove lid. Cook over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, rotating pot as needed, until bottom layer of rice is well browned and crisp.
Sprinkle roasted vegetables and peas over rice, cover, and let paella sit for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon parsley and serve.
Nutrition information per serving: 511 calories; 138 calories from fat; 15 g fat (2 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 0 mg cholesterol; 1289 mg sodium; 82 g carbohydrate; 10 g fiber; 8 g sugar; 12 g protein.
For more recipes, cooking tips and ingredient and product reviews, visit https://www.americastestkitchen.com . Find more sauce recipes and pairing suggestions in "The Complete Mediterranean Cookbook ."
Some of the greatest chilies you'll ever eat hail from New Mexico's Hatch Valley, which is why — naturally enough — tiny Hatch, N.M., is known as "The Chili Capital of the World." This being the season for Hatch chilies, I thought it might be fun to showcase them at one of your very own backyard parties.
There's something about the soil and growing conditions in that region of New Mexico that creates the uniquely delicious flavor of the Hatch chili, just as the "terroir" of the world's great wine-growing regions produces the best grapes. Hatch chilies are long and green, boasting a thick skin and thick flesh. Their heat ranges from mild to flaming hot. Local folks tend to buy these local favorites already roasted and in 25-pound bags, and then to store the chilies in their freezer for use throughout the year. The rest of us can snatch them up in supermarkets from coast to coast or online in smaller amounts, already charred and peeled.
If you're open to charring and peeling the pepper yourself, just apply the same methods you'd use with any other chili: hold it with tongs over an open gas flame, or char the skin on a hot grill or cast-iron skillet, or place the chili under a broiler until it's blackened on all sides, then transfer it to a bowl and cover it with plastic wrap for 20 minutes. After the chili's had a chance to steam, the tough skin peels off easily.
Roasted Hatch chilies are one of the signature ingredients of the well-loved Green Chile Cheeseburger. Here I've swapped out the beef in favor of Portobello mushrooms. You'll be looking for specimens with large caps because they shrink down when they're cooked. And be sure to scrape out the gills before cooking the mushrooms (grapefruit spoons do a terrific job) because they become slimy when cooked and proceed to dye whatever they touch an unappealing black.
Even without the beef, this burger is deluxe. It's glorified not only by the chilies and cheese, but also by the smoky mayonnaise spread, and — the finishing touch! — the crushed tortilla chips. It's a splendid way to celebrate the end of the summer season.
Green chili cheese portobello burger
Servings: 4
Start to finish: 1 hour
INGREDIENTS:
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice, divided
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons minced garlic, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 large portobello mushrooms, stems and gills removed
1/2 cup mayonnaise
3/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
4 chopped, peeled, roasted Hatch chilies (about 1 cup) or 1 cup canned green chilies
4 thin slices sharp cheddar (about 3 ounces total)
1 cup crushed tortilla chips
4 hamburger buns
2 tablespoons melted butter for brushing on the buns
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the grill to medium.
In a small bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons of the lime juice, the vegetable oil, 1 teaspoon of the garlic, the cumin, and salt and pepper to taste. Brush all of the marinade on the mushrooms, making sure to coat the insides (where the gills were) really well. Set the mushrooms aside for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, in another small bowl, combine the mayonnaise with the remaining 2 teaspoons lime juice, the remaining teaspoon garlic and the paprika. In another bowl toss the chilies with salt and pepper to taste.
Brush the cut sides of the buns with the butter and toast them on the grill. Set aside while you grill the mushrooms.
Place the mushrooms on the grill, gill sides down, cover and grill them 6 to 8 minutes. Turn them over and grill on the on the other side, covered, until tender when pierced with a knife, another 6 to 8 minutes. Spoon one-fourth of the chilies on top of each mushroom. Top with one fourth of the crushed tortillas and a slice of the cheese. Cover and cook, until the cheese is melted, 1 to 2 minutes.
Spread the cut sides of the rolls with the mayonnaise. Transfer the mushroom "burgers" to the buns and serve right away.
Nutrition information per serving: 716 calories; 469 calories from fat; 52 g fat (13 g saturated; 1 g trans fats); 50 mg cholesterol; 851 mg sodium; 51 g carbohydrate; 8 g fiber; 7 g sugar; 13 g protein.
Sara Moulton is host of public television's "Sara's Weeknight Meals." She was executive chef at Gourmet magazine for nearly 25 years and spent a decade hosting several Food Network shows including "Cooking Live." Her latest cookbook is "HomeCooking 101."
I recently received the following text from my daughter:
"I saw this vegan chef make Tuna poke with watermelon in place of tuna. So, I had to try it for myself. After two days of cooking, marinating and patiently waiting; the consistency and flavor completely changed and tasted as close to tuna as you could possibly get."
A gorgeous photo of her end product followed the text. I was intrigued and impressed; intrigued because I don't like raw fish and impressed because my daughter prepared such a beautiful dish.
Poke, pronounced "poh-kay," is a raw fish dish from Hawaii and a great example of the multi-cultural influences on Hawaiian cuisine. Served cold, it's fresh, flavorful, and healthy. While poke has been showing up on trendy American menu's outside of Hawaii in recent years, it has been a staple in Hawaii's food culture for generations.
So, how does watermelon translate into poke? Very well I have to say. My daughter claimed the consistency and flavor of the watermelon morphed into something that resembled tuna. How does that happen?!
The salty soy sauce and the acid of the vinegar and lime juice used in the recipe and the long marinating time draws out excess liquid from the watermelon pieces, which condenseS and gives a compact texture to the fruit similar to that of the texture the fish. The flavorful marinade and sauce easily allows the watermelon to mimic the raw fish in poke.
Watermelons are so sweet and delicious in the summer that now is the time to try this recipe and experience a bit of Hawaii right here in the Berkshires and Southern Vermont!
Watermelon poke
INGREDIENTS:
4 to 5 cups seedless watermelon cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup unseasoned rice vinegar
1/4 cup toasted sesame oil
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons tahini
1 tablespoon honey 1 teaspoon fresh minced ginger
1 tablespoon Sriracha or chili paste (optional)
DIRECTIONS:
Place watermelon in a resealable plastic bag. Blend vinegar, sesame oil, soy, lime juice, tahini, honey, ginger and optional Sriracha or chili paste. Pour over watermelon, seal bag and chill at least 24 hours or up to two days.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Drain watermelom; reserve marinade. Cook watermelon tossing frequently until it begins to caramelize slightly and dry out a bit. Be careful not to let it burn. Alternatively, roast watermelon on sheet pans in a 375 degree oven
until slightly carmelized. Chill.
Meanwhile, bring marinade to a boil in a small saucepan. Reduce heat and simmer until thickened into a sauce, about ten minutes. Chill.Toss watermelon with sauce and serve or build a poke bowl with any of the following toppings:
Sushi rice
Edamame
Slivers of carrots,
Thinly sliced radishes, scallions, sweet onions, cucumbers
Nori seaweed
Sesame seeds
Crushed macadamia or peanuts nuts
Sprouts
Hot chilies or jalape o peppers, sliced
Avocado
Lime wedges
Cilantro leaves
Fried won ton strips
When it comes to grilled kebabs, vegetables are often an afterthought, typically used as a filler on meat-heavy skewers. But this treatment often leads to mushy, burnt vegetables with no flavor of their own. We wanted to create a recipe that would put the vegetables front and center.
