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Cheesy Kale Sweet Potato Tart from the woks of life

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IMG_2491For the pastry:
1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
1 stick cold butter, cut into small cubes
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon cold water
For the filling:
2 tablespoons butter
½ cup finely chopped leeks
1 bunch kale, stemmed and chopped
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
olive oil
salt and pepper
1 small sweet potato
2 sprigs fresh thyme, plus more for garnish
1 cup ricotta
1/2 cup shredded cheese (gruyere, aged cheddar, or manchego work great for this)

 NOTE: very good baked in pie plate without crust

Start by making the crust. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, and salt. Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter or two knives until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Whisk together the egg yolk and water, and add it to the flour mixture. Mix everything together with a fork until the dough comes together. Flatten into a disk, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator to chill for at least an hour. Take out of the refrigerator about a few minutes before you’re ready to roll it out.

Roll out the dough and fit it to your tart pan. You may have to patch it up a bit, but don’t worry, it’ll turn out great. Pierce the dough all over with a fork and place the tart shell in the freezer for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped leeks and cook for about 10 minutes. Add the kale, crushed red pepper flakes, and a couple drizzles of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook for another couple minutes, just until the kale is wilted. Remove from the heat.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (210 degrees C). Blind bake the tart shell for 10 minutes, and remove from the oven. If you see it starting to puff up at all, poke the dough with a fork again!

Prep your potato by peeling it and slicing it paper-thin. A mandolin helps, but a sharp knife will do the job. Add the thyme and ricotta to the kale mixture. Place a layer of sweet potato slices in the bottom of the tart shell. Spread the kale and cheese mixture evenly over that, and top with another layer of sweet potato slices. Brush the top thoroughly with olive oil and sprinkle the cheese over the tart. Bake for about 20 minutes, until golden brown.

Mushroom and Stout Potpies With Sweet Potato Crusts

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  • 6 tablespoons grape seed oil (or other neutral oil), plus more for greasing the ramekins
  • 4 large shallot lobes, finely chopped (about 3/4 cup)
  • 2 medium leeks (white part only), chopped
  • 1 tablespoon thyme leaves, plus extra thyme sprigs for garnish
  • 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 4 pounds mixed mushrooms (such as cremini, portobello and shiitake), stemmed, trimmed and sliced into 1-inch pieces
  • 6 tablespoons spelt flour or whole-wheat flour (may substitute all-purpose flour)
  • 2 cups stout or other dark, heavy beer
  • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons low-sodium tamari or other soy sauce
  • 2/3 cup pitted kalamata olives, chopped
  • 1/3 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 3/4 pound sweet potatoes, scrubbed and thinly sliced

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease eight 8-ounce ramekins or the baking dishes of your choice (see headnote) with a little oil and set on a baking sheet.

Heat 1/4 cup of the oil in a large, heavy pot over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring frequently, until translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the leeks and all but 1 teaspoon of the thyme to the pot and cook for another 2 minutes, until the leeks are tender. Add the garlic and tomato paste and cook until the garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the chopped mushrooms to the pot all at once. Cook until the mushrooms are collapsed, tender and glistening, about 8 to 10 minutes, stirring often. Sprinkle the flour over the mushrooms, stir and cook for about a minute, until the flour no longer tastes raw.

Pour the stout into the pot, scraping up any browned bits at the bottom of the pan. Add the vinegar and tamari. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat until the mixture is gently bubbling and cook until the liquid is reduced and as thick as gravy, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat. Stir in the olives and chopped parsley. Season the mixture lightly with salt and pepper.

Divide the mushroom mixture among the ramekins. Layer the sweet potato slices on top, overlapping the rounds as you go, until there are 2 solid layers of sweet potatoes on each dish. Brush the sweet potatoes with the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil, and sprinkle equally with the 1/2 teaspoon of salt, the 1 teaspoon of pepper and the remaining chopped thyme.

Cover the ramekins with heavy-duty aluminum foil and bake the potpies for 30 to 40 minutes or until the mushroom mixture is bubbling and the sweet potatoes are tender. Remove the foil, turn the oven to broil, and return the pot pies to the broiler for just a minute or two, until the sweet potatoes are nicely browned. (Watch carefully, so they don’t burn.) Garnish with the thyme sprigs. Serve hot.   8 servings

