Miso Quinoa Pilaf with Grilled Cucumber, Eggplant, and Soy Dressing

Posted on July 10, 2014 by admin

For the Pilaf

1 large English cucumber
2 small, long eggplants, about 5 to 6 inches or 1 slender long eggplant of a larger variety)
Olive oil for grilling
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 cup quinoa
1 cup 2 % milk
1 cup water
1 1/2 tablespoon white miso (we used barley miso, which is darker)
3tablespoons chopped cilantro

Prepare a medium gas or charcoal grill.

Trim ends off cucumber and eggplants. Slice eggplants in half lengthwise. Cut cucumber crosswise into thirds, then cut each piece in half lengthwise. Place vegetables in a baking pan and drizzle cut sides with olive oil, rubbing oil with your fingertip to cover the vegetables. Set aside until grill is hot.

While you are waiting for your grill to heat up, start your quinoa by melting butter in a small saucepan. Add quinoa and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly to toast the grains. After about 5 minutes, quinoa should start to pop and smell nutty (a few grains will turn golden brown). At this point, add milk and water, and whisk in miso. Cover pot and adjust heat to maintain a simmer. Cook for 17 to 20 minutes until grains are tender and liquid has been absorbed. Remove pot from heat.

Grill cucumber and eggplant pieces cut side down until lightly charred and tender, about 5 minutes for cucumber and 7 to 8 for eggplant. Flip and grill skin side down for 2 to 3 minutes more. Cucumber skin will start to wrinkle and eggplant flesh should yield easily when poked with a knife. Transfer to a cutting board and let cool slightly. Slice cucumbers and eggplants crosswise into half moons.

Fluff quinoa and transfer to a large mixing bowl. Add sliced cucumber, eggplant, and half of the cilantro. Whisk or shake dressing to re-emulsify and add to taste (note that tamari and miso can both vary widely in saltiness, so dress sparingly at first, then add more as you like). I use about half of the dressing. Using a spatula or wooden spoon, gently fold to combine components of pilaf. Taste and add more dressing if desired. Transfer to a serving platter. Sprinkle with remaining cilantro. Serve warm or at room temperature. Pilaf is also delicious cold, the next day. Enjoy! Serves 4 to 6 as a side

For the Soy Dressing

1/4 cup gluten-free tamari
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
Juice from 1/2 an orange (about 1/4 cup)
1/4 cup canola oil

Combine tamari and vinegar in a small saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil over medium heat. Lower heat to a simmer and cook until mixture is reduced to 1/4 cup, about 6 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in orange juice and canola oil. Transfer to a glass jar with a lid. This will make more dressing than you need for this recipe. Use remaining as a dressing for other grilled vegetables or as a marinade for meat.

Miso Black Cod from food52.com

Posted on July 9, 2014 by admin

1/2 cup Asian pear juice (or apple juice)
3 tablespoons red miso
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon umeboshi (preserved plum) or mirin (rice cooking wine)
3 cloves garlic
1/2 inch peeled ginger, chopped
3/4 pounds black cod

Mix all of the marinade ingredients together in a blender. Marinate the fish — I used a boneless filet — for at least 12 hours and no more than 36 hours. I served it with Chinese broccoli (you could use broccoli rabe), stir-fried in tamari, ginger, and garlic. I also made a purée of parsnips and sunchokes, with a little bit of cream, and a tiny bit of salt and sugar. Serves 2

Summer Squash Pie Recipe from tasteofhome.com

Posted on July 4, 2014 by admin

1 unbaked pastry shell (9 inches)
1 egg, lightly beaten
2-1/2 cups sliced zucchini (1/4 inch slices)
2-1/2 cups sliced yellow summer squash (1/4 inch slices)
1 teaspoon canola oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 large tomato, sliced
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar or part-skim mozzarella cheese
3/4 cup mayonnaise

Line unpricked pastry shell with a double thickness of heavy-duty foil. Bake at 450° for 5 minutes. Remove foil; brush lightly with egg. Bake 5 minutes longer. Remove to a wire rack; reduce heat to 350°
In a large nonstick skillet, saute zucchini and yellow squash in oil for 10 minutes or until very tender. Sprinkle with seasonings; spoon into pastry shell. Top with tomatoes. Combine the cheese and mayonnaise; spread over the top.
Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Refrigerate leftovers. Yield: 6-8 servings.

One Pot Kale and Quinoa Pilaf, food 52

Posted on June 25, 2014 by admin

2 cups salted water
1 cup quinoa
1 bunch lacinato kale, washed and chopped into 1″ lengths
1 meyer lemon, zested and juiced
2 scallions, minced
1 tablespoon toasted walnut oil
3 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese
salt and pepper

Bring the water to a boil in a covered pot. Add the quinoa, cover, and lower the heat until it is just enough to maintain a simmer. Let simmer for 10 minutes, then top with the kale and re-cover. Simmer another 5 minutes, then turn off the heat and allow to steam for 5 more minutes.