We started by choosing the right vegetables. We wanted a good mix of flavors and textures, but we knew that not all veggies would hold up to the high heat of the grill.
We started with bell peppers, which sweetened beautifully over the flames, and zucchini, which held its shape nicely and had a satisfying texture. Portobello mushroom caps were the perfect addition to the kebabs; as they released their moisture over the flame, they picked up great char and developed a deep, meaty taste.
Tossing grilled vegetables with a bold dressing can amp up their flavor considerably, but for our vegetable kebabs, we took the idea one step further. We tossed the vegetables with half of the dressing before skewering and grilling them, giving them great flavor from the start.
We pumped up the complexity and nuance of the remaining dressing with juice from grilled lemons, and tossed it with the cooked vegetables for a punchy, bright finish. You will need eight 12-inch metal skewers for this recipe.
Grilled vegetable kebabs
Servings: 4
Start to finish: 40 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
1 garlic clove, minced
Salt and pepper
6 portobello mushroom caps (4 to 5 inches in diameter), quartered
2 zucchinis, halved lengthwise and sliced 3/4 inch thick
2 red bell peppers, stemmed, seeded, and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
2 lemons, quartered
DIRECTIONS:
Whisk oil, mustard, rosemary, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper together in large bowl. Transfer half of dressing to separate bowl and set aside for serving. Toss mushrooms, zucchini, and bell peppers with remaining dressing, then thread in alternating order onto eight 12-inch metal skewers.
For a charcoal grill: Open bottom vent completely. Light large chimney starter half filled with charcoal briquettes (3 quarts). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour evenly over grill. Set cooking grate in place, cover, and open lid vent completely. Heat grill until hot, about 5 minutes.
For a gas grill: Turn all burners to high, cover, and heat grill until hot, about 15 minutes. Turn all burners to medium.
Clean and oil cooking grate. Place kebabs and lemons on grill. Cook (covered if using gas), turning as needed, until vegetables are tender and well browned, 16 to 18 minutes. Transfer kebabs and lemons to serving platter. Juice 2 lemon quarters into reserved dressing and whisk to combine. Pour dressing over kebabs and serve with remaining lemons.
Nutrition information per serving: 152 calories; 73 calories from fat; 8 g fat (1 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 0 mg cholesterol; 332 mg sodium; 17 g carbohydrate; 5 g fiber; 10 g sugar; 6 g protein.
For more recipes, cooking tips and ingredient and product reviews, visit https://www.americastestkitchen.com . Find more recipes like Grilled Vegetable Kebabs in "The Complete Make-Ahead Cookbook ."
I'm really excited about my column this month. For the last week or so, I've been testing a black bean burger recipe, and what I present to you today is the ultimate.
Homemade bean/veggie burgers are often a disaster — I've made countless patties that will not be pressed flat no matter how I try, or disintegrate while being fried, or dry into horrible bean dust after being baked, or taste like bread crumbs, or can't be flipped even with the widest, most industrial spatula. No more, I say! This black bean burger recipe is held together by many clever starches and binders, and it can be baked, flipped and fried. It's also delicious, a bit like falafel, but nice and soft (dare I say juicy?) like a burger patty should be.
The secret is frozen peas. Yes. A starchy vegetable high in dietary fiber, vitamin K, vitamin C, phosphorus and more, a cup of warmed-up frozen peas helps keep these burgers together and greatly improves the texture. A healthy dose of panko bread crumbs and one egg do the rest of the binding. Chilling the patties for at least an hour once they're formed helps as well.
Having a homogeneous mixture also helps — chunky veggie burgers present the risk of bean or vegetable falling out in the shaping and cooking process. I start with onion, garlic and pepper in the food processor, making sure those are all diced up before adding peas, black beans, spices, egg and bread crumbs. This recipe has no oil, so you can feel like an absolute saint when you eat them.
They're also a really good way to sneak veggies into your kids or use up extra CSA produce this summer. Try a carrot or some cabbage instead of the red pepper, but don't get too crazy or things will fall apart again.
I've been eating these "naked" with no bun, piled high with burger fixin's and a cilantro-yogurt sauce reminiscent of Indian raita. Way healthier than mayo, it's a nice creamy way to cut through the spice of the burger.
Stalwart black bean burgers and cilantro yogurt sauce
Makes 5 to 6 patties
INGREDIENTS:
Burgers:
1/2 red onion
2 cloves garlic
1/2 red pepper
1 egg
1 cup of frozen peas (microwave 1 to 2 minutes)
1 can of black beans
3/4 to 1 cup panko bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3/4 teaspoon cumin
3/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon paprika
DIRECTIONS:
With your food processor, pulse onion, garlic and red pepper together until diced. Add egg, peas, black beans, egg, bread crumbs, salt, pepper, cumin and paprika, and process until homogeneous — you should have a brown substance with flecks of red, no big chunks.
Lay out a sheet of wax or parchment paper on a baking sheet and with your hands, make 5 to 6 burger patties. Go for the size of a cooked hamburger patty from Pedrin's or any other local cheap-eats establishment. Lay on the wax paper, cover with another sheet, and chill at least one hour. These can also be frozen and baked/fried right out of the freezer.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray baking sheet or coat with a thin coat of olive oil; place burger patties on baking sheet and bake 15 minutes, then flip and bake for another 15. Serve however you like.
Note: I'm still working on a grillable version. These will fall right through the grates. If you put them on oil-coated tinfoil on the upper grate to warm them, it might work but I don't recommend. It's too easy to turn them into charcoal briquettes.
Cilantro yogurt sauce
INGREDIENTS:
1 handful of cilantro, finely chopped (leaves and stems! No waste!)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Juice of half a lemon
1 cup yogurt
2 tablespoons olive oil.
DIRECTIONS:
In medium bowl, mix ingredients together until homogeneous; enjoy. Swipe a healthy gob of this over your burger or use on the side as a dip for sweet potato fries.
Ratatouille is a classic vegetable dish starring eggplant, zucchini, peppers and tomato that is deeply steeped in the culture of Mediterranean France. When I married a man from the heart of Provence, one of the first lessons I received from my new mother-in-law Muriel was how to make a proper ratatouille. (The other was how to pluck feathers from a newly-butchered turkey, but that's a story for another day.)
Turns out, my American sensibilities had me cooking a ratatouille far too long, making it a gloppy stew of indistinguishable mixed vegetables, a crime I've seen committed more often than not here in the U.S.
Muriel was kind in her rebuke, and showed me her way instead. The most important lesson was to cook each vegetable separately, to honor their individuality. Moreover, the vegetables needed to be cooked in the same pan, in a specific order, so that the flavors would be built just right. (The order, in case you are wondering, is: eggplant, zucchini, peppers, onion, tomatoes, and I use the acronym EZ-POT to remember.)
