Is April the cruelest month? I can never remember. It seemed so this year, though, with never-ending grey skies and rain, the unexpected and untimely death of a dear old friend, Gram’s continued slow decline, and a work schedule that just doesn’t quit.
Of course, this all shall pass, and wonderful things are on the horizon. The sun even came out for an hour today, and plans are in the works for a vegan dinner to benefit Community Green (last year’s was an amazing experience, so save the date for June 27th), as well as summertime cooking demonstrations at the New York Botanical Garden.
Of course, the most thrilling news this spring was the publication of The Best of Vegan Cooking. I was honored to be invited to contribute to this book, and am so pleased that the proceeds benefit Friends of Animals. My heartfelt thanks to Priscilla Feral and Lee Hall for involving me in this project, and inspiring me to be a better chef and a better human being. Read an interview with Priscilla about the book here.
Now, let’s talk about what I’ve been cooking. Pressed for time and, quite honestly, feeling a bit down, the watchword in our kitchen at home has been comfort, and I’ve tried to make do with as few ingredients as possible. Although it is officially spring, winter foods are still in abundance, and none of the local markets have opened yet. Soup dominates my home menus year round, and soup it has been, on a near-daily basis. Here are two.
A definite favorite has been sweetpotato and kale soup, inspired by several sweetpotatoes that sat forlornly next to Rebecca’s high chair in my sister’s kitchen until I forced her to make this yummy and fortifying concoction.
I am also making lots of roasted tomato and chile soup, born of necessity and made from whatever I had in the pantry. It’s a little spicy, a lot delicious, and easily made by anyone. Yes, anyone. Recipes follow.
Sweetpotato and Kale soup:
Peel and dice two large sweetpotatoes (yes, it really is one word. Look it up.). Chop a large bunch of kale and a few cloves of garlic (I like two or three, you might like as many as six or seven. It’s your choice.). Open a can of cannelini beans and a box of organic vegetable stock (4 cups if you’re using fresh).
Heat ¼ cup olive oil in a large sauce pan. Sauté garlic briefly, then add kale and a pinch of salt. Cook kale over medium heat for two or three minutes, then add vegetable stock, sweetpotatoes, and about a teaspoon of Italian seasoning. Simmer until sweetpotatoes are tender. Drain and rinse beans, add to soup and heat through. Season with salt, pepper, and a little hot sauce and fresh lemon juice. Serve with hot bread. Eaten from a big bowl, on the couch in your pajamas or at the kitchen table, it is nourishment for body and soul.
Roasted Tomato and Chile soup:
I love Muir Glen tomatoes, especially once I have run out of my homegrown, canned tomatoes (this happened in February, so Muir Glen is really getting my business this year). The Fire Roasted variety add great flavor to soups and chili.
Go get yourself a big can (28 oz.) of Fire Roasted Tomatoes, and a little can of diced green chiles (a pantry staple, surely you have some!). Chop a large yellow onion and a clove of garlic. You will also need 4 cups of vegetable stock.
Heat ¼ cup olive oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat. Sauté onions with a little salt until soft but not browned, about 5-8 minutes. Add garlic and sauté for one minute more. Add chiles, tomatoes and vegetable stock. Bring to a boil, then simmer for half an hour. Taste and adjust with freshly ground pepper, lemon juice, hot sauce and a little agave nectar if you feel it needs sweetness. Serve hot in a great big mug. If you want to get crazy, garnish with sliced scallions, chopped avocado, or tortilla chips.
Here’s hoping that May will bring flowers (and fewer showers!), hope, happiness and good food to all.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Friday, March 27, 2009
Whole Wheat Linguine with Cauliflower and Tomato Sauce
This is a hearty, satisfying and almost meaty-textured dish. It's inexpensive, incredibly nutritious, and full of fiber.
Cauliflower is a true "superfood" - rich in folate (for cell growth and replication, especially important for women of child-bearing age), selenium (for immune system support), and allicin (for heart health). Cruciferous vegetables such as cauliflower, broccoli and brussels sprouts have been shown to prevent certain cancers.
Tomatoes are also fantastic for your body - one serving provides almost half of your RDA of Vitamin C, as well as lycopene, a powerful antioxidant. They are also rich in Vitamin A, iron and potassium.