While the quinoa is cooking, take a large serving bowl and combine half of the lemon juice (reserving the other half), all of the lemon zest, scallions, walnut oil (you can substitute olive oil if you desire), pine nuts, and goat cheese.

Check the quinoa and kale when the cooking time has completed — the water should have absorbed, and the quinoa will be tender but firm, and the kale tender and bright green. If the quinoa still has a hard white center, you can steam a bit longer (adding more water if needed). When the quinoa and kale are done, fluff the pilaf, and tip it into the waiting bowl with the remaining ingredients. As the hot quinoa hits the scallions and lemon it should smell lovely. Toss to combine, seasoning with salt and pepper, and the remaining lemon juice if needed.

Vietnamese Rice Noodle Salad http://food52.com/

Posted on June 22, 2014 by admin

The dressing

3 tablespoons fish sauce
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
2 to 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
6 to 8 tablespoons water, to taste
1 medium clove garlic, minced
1 fresh Thai (also sold as “bird’s eye”) chile, minced

The salad

8 ounces thin rice noodles (roughly the width of linguine)
3 or 4 napa cabbage leaves, thinly sliced crosswise
1 medium carrot, shredded or cut into matchsticks
1/2 cucumber, halved, seeded, and thinly sliced
1 handful chopped fresh herbs, preferably a combination of basil, cilantro, and mint
8 ounces cooked meat or shrimp, cut or torn into bite-sized pieces
1/2 cup salted peanuts, coarsely chopped

To prepare the dressing, combine the fish sauce, lime juice, 2 tablespoons of the brown sugar, 6 tablespoons of the water, the garlic, and the chile. Whisk well. Taste: if it’s too pungent, add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time. If you’d like more sweetness, add more brown sugar, 1/2 tablespoon at a time. Remember that you’re going to be putting this dressing on unsalted vegetables and noodles: you want the dressing to have a lot of flavor, but it shouldn’t knock you over. Pour into a serving bowl. (Covered and chilled, the dressing will keep for 3 days to a week.)
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the rice noodles, and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until tender but not mushy. Immediately drain the noodles into a colander, and rinse them well with cold water. Lay out a clean kitchen towel on the countertop, shake the colander to drain away excess water, and then spread the cooked noodles on the towel to drain further.
Divide the noodles between two or three good-sized bowls, depending on the number of diners, and top with the vegetables, herbs, and meat. Scatter the peanuts on top. Allow each person to spoon on dressing to taste. Toss well, and eat. (Alternatively, you can present this salad family-style: Toss the vegetables, herbs, and noodles in a mixing bowl and then mound them on a serving platter. Arrange the meat over the noodles, and top with peanuts. Each diner can scoop their own portion from the platter and dress it as they see fit.)

Lentil shepherd’s Pie by Simon Bryant

Posted on June 15, 2014 by admin

30ml olive oil
1 onion diced
3 garlic cloves
3 stalks celery diced (and heart)
3 bay leaves
6 sprigs thyme
1 tsp Carroway seeds
Sprig of rosemary
200g mushrooms diced
2 tbls tomato paste
1 can diced tomtatoes
300g brown lentils (soaked for several hours overnight, simmer from cold in just enough
veggie stock to cover & cook till just soft, do not drain)
100g green beans sliced into 1cm pieces
2 carrots diced
1 litre Veg stock or water
25 ml red wine vinegar
1 tbls Lemon zest
Handful of dried wild mushroom mix, ground to fine powder(optional for extra flavour)
1/3 bunch parsley chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

Mashed potatoes
500g potatoes
Salt and white pepper
80g butter
100ml Milk
1 tsp Mace
1/4 cup Parmesan

Heat the oil in a large frypan and add the onion and garlic and saute for a few minutes. Add the celery, carrot, carroway seeds, rosemary, bay leaves and thyme. Saute for a few minutes and then add mushrooms.

Deglaze with red wine vinegar then add tomato paste and diced tomatoes and cook out for a few minutes. Season to taste.

Add lemon zest , mushroom powder , beans and cooked lentils in the stock they cooked in. Simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated.

Season to taste, remove thyme sprigs and bay leaf.
Pour into a baking dish and top with mashed potatoes and bake until golden brown.

For mashed potatoes, boil them in salted water until soft.
Drain off water and dry in the pan before mashing with butter and milk.
Season to taste.