I was skeptical. But her version is easily the best I have ever eaten, so I follow it without fail, even if the rebellious part of me wonders if I dared to cook the zucchini out of order, would anyone really notice? But, why mess with genius?
Unless it's BBQ season and I want to grill out! After years of following proper EZ-POT protocol, I decided to try an outdoor grilled version of ratatouille. A little summertime char on the veggies could be a good thing. And indeed it was.
The result was a tasty dish that was somewhere in between a grilled vegetable salad (but not quite as acidic) and a traditional ratatouille (but not quite capturing that synergistic vegetable vibe). Still, a worthy summertime side dish in its own right.
Grilled ratatouille is a happy complement to any grilled meat or fish, and it's hearty enough to be the main dish for vegetarians. And leftovers can be spooned on top of roasted potatoes, rice, a green salad, or even spread on toast, sprinkled with cheese and broiled for a quick lunch.
Grilled ratatouille
Servings: 6
Start to finish: 30 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
2 small or 1 large eggplant, cut into 1-inch slices (no need to peel)
2 medium zucchini, trimmed and cut in half lengthwise
1 sweet yellow or red pepper, cut into "cheeks" or quarters, seeds, removed
1 medium sweet white onion, peeled, quartered with root intact (to keep it together)
1 pint grape tomatoes
Olive oil in mister
Dressing:
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons high quality olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, minced
6-7 basil leaves, gently torn
salt and pepper
DIRECTIONS:
Heat the grill to medium and lightly oil the grates. Season the vegetables with salt and pepper, and spray them lightly with the olive oil mister to coat. (If you don't have a mister, pour a little oil in your hands and lightly toss the vegetables in a bowl using your hands to coat them very lightly with olive oil.)
Cook the vegetables on the grill until tender but not floppy, turning halfway through cooking time — about 12-15 minutes total for the eggplant, onion quarters and sweet pepper, 8-10 minutes for the zucchini and 2 minutes for the tomatoes.
Meanwhile, make the dressing: Whisk together lemon juice and red wine vinegar in a small bowl, and drizzle in the olive oil, whisking to make an emulsion. Add the thyme and salt and pepper to taste, and an additional tablespoon of water if needed to make more sauce.
As the vegetables are removed from the grill, chop the onion (the inside may not be fully cooked and that's OK), and cut the rest of the veggies into nice-sized cubes, and place in a large bowl. The pepper skin will be charred and can be kept or removed.
Pour the dressing over the vegetables while still warm and toss gently. Add the fresh basil leaves to the vegetables, and stir. Adjust salt and pepper for seasoning and serve, hot, room temperature or chilled.
Nutrition information per serving: 126 calories; 49 calories from fat; 5 g fat (1 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 0 mg cholesterol; 14 mg sodium; 19 g carbohydrate; 7 g fiber; 11 g sugar; 4 g protein.
Online: http://www.melissadarabian.net
So, how is staying at home working out for all of you? I'm in week 4 of working from home — and not working my second job as a supermarket cashier because I'm not brave enough to put myself on the front line at my age. I've got to tell you, working from home isn't all it's cracked up to be!The features department is nestled in a corner of the Eagle newsroom, and we sit in what we call pods. There is endless chit-chat among the six of us — personal, work-related and sometimes just plain silly. I've shared a pod with Jeffrey Borak, the arts and entertainment editor, for almost 10 years now. He and I get to work in the morning and discuss our lives, sometimes very deep issues, sometimes just what our crazy four-legged roommates are up to. I miss these people the most. Yes, we have a chat line that connects us, email, text messages, but it's just not the same.
It's way too quiet in the house, so I usually have music pumping — last Friday was a day of Elton John, Monday was divided between Pitbull and The Weeknd, today (Tuesday) I've gone retro and Heart is serenading me. Thank God for Siriux XM.
The baking bread impulse hit me again two weekends ago. I spotted a post on the New York Times Cooking Community on Facebook — a great group for all you fellow foodies to check out — for sammoun bread, an Iraqi bread similar to ciabatta bread. What the heck? I still had flour and yeast left. It was awesome — and so easy to make.
Last week, while scrolling through the New York Times own food group page, I came across this recipe for this linguine. I looked in the pantry and, miracle of miracles, I had all the ingredients, including a still-viable lemon in the refrigerator. The dish is incredible! It took about 10 minutes to boil the pasta and another two to make the sauce. A word of warning, it makes four servings — just like a pint of Ben & Jerry's ice cream serves four, and we all know that isn't true! Four servings from a half-pound of linguine? No way ...
LINGUINE WITH LEMON SAUCE
(Courtesy Pierre Franey, The New York Times)
Yield: 4 servings
Time: About 20 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest, plus more for serving
1/2 pound fresh or dried linguine
4 tablespoons heavy cream
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra cheese to serve on the side
DIRECTIONS:
Bring a pot of salted water to boil. Heat the butter in a skillet and add the lemon zest.
Drop the linguine into the boiling water. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain.
Add the cream to the butter and lemon zest mixture. Add the pasta and lemon juice and stir until just heated through. Add the Parmesan and toss. Serve with additional Parmesan and lemon zest on the side.
Tip: If fresh linguine is purchased in 9-ounce weight, use this in lieu of the half pound.
In the early days of August, when the cherry tomatoes begin to ripen and you can pluck them off the vine and eat them, still warm from the sun with the grit of dirt felt on your tongue, it feels like there aren't enough fresh tomatoes to feed your summer hunger.
But then you turn around, take your eyes off of the garden for one day, and suddenly, you've got more tomatoes than your largest sauce pot can hold.
There is nothing I love more than a fresh tomato sandwich on white or sour dough bread with a slather of mayonnaise and a sprinkling of Kosher salt and fresh black pepper. And I always freeze a few gallon bags of quartered tomatoes to be used for homemade sauce in the early fall, when I start to miss my grandmother and the smells of her kitchen from meatballs simmering in a giant pot of fresh sauce all day.
But in the early days of quarantine, I planted a lot of tomatoes. I mean, a lot. And then, I miraculously had tomato plants pop up in the middle of my herbs and cucumber plants, from seeds that must have been buried last year and never emerged. We're only two weeks into August and my family is growing tired of my quick sauteed tomatoes and zucchini with olive oil over anything — pasta, rice, Quinoa or salad greens.
My tomato game needed a little spice, a little shakeup for our evening barbecue dinner on the deck. Dare I say, a little drama off the vine.
Enter my newest obsession: anything baked in tart form. Call it a galette, a tart or a "fancy pie" as my 5-year-old son does, no matter what it's a delicious vehicle for any ingredient you're trying to use up. I found a recipe for a Caramelized Tomato Tarte Tatin by Melissa Clark that calls for making a briny, caramel topping that holds fresh cherry tomatoes together in a blanket of savory flavor over a puff pastry. Her original recipe called for fresh thyme and to just load it up with fresh tomatoes halved. But, my garden is also bursting with basil and after reading the comments I realized this recipe, while it appears to be a fussy show-stopper of a summer dish, is infinitely adaptable to whatever you have, or like to serve with your tomatoes.
