Tag Archives: vegetables

Mediterranean Salad with Chickpeas, Black Beans, Quinoa and a Lemon-Cumin Vinaigrette

April 26, 2013 By in Lunches and Snacks, Salads, Vegetables Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 3 Comments

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I love quinoa most when it is a secondary ingredient so I keep it (cooked) in the refrigerator and toss a few tablespoons in my salad at lunch.   I was pleased to find the recipe for this salad on The Cafe Sucre Farine because it was so chock full of legumes, vegetables and herbs.  I’ve used half regular quinoa and half red quinoa for my salad…you can cook them together and they really taste the same….I just happen to like the color contrast.   This is not only an excellent vegetarian main course, but also the perfect side dish for grilled or roasted meats and seafood.

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For vinaigrette:

1 clove garlic, minced

fine zest of one lemon

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon honey

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon coriander

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

 For Salad:

2 cups cooked quinoa (according to directions on package)

1 can black beans

1 can chick peas

1/4 cup minced red onion

1 medium red bell pepper, small dice

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

Combine all of the vinaigrette ingredients in a small bowl and whisk well.  Toss all salad ingredients in a large bowl.  Add about 1/2 cup of the vinaigrette to the salad bowl and toss well.  Let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving.  Reserve any extra vinaigrette.  Can be made ahead and refrigerated….let the salad warm up a bit at room temperature, toss and taste for seasonings before serving.  Serves 6-8

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Overnight Marinated Collard Greens Salad

April 13, 2013 By in Lunches and Snacks, Salads, Vegetables Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

collards to post When I saw how beautiful and tender the collard greens looked in the market this week, I knew it was time to try to make a fresh salad out of them.  Some of the versions that I have had are too sweet…. or too raw tasting.   I fixed that by cutting way back on the sugar and by poring the boiling hot dressing over the vegetables to “cook” them just ever so slightly, then marinating them overnight in a large zip lock bag.  The result is a bright, crunchy, healthy and fresh-tasting salad for your summer repertoire. (inspired by a recipe in Vegetarian Times)

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1/2 pound fresh collard greens, washed

2 cups grated carrots

1 red bell pepper, cored and thinly sliced

1 small onion, thinly sliced

1/2 cup rice vinegar

2 tablespoons sugar

1/4 cup light olive oil

1 teaspoon powdered mustard

1 teaspoon celery seed

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Cut the thick center vein out of the collard green leaves then stack several leaves together, roll into a cylinder, hold together and thinly slice to make narrow strips.  Repeat with remaining leaves and transfer to a large bowl.  Stir in carrots, bell pepper, and onion. In a small sauce pan, whisk together vinegar,  sugar, oil,  mustard,  celery seed,  salt and pepper and bring to a boil.  Pour the hot dressing over the vegetables and toss to coat well.  Season with salt and pepper if desired.  Transfer to a large zip lock bag and close…sealing out any air.  Refrigerate overnight.  Serves 8

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Asparagus Salad with Arugula, Fennel, Crispy Potato and a Creamy Italian Dressing

March 23, 2013 By in Appetizers, Lunches and Snacks, Salads, Vegetables Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , 1 Comment

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In this tasty salad, think of the potatoes as you would croutons….not the main focus of the dish but a wonderful addition taste and texture wise. The real stars of this salad are the arugula, asparagus and fennel.  Put them all together with a light and fresh Italian Herb Dressing and you’ve got a dish that can stand on its own as a vegetarian main course, or compliment any grilled meat, poultry or seafood.  It also holds up well so it might be just the right thing to take to a potluck or picnic.

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1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon minced fresh herbs (parsley, dill, tarragon or thyme)

2 tablespoons sour cream

1 teaspoon honey

6 tablespoons extra vingin olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

1 bunch asparagus, trimmed

1 small bulb fennel, quartered, cored and cut into thin strips

3 cups fresh baby arugula, stemmed

6 small new potatoes, peeled and diced

2 tablespoons olive oil

For the dressing:

In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, vinegar, herbs, sour cream and honey.  Then drizzle in the 6 tablespoons of olive oil slowly and whisk until blended.  Season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside.

