Posts from the ‘Vegetables’ Category

Feb 3

Pasta Piselli

I first tasted this when I lived in Naples Italy, it was served as a first course at a friends house where I went for lunch. Lunch in Italy lasted 2 or 3 hours and was the main meal of the day. There were several courses and it was eaten leisurely over the space of about 2 hours. Very different from the quickie lunches we have here in the US. I watched my friends Grandmother make this soup and was taken first by it’s simplicity, only a few ingredients but there was something about it that was so warm and comforting and delicious. My recipe is basically the same as what I observed the only thing that I do differently is that I add a pinch of lemon zest, it brightens the flavors and adds so much to the dish IMHO. I like to use fresh pasta but you can use dried it’s perfectly fine and works just as well. Feel free to use whatever type of pasta you like, for this I like long pasta, linguine is my favorite. You can also feel free to use parmigiano instead of romano if you like or mix them. It’s all good!!

Serves 2-4 depending on serving size

32 oz chicken broth or stock

1 cup fresh or frozen peas

1/2 pound fresh or dried pasta

1 large egg at room temperature beaten

1/2 cup grated pecorino romano cheese

salt and pepper to taste

Pinch of lemon zest (Optional)

Bring your broth or stock to a boil in a large saucepan, add the peas and cook for 3 minutes, add the pasta (If using fresh it only takes about 3 minutes to cook, dried takes longer 8 minutes approximately) NOTE: If using dried pasta it takes much longer to cook and you don’t want to over cook the peas. Dried pasta depending on the type can take 8-10 minutes so add the peas the last 5 minutes of cooking.

Beat the egg and add the grated cheese to the egg, combine. Remove pot from the heat and pour the egg in slowly stirring as you add. Add salt and pepper if you like, I like to add a pinch of lemon zest also, its optional. Serve with more cheese grated on top.

Jan 7

27 Comments

Pasta With Half The Carbs

Half the carbs pasta

Part of my resolution this year is to lose some weight and try to eat more healthful foods. I respond really well to low carb diets and do lose weight pretty quickly but I am a carb addict, I love bread and pasta and rice. Once I get used to eliminating or lowering my carb intake it becomes easy but the first week or so is a bit difficult. I created this dish to ease myself into a reduced carb lifestyle. It’s fresh and very simple to prepare. I use less than half the amount of pasta that I normally would and replaced it with julienned zucchini. The hot pasta is tossed with the zucchini (raw), oven roasted (caramelized) cherry tomatoes, roasted garlic and a nice handful of chopped flat leaf parsley. Finish with the grated or shaved cheese of your choice, I used peccorino romano.

Serves 2-3

10 cherry tomatoes halved

2 cloves garlic

1 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped

1 medium zucchini julienned

1/4 lb pasta (dry or fresh)

2 tbs olive oil plus more to drizzle on tomatoes

salt and pepper to taste

grated cheese of your choice

Heat oven to 350 degree’s place cherry tomatoes, garlic cloves on parchment lined baking sheet, sprinkle with olive oil, salt and pepper and bake for 15-20 minutes, garlic will be soft and tomatoes soft and caramelized, remove from oven and place in serving bowl mashing the garlic, be sure to include the juice from the tomatoes and any caramelized bits of tomato.

Put a large pot of water to boil, julienne the zucchini and add to the tomato and garlic, add the chopped parsley, olive oil and season. When water has come to a full boil add enough salt so that water tastes salty (about 1 – 2 tbs) depending on how much water you have in the pot, add the pasta and cook until done (al dente), remove from pot and add directly to the zucchini and tomatoes, toss to combine, sprinkle with cheese and serve. If it seems too dry add a little pasta water and/or olive oil to moisten.

Jun 14

10 Comments

Asian Inspired Pork Burgers

These pork burgers are inspired by bahn mi, with similar flavors. I topped the burgers with a crisp cucumber, scallion and carrot slaw. The sauce is a little sweet and salty and is used both in the burgers and as a glaze. The slaw goes perfectly with the burger, it’s dressed with rice vinegar, sesame oil, lime zest and some sriracha to give it a kick.

Makes 4-6 depending on size

The Slaw:

2 kirby cucumbers julienned

1 medium carrot julienned

2 scallion chopped the light and dark parts

The Dressing:

3 tbs rice wine vinegar

1 tbs sesame oil

zest of half a lime

1/2 tsp sugar

splash of sriracha or your favorite hot sauce

Place the prepared vegetables in a bowl, whisk all the ingredients together for the dressing and pour over the vegetables, toss to combine, cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

The sauce/glaze

2 tablespoons hoisin sauce

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger

2 tablespoons mirin

2 tablespoons sesame oil

Whisk all ingredients together and set aside.