A few tips: Tomatoes are naturally juicy, so making this without getting out some of the juices will result in a messy tart that won't give the puff pastry a fighting chance of holding the flavors in. Take the extra step and roast your tomatoes beforehand to let some of the juices escape and to give them a rich, more concentrated flavor. Also, to help reduce moisture, I sprinkled about a tablespoon of dry cornmeal on the mixture before putting the puff pastry on to help absorb more juices. Don't worry, even with all these extra precautions, the tomatoes are anything but dry. Instead, they meld with the brine of the olives and vinegar and caramelized onions to create a jammy, slightly sweet yet savory topping that is a slice of summer heaven on a puff pastry.
This dish also has a big reveal wow-factor moment. After letting it rest for 5 to 10 minutes, call your family in to watch you flip it over onto a plate, revealing the caramelized topping that was hiding under the pastry in the oven. Don't worry if a few tomatoes stick to the pan, just plop them back on top, or eat them before anyone can see you do it. You won't want to leave a single, jammy orb of this tomato goodness behind.
TOMATO TARTE TATIN
Ingredients:
One 14-ounce package puff pastry
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 red onions, halved and thinly sliced
1/4 cup plus a pinch of sugar
1/2 teaspoon sherry vinegar
1/4 cup chopped pitted Kalamata olives
1 1/2 pint (about 1 pound) cherry or grape tomatoes
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
Kosher salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon cornmeal
1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 F. Slice cherry tomatoes in half and roast in the oven with drizzle of olive oil and salt and pepper for about 30 minutes, until tomatoes have begun to burst and juices are escaping the tomatoes. Set aside to cool once done roasting.
Unfold puff pastry sheet and cut into a 10-inch round; chill, covered, until ready to use.
Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and a pinch of sugar and cook, stirring, until onions are golden and caramelized, 15 to 20 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons water, or white wine, and let cook off, scraping brown bits from bottom of pan. Transfer onions to a bowl.
Preheat oven to 425 F.
In a clean, ovenproof 9-inch skillet, combine 1/4 cup sugar and 3 tablespoons water. Cook over medium heat, swirling pan gently (do not stir) until sugar melts and turns amber, 5 to 10 minutes. Be careful not to burn the caramel, it can happen quickly. Add vinegar and swirl gently.
Sprinkle olives over caramel. Scatter tomatoes over olives, then sprinkle onions on and then the fresh basil. Season with salt and pepper. Then sprinkle cornmeal all over the mixture to help absorb liquids while baking. Take the puff pastry out of the fridge and brush 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard on the side that will go down on top of the tomato mixture. Top the mixture (with Dijon mustard down) with puff pastry round, tucking edges into pan. Cut several long vents in top of pastry.
Bake tart until crust is puffed and golden, about 30 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes, then run a knife around pastry to loosen it from pan, and flip tart out onto a serving platter. Cut into wedges and serve immediately.
Make it your own: Add in any herbs you'd like, or maybe some soft goat cheese or crumbled bacon to the layers before baking.
Even if you don't know what it means or where it came from, everyone has at least heard, if not quoted, William Shakespeare's "To be or not to be, that is the question" — one of the most famous lines in English literature. It's a line from Shakespeare's drama "Hamlet," in which Hamlet is trying to decide if living or dying is best. He was pondering a choice and so, when someone has to make a choice, one might make a parody of Hamlet's infamous words, such as "to buy a new car or not to buy a new car, that is the question," or "to eat cake or not to eat cake, that is the question."
Well, now I am in a quandary about the recipe for this column; to be vegan or not to be vegan, that is the question.
I recently enjoyed a delicious roasted vegetable dish seasoned with a terrific marinade of both sweet and savory spices, made by a dear friend who happens to be vegan and who eats no fats of any kind. Sans any oils or meat, the dish was so good; good enough to have a second helping.
Of course, I can't leave well enough alone when it comes to recipes. I loved the vegetables roasted and the flavors of the dish, but I wasn't sure how non-vegans would like tofu, so I pondered a bit about a non-vegan version and decided that the fat and fennel flavor in sweet Italian sausage would contribute some great flavor to the vegetables.
It turns out that both versions are equally good; thus, my quandary ... to be vegan or not to be vegan, that is the question.
SWEET AND SPICY ASIAN-FLAVORS ROASTED VEGETABLES, VEGAN OR NOT VEGAN
INGREDIENTS:
2 large white potatoes cut into 1-inch cubes
2 sweet potatoes cut into 1-inch cubes
2 carrots peeled and cut into 1-inch slices
1 large sweet onion, cut into wedges
1/2 head of savoy or regular cabbages, cut into 1-inch chunks
12 ounces mushrooms, sliced
2 red sweet bell peppers, cut into 1-inch chunks
Vegan version: 7 ounces extra firm tofu, cubed
Not-vegan version: 1 pound sweet Italian sausage, cut into 1-inch slices
Marinade:
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon real maple syrup
1 scant tablespoon molasses
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon powdered cloves
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger
3 large cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
Pinch of red pepper flakes
Garnish:
Thinly sliced scallions
Cooked brown or jasmine rice to serve
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 375 F.
Toss vegetables and tofu or sausage together in a large bowl. Whisk together marinade ingredients and pour over vegetables, tofu or sausage. Toss well to coat. Pour into a 9-by-13-inch baking dish and cover with aluminum foil. Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes. Remove aluminum foil and bake for 15 more minutes or until vegetables are tender and lightly browned.
Be sure sausage is cooked through if using.
Garnish with scallions and serve with rice. Brown rice is a nice, nutty accompaniment. Jasmine rice is very fragrant and compliments the sweet and salty flavors of this dish. You can't go wrong with either.
There's no reason why a vegetable lasagna made with the classic trio of eggplant, zucchini, and summer squash should be any less satisfying than a meat-based casserole, especially when the produce is in season and locally grown.
But we've rarely cooked one that we've been moved to make again. Some versions look tempting enough with a topcoat of bubbly cheese and thick tomato gravy, but cutting out a square of it invariably reveals trouble at the core. Often placed between the pasta sheets raw, the zucchini and squash turn out steamy and limp, flooding the dish with their juices — or, in some instances, undercooked and crunchy.
Then there's the eggplant, which is typically not only soggy, but greasy from pre-frying. Add to that the usual patches of dry, grainy ricotta and it's a wonder this dish ever became an Italian American standard.
So what would it take to make a full-flavored lasagna with vegetables that could stand up to — not wash out — the cheese and sauce? Ridding the produce of some of its moisture and boosting its flavor before adding it to the dish would be steps in the right direction.
VEGETABLE LASAGNA
Servings: 8-10
Start to finish: 1 hour, 45 minutes
Part-skim mozzarella can also be used in this recipe, but avoid pre-shredded cheese, as it does not melt well. We prefer kosher salt because it clings best to the eggplant. If using table salt, reduce the amounts by half.