Toss together a crisp green salad loaded with fresh raw vegetables to serve with your pasta, and you'll have an incredibly healthy, cholesterol-reducing dinner on the table in about 20 minutes!
You will need:
1 head cauliflower, broken into florets
1 pound whole wheat linguine
2 1/2 cups tomato sauce
olive oil
fresh (or slightly stale) bread crumbs, tossed with olive oil and toasted in a hot oven
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Cook pasta according to package directions. (Whole wheat pastas vary wildly in cooking times. I am a fan of DiCecco, as well as BioNaturae brand whole wheat pastas.)
Meanwhile, steam cauliflower florets until tender. Remove from steamer and chop finely. Heat cauliflower in a large sauce pan with tomato sauce.
Stir chopped parsley into bread crumbs and set aside.
Save a little pasta cooking water, then drain well. Add pasta to the tomato sauce and cauliflower mixture, and toss over medium heat for a minute or two. If it seems dry, add a little of the pasta cooking water. Turn off the heat, and drizzle with a little extra-virgin olive oil. Season to taste with salt and plenty of freshly ground pepper.
Serve in heated bowls, garnished with parsley-bread crumb mixture.
Depending on your appetite, this dish will serve four to six.
Tomorrow: focaccia pizza.
Cauliflower is a true "superfood" - rich in folate (for cell growth and replication, especially important for women of child-bearing age), selenium (for immune system support), and allicin (for heart health). Cruciferous vegetables such as cauliflower, broccoli and brussels sprouts have been shown to prevent certain cancers.
Tomatoes are also fantastic for your body - one serving provides almost half of your RDA of Vitamin C, as well as lycopene, a powerful antioxidant. They are also rich in Vitamin A, iron and potassium.
Toss together a crisp green salad loaded with fresh raw vegetables to serve with your pasta, and you'll have an incredibly healthy, cholesterol-reducing dinner on the table in about 20 minutes!
You will need:
1 head cauliflower, broken into florets
1 pound whole wheat linguine
2 1/2 cups tomato sauce
olive oil
fresh (or slightly stale) bread crumbs, tossed with olive oil and toasted in a hot oven
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Cook pasta according to package directions. (Whole wheat pastas vary wildly in cooking times. I am a fan of DiCecco, as well as BioNaturae brand whole wheat pastas.)
Meanwhile, steam cauliflower florets until tender. Remove from steamer and chop finely. Heat cauliflower in a large sauce pan with tomato sauce.
Stir chopped parsley into bread crumbs and set aside.
Save a little pasta cooking water, then drain well. Add pasta to the tomato sauce and cauliflower mixture, and toss over medium heat for a minute or two. If it seems dry, add a little of the pasta cooking water. Turn off the heat, and drizzle with a little extra-virgin olive oil. Season to taste with salt and plenty of freshly ground pepper.
Serve in heated bowls, garnished with parsley-bread crumb mixture.
Depending on your appetite, this dish will serve four to six.
Tomorrow: focaccia pizza.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
The Tomato Sauce Manifesto
It seems to me that for many years, our mainstream culture has shunned foods that are simple and economical in favor of that which is “gourmet”. Lately, though, economic necessity has brought cheap eating to the forefront of our consciousness, and I, for one, could not be happier.
I was talking to my childhood BFF Denise the other night. She had decided to write down recipes for things she cooks without really thinking about it, and we had a lively discussion of tomato sauce and its many variables.
For me, there is nothing more versatile and inexpensive than a large pot of tomato sauce, which can be turned into many different, nutritious meals. As children, we ate “macaroni” several times a week. Served with a salad, it was a nutritious way to feed three kids with enormous appetites without spending a fortune on groceries. We will focus this week on making a good sauce, and using it in a variety of ways.
