Category Archives: Vegetarian

Bulgur with grape tomatoes and goat cheese

This is a super versatile, “no cook” dish, that would lend itself well to a lot of different veggies (must remember this for next year’s CSA). I stuck with tomatoes and goat cheese, as per the original “Mediterranean grain salad” recipe, but also added Great Northern beans.

Bulgur with grape tomatoes and goat cheese
Serves: 4-6
Source: adapted from Everyday Food January/February 2008

Yummy grains

Ingredients
1 cup bulgur wheat
3 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
2 small shallots, minced
1 can Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
4 ounces fresh goat cheese, crumbled

Directions
1. In a heatproof bowl, mix bulgur with salt and 3 cups of boiling water. Cover and let stand until tender but slightly chewy, about 30 minutes.

2. Drain bulgur in a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth, pressing to remove liquid; return to bowl. Add tomatoes, parsley, shallots, beans, oil, vinegar, and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper, and toss. Toss with cheese.

Spinach chickpea curry

Recipe

Recipe Notes

This quick curry was the second dish I planned for the week, prompting my trip to the grocery store on Sunday…along with everyone else in the northeast! I had no idea canned chickpeas and fresh spinach would be such hot commodities, and I actually had to go to two different stores to find my ingredients. I had planned to use fresh baby spinach but had to resort to using frozen chopped spinach. This was actually a good thing since fresh spinach cooks down so much, but make sure you squeeze as much liquid out of the frozen stuff as you can.

Source: adapted from Everyday Food, January/February 2010

Photos

Lunch is served!

Banana-oat smoothie

Mise en place

It’s been awhile since I used the Ninja, and this made a great post-run snack. I also made it for a weekday breakfast on-the-go, prepping the milk, yogurt, cinnamon, and vanilla in the Ninja cup the night before.

The original recipe came out way too thick, which may have been because I used Greek yogurt and a pretty starchy banana. The recipe below reflects the adjustments I would make…decreasing the yogurt and increasing the almond milk.

I liked the use of oats and might have to give that a try with my usual fruit smoothies.

Banana-oat smoothie
Serves: 1

Smoooothie

Source: adapted from Everyday Food, November 2008

Ingredients
1 banana, cut into thirds
1/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
3/4 cup vanilla almond milk
1 teaspoon honey
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Directions
1. Combine all ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth. Serve immediately.

Potato and collard green hash

Mise en place

This is what I made after getting home from a midterm that I didn’t feel that great about. By the time I finished cooking, I had gotten over it (the midterm, not the dish). The dish turned out warm and hearty, and would be perfect as a side with brunch or dinner. For me, it just ended up being my post-exam 10 PM dinner. And as a bonus, I finally figured out how to cook collards in a way that I enjoy them…cook them for a loooong time. 

This could be made vegetarian by using vegetable broth and omitting the bacon.

Potato and collard green hash
Serves 2-4
Source: adapted from New York Times Health

Hash

Ingredients
1/2 large bunch collard greens, stemmed and washed
Salt to taste
1 1/2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion (or 2 small), sliced thinly in half-moons
2 garlic cloves, sliced thinly
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
About 1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
4 small to medium Yukon gold potatoes, scrubbed and cut in half
2 Tablespoons crumbled bacon

Directions
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Fill another bowl with ice water. When the water comes to a boil, salt generously and add the collard greens. Blanch for 4 minutes, then transfer to the ice water with a slotted spoon. Drain and squeeze out extra water and chop coarsely. Set aside the cooking water.

2. Heat 1 Tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat in a wide, lidded skillet or Dutch oven, and add the onion. Cook, stirring often, until it begins to soften, about 3 minutes. Add a generous pinch of salt, the garlic, and crushed red pepper flakes. Continue to cook, stirring often, until the onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the collard greens. Mix together for a few minutes, then add about 1/2 cup of the broth. Bring to a simmer, cover partially, and simmer over low heat for 45 minutes to 1 hour, stirring often and adding more broth occasionally, so that the greens are always simmering in a small amount of liquid.

3. While the greens are cooking, add the potatoes to the pot with the cooking water. Bring back to a boil, and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 25 minutes. Drain the potatoes, allow to cool slightly, and cut into large chunks.