The Burgers:

1 lb ground pork

2 scallions chopped white and dark green parts

3 tbs of the sauce

Several turns of the pepper mill (you judge how much pepper you like)

soft buns ( I used brioche)

melted butter for the buns

Mix the pork, scallions, pepper and sauce together. I did not season with salt. the sauce added enough salt for my taste. Shape into patties and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Heat grill pan on stove top or fire up the barbie. Brush one side of the pattie with the sauce and place on hot grill, brush the other side. Grill to desired doneness, I found it took about 3-4 minutes per side.

Brush the buns with the melted butter and grill, place pork burger on bun and top with the slaw. Enjoy!

Jun 13

24 Comments

Stuffed Avocado With Poached Egg

The food52 contest is all about avocado’s. My entry is very simple and makes a fantastic breakfast or brunch but can really be eaten anytime of day. I stuffed the avocado halves with sauteed grape tomatoes and shallots, topped with breadcrumbs and heated in the broiler for about a minute and then topped it with a poached egg. It’s delicious, loaded with flavor and you can make this your own by adding whatever you like.

Serves 2

1 ripe avocado halved

1/2 cup grape or cherry tomatoes halved

1 lobe of the shallot chopped

1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs

olive oil for pan

salt and pepper to taste

2 large eggs poached or fried

1/2 lime (for the avocado)

Add olive oil to saute pan and add the chopped shallot, when it has softened add the tomatoes and saute just until the tomatoes start to soften and give off a little of their juices, season with salt and pepper. Remove from pan and add the bread crumbs.saute until they have absorbed the oil and are lightly browned. Remove from pan
Turn oven to broil, place rack in the middle of the oven. Line a baking sheet with foil. Cut your avocado in half, squeeze the lime on both halves, sprinkle each with a pinch of sea salt. Fill the cavity with the tomato and shallots, top with bread crumbs and place in oven for approximately a minute just so it’s warmed and the crumbs are golden brown.
Top with a poached or fried egg and enjoy

May 21

13 Comments

Creamy Spring Turnip Soup With Wilted Radish Greens And Bacon

Creamy Spring Turnip Soup

The contest on Food52 is all about radishes and turnips. Honestly, I am not a lover of either but if I had to pick I guess turnips would be my choice. I do however love greens, turnip or radish they are delicious and anything is better with bacon, right? This soup is silky and creamy and can be eaten warm/hot or chilled. The wilted radish greens and bacon are delicious with the soup. I made this with young spring leeks and turnips and only added a little cream to smooth out the bite from the turnips. I am so pleased at how wonderfully this soup came out and it literally takes less than an hour to prepare. With the weather turning warmer I’m sure soup is not high on the priority list, I had it slightly chilled last night for dinner and it was wonderful.

The Soup

3 cups spring turnips cut in quarters

3 young leeks cleaned very well and sliced

4 cups broth (I used chicken but vegetable broth would also be good)

1/4 cup heavy cream

salt and pepper to taste

Clean and slice your leeks, I like to clean, trim and chop into rounds and add to a large amount of clean water. The grit goes to the bottom, then I scoop them out and rinse again. Let them air dry while you prep the turnips. Peel, rinse and chop the turnips into quarters.

Heat only enough olive oil to coat the bottom of a heavy large saucepan, add the dried leeks and cook only until softened. Add the turnips and cook for a short time you don’t want them to brown only to start to soften, I cooked on medium/high heat, Add the stock, bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium and cook for approximately 30 minutes or until the turnips are very soft.

You may not need all of the liquid depending on how thick you like your soup, so drain the turnips and leeks and process in blender until very smooth, Pour into a bowl and add back the stock until it reaches the consistency you like. Now add the heavy cream. Adjust seasoning. Stir and set aside while you make the topping. If you are serving the soup warm pour back in the saucepan and keep on very low flame.

Greens and Bacon

4-6 slices bacon (I like maple cured)

the leaves from a head of radishes

Remove the greens from the radishes and clean very well to remove any grit, Lay on paper towel to dry.

Fry the bacon until crisp, remove from pan and lay on paper towel, add the dried radish greens and saute only until wilted, Remove to paper towel. Ladle soup into bowls lay some of the wilted greens and crumble some of the bacon on top.

Apr 26

13 Comments

Featured Recipe: Green Garlic Stuffed Mushrooms

Green Garlic Stuffed Mushrooms photo by In Pat's Kitchen

Who doesn’t love stuffed mushrooms and what an ingenious was to use the bounty of beautiful spring vegetables that we are so fortunate to have this time of year. I think Pat hit the nail on the head with this lovely recipe. What a great appetizer and the flavors are so perfectly balanced and delicious. The bi-weekly contest on Food52 is all about alliums and I saw this submission and instantly fell in love! You can use white or brown for appetizer size but I was thinking how wonderful this would be as a vegetarian main course using big, meaty portobello mushrooms. You can find Pat’s recipes on her wonderful blog, In Pat’s Kitchen or on Food52 where you can see an abundance of delicious recipes. You might want to use some tender celery to make Roasted Celery Soup which just recently won the contest for best celery recipe or her utterly delicious A Tribute To Woody (Homemade Gingerale Float).