First, though, let’s clarify a few things for all you Tony Soprano wannabes out there. First, there is no such thing as one true and correct Italian tomato sauce. Italian cuisine has many tomato sauces, each tailored to the ingredients it will be served with, the region it is prepared in, and the whims of the cook. Second, “marinara” is strictly an Italian-American invention. If you visit Italy and ask for pasta with marinara, you will likely get a strange look and a plate full of pasta with seafood in it. Finally, and I am going to apologize to my fellow Belleville, New Jersey natives here, “gravy” is brown, and it’s made from meat drippings. There is a tendency among the children of southern Italian immigrants to the Newark and Brooklyn areas during the 20th century to use the term “gravy” to refer to tomato sauce cooked with meat, but, again, it’s not Italian, and it certainly isn’t gravy.
It is also interesting to note here that my grandfather Angelo, born in the northern mountains of the Veneto, never tasted tomato sauce until he emigrated to Newark in the 1930s. For him, real Italian food was polenta, cheese, and plenty of fresh vegetables, preferably fresh from the garden. It was his landlady Mrs. Nisovoccia, as well as my grandmother Josephine, a fantastic Italian-American cook who was born in Newark to parents who emigrated from Emilia Romagna, who introduced him to the food that, in our part of New Jersey, is considered “real” Italian food.
With my rantings about what is correct out of the way, we will proceed to the recipe for our basic sauce. We will be making “sugo”, a long-cooked tomato sauce that provides excellent flavor even when using canned tomatoes. Of course, if you have put up your own jars of tomatoes and still have them at this time of year (we don’t, as I used my last jar to brighten a dark and miserable February day), all the better.
This recipe will yield about seven pints of sauce, enough for six or seven meals. It freezes well, and can be used in a variety of ways, which we will explore over the next few days.
Gather the following:
4 28 oz. cans of tomatoes, preferably your own, or a San Marzano variety (make sure the jar says D.O.P, a designation that indicates real Italian San Marzano tomatoes), or Redpack, a very decent-tasting canned tomato from California
1 small onion, minced very fine (I mean it, no big chunks!)
2 ribs of celery (don’t use the tough outer ribs for this, or they won’t disappear into your sauce), minced very fine
1 carrot, minced very fine
3 cloves of garlic, run through a garlic press, minced very fine, or, if you really want to get into the spirit of the thing, sliced very thinly with a razor blade (We do this once a year, during a garlic slicing contest at our annual “Goodfellas” dinner and movie screening that becomes dangerously competitive. ).
¼ cup of good extra-virgin olive oil (if you say “EVOO”, I’ll have to slap you around, so don’t).
A pinch each of dried oregano and dried marjoram. Just a pinch. Please. You want to taste the tomatoes here.
½ cup dry white wine
Pepper, to taste.
A handful of fresh basil, torn into smaller pieces.
In a large, heavy-bottomed stock pot, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat for a minute or two. Add the onions, and immediately salt them. Adding salt right away will ensure that the onions release their liquid and break down in the sauce. There is nothing worse than biting into a piece of onion that still has some crunch to it. Both of my parents were guilty of this sin (as well as the sin of using too many herbs). It’s one of the reasons I learned to cook when I was very young – self-defense.
Stir the onions constantly, until they begin to lose their color and become soft and opaque. Do not let them brown. Add the carrots and celery, and immediately add a little more salt. Cook for about five minutes, then increase the heat to medium-high and add the garlic with a little more salt. Stir for about another minute, and add your tomatoes all at once. It’s up to you whether you use whole or crushed, or how much you break them up (my husband likes a very smooth tomato sauce, so I usually run the tomatoes through a food mill). Bring to a boil, add the dried herbs and reduce the heat to low. Cook for an hour or two, stirring frequently, until the vegetables in the sauce have broken down completely and the whole house smells like Sunday morning at Grandma’s.
I like to skim any foamy orange “scum” that rises to the top of the sauce occasionally, being careful to leave behind the delicious onion and garlic flavored olive oil immediately below.
Add the wine, a little fresh pepper, and a handful of torn basil leaves, and cook for another five minutes or so. Take it off the heat, and finish with another drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, as you want to taste it in the finished sauce.
Notice that I’m not specifying a quantity of salt. Canned tomatoes contain varying amounts of sodium, and you need to taste and let your palate be your guide.
Cool your sauce, and pack whatever will not be used within the next day or so into freezer-suitable pint and quart containers.