4. Uncover the greens, and add the potatoes. Using a fork or the back of a wooden spoon, crush the potatoes and mix with the greens. Add 1/2 Tablespoon olive oil, crumbled bacon, and salt and pepper to taste, and stir over lower heat until the greens and potatoes are well combined. The potatoes should not be like mashed potatoes, just crushed and intermingled with the greens, like hash.

Fall potluck

Apples with caramel dip

It had been too long since we had gotten together for a good old fashioned potluck…so we fixed that over Columbus Day weekend. Sunday was a beautiful day for a half marathon (completed the BAA half), a potluck, and some QT with good friends and the adorable Miss Vivi Bea.

My farro experiment turned out to be pretty tasty, in the form of a warm farro salad, and great for sharing. The rest of the meal came together super well, with “Holy yum chicken,” warm French lentils, pizza (with apples, bacon, and goat cheese), and apples with caramel dip. I do heart potluck…must plan another one soon.

Holy yum chicken with contraband rosemary

Holy yum chicken
Serves: 2-4
Source: Kendrin via Table for Two

Ingredients
1 1/2 – 2 pounds chicken tenders
1/2 cup Dijon mustard
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 Tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
2 teaspoons fresh rosemary for garnish

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. 

2. In a small bowl, whisk together Dijon mustard, maple syrup, rice wine vinegar, salt, and pepper.

3. Place the chicken tenders in a baking dish, then pour the mustard mixture on top of it. Gently mix together so sauce gets distributed evenly.

4. Bake, uncovered, for 40 minutes.

5. Remove from oven and let chicken sit for 5 minutes, then transfer to a plate. Do not 
discard the liquid.

6. Immediately after plating the chicken, whisk the cornstarch into the liquid in the baking pan to thicken the sauce. Drizzle sauce over chicken and sprinkle rosemary on top before serving. 

Warm French lentils

Yummy lentils

Serves:
Source: Vanessa, adapted from Barefoot Contessa

Ingredients
2 Tablespoons plus 1/4 cup good olive oil
2 leeks, white and light green parts, sliced 1/4-inch thick
4 carrots, scrubbed and diced into 1/2-inch pieces (or 2 carrots and 2 parsnips)
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 cup French green Le Puy lentils
1 whole onion, peeled
1 white turnip, cut in half
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon unsalted butter
4 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 Tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions
1. Heat the 2 Tablespoons of olive oil in a medium saute pan. Add the leeks and carrots, and cook over medium heat for 5-7 minutes, until slightly browned. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute, then set aside.

2. Place the lentils, 4 cups of water, the onion, turnip, and ground cloves in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes, or until the lentils are almost tender. Remove and discard the onion and turnip and drain the lentils. Place them in a medium bowl with the leek and carrots, and add the butter.

3. In a small bowl, whisk together the 1/4 cup of olive oil, mustard, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Add to the lentils to cool until just warm, about 15 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste, and serve.

Warm farro salad

I decided that I wanted my buttercup squash to make friends with some farro. Then I added kale and a delicata squash to the party. I’ve never cooked farro before, but I think the inspiration came from a farro salad I had last week at the Fireplace in Brookline (which is not closing, btw).

I thought I’d be able to find farro in the bulk bins at the Harvest Co-op in Central Square, and I did, except the bin was empty. My next stop was Whole Foods and again had no luck at the bulk bins, but I did find a 1.1 pound package on the shelf with the other packaged grains (quinoa, Israeli couscous, etc). I followed the package directions and soaked it in water for 25 minutes, then cooked it in 2 quarts of chicken broth (use water or vegetable broth to make it vegetarian). Bring the farro and cooking liquid of your choice to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 25 minutes, then drain and set aside in a large bowl to cool. I made the whole package…a pound of farro is a whole lotta whole grains! 

Making friends

The roasting and sauteeing make this a bit labor intensive, but worth the effort in my opinion. I also used one of my favorite salt blends from La Boite (a spice shop in NYC) for seasoning: Cancale N. 11, which contains fleur de sel, orange, fennel, and spices.