For the salad:

Fill a non-stick skillet with a couple of inches of water and bring to a boil.  Blanch the fennel in this water  for about 3 minutes then remove with a slotted spoon and set aside to cool.  Add the asparagus to the boiling water and cook until crisp- tender. (the timing will depend upon the size of your asparagus)  Drain and rinse asparagus under cold water to stop the cooking and preserve its nice bright green color. Cut asparagus on the diagonal into 2 inch pieces.

Wipe out your skillet and return to the burner over med-high heat.  Add 2 tablespoons olive oil and swirl around the pan.  Add the diced potatoes to the skillet in one layer and let cook without disturbing until golden brown on one side.  Toss the potatoes, lower the heat to medium and continue cooking 8-10 minutes, occasionally tossing the potatoes, until tender on the inside and golden brown on all sides.  Season lightly with salt and pepper.

Place the arugula in a large bowl, add the asparagus pieces and fennel and toss with about 1/2 of the dressing. Add the crispy diced potatoes and toss again.  Taste and add additional dressing and/or salt and freshly ground black pepper if necessary.

Serves 2-3 as a main course or 4-6 as a side dish.

 

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Roasted New Potato Salad with Arugula and Goat Cheese

February 25, 2013 By in Lunches and Snacks, Salads, Vegetables Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 6 Comments

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There are two secrets to this excellent potato salad.  One is to roast the potatoes very slowly so that they become meltingly tender and waxy (as opposed to the crispy/fluffy texture of my favorite Butter Roasted Potatoes).  And the second is to add the vinaigrette while the potatoes are hot, so that they soak in the flavors of the mustard and balsamic. This recipe is adapted from The Vineyard Cookbook, by Barbara Scott-Goodman.   I was planning on presenting this as the perfect winter potato salad but have decided that it will actually be a year-round favorite for me.

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3 pounds small red new potatoes, halved or quartered.

8 unpeeled garlic cloves

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (for roasting potatoes)

kosher salt

2 teaspoons whole grain mustard

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil (for vinaigrette)

2 handfuls stemmed baby arugula

4 ounces fresh goat cheese, crumbled

freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  In a roasting pan (large enough so that potatoes can be spread out in a single layer)  toss the potatoes with the garlic cloves, salt to taste, and the 1/4 cup olive oil.  Bake for 1 1/2 to 2 hours until potatoes are tender and light brown.  Lower the heat to 250 degrees if the potatoes are cooking too quickly.

To make the vinaigrette, whisk the mustard and vinegar together in a small bowl, Slowly add the olive oil, whisking constantly until the vinaigrette thickens.

Take the potatoes from the oven.  Remove the garlic cloves and squeeze them over a large bowl to remove the peel then scrape the potatoes into the bowl as well.  Pour the vinaigrette over the hot potatoes and gently toss.  Let cool slightly then add the arugula and toss again.

Heap the potato salad into a large shallow bowl or platter.  Sprinkle the crumbled goat cheese over the top and season to taste with pepper.

Serve warm or at room temperature.  Serves 6.

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Just One Perfect Spinach Cheddar Omelette

February 18, 2013 By in Breakfast, eggs Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 1 Comment

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Eggs tend to go from runny to rubbery in the blink of an eye so I have been working on a simple but foolproof omelette.   I heard on PBS radio one day….it was probably The Splendid Table….. how eggs need to be cooked slowly, over very low heat… which meant that I was going to need a good non-stick pan if I didn’t want to use half a stick of butter.  So here is the method and as you can imagine, the possibilities are endless for adapting this with your favorite ingredients. (fresh herbs and goat cheese?)  Don’t be turned off by the lengthy instructions;  it is so quick and easy that I make one just for myself quite often. I’m just trying to be helpful with details but the whole process takes only a few minutes. The key here is that the pan should never get hot enough to color the eggs at all….gentle, slow and steady is the name of the game.