For dinner, have spaghetti! (Or, if Denise is here, have linguine, since it’s her favorite.) Cook your pasta, and heat your sauce (I like about 2 cups for a pound of pasta, although varying shapes use varying amounts of sauce, so use your judgment) in a large sauce pan. When your pasta is cooked but still al dente (firm to the bite) save a cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain it quickly. Add your pasta to the bubbling sauce and toss for a minute or two. If it looks dry, add a little of the pasta cooking water that you saved (you did save it, right?). This method, called ripassatura, ensures that the pasta absorbs some of the sauce. Remember, you don’t want to drown your pasta in sauce. The sauce is a condiment to the pasta, not the whole dish.
Remove from the heat, drizzle with a little more extra-virgin olive oil and grind a little fresh pepper. If you like, toss in a little more torn basil. Serve immediately in heated bowls, with freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano, or, if your diet is pure vegan, fresh bread crumbs that you have tossed with a little extra-virgin olive oil and toasted in the oven until crunchy.
Tomorrow: Six pints of sauce to go. We’ll be making whole wheat pasta with cauliflower and tomato sauce.
I was talking to my childhood BFF Denise the other night. She had decided to write down recipes for things she cooks without really thinking about it, and we had a lively discussion of tomato sauce and its many variables.
For me, there is nothing more versatile and inexpensive than a large pot of tomato sauce, which can be turned into many different, nutritious meals. As children, we ate “macaroni” several times a week. Served with a salad, it was a nutritious way to feed three kids with enormous appetites without spending a fortune on groceries. We will focus this week on making a good sauce, and using it in a variety of ways.
First, though, let’s clarify a few things for all you Tony Soprano wannabes out there. First, there is no such thing as one true and correct Italian tomato sauce. Italian cuisine has many tomato sauces, each tailored to the ingredients it will be served with, the region it is prepared in, and the whims of the cook. Second, “marinara” is strictly an Italian-American invention. If you visit Italy and ask for pasta with marinara, you will likely get a strange look and a plate full of pasta with seafood in it. Finally, and I am going to apologize to my fellow Belleville, New Jersey natives here, “gravy” is brown, and it’s made from meat drippings. There is a tendency among the children of southern Italian immigrants to the Newark and Brooklyn areas during the 20th century to use the term “gravy” to refer to tomato sauce cooked with meat, but, again, it’s not Italian, and it certainly isn’t gravy.
It is also interesting to note here that my grandfather Angelo, born in the northern mountains of the Veneto, never tasted tomato sauce until he emigrated to Newark in the 1930s. For him, real Italian food was polenta, cheese, and plenty of fresh vegetables, preferably fresh from the garden. It was his landlady Mrs. Nisovoccia, as well as my grandmother Josephine, a fantastic Italian-American cook who was born in Newark to parents who emigrated from Emilia Romagna, who introduced him to the food that, in our part of New Jersey, is considered “real” Italian food.
With my rantings about what is correct out of the way, we will proceed to the recipe for our basic sauce. We will be making “sugo”, a long-cooked tomato sauce that provides excellent flavor even when using canned tomatoes. Of course, if you have put up your own jars of tomatoes and still have them at this time of year (we don’t, as I used my last jar to brighten a dark and miserable February day), all the better.
This recipe will yield about seven pints of sauce, enough for six or seven meals. It freezes well, and can be used in a variety of ways, which we will explore over the next few days.
Gather the following:
4 28 oz. cans of tomatoes, preferably your own, or a San Marzano variety (make sure the jar says D.O.P, a designation that indicates real Italian San Marzano tomatoes), or Redpack, a very decent-tasting canned tomato from California
1 small onion, minced very fine (I mean it, no big chunks!)
2 ribs of celery (don’t use the tough outer ribs for this, or they won’t disappear into your sauce), minced very fine
1 carrot, minced very fine
3 cloves of garlic, run through a garlic press, minced very fine, or, if you really want to get into the spirit of the thing, sliced very thinly with a razor blade (We do this once a year, during a garlic slicing contest at our annual “Goodfellas” dinner and movie screening that becomes dangerously competitive. ).
¼ cup of good extra-virgin olive oil (if you say “EVOO”, I’ll have to slap you around, so don’t).