Warm farro salad
Serves: 6-8

Ingredients
4 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 winter squash, seeded and cubed
1 bunch kale, torn into small pieces
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound whole farro, cooked according to package directions
2 Tablespoons cider vinegar

Rinsing farro

1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup goat cheese crumbles
Salt and pepper

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a medium bowl, toss squash cubes with 1 Tablespoon of the olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Spread on a baking sheet lined with nonstick foil and roast for 20-30 minutes, turning once. The cooking time will depend on the variety of squash you use and the size of your pieces. Remove from oven and set pan aside to cool.

Ready for potluck!


2. While the squash is cooking, heat 1 Tablespoon of the olive oil in a large pan on the stove, over medium-high heat. Add garlic, and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Add kale and cook, stirring frequently, until kale is wilted, about 5 minutes. Remove from stovetop and set aside to cool.

3. In a large bowl, combine farro, squash, and kale. Just before serving, stir in remaining 2 Tablespoons of olive oil, cider vinegar, dried cranberries, and goat cheese crumbles. Season with salt and pepper. Serve warm.




Red lentil and squash soup

This recipe caught my eye on Pinterest for a couple of reasons. One, I love to make soup (which I’m sure I’ve mentioned before) and this time of year is perfect soup-making weather. Two, I could do some freezer cleanout since I had some butternut squash that I froze last season, and earlier this season I froze some chopped carrots and celery (a mirepoix starter). Since I had cooked the start of my mirepoix with some olive oil before freezing it, I decreased the olive oil to 2 Tablespoons. I also decreased the broth to 5 cups since I was using frozen butternut squash, which btw cooked much quicker than fresh squash. I used a leek instead of the white onion and omitted the parsley (didn’t have any).

The results were pretty tasty, and you don’t just have to take my word for it…a friend played the role of guinea pig. Despite being quite skeptical (and telling me it looked like hummus), he gave it an 8 out of 10. So there you have it, an N of 2 who give it 1.75 thumbs up. I don’t think my photo does it justice at all…soup photos are hard.

This can be made vegan by substituting vegetable broth for the chicken stock.

I am not hummus

Shorabit Jarjir (Red Lentil and Squash Soup)
Serves: 6
Source: Saveur via Pinterest

Ingredients
4 Tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 medium carrots, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
1 medium white onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon crushed red chile flakes
1/2 small butternut squash (about 1 pound) peeled, seeded, and finely chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
6 cups chicken stock
1 cup red lentils
Finely chopped parsley, for garnish
Paprika for garnish
Flatbread and lemon wedges, for serving

Directions
1. Heat oil in a 6-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Add garlic, carrots, celery, and onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly caramelized, 12-14 minutes.

2. Stir in cumin, chile flakes, squash, salt, and pepper; cook until squash is soft, about 15 minutes.

3. Add stock and lentils and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, slightly covered, until lentils are very tender, about 20 minutes.

4. Let soup cool slightly, then, working in batches, puree soup until smooth. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with parsley and paprika. Serve with flatbread and lemon wedges on the side.

Eggplant involtini

I’ve been reading Cook’s Illustrated for almost a year (thanks to the Lawson family for my subscription!) and this is the first time I’ve attempted one of the recipes. It spoke to me because it was something different to try with eggplant. It was a success in that I managed not to reburn my hand with the oven-to-broiler part of the recipe.

Since I only had one eggplant, I halved that part of the recipe. And as usual, I reduced and omitted some of the salt (there was salt everywhere – on the eggplant, in the sauce, and in the ricotta mixture). I also ended up having to substitute a bunch of things because I didn’t have some of the ingredients. 
No garlic? I used 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder.
No fresh basil? I substituted 1/2 Tablespoon dried basil, in the ricotta mixture only.
No white bread? I used a whole wheat bread end and pulsed it in my single serve Ninja container.

Eggplant slices

Eggplant involtini
Serves: 2
Source: Cook’s Illustrated, July/August 2014

Ingredients
1 eggplant (1 1/2 pounds)
2 Tablespoons olive oil, divided

Getting ready to roll

Salt and pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
Pinch red pepper flakes
1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, drained with juice reserved, chopped coarse
1 slice hearty white sandwich bread, torn into 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup part skim ricotta cheese
3/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
1/4 cup plus 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1/2 Tablespoon lemon juice

Directions
1. Slice eggplant lengthwise into 1/2-inch pieces. Trim rounded surface from each end piece so it lies flat.