INGREDIENTS:
Tomato sauce:
One 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
CREAM SAUCE:
8 ounces (1 cup) whole-milk cottage cheese
4 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (2 cups)
1 cup heavy cream
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
FILLING AND NOODLES:
1 1/2 pounds eggplant, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
Kosher salt and pepper
1 pound zucchini, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 pound yellow summer squash, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
5 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
12 ounces (12 cups) baby spinach
12 no-boil lasagna noodles
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, minced
12 ounces whole-milk mozzarella cheese, shredded (3 cups)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
DIRECTIONS:
For the tomato sauce: Whisk all ingredients together in a bowl; set aside.
For the cream sauce: Whisk all ingredients together in the second bowl; set aside.
For the filling and noodles: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 F. Toss eggplant with 1 teaspoon salt in large bowl. Line large plate with double layer of coffee filters and lightly spray with vegetable oil spray. Spread eggplant in even layer over coffee filters; wipe out and reserve bowl. Microwave eggplant until dry to touch and slightly shriveled, about 10 minutes, tossing halfway through microwaving. Let cool slightly. Return eggplant to bowl and toss with zucchini and summer squash.
Combine 1 tablespoon oil, garlic, and thyme in small bowl. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add half of eggplant mixture, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are lightly browned, about 7 minutes. Push vegetables to sides of skillet. Add half of garlic mixture to center and cook, mashing mixture into pan, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir garlic mixture into vegetables and transfer to medium bowl. Repeat with 2 tablespoons oil, remaining eggplant mixture, and remaining garlic mixture; transfer to bowl.
Heat remaining 1 teaspoon oil in now-empty skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add spinach and cook, stirring frequently, until wilted, about 3 minutes. Transfer spinach to paper towel-lined plate and let drain for 2 minutes. Stir into eggplant mixture. (Filling can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours.)
Grease 13-by-9-inch baking dish. Spread 1 cup tomato sauce evenly over bottom of dish. Arrange 4 noodles on top of sauce (noodles will overlap). Spread half of the vegetable mixture evenly over noodles, followed by 1/4 cup olives. Spoon half of the cream sauce over top and sprinkle with 1 cup mozzarella. Repeat layering with 4 noodles, 1 cup tomato sauce, remaining vegetable mixture, remaining 1/4 cup olives, remaining cream sauce, and 1 cup mozzarella. For the final layer, arrange remaining 4 noodles on top and cover completely with remaining tomato sauce. Sprinkle remaining 1 cup mozzarella evenly over tomato sauce.
Cover dish tightly with aluminum foil that has been sprayed with oil spray and bake until edges are just bubbling, about 35 minutes, rotating dish halfway through baking. Let lasagna cool for 25 minutes, sprinkle with basil, and serve.
Nutrition information per serving: 537 calories; 296 calories from fat; 33 g fat (14 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 68 mg cholesterol; 928 mg sodium; 42 g carbohydrate; 6 g fiber; 9 g sugar; 25 g protein.
For more recipes, cooking tips and ingredient and product reviews, visit https://www.americastestkitchen.com. Find more recipes like Vegetable Lasagna in "Revolutionary Recipes ."
Ribolitta — a vegetable, bean and bread stew — is a classic example of Tuscan la cucina povera, or peasant cooking, but that doesn't mean it isn't delicious, hearty or complex.
Because food is so fundamental to Italian culture, la cucina povera may be "poor people's food," but it doesn't skimp on thoughtfulness. It incorporates relatively simple techniques with excellent ingredients to make every bite as tasty and wholesome as possible, while not wasting anything. In Ribolitta's case, using at least day-old rustic bread is recommended.
Ribolitta means reboiled, which defines it as a dish meant to be made ahead and served later. Even though it doesn't require a great deal of preparation time, it's perfect to make on a weekend and serve during the week when meal preparation time is tighter. As it's made with vegetables, beans and bread, it makes for a healthy vegetarian one-bowl meal, as well.
As some of you may know, I'm blessed to work part-time for the Masiero family and Mike Mazzeo in my semi-retirement at Guido's Fresh Marketplace in Pittsfield. There are many advantages to this besides the extra money each week. Working there assures me of seeing many of my friends, customers and coworkers alike, I've made over the last few years while helping people make wine and cheese choices. Not to be taken for granted, a generous employee discount on the best quality ingredients helps both my cooking and wallet, making employment there that much more advantageous for an old chef on Social Security like me.
Before I begin with the recipe, I'd like to note a couple of local food products that made my meal of Ribolitta extraordinarily special. The first is Berkshire Mountain Bakery's ciabatta. In the recipe, I use Richard Bourdon's exceptional sourdough ciabatta, which he's been making for over 35 years in Housatonic. I also used his bread for a side dish of bruschetta, topped with Willy Bridgham's authentic hand-ladled Inagadda Ricotta from Four Fat Fowl, made next door in Stephentown, N.Y. Altogether, when combined with the best Italian canned tomatoes, the freshest organic Tuscan kale from Lady Moon Farm and a sprinkling of Pecorino Toscano that Guido's imports directly from Italy, the meal transported me to sunny Tuscany on a gray winter's evening in New England.
RIBOLITTA
I developed this as an easy-to-prepare recipe for a busy household. There are as many recipes for Ribolitta as there are Italian nonnas in Tuscany, all of whom may defend her Ribolitta as the authentic recipe!
INGREDIENTS:
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
2 cups 1/2-inch diced onion
1 1/2 cups 1/2-inch carrots
1 1/2 cups 1/2-inch diced celery
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 28-ounce can best quality Italian whole peeled tomatoes
1 tomato can of water and more as needed
1 bunch (about 1 pound) kale, preferably Lacinato (Tuscan) kale, ribs removed and torn or chopped in bite-size pieces
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
3 15.5-ounce cans of cannellini beans
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary leaves
1/3 ciabatta loaf, day-old, preferably Berkshire Mountain Bakery, cut in about 1-inch cubes
Zest of one lemon, preferably organic, washed and dried
Grated Pecorino Toscano for garnish (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS:
In a large thick-bottomed pot over medium heat, saute the onion, carrot, celery and garlic until the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes. Squeeze the tomatoes by hand into the pot and add all the juices from the can. Add 1 tomato can of water, the kale, red pepper flakes and simmer for about 15 minutes. In the meantime, empty one can of cannellini beans with a splash of water into a bowl, thoroughly mash with a potato masher and add to the pot. Add the remaining two cans of cannellini beans, rosemary, lemon zest and bread and simmer for about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow the Ribolitta to thicken for at least 20 minutes. Reheat the Ribolitta and add more water if necessary, to desired thickness. Adjust salt and pepper, serve in bowls and drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil. Finish each bowl with a sprinkling of grated cheese if desired.