Makes 24 stuffed mushrooms

Green Garlic Confit (Molly Wizenburg’s method):

1 1/2 cups quarter inch sliced green garlic stalks (I had about 14 medium)

2 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup water

1/2 teaspoon salt

In a small sauce pan with a lid, melt the butter and add the sliced green garlic, water and salt. Cover and gently cook the mixture over medium-low heat, stirring often until the liquid is almost all evaporated. This should take about 20 minutes. Set aside to cool a bit while you prep the mushrooms.

For the mushrooms and stuffing:

24 white or brown button mushrooms, caps about 1 1/2 to 2 inches in diameter

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

4 ounces softened cream cheese

3/4 cup panko bread crumbs

2 tablespoons finely grated parmesan cheese

The green garlic confit

Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling

Remove the stems from the mushrooms (save for another use) and then clean the mushrooms with either a mushroom brush or wipe them with paper toweling.

Place the mushrooms in a bowl and toss them with the 2 tablespoons of olive oil and then place them, cap side up on a baking sheet. In a pre heated 425F oven, roast the mushrooms for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and turn them over. Lower the oven temp to 350F.

In a small mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, panko, parmesan and green garlic confit. Distribute the filling into the mushroom caps and then drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil over each mushroom.

Roast the filled mushroom caps at the 350F temp for about twenty minutes or until the filling just begins to brown. Let cool for a minute or two before enjoying warm.

Apr 16

11 Comments

Warm Salad With Cherry Tomatoes, Haricot Vert and Pancetta

Cherry Tomatoes, Haricot Vert and Pancetta

This is one of my favorite salads, it incorporates 3 ingredients that I love, green beans, tomatoes and pancetta, it’s easy to put together, the vegetables are sauteed in the dressing so they really absorb all the flavors. It’s wonderful when tomatoes are in season but I have been able to get some really good tomatoes from the grocer so this can be made any time. This salad is served warm or room temperature, you don’t have to worry about anything wilting and the colors are so beautiful. I used heirloom cherry tomatoes for this, be sure to have some bread ready to soak up the juices. You do not have to use pancetta to make this vegetarian, add whatever you like as a substitute, I think mushrooms would be delicious.

Serves 4-6

12 mixed color heirloom cherry tomatoes cut in half

1/2 pound haricot vert cleaned and stem side only removed

1 shallot minced

1 clove garlic minced

1/4 pound pancetta cut into cubes (2 1 inch thick slices)

1 tablespoon salt (to add to water to cook haricot vert)

Blanch the haricot vert in a large pot of salted water. Bring water to a boil add at least a tablespoon of salt and add the beans, cook for 5 minutes. While beans are cooking prepare an ice bath you want to add the beans to the ice bath to shock them, remove beans from boiling water and place directly into ice water, this will stop the cooking process and they will retain that beautiful green color. Let your beans get cold then remove to paper towels lay them out in a single layer and pat dry.

Cut your tomatoes in half, mince the shallot and garlic and chop the panceltta into small cube size pieces.

Making the salad:

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

Heat skillet with the 2 tbs of olive oil, add the shallot cook until just starting to soften, add the garlic and continue cooking for another minute. Remove from pan and set aside. In the same pan add the pancetta and brown, add the shallot and garlic back into the pan and add the 2 tbs of vinegar. Add the cherry tomatoes and cook just until the tomatoes start to soften and release some of their juices. Now add the haricot vert stir together and let cook for 3-5 more minutes. Adjust seasoning. I found I didn’t need additional salt for my taste, but I did add pepper. Serve and enjoy.

Mar 17

7 Comments

Happy St. Paddy’s Day – Corned Beef,Colcannon and Irish Brown Soda Bread

In honor of St. Patrick and the beautiful country of Ireland on today’s menu is Irish fare. Corned Beef, Colcannon and Irish Brown Soda Bread. I made the corned beef as I do every year, bring to a boil on the stove top with onion and spices and then braise in the oven for about 4 hours, next year I am going to make Suzanne Goins genius recipe for Corned Beef and Cabbage that is on Food52. The Colcannon is a recipe from Whole Foods, you can’t get more simple or delicious in my opinion, boil the potatoes, saute some onion and cabbage and mash it all together I made two very minor changes I caramelized the onions before adding the cabbage and instead of milk I added melted butter and creme fraiche. Here is, Whole Foods Colcannon recipe The Brown Bread is from food52, its a recipe Merrill Stubbs posted, it’s a family recipe her Mother always made and is absolutely delicious, Irish Brown Bread slathered with Irish butter. I am looking forward to having Creative Culinary’s authentic Irish Coffee Recipe