Rolled up and ready to broil

2. Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with nonstick foil or parchment paper and spray generously with vegetable oil spray. Arrange eggplant slices in a single layer on baking sheet. Brush eggplant slices with 1/2 Tablespoon olive oil and season with freshly ground pepper and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Flip eggplant slices and brush with 1/2 Tablespoon olive oil and season with freshly ground pepper and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Bake until tender and lightly browned, about 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven and flip each eggplant slice over using thin spatula. Heat broiler.

Eggplant involtini and a side of sauce

3. While eggplant cooks, heat remaining 1 Tablespoon of olive oil in a 12-inch broiler-safe skillet over medium-low heat just until shimmering. Add garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes, and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomatoes and their juice. Increase heat to high and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until thickened, about 15 minutes. Cover and set aside.

4. Pulse bread in food processor until finely ground, about 10-15 seconds. Combine bread crumbs, ricotta, 1/2 cup Pecorino, 1/4 cup basil, and lemon juice in a medium bowl.

5. Evenly distribute ricotta mixture on widest ends of eggplant slices (bottom third of each slice). Gently roll up each eggplant slice and place seam side down in tomato sauce.

6. Bring sauce to simmer over medium heat. Simmer for 5 minutes. Transfer skillet to oven and broil until eggplant is well browned and cheese is heated through, 5-10 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup Pecorino and let stand for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining 1 Tablespoon basil and serve.

Tomato puree

Beautiful tomatoes!

Tomato puree – what a great way to deal with my tomato overload problem last week! Plus it forced me to pull the food mill out of the box (it was a Christmas gift last year). The food mill was much more intuitive to figure out than the mandolin was!


Simmer action

I used Martha’s recipe for the blanching and peeling of the tomatoes, and then attempted to make a chunky marinara with peppers, onions, and chicken sausage. The tomato puree was great (and pretty easy), but the marinara was a bit of a fail because I added too much red wine for the amount of tomatoes I had (1/2 cup wine) and I added it to the pepper, onion, sausage mixture thinking it could simmer and reduce. Unfortunately this turned the sausage into a wine color…so the ultimate product did not taste bad but it certainly wouldn’t win any points for appearance.


Tomato puree
Makes: about 3 cups

Ingredients
Food mill

2 1/2 pounds fresh tomatoes, a mixture of plum and beefsteak

1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 large cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of red pepper flakes

Directions
Puree!

1. Fill a medium pot with water and bring to a boil. Prepare a separate bowl of ice water. Remove core and slice an X into the bottom of each tomato with a paring knife. Lower tomatoes (a few at a time) into the boiling water and blanch for 15-30 seconds. Use a slotted spoon to remove the tomatoes from the pot and immediately plunge into the ice-water bath until cool enough to handle. Pull off each peel, using the paring knife. Tear beefsteak tomatoes into pieces.


2. Heat 1 Tablespoon of olive oil and garlic in a large skillet over medium heat, until fragrant and sizzling, but not brown. Add tomatoes and season with salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a rapid simmer and cook until tomatoes are falling apart and are reduced slightly, about 15 minutes.

3. Pass the tomatoes through a food mill fitted with the fine disk into a bowl (or puree in a food processor and strain out seeds). If not using immediately, let cool completely and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or the freezer for 3 months.

Tomatillo salsa

Getting ready to broil

It is always nice when your ingredients (or in this case CSA share) guide you in the direction of what to make. I had all of the ingredients for this tasty (and spicy!) salsa on hand…everything except tortilla chips!

I adapted the recipe to accommodate the three tomatillos we got this week (the original recipe called for 1 1/2 pounds). Mine was a bit spicy because I used a whole jalapeno…so feel free to adjust based on the amount of heat you can take.

Roasted tomatillo salsa
Makes: about 1 1/2 cups

Just add chips

Source: adapted from Epicurious

Ingredients
3 fresh tomatillos, husks removed and rinsed to remove stickiness
1/2 jalapeno pepper, ribs and seeds removed
1 garlic clove, unpeeled
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
1/2 medium onion, coarsely chopped

Directions
1. Preheat broiler. Broil jalapeno, garlic, and fresh tomatillos on rack of a broiler pan 1 to 2 inches from heat, turning once, until tomatillos are softened and slightly charred, about 7 minutes.

2. Peel garlic and place all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Puree until smooth and enjoy!