"Summertime and the living is busy ... " is how the lyric should read for those of us lucky enough to be in the Berkshires in the summer. There's so much to do, it's hard to squeeze it all in. I couldn't possibly list all the music, theater, dance, art galleries and museums to be enjoyed and competing for my attention this time of year. There are excellent restaurants, dazzling farmers markets and wonderful food markets in the region, all featuring locally grown and produced foods. Not to be missed is the incredible number of beautiful hiking trails as well as lakes, rivers and ponds for swimming and boating, mostly for free.
I have a certain prejudice, as a music and picnic lover, for Tanglewood. The chairs, tables and picnic supplies are always packed and at the ready. Once we have all our picnicking supplies together, it really isn't difficult to put together a reasonable picnic. We do our best to take advantage of all the Berkshires has to offer each summer, but the season is short for some of the events. The Boston Symphony Orchestra's Tanglewood season is particularly short and remains my go-to in the summer.
As a music lover and someone who has made his living producing food, I've always been interested in the parallels in producing music and food for a living. I've had discussions with some of my professional musician friends on this subject, and we tend to agree there are a number of similarities.
First of all, musicians and chefs tend to travel in the same social circles, as we're generally working when the rest of the world is at leisure. I was a chef on Cape Cod for over 15 years. I really couldn't tell you a whole lot about what others would describe as the Cape Cod experience in the summer, as I spent most of my summers inside of a kitchen. I did, however, hear some great jazz and had some memorable after-hour conversations with musicians in our restaurant's lounge after service was over. Not many of us can immediately put the brakes on after putting our hearts and souls into our craft in an evening.
Producing music and food for a living are performing arts. As we refine our chops, so to speak, we start moving the needle from craft to art. Performing arts are all ephemeral, never to be repeated exactly the same. It's what differentiates a painter or sculptor from a musician or a chef. As Joni Mitchell once noted when discussing the difference between being a painter and the performing arts, "Nobody ever said to Van Gogh, 'Paint a Starry Night' again, man!"
Whether it's aurally or gastronomically, a musician or chef is producing a consumable product providing pleasure. We're in the pleasure business. It's the almost instant feedback from the audience and the energy it produces that can provide satisfaction for both the audience and the chef or musician.
I'm not sure why I felt the need to go down the road of discussing the similarities of chef and musician, but while considering picnicking at Tanglewood, it worked itself into my consciousness. It's a subject I've considered for a long time, and I guess it was time to organize those thoughts. As a former chef, I hope you enjoyed it!
I've described picnicking at Tanglewood as my go-to in the summer, so I'd like to provide you a recipe for tabouli, my go-to salad for Tanglewood.
You say tabbouleh, I say tabouli; let's make it the way you like! I want to emphasize that, yes, I measured all the ingredients when putting together this version, so I can assure you it works for me, however, I Googled "tabouli salad recipes" and stopped counting after 100. I'm more jazz musician while making food, so I rarely actually measure anything. I look to recipes for ideas I may not have considered. I've been doing this for a long time, though, and for someone less sure of the interactions of ingredients, try making it as written and take it from there. There are, after all, over 25,000 recordings of the song, "Summertime."
TABOULI
This version is more reflective of a traditional Lebanese tabouli in which parsley dominates; cucumber, however, is not traditional. I really like parsley dominating the salad, but cucumber adds a refreshing crunch and a bit of a break from all that parsley. The best bulgur to use is the very fine No. 1-size bulgur, which requires no cooking, as after about a half-hour it softens by soaking up the oil and liquids in the salad. This salad holds well for hours and can still be good the next day.
INGREDIENTS:
3 cups (about 2 bunches) flat leaf parsley, washed thoroughly, stemmed and finely chopped
4 scallions, cut on the bias
1 cup grape tomatoes (1 pint), cut in eighths or 1 cup small diced seeded tomatoes
1 European cucumber with skin, small diced to approximately the same size as the tomatoes
1/2 cup mint, stemmed and finely chopped
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup good quality extra virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp allspice
1/2 cup No. 1 very fine bulgur
Salt and pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS:
Whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, some salt and pepper and the allspice. Add bulgur to the oil and lemon mixture and pour over the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl. Blend ingredients thoroughly and refrigerate. After about a half-hour to allow the bulgur to soften, adjust salt and pepper and enjoy!
Eggs bring out the foodie in me.
As long as I have eggs in my refrigerator, I know I can always whip up a delicious and satisfying meal, be it breakfast, lunch or dinner.
No food is more useful than eggs. They are the basis of endless recipes. Eggs can be fried, scrambled, boiled, baked, poached or pickled. They are essential in providing rise and richness to pastries, cakes and cookies not to mention souffles, custards and meringues. And there would be no hollandaise with which to nap perfectly poached eggs for eggs Benedict or luscious, light as air Sabayon that requires nothing more than a bit of sugar, sweet wine and egg yolks.
My favorite cookbook is simply titled, "Eggs," by Michel Roux. It's a passionate presentation of information all about eggs and fabulous recipes with eggs as the main ingredient. I highly recommend it.
Eggs for dinner are my comfort food. They make for an inexpensive, quick meal with plenty of hearty, savory egg dishes that fill the bill.
Often, a simple herb and cheese omelet and a green salad is all I require, but sometimes I go for saucy and spicy, like Mexican huevos rancheros or this version of Shakshuka, a classic North African dish.
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large onion thinly sliced
- 1 large red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
- 1 jalapeno pepper, sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- pinch of cinnamon
- 1 (28-ounce) can whole plum tomatoes coarsely chopped
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 6 large eggs, ideally farm fresh at room temp
- 1 cup crumbled Feta cheese
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
One more recommendation: Jacque Pepin to me is a culinary treasure. If you are a cook who appreciates good technique, do an internet search for Jacque Pepin's famous omelet technique video and learn how technique can yield two different omelets, the classic French and a rustic type, perfect for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
How often do we read some article about how meaningful it is to cook with the seasons? But winter can test those good intentions.
You try and make a meal out of two rutabagas and a turnip.
But hey, I'm not really that curmudgeonly about winter. I love cold-weather cooking, in fact. And I like a challenge.
Making a salad in the warm months is an exercise in greediness and narrowing down choices. Our bowls overfloweth. But this time of year, the pickings get slimmer. Time for those creative juices to flow: We might think about including a cooked ingredient or two in a salad, and maybe some cold-weather fruit.
In this salad, beautiful, sweet, orange, butternut squash gets roasted with some slightly — but appealingly — bitter radicchio. Roasting sweetens up the lettuce a bit, and the squash too. When cooled, they are mixed with some assertive endive, tart apple and earthy chickpeas.
You can choose between red wine or balsamic vinegar for the dressing. Either will amp up the tartness, and the balsamic will add a little sweetness as well.
The ricotta salata is the amazing finishing touch. It is an Italian cheese that should be a lot more popular than it is. Ricotta salata is made from the whey of sheep's milk. It has an ivory color, a lovely saltiness and a firm, crumbly texture. If you can't find it, a cup of crumbled feta would do fine. You could also use goat cheese, but I might sprinkle that over the top of the salad so it stays distinct and doesn't mush into the rest of the dish.