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an 8 inch good quality, non-stick skillet or omelette pan

plastic or rubber spatula

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons butter or olive oil

1 handful fresh baby spinach leaves, stemmed

2 tablespoons finely shredded cheddar cheese

salt and pepper to taste

Begin heating your skillet over low heat.  Crack the eggs into a small bowl and beat well with a whisk or a fork. Have the spinach leaves ready and sitting nearby.

Add the butter or oil to the skillet and swirl it around to lightly coat the surface.   Pour the eggs into the skillet and gently tilt it to all sides to spread the eggs out evenly. Season to taste with salt and pepper.  The eggs should be cooking very slowly; it will take a minute or two for the bottom to set but when it does, lay the spinach leaves over the top of the omelette (which will still be runny at this point) in a single layer.

Now you are going to flip the omelette over.  Begin by loosening the edges of the omelette with the spatula while gently shaking the skillet to see if the whole omelette will slip around in the pan, signaling that the underside is cooked though enough to hold the whole thing together.  When this happens, it will be quite easy to slip the spatula under the eggs and simultaneously shake the handle of the skillet and flip the omelette to the other side.  ( Imagine someone flipping pancakes in the air to get the idea of shaking the skillet…but of course we are going for a gentle flip here, one that will not send ingredients airborn and is controlled mostly by the spatula)

As soon as the omelette is turned, sprinkle with a light layer of cheese.  The second side will be cooked in less than a minute, at which point you can roll up the omelette, slide it onto a plate and enjoy!

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Heart Beet Salad with Walnuts and White Cheddar

February 11, 2013 By in Lunches and Snacks, Salads, Vegetables Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

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Here’s a sweet idea for a tasty St Valentine’s Day lunch.  Tuck a few Roasted Beet hearts into your salad.

To roast whole beets, preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Wash several whole beets, rub them with olive oil and wrap them in one big piece of aluminum foil.  Place foil packet on baking sheet and roast for about an hour.  Roasting time will vary depending on the size of your beets.  I forgot about mine and went out for a walk and they were still just fine after about 2 1/2 hours in the oven.  When the beets are tender, let cool and peel.  Cut beets into 1/3 inch slices and use a cookie cutter to make hearts.  Toss them into a salad with field greens, roasted chopped nuts, shredded or crumbled cheese and your favorite vinaigrette.  Here is a nice recipe for inspiration.

Roasted Cauliflower Salad with Chickpeas, Red Onion, Arugula and a Tahini Dressing

January 13, 2013 By in Lunches and Snacks, Salads, Vegetables Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 9 Comments

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Here is a nice hearty salad with a great combination of flavors.  It is best warm or at room temperature.  I like to cut the cauliflower into flat florets so that each piece will make the most possible contact with the baking sheet. To do this, simple place a whole head of cauliflower upright on a cutting board and slice from top to bottom into large 1/2 inch thick slices.  Most florets will fall free naturally and those that don’t can be quickly snipped away from the thick inner stem.  Another note, make sure that your oven is nice and hot before you roast vegetables.  This is important because you want them to caramelize quickly….overcooked means mushy!

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1 head cauliflower, cut into 1/2 inch flat florets (see note above)

1 large red onion, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch wedges

14-oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup tahini

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

water

salt and pepper

Several large handfuls of fresh Arugula (or Spinach)

 

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place the cauliflower, red onion and chickpeas in a large bowl.  Drizzle with the olive oil, season lightly with salt and pepper and toss gently to coat.  Spread the vegetables out onto a rimmed baking sheet, making sure that the cauliflower and onions are in a single layer.  It is ok if the chickpeas pile up a bit.  You may need two baking sheets (I used one full and one half sheet in this recipe…you need to give the vegetables enough room to roast or they will simply steam and not caramelize).  Roast vegetables until crisp-tender and until the cauliflower if nicely browned on one side, about 15 minutes.  Meanwhile whisk together the Tahini, lemon juice and cumin and add enough water to make a dressing that is thin enough to drizzle.  (approximately 1/4 cup water, depending on the thickness of the tahini)

To serve, place the fresh arugula or spinach in a large salad bowl, add all of the warm, roasted vegetables and toss gently with the Tahini Dressing.  Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.