A pinch each of dried oregano and dried marjoram. Just a pinch. Please. You want to taste the tomatoes here.
½ cup dry white wine
Pepper, to taste.
A handful of fresh basil, torn into smaller pieces.
In a large, heavy-bottomed stock pot, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat for a minute or two. Add the onions, and immediately salt them. Adding salt right away will ensure that the onions release their liquid and break down in the sauce. There is nothing worse than biting into a piece of onion that still has some crunch to it. Both of my parents were guilty of this sin (as well as the sin of using too many herbs). It’s one of the reasons I learned to cook when I was very young – self-defense.
Stir the onions constantly, until they begin to lose their color and become soft and opaque. Do not let them brown. Add the carrots and celery, and immediately add a little more salt. Cook for about five minutes, then increase the heat to medium-high and add the garlic with a little more salt. Stir for about another minute, and add your tomatoes all at once. It’s up to you whether you use whole or crushed, or how much you break them up (my husband likes a very smooth tomato sauce, so I usually run the tomatoes through a food mill). Bring to a boil, add the dried herbs and reduce the heat to low. Cook for an hour or two, stirring frequently, until the vegetables in the sauce have broken down completely and the whole house smells like Sunday morning at Grandma’s.
I like to skim any foamy orange “scum” that rises to the top of the sauce occasionally, being careful to leave behind the delicious onion and garlic flavored olive oil immediately below.
Add the wine, a little fresh pepper, and a handful of torn basil leaves, and cook for another five minutes or so. Take it off the heat, and finish with another drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, as you want to taste it in the finished sauce.
Notice that I’m not specifying a quantity of salt. Canned tomatoes contain varying amounts of sodium, and you need to taste and let your palate be your guide.
Cool your sauce, and pack whatever will not be used within the next day or so into freezer-suitable pint and quart containers.
For dinner, have spaghetti! (Or, if Denise is here, have linguine, since it’s her favorite.) Cook your pasta, and heat your sauce (I like about 2 cups for a pound of pasta, although varying shapes use varying amounts of sauce, so use your judgment) in a large sauce pan. When your pasta is cooked but still al dente (firm to the bite) save a cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain it quickly. Add your pasta to the bubbling sauce and toss for a minute or two. If it looks dry, add a little of the pasta cooking water that you saved (you did save it, right?). This method, called ripassatura, ensures that the pasta absorbs some of the sauce. Remember, you don’t want to drown your pasta in sauce. The sauce is a condiment to the pasta, not the whole dish.
Remove from the heat, drizzle with a little more extra-virgin olive oil and grind a little fresh pepper. If you like, toss in a little more torn basil. Serve immediately in heated bowls, with freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano, or, if your diet is pure vegan, fresh bread crumbs that you have tossed with a little extra-virgin olive oil and toasted in the oven until crunchy.
Tomorrow: Six pints of sauce to go. We’ll be making whole wheat pasta with cauliflower and tomato sauce.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Roasted Cauliflower with Walnuts
Let me first say, yum! You need to eat this!
Many vegetarians don't get enough Omega-3 fatty acids, and tend to rely on pre-packaged convenience foods when strapped for time and ideas on a weeknight. And I don't know many people, veg or otherwise, who eat what I would consider to be an adequate amount of fiber. Add the cancer-fighting benefits of cruciferous vegetables, and you have a nutritional powerhouse on your plate.
This simple dish is good for your heart, perfect for those following an anti-inflammatory diet, and easy to throw together for a weeknight dinner. It's also very savory, filling, and just plain delicious. I served it with lentil stew (from the freezer) and brown rice, for a "30 minute meal" without all the fat, hot dogs and stupid catch-phrases.
This will serve four as a side dish if you have a reasonable appetite. The two of us ate all of it, and after dinner, I scurried back into the kitchen to scrape what was left from the sheet pan onto a spoon.
1 small head cauliflower, cored and roughly chopped into florets
1/2 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Toss all ingredients on a large sheet pan, and roast for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until cauliflower begins to brown and is cooked the way you like it. Serve hot or at room temperature.