Chopped winter salad
Serves 6
Start to finish: 50 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
1 pound cubed (3/4-inch) butternut squash
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 large head radicchio, quartered and cored, and each quarter sliced in thirds crosswise
1/4 cup balsamic or red wine vinegar
2 large heads endive, sliced cross-wise into 1/2-inch slices
1 (15.5 ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 green apple, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 cup slivered ricotta salata
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Place the squash with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil on a rimmed baking sheet, season with salt and pepper, and toss well. Spread out into a single layer, and roast for 15 minutes, until almost tender. Remove from the oven, add the radicchio, toss again, and spread out again into a single layer. Roast for another 8 to 10 minutes until the squash is tender, but still firm, and the radicchio is wilted. Remove and let cool to room temperature.
In a large bowl whisk together the vinegar, remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil, and salt and pepper. Add the cooled squash and radicchio, endive, chickpeas, apple, and ricotta salata, and toss to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
Nutrition information per serving: 305 calories; 145 calories from fat; 16 g fat (5 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 21 mg cholesterol; 282 mg sodium; 31 g carbohydrate; 11 g fiber; 6 g sugar; 11 g protein.
Katie Workman has written two cookbooks focused on easy, family-friendly cooking, "Dinner Solved!" and "The Mom 100 Cookbook." She blogs at http://www.themom100.com/about-katie-workman. She can be reached at Katie@themom100.com.
A confession: This is kind of a vegetarian version of my favorite column recipe ever, a spiced lamb and chickpea stew. As I prepare to get married in September, I've been trying to bring my cooking back to a healthier default, which often means less or no meat, bread and cheese. (I will never be a person who crash-diets — this is all about balance.)
Over the past couple of weeks, I've cooked from some really wonderful recipes — you may already be familiar with "The Stew" from the New York Times, a beautiful turmeric-and-coconut number with chickpeas — but I've also been trying to create my own vegetarian recipes, and this one is a winner.
I'm not really a fan of Americanized vegetable soup — some flavor notes in there just remind me of burnt crockpot bottoms — but this more stew-like, all-veggie number has thickness from the chickpeas and potatoes, which break down over a slow simmer, and is healthy enough that you can pair it with bread and still feel good about it. (And you should.)
Spiced differently from my lamb version, this uses berbere spice mix, a seasoning used quite a lot in Ethiopian cooking. You can find it in the grocery store spice aisle, but if you're angling to make your own, it's a great mix of garlic, red pepper, cardamom, chiles and cloves. It's got a nice, low, warm spiciness to it — perfect for fake spring, where days start warm and end snowing, or vice versa.
BERBERE SPICED VEGETABLE STEW
INGREDIENTS:
Olive oil
1 fennel bulb
2 shallots
3 cloves garlic
3 to 4 red potatoes
2 cans chickpeas
One 28-ounce can peeled plum tomatoes
4 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 tablespoons berbere spice mix
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
Salt and pepper
1 bunch kale
Handful of chopped cilantro for garnish
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat sauce pot to medium with a glug or two of olive oil. Slice fennel thin and add to pot with salt and pepper to taste. Finely chop shallots and garlic, then add to pot with berbere seasoning, cumin and turmeric, and saute with fennel until everything is just beginning to brown — just a hair past the soft/translucent stage.
Add potatoes, chickpeas, tomatoes and chicken broth. Bring to a simmer, then let cook, stirring every so often, for 1 to 1 hour and 15 minutes. When you're done, much of the liquid will be simmered away and the chickpeas will be breaking down, thickening your stew. Chop and add kale, then let cook 5 to 7 minutes (you may need to add more stock to keep this nice and stew-y). Serve with warm pita and cilantro for garnish.
Creating anything garden-fresh in a slow cooker is a tall order, but we were willing to try to beat the odds and develop a recipe for a
minestrone that married a flavorful tomato broth with fresh vegetables, beans, and pasta.
The base of our soup would be our broth, and after microwaving the aromatics we added broth and canned tomato sauce along with carrots and dried beans — both of which could sustain a long stay in a slow cooker.
Sliced zucchini and chopped chard were simply added during the last 20 minutes of cooking, and the precooked pasta was stirred in at the end. Serve with crusty bread to dip into the broth.
Garden minestrone
Servings: 6-8
Start to finish: 8 to 10 hours on high
Slow cooker size: 4 to 7 quarts
INGREDIENTS:
1 onion, chopped fine
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for serving
1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh oregano or 1/2 teaspoon dried
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
8 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 cup dried great Northern or cannellini beans, picked over and rinsed
2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 cup small pasta, such as ditalini, tubettini, or elbow macaroni
Salt and pepper
1 zucchini, quartered lengthwise and sliced 1/4 inch thick
8 ounces Swiss chard, stemmed and sliced 1/2 inch thick
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
Grated Parmesan cheese
DIRECTIONS:
Microwave onion, garlic, 1 tablespoon oil, oregano, and pepper flakes in bowl, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, about 5 minutes; transfer to slow cooker. Stir in broth, tomato sauce, beans, and carrots. Cover and cook until beans are tender, 8 to 10 hours on high.
Meanwhile, bring 2 quarts water to boil in large saucepan. Add pasta and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and cook, stirring often, until al dente. Drain pasta, rinse with cold water, then toss with remaining 1 teaspoon oil in bowl; set aside.
Stir zucchini and chard into soup, cover, and cook on high until tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Stir in pasta and let sit until heated through, about 5 minutes. Stir in basil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve, passing Parmesan and extra oil separately.
Nutrition information per serving: 224 calories; 46 calories from fat; 5 g fat (1 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 1 mg cholesterol; 601 mg sodium; 34 g carbohydrate; 6 g fiber; 5 g sugar; 11 g protein.
For more recipes, cooking tips and ingredient and product reviews, visithttps://www.americastestkitchen.com. Find more recipes like Garden Minestrone in "Complete Slow Cooker ."
Make-ahead meals and cooking for the freezer, once relegated to suburban supermoms who had it more together than the rest of us, are now trendy with the healthy-eating crowd.
Sure, we call it "meal prep" but it's pretty much the same thing: Make good food in advance, so that we can eat it sometime in the future. In the past, this was primarily to save meal-planning stress, dishwashing time, and money. Now, we are recognizing another implicit benefit: We are more likely to make healthy food choices if something tasty and nutritious is already prepared.
Cook once but eat twice has long been the battle cry of the make-ahead meal, with Italian comfort foods such as lasagna and eggplant Parmesan perhaps being the poster-children of this eat-one-freeze-one movement. So I overhauled these Italian casseroles into my Eggplant and Spinach Parmesan, a healthier veggie-filled version that are actually quite easy to pull together, and freeze beautifully.
To make my healthy tweaks, I focused on an eggplant Parmesan dish, simply because I felt the pasta would be missed less. The eggplant, usually breaded and fried, was simply seasoned and roasted, and no one in my family missed the extra breadcrumbs or oil. I added in baby spinach, which contributed nutrients but also a nice layered lasagna-like element to the dish.