Serves 4-6

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Roasted and Caramelized Whole Shallots

November 12, 2012 By in Vegetables Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , 3 Comments

I’ve served them with grilled chicken, tonight they are waiting for the Fennel Spiced Pork Loin to come out of the oven, and next week I’ll quadruple the recipe to serve alongside our turkey.  Roasted Shallots have more flavor and are sweeter than pearl onions…AND they are infinitely easier to prepare.  The recipe is from Ina Garten, published in Barefoot in Paris.  (note:  stick with medium to small sized shallots if you want the roasting time to be 15-20 minutes)

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6 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 pounds fresh shallots, peeled, with roots intact

3 tablespoons sugar

3 tablespoons good red wine vinegar

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Melt the butter in a 12-inch ovenproof saute pan, add the shallots and sugar and toss to coat.  Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, tossing occasionally, until the shallots start to brown.  Add the vinegar, salt, and pepper and toss well.

Place the saute pan in the oven and roast for 15-30 minutes, depending on the size of the shallots, until they are tender.  Season to taste, sprinkle with parsley and serve hot.

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Black Kale with Grape Tomatoes, Garlic, and Chillies

September 20, 2012 By in Vegetables Tags: , , , , , Leave a comment

Black Kale is also known as Tuscan Kale (or cavolo nero).  It has long, dark green leaves and is flat… compared to the more common curly kale variety.   I usually saute it simply with red onions.  But I love, love, love this spicy version adapted from A Paradiso Year, by Denid Cotter.

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2 small bunches black kale

1/2 pint grape tomatoes

2-4 cloves garlic

1/2 teaspoon crushed red chili flakes, or more to taste

olive oil

a splash of chicken stock

salt

Pull the leaves of kale off the stalks and tear them coarsely.  Cut the tomatoes in halves or quarters depending on the size.  In a large skillet, over high heat, heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil until it is quite hot then drop in the kale.  Use tongs to toss the kale and keep it from burning. add a splash of chicken stock after a minute or two to help steam the kale.  Sprinkle lightly with salt.  When the kale begins to wilt and take on a glossy sheen, add the tomatoes, garlic and crushed red chili flakes. Keep tossing and stirring over high heat, adding splashes of stock if the pan seems too dry, although the juice from the tomatoes will help.  Taste the kale.  It will be softly chewy and sweet when it is done.  Adjust seasonings if necessary.  Serves 4.

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Beet Salad with Grilled Red Onions, Goat Cheese, and Kalamata Vinaigrette

September 7, 2012 By in Salads Tags: , , , 1 Comment
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This hearty salad is adapted from The Oprah Magazine Cookbook and is attributed to Chef Jim Botsacos.  He suggests Manouri Cheese but any goat’s milk cheese will do.  I used goat gouda.
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Salad
4 medium red beets, trimmed and peeled
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium red onions, sliced into 1/2 inch slices
salt and pepper
6 cups mixed field greens
6 ounces goat’s cheese
Vinaigrette
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon olive brine (from a jar of kalamata olives)
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil.  Cut the beets into bite sized pieces, toss with 1 tablespoon of the oil, season with salt and pepper and roast on the lined baking sheet until tender, about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat a grill pan and brush the onion slices with remaining tablespoon of olive oil.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper and grill over medium heat until evenly charred and tender, 2-3 minutes per side.
To make vinaigrette:  In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, brine, honey, oregano, salt and pepper.  Gradually add oil, whisking in a thin steady stream until blended.
Toss the greens and cheese together and dress lightly with the vinaigrette.  Top salad with the roasted beets and the grilled onion slices.  Drizzle with additional vinaigrette. Serves 6
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Spicy Vegetable Couscous