Many vegetarians don't get enough Omega-3 fatty acids, and tend to rely on pre-packaged convenience foods when strapped for time and ideas on a weeknight. And I don't know many people, veg or otherwise, who eat what I would consider to be an adequate amount of fiber. Add the cancer-fighting benefits of cruciferous vegetables, and you have a nutritional powerhouse on your plate.
This simple dish is good for your heart, perfect for those following an anti-inflammatory diet, and easy to throw together for a weeknight dinner. It's also very savory, filling, and just plain delicious. I served it with lentil stew (from the freezer) and brown rice, for a "30 minute meal" without all the fat, hot dogs and stupid catch-phrases.
This will serve four as a side dish if you have a reasonable appetite. The two of us ate all of it, and after dinner, I scurried back into the kitchen to scrape what was left from the sheet pan onto a spoon.
1 small head cauliflower, cored and roughly chopped into florets
1/2 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Toss all ingredients on a large sheet pan, and roast for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until cauliflower begins to brown and is cooked the way you like it. Serve hot or at room temperature.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Linguine with Mushrooms
I guess I should preface this by saying that one could make this dish much more decadent, if that were necessary. Feel free to squander all of your dried porcini, truffle oil or whatever else you have lying about if you must. But there are times when it's not in the cards to spend $25 or two hours on a plate of pasta with mushrooms. Sometimes you just need dinner, now.
I think many people labor under the delusion that everything a chef makes is going to be luxe, full of expensive ingredients and hours of work. I, for one, don't believe that gluttony makes me a good citizen of this planet, and so on most days, we eat very simply, but very well. Next time you are pressed for time and beaten down by the universe, try this quick and easy dinner. Served with a salad (I love arugula, which, believe it or not, we found a winter crop of in the back of the garden last week!) and a glass of red wine, or eaten directly from the pan while standing over the stove, it is delicous, cheap and comforting - three things I think we could all use right about now.
Gather the following:
1/2 oz. dried porcini mushrooms, soaked in:
1 cup very hot vegetable stock (water will do as well)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
10 oz. baby bella or white button mushrooms
2 cloves of garlic, finely minced or run through a garlic press
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons finely chopped Italian parsley
salt and pepper
1 lb. linguine, cooked al dente
While your dried mushrooms are soaking, slice the fresh mushrooms, chop your parsley, and put a large pot of water on to boil for your pasta. Have ready a large saute pan that will accommodate your mushrooms as well as all of the pasta.
Heat the saute pan over medium-high to high heat (it really depends on your stove), then begin adding the fresh mushrooms, a handful at a time. This is the one part of the recipe that you want to take your time with - if you add all of the mushrooms at once, they will steam rather than saute, and you will not develop any flavor. Add a little extra olive oil if you need to. Once the mushrooms are becoming nice and brown and sizzly, add the garlic and saute for another minute or two. Drain your porcini mushrooms, reserving the liquid, and chop. Add them to the pan, too. Deglaze with 1/4 cup dry white wine, and cook until the liquid evaporates. Add the reserved stock that you soaked the mushrooms in, as well as the parsley, and season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Reduce the heat to low.
By now, your pasta water should be boiling. Salt it generously, and cook your pasta until done, but a litte firm to the bite. Reserve about 1/2 cup of cooking liquid from the pasta. Now drain the pasta, turn your saute pan heat to high, and add all at once to the mushroom mixture. Toss well for about a minute. If it looks dry, add a little of the pasta water and toss again. Remove from heat and toss with a little more olive oil and freshly ground pepper.
If you do the cheese thing, here's where you'll want to add a little freshly grated Parmigiano. If you do the vegan thing, add some fresh bread crumbs tossed with olive oil and toasted in a 400 degree oven. If you're fancying it up for a dinner party, increase the amount of dried porcini to a full ounce, drizzle a few drops of truffle oil over the finished product, make a batch of fresh fettucine instead of using dried pasta, or seek out some fresh wild mushrooms.
I think many people labor under the delusion that everything a chef makes is going to be luxe, full of expensive ingredients and hours of work. I, for one, don't believe that gluttony makes me a good citizen of this planet, and so on most days, we eat very simply, but very well. Next time you are pressed for time and beaten down by the universe, try this quick and easy dinner. Served with a salad (I love arugula, which, believe it or not, we found a winter crop of in the back of the garden last week!) and a glass of red wine, or eaten directly from the pan while standing over the stove, it is delicous, cheap and comforting - three things I think we could all use right about now.