Ottolenghi’s ‘Very Full Tart’ From Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Timimi

Posted on June 15, 2014 by admin

1 red bell pepper
1 yellow bell pepper
about 6 Tablespoons olive oil
1 medium eggplant, cut into 2-inch dice
salt and black pepper
1 small sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch dice
1 small zucchini, cut into 1-inch dice
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
2 bay leaves
11 oz pie crust dough
8 thyme sprigs, leaves picked
1/3 cup ricotta
4 1/4 oz feta
7 cherry tomatoes, halved
2 medium eggs
1 cup heavy cream

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Use a small serrated knife to cut around the stem of the peppers and lift it out along with the seeds. Shake the peppers to remove all the remaining seeds; discard the stems and seeds. Place the two peppers in a small ovenproof dish, drizzle with a little oil and put on the top shelf in the oven.

Mix the eggplant in a bowl with 4 tablespoons of olive oil and some salt and pepper. Spread in a large baking pan and place in the oven on the shelf beneath the peppers.

After 12 minutes add the sweet potato dice to the eggplant pan and stir gently. Return to the oven to roast for another 12 minutes. Then add the zucchini to the pan, stir and roast for a further 10 to 12 minutes. At this point the peppers should be brown and the rest of the vegetables cooked. Remove all from the oven and reduce the temperature to 325 degrees. Cover the peppers with foil and cool, then peel and tear roughly into strips.

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a frying pan on medium heat. Saute the onions with the bay leaves and some salt for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they turn brown, soft and sweet. Remove from the heat, discard the bay leaves and set aside.

Lightly grease a 9-inch loose-bottomed tart pan. Roll out the pie crust dough to a circle roughly 1/8 inch thick and large enough to line the pan, plus extra to hang over the rim. Carefully line the pan with the dough, pressing it into the corners and leaving the excess hanging over the top edge. Line the dough with a large sheet of parchment paper and fill it with pie weights or dried beans. Bake the crust for 30 minutes. Carefully remove the paper with the weights, then bake for 10 to 15 minutes more, or until it turns golden brown. Remove and allow to cool a little.

Scatter the cooked onion over the bottom of the crust and top with the roasted vegetables, arranging them evenly. Scatter half the thyme leaves over. Next, dot the veg with small chunks of both cheeses and then with the tomato halves, cut-side up.

Whisk the eggs and cream in a small bowl with some salt and pepper. Carefully pour this mix into the tart; the top layer of tomatoes and cheese should remain exposed. Scatter the remaining thyme over the top. Place in the oven and bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until the filling sets and turns golden. Remove and allow to rest for at least 10 minutes before releasing the tart from the pan and serving. Serves 4-6

Fettuchini with Braised Kale

Posted on June 13, 2014 by admin

1 pound kale (about 2 bunches), large center ribs and stems removed, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch slices
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 medium onion, finely chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
8 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/2 pound spaghetti
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Finely grated Parmesan cheese

Rinse kale. Drain; transfer to bowl with some water still clinging.
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add chopped onion and cook until soft and translucent, stirring occasionally, about 6 minutes. Add sliced garlic and sprinkle with salt; cook until onion is golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Add kale and remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and toss until wilted, about 3 minutes. Cover pot and reduce heat to medium-low. Continue cooking until kale is very tender, stirring occasionally and adding water by teaspoonfuls if dry, about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook spaghetti in medium pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup cooking liquid. Add cooked spaghetti to kale mixture in pot. Add lemon juice and 2 tablespoons reserved cooking liquid; toss to combine, adding more liquid by tablespoonfuls if dry. Sprinkle spaghetti with grated Parmesan cheese and serve.

SOY SCALLION NOODLES (Cong You Ban Mian) from http://thewoksoflife.com/

Posted on June 12, 2014 by admin

1/4 cup oil
3 cups julienned scallion
3 tablespoons dark soy sauce
3 tablespoons light soy sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
1 pound regular Chinese white noodles, cooked until al dente
(if you want to add the pork component, you’ll also need 1 cup ground pork, 3 more tablespoons oil, and an extra 1/2 cup of chopped scallion)
Heat oil in your wok over medium heat, add the scallions, and let them fry slowly. Once they start to turn golden brown, take out about half of the scallions and set aside. Leave the rest in the wok, and add both kinds of soy sauce and the sugar. Use low heat and cook the mixture for about two minutes, until it starts to bubble up.

If you want to add pork to your noodles, simply brown the ground pork over high heat with about 3 tablespoons oil. Stir in 1/2 cup chopped scallions, and season with a bit of salt.

This recipe serves four to six. Portion out the noodles into bowls, and start with a couple teaspoons sauce (it really doesn’t take much!). You can keep adding a bit more until the saltiness is to your liking. If using the pork, add a spoonful of of your crispy pork and scallion mixture to the top, along with a small handful of the reserved fried scallions. Toss it all together and dig in. Serves 6

Butterflied Leg of Lamb from Julia Child