September 7, 2012 By in Vegetables Tags: , , , Leave a comment
This is my idea of the perfect meatless meal (although not vegetarian, of course, with the chicken broth) It is a simplified version of the wonderful Moroccan dish that usually includes lamb, chicken and/or veal.  I found this years ago in a book published by Glamour Magazine with recipes from their Gourmet on the Run feature.  If you ever see it in a used book store be sure and pick it up as it is full of great, quick and easy recipes.
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Vegetables:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
2 small or 1 medium turnip, diced
2 carrots, sliced diagonally
1 can chopped tomatoes, drained
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2-3 small zucchini, sliced
1 can garbanzo beans, drained
Couscous:
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup couscous
fresh parsley or cilantro
sesame seeds
In a large skillet over medium high heat, heat oil.  Add onion and garlic and saute until tender but not brown.  Add turnip, carrots, tomatoes, salt, cumin, crushed red pepper and chicken broth.  Bring to a boil then reduce heat, cover, and simmer 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender yet firm when tested with a fork.  Add zucchini and garbanzo beans; cook until zucchini is just tender.
Meanwhile, prepare the couscous.  Heat chicken broth and butter in a large saucepan with a lid.  When it starts to boil, add couscous, stir, cover, and remove from the heat and let sit for 15 minutes to steam.  When couscous is tender and has absorbed all of the broth, use a fork to fluff it and serve with the vegetables and broth garnished with parsley or cilantro and sesame seeds.  Serves 4-5

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Tomato and Mozzarella Tart

September 6, 2012 By in Uncategorized Tags: , , , , Leave a comment
Tomato and Mozzarella Tart
From the clever folks at Cooks Illustrated, here is a brilliant tomato tart that will stay crispy enough to eat out of hand, as demonstrated below by my trusty hand model!  The process of assembling the crust may seem a bit tedious at first but it is really quite simple and the end result is spectacular.
All purpose flour for work surface
1 box Pepperidge Farm puff pastry (defrosted in frig overnight)
1 large egg, beaten
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 pound Roma tomatoes (3-4 medium)
salt
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
ground black pepper
8 ounces low moisture whole milk mozzarella, shredded
2 tablespoons finely shredded fresh basil leaves
  Adjust oven rack to lower middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees.  Dust work surface with flour and unfold both pieces puff pastry and follow these steps to form one large sheet with a border.
1) Brush egg along short edge of one sheet of puff pastry and overlap with second sheet of dough by one inch and press to seal pieces together.
2)  With a rolling-pin, smooth out seam.  Dough should measure about 18×9 inches.  Use a pizza wheel or knife (and a ruler) to trim edges straight.
3)  With a pizza wheel or knife, cut a 1-inch strip from the long side of the dough.  Then cut another 1-inch strip from that same side.
4)  Do the same thing on one short side.  Now you should have 1 large rectangle of dough, 2 long, 1-inch wide strips and 2 short, 1-inch wide strips.  Transfer the pieces of dough to a parchment lined baking sheet and brush with egg.
5)  Gently press long strips of dough onto each long edge of dough and brush with egg.  Gently press short strips of dough onto each short edge and brush with egg.
6)  With a pizza wheel or knife, trim the excess dough from the corners.
So now, hopefully, you have a long, rectangular, unbaked tart shell with doubled up edges.  Sprinkle the Parmesan evenly over the shell (inside of the borders) and then using a fork, uniformly and thoroughly poke holes in the base of the shell. Bake 13-15 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.  Continue to bake until golden brown and crisp, 13-15 minutes longer.  Transfer to wire rack.  Increase oven temperature to 425 degrees.
While the shell bakes, place tomato slices in single layer on double layer of paper towels and sprinkle evenly with 1/2 teaspoon salt.  Let stand 30 minutes.  Place second double layer of paper towels on top of tomatoes and press firmly to dry tomatoes.  Combine garlic, oil, and pinch of salt and pepper in a small bowl and set aside.
Sprinkle mozzarella evenly over warm (or cool if made ahead) baked shell.  Shingle tomato slices on top of cheese (about 4 slices per row)  Brush tomatoes with garlic oil.  Bake until shell is deep golden brown and cheese is melted, 15-17 minutes.  Cool on wire rack 5 minutes,  sprinkle with basil and serve.  (6-8)
Tomato and Mozzarella Tart
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