Gather the following:
1/2 oz. dried porcini mushrooms, soaked in:
1 cup very hot vegetable stock (water will do as well)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
10 oz. baby bella or white button mushrooms
2 cloves of garlic, finely minced or run through a garlic press
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons finely chopped Italian parsley
salt and pepper
1 lb. linguine, cooked al dente
While your dried mushrooms are soaking, slice the fresh mushrooms, chop your parsley, and put a large pot of water on to boil for your pasta. Have ready a large saute pan that will accommodate your mushrooms as well as all of the pasta.
Heat the saute pan over medium-high to high heat (it really depends on your stove), then begin adding the fresh mushrooms, a handful at a time. This is the one part of the recipe that you want to take your time with - if you add all of the mushrooms at once, they will steam rather than saute, and you will not develop any flavor. Add a little extra olive oil if you need to. Once the mushrooms are becoming nice and brown and sizzly, add the garlic and saute for another minute or two. Drain your porcini mushrooms, reserving the liquid, and chop. Add them to the pan, too. Deglaze with 1/4 cup dry white wine, and cook until the liquid evaporates. Add the reserved stock that you soaked the mushrooms in, as well as the parsley, and season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Reduce the heat to low.
By now, your pasta water should be boiling. Salt it generously, and cook your pasta until done, but a litte firm to the bite. Reserve about 1/2 cup of cooking liquid from the pasta. Now drain the pasta, turn your saute pan heat to high, and add all at once to the mushroom mixture. Toss well for about a minute. If it looks dry, add a little of the pasta water and toss again. Remove from heat and toss with a little more olive oil and freshly ground pepper.
If you do the cheese thing, here's where you'll want to add a little freshly grated Parmigiano. If you do the vegan thing, add some fresh bread crumbs tossed with olive oil and toasted in a 400 degree oven. If you're fancying it up for a dinner party, increase the amount of dried porcini to a full ounce, drizzle a few drops of truffle oil over the finished product, make a batch of fresh fettucine instead of using dried pasta, or seek out some fresh wild mushrooms.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
New Year's Eve...Black-Eyed Pea Soup
This recipe, born of "leftovers" and necessity last New Year's Day, will be published in the upcoming Friends of Animals cookbook. Everyone loves it. Eating black-eyed peas on New Year's Day is a Southern tradition believed to bring good luck throughout the year.
This savory, slightly spicy soup is incredibly nutritious, and will please even a die-hard meat eater (just ask Aunt Ronnie, who loves it so much she very nearly slapped the hell out of me while extolling its virtues!). I like to make ours with tomatoes and hot sauce that I've canned over the summer, for a little local flavor during the garden-less winter months.
May 2009 bring you luck, great happiness and delicious things to eat!
Black-Eyed Pea and Winter Greens Soup
8 oz. black-eyed peas
Bouquet garni:
1 bay leaf
3 sprigs fresh thyme
½ teaspoon whole peppercorns
2 quarts light vegetable stock
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 cups leeks, thinly sliced, white and light green parts only
1 cup carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise and sliced
1 cup celery, halved lengthwise and sliced
1 cup roasted, peeled and chopped red, orange or yellow bell pepper
3 cloves garlic, peeled, finely chopped; divided
½ teaspoon each:
chili powder
smoked paprika
marjoram leaves
oregano
cajun seasoning
¼ cup dry white wine
2 cups peeled, diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon hot sauce, or to taste
4 cups greens, a mix of collards, chard, beet greens, well-washed and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
¼ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Soak black-eyed peas in fresh, cold water to cover for eight hours, or use the “quick soak” method: bring beans and water to cover to a boil, cook 10 minutes, remove from heat and soak for one hour. Drain and rinse beans.
Place beans in a large stockpot with bouquet garni and vegetable stock. Bring to a simmer; cook for 45 minutes, or until beans are almost tender. Salt lightly after 30 minutes. (Note: beans cook with many variables, including how long you soaked them and how long they've been stored - taste to know if they are done.)