Without actual pasta, though, I knew I needed to keep some serious cheese. Using part-skim ricotta as the main component worked well, and I boosted the flavor with just a little bit of nutty Parmesan, and a reasonable quantity of mozzarella for melty-stretchy goodness. Luckily, marinara needs no makeover, as long as you buy or make one without extra sugar or preservatives. My version is vegetarian, but feel free to add a pound of lean browned ground turkey or beef if you want.
The recipe makes enough for eight, so a small family can freeze half for a second meal, or divide up leftovers into individual servings for DIY single-serving frozen meals. You can also double the recipe and really load up that freezer. I buy a bunch of foil baking pans at a warehouse store, because just seeing a stack of those pans in my cupboard inspires me to cook double and stock up the freezer.
Eggplant and spinach Parmesan
Servings: 8
Start to finish: 1 1/2 hours
INGREDIENTS:
2 medium eggplants, about 1 1/2-2 pounds total
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
olive oil mister (or nonstick spray)
1 15-ounce container part-skim ricotta cheese
1 egg white
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons dried Italian herb seasoning
5 cups baby spinach
1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese plus 1/4 cup additional for topping
4 cups prepared marinara sauce (no sugar added)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 375 F. Slice eggplant into 1/4-inch slices. Place on a large baking sheet fitted with a baking rack. Sprinkle with half the garlic and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, and spray lightly with an olive oil mister. Bake for 10 minutes, and then flip over the slices. Season the second side with the remaining garlic, another 1/4 teaspoon of salt and spray with olive oil. Bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until slices are tender, but not falling apart, and then allow to cool enough to handle. Lower the oven temperature to 350 F.
Meanwhile, mix together in a small bowl the ricotta, egg white, Parmesan cheese, Italian herb seasoning, black pepper and remaining salt. Spray the inside of a medium-sized baking or casserole dish. Place 1/2 cup of the marinara sauce at the bottom of the pan.
Layer in order: half the eggplant, half the ricotta cheese, half the spinach, half the 1 cup of mozzarella, half the (remaining) sauce. Repeat the layers, ending with sauce. Top with remaining 1/4 cup of mozzarella cheese. Cover with oven safe lid or with foil (spray lightly with oil to avoid sticking), and bake until hot and bubbly, about 45 minutes, removing cover halfway through the baking time. Let sit at least 10 minutes before serving.
Chef's tip: The dish will firm up as it cools, if you are trying to cut neater squares.
Nutrition information per serving: 236 calories; 99 calories from fat; 11 g fat (5 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 28 mg cholesterol; 855 mg sodium; 19 g carbohydrate; 6 g fiber; 9 g sugar; 16 g protein.
Food Network star Melissa d'Arabian is an expert on healthy eating on a budget. She is the author of the cookbook, "Supermarket Healthy."
Online: http://www.melissadarabian.net
In the quest for Big Crowd Food, lasagna reigns supreme. And at this time of year, you may find yourself entertaining a big crowd for a basketball game party or just because it's cold out and it's nice to put together a cozy gathering.
This lasagna is rich and creamy, absent the tomato sauce that anchors many lasagnas, filled with sauteed spinach folded into fluffy ricotta and a very simple b chamel sauce, rich with melty cheeses. The nutmeg is optional — a little can add a nice flavor, but too much can overpower.
A few more notes on the ingredients: You may think that 2 pounds of spinach looks like an awful lot for one lasagna, but it cooks down to just a few cups. No-boil, or oven-ready, lasagna noodles are a gift to the busy cook, and the reason I make lasagna more often. I have also made this recipe in a super-large lasagna pan and increased the quantities by half again. Then it will serve 12 to 16.
It is tempting to dig into a bubbling lasagna, but resist the urge. Letting it sit for at least 10 minutes will reward you with slices that hold together, and it will still be perfectly warm — in fact, just the right temperature for you to enjoy the flavors without the pieces sliding apart on the plates.
This can also be assembled a day ahead, held in the fridge and baked before dinner. Or it can be baked up to two days ahead and reheated for about 20 minutes in a 375 F oven.
Cheesy white and green spinach lasagna
Serves 10 to 12
Start to finish: 2 hours
INGREDIENTS:
Spinach-basil-ricotta filling:
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 cup minced shallots
1 tablespoon minced garlic
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 pounds baby spinach leaves, roughly chopped
2 pounds ricotta, preferably fresh
2 large eggs
1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, plus 1/3 cup for sprinkling the top
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
B chamel-cheese sauce:
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups (1 quart) whole milk
Pinch ground nutmeg (optional)
1 pound fresh mozzarella, shredded
8 ounces shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 (8 ounce) package no-boil lasagna noodles (containing 12 noodles)
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 375 F.
Make the spinach-basil-ricotta Filling: Heat the tablespoon butter in a large saucepan over medium heat until melted. Add the shallots and garlic, season with salt and pepper and saute for 2 minutes until tender. Add the spinach in batches and saute, adding more spinach as each batch wilts down, about 6 minutes in all, until all of the spinach is added and wilted. Adjust the seasoning, transfer to a strainer over a bowl, press down with a spoon to release excess liquid, and set aside to cool slightly.
In a large bowl combine the ricotta, eggs, 1 cup Parmesan, and the basil. Season with salt and pepper, and set aside.
Make the b chamel-cheese sauce: Heat the 4 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat until melted. Whisk in the flour until the mixture turns a light golden color, about 3 minutes. While whisking constantly, slowly pour in the milk. Continue to cook and whisk until the mixture thickens and bubbles, about 4 minutes, adding the nutmeg, if using. Whisk in the mozzarella and Monterey Jack cheeses until they are melted, and season with salt and pepper.
If the spinach still seems wet, give it a squeeze with your hands. Stir the drained spinach into the reserved ricotta mixture.
Lay out all of the lasagna noodles on a clean counter top. Spread the spinach-ricotta filling evenly over all of the noodles, so that each is topped with about a 1/2-inch-thick layer of the spinach-ricotta mixture.
Pour a small amount of bechamel sauce into the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch pan and spread it out. Place four ricotta-covered noodles in the bottom of the pan to cover it in a single layer. Drizzle 1/3 of the white sauce over the noodles. Place another layer of the ricotta-covered noodles over the top, drizzle with another third of the sauce, and then repeat the layers once more. Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan cheese. Bake for about 40 minutes until the top is golden and the lasagna is bubbling. If you want a more browned top, run it under the broiler for 1 or 2 minutes, watching it carefully.
Let the lasagna rest for at least 10 to 15 minutes before cutting into squares and serving warm.
Nutrition information per serving: 674 calories; 383 calories from fat; 43 g fat (25 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 174 mg cholesterol; 871 mg sodium; 35 g carbohydrate; 3 g fiber; 6 g sugar; 38 g protein.
Katie Workman has written two cookbooks focused on easy, family-friendly cooking, "Dinner Solved!" and "The Mom 100 Cookbook." She blogs at http://www.themom100.com/about-katie-workman