Meanwhile, heat 1½ tablespoons olive oil in a medium sauté pan. Add leeks, carrots, celery, peppers and 2 cloves garlic. Cook for 5 minutes over medium heat. Add spices; cook an additional 5 minutes. Season with a little salt and pepper. Deglaze pan with white wine and set aside.
When beans are nearly cooked, add vegetable mixture, tomatoes and hot sauce to stock pot, along with enough water to cover bean and vegetable mixture. Season with a little salt. Continue to simmer as you prepare the greens.
Wipe sauté pan clean, and heat remaining 1½ tablespoons olive oil. Add remaining clove of garlic, and sauté lightly for about 1 minute – do not allow garlic to brown! Add greens all at once with another pinch of salt, and cook over medium-high heat until greens are softened and release liquid. Using tongs, remove greens and add to soup. Discard liquid in pan.
Simmer soup for an additional 15 minutes, or until all ingredients are cooked through. Add lemon juice and parsley. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary – salt, pepper, hot sauce, or a little more lemon juice.
This soup tastes best when it has rested overnight in your refrigerator, doubles or triples easily to feed a crowd, and freezes wonderfully…Enjoy!
Serves 6
Recipe courtesy of Trish Sebben-Krupka, 2008
This savory, slightly spicy soup is incredibly nutritious, and will please even a die-hard meat eater (just ask Aunt Ronnie, who loves it so much she very nearly slapped the hell out of me while extolling its virtues!). I like to make ours with tomatoes and hot sauce that I've canned over the summer, for a little local flavor during the garden-less winter months.
May 2009 bring you luck, great happiness and delicious things to eat!
Black-Eyed Pea and Winter Greens Soup
8 oz. black-eyed peas
Bouquet garni:
1 bay leaf
3 sprigs fresh thyme
½ teaspoon whole peppercorns
2 quarts light vegetable stock
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 cups leeks, thinly sliced, white and light green parts only
1 cup carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise and sliced
1 cup celery, halved lengthwise and sliced
1 cup roasted, peeled and chopped red, orange or yellow bell pepper
3 cloves garlic, peeled, finely chopped; divided
½ teaspoon each:
chili powder
smoked paprika
marjoram leaves
oregano
cajun seasoning
¼ cup dry white wine
2 cups peeled, diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon hot sauce, or to taste
4 cups greens, a mix of collards, chard, beet greens, well-washed and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
¼ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Soak black-eyed peas in fresh, cold water to cover for eight hours, or use the “quick soak” method: bring beans and water to cover to a boil, cook 10 minutes, remove from heat and soak for one hour. Drain and rinse beans.
Place beans in a large stockpot with bouquet garni and vegetable stock. Bring to a simmer; cook for 45 minutes, or until beans are almost tender. Salt lightly after 30 minutes. (Note: beans cook with many variables, including how long you soaked them and how long they've been stored - taste to know if they are done.)
Meanwhile, heat 1½ tablespoons olive oil in a medium sauté pan. Add leeks, carrots, celery, peppers and 2 cloves garlic. Cook for 5 minutes over medium heat. Add spices; cook an additional 5 minutes. Season with a little salt and pepper. Deglaze pan with white wine and set aside.
When beans are nearly cooked, add vegetable mixture, tomatoes and hot sauce to stock pot, along with enough water to cover bean and vegetable mixture. Season with a little salt. Continue to simmer as you prepare the greens.
Wipe sauté pan clean, and heat remaining 1½ tablespoons olive oil. Add remaining clove of garlic, and sauté lightly for about 1 minute – do not allow garlic to brown! Add greens all at once with another pinch of salt, and cook over medium-high heat until greens are softened and release liquid. Using tongs, remove greens and add to soup. Discard liquid in pan.
Simmer soup for an additional 15 minutes, or until all ingredients are cooked through. Add lemon juice and parsley. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary – salt, pepper, hot sauce, or a little more lemon juice.
This soup tastes best when it has rested overnight in your refrigerator, doubles or triples easily to feed a crowd, and freezes wonderfully…Enjoy!
Serves 6
Recipe courtesy of Trish Sebben-Krupka, 2008
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