Adapted from a recipe by Laura Wright on TheFirstMess.com

Quick and Easy Foolproof Pizza Dough from melskitchencafe.com

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  • IMG_48991 cup warm water
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • 1 tablespoon instant yeast
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2-3 cups flour
  1. In a large bowl or in the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, mix the water, honey, oil, yeast and salt. Add the flour gradually until a soft dough forms and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. The exact flour amount will vary so go by the touch and feel of the dough versus the exact cup measurements in the recipe. The dough should be soft and smooth (not leaving a residue on your fingers but not super stiff, either).
  2. Knead the dough for 2-3 minutes (more like 5-6 minutes if kneading by hand or if using whole wheat flour).
  3. Let the dough rest, covered, for 10 minutes. Shape the dough into pizza(s), spread with sauce and toppings, and bake at 475 or 500 degrees on a preheated pizza stone or on a lightly greased baking sheet for 8-10 minutes (for an in-depth look at baking methods, here is a great tutorial)

mel’s note: I almost always use 1/2 or up to 3/4 whole wheat flour with good results – I let it knead for a few minutes longer. Also, this recipe doubles, triples and quadruples really well. If doubling, use double the amount for all the ingredients. For triple and quadruple batches, increase all the ingredients accordingly except the yeast – only use 2 tablespoons yeast for a tripled batch and 2 1/2 tablespoons yeast for a quadrupled batch. Keep an eye on the flour if increasing the recipe. You want a soft, smooth dough – not too sticky and definitely not overfloured.

Squash With Chili Yogurt and Cilantro Sauce washington post

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  • 1 large butteyumrnut squash (3 pounds)
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 6 tablespoons olive oil
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 3/4 ounces cilantro, leaves and stems, plus more leaves for garnish
  • 1 small clove garlic, crushed
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons hulled pumpkin seeds
  • 1 cup regular or low-fat plain Greek yogurt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons Sriracha (may substitute another savory chili sauce), plus more as needed

Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat to 425 degrees. Have two rimmed baking sheets at hand.

Cut the squash in half lengthwise. Discard the seeds, then cut the flesh into wedges 3/4 inch wide and about 2 3/4 inches long, leaving the skin on. Place in a large bowl with the cinnamon, 2 tablespoons of the oil, 3/4 teaspoon of salt and a good grind of pepper. Mix well so that the squash is evenly coated. Place the squash pieces on the baking sheets skin side down and roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until soft and starting to color on top. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

To make the herb paste, combine the cilantro, garlic, the remaining 4 tablespoons of oil and a generous pinch of salt in a mini food processor; puree to form a smooth paste.

Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees. Spread the pumpkin seeds on a baking sheet and roast for 6 to 8 minutes. Their outer skins will pop open, and the seeds will become light and crispy. Let them cool.

To serve, swirl together the yogurt and Sriracha sauce. Lay the squash wedges on a platter and drizzle the spicy yogurt sauce, then the herb paste, over the top. (Or swirl the yogurt sauce and herb paste together if you like.) Scatter the pumpkin seeds on top, followed by the extra cilantro leaves and additional Sriracha, if desired, and serve.

 

Fried Cauliflower Sandwich, food52

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  • 1/2 head cauliflower
  • 2 cups lacinato kale (or similar)
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 6 tablespoons olive oil (approximately)
  • Salt, to taste
  • 2 ciabatta rolls (or similar good, crusty white bread)
  • 2 tablespoons pickled banana pepper rings
  • 4 slices provolone cheese
  1. Trim the cauliflower, leaving the core intact, and cut into 1/4-inch slices (don’t worry if they don’t stay perfectly intact — as long as the have a relatively “flat” side they should brown up nicely). Set aside.
  2. Slice the kale into thin ribbons and peel and mince the garlic. Set aside.
  3. Pour enough oil in a heavy fry pan so that it completely coats the pan’s bottom and will slightly edge up the sides of the cauliflower pieces when you add them. Heat the oil over medium-high heat. When it’s very hot, add the cauliflower slices and let them sizzle, untouched, for 4 to 5 minutes (you may need to adjust heat so that they cook long enough to get brown and cook through). Flip the slices and cook them for another 3 to 4 minutes. Remove to a plate and sprinkle with a little salt.
  4. Turn off the heat and add the kale and garlic to pan. Cook in the residual pan heat for a minute or two until the greens are wilted, then scrape onto a plate.
  5. Turn the oven broiler on. Split and toast the ciabatta rolls. Take the two bottom halves and layer on the fried cauliflower slices, then the greens, and lastly, the peppers. Top with 2 slices of cheese and broil in oven just until melted. Top with the other ciabatta halves and enjoy.
  6. Note: I highly recommend using a cast-iron skillet if you have one. If you don’t, they cost about $12 at your local hardware store. Otherwise, choose a very heavy pan so you get a nice crust on the cauliflower.  Makes 2 sandwiches

 

Cauliflower Patties from food52

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  • cauliflower1 large cauliflower (washed & trimmed into bite size pieces)
  • 3 to 4 shallots, peeled and chopped
  • 2 to 3 small garlic cloves (peeled and finely chopped)
  • 3 to 4 large organic eggs
  • Fresh italian flat leaf parsley
  • 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup grated Romano cheese
  • 1/2 cup shredded low moisture mozzarella
  • 1/4 to 1/2 cup (or more if needed) unbleached baking flour
  • 1/4 to 1/2 cup (or more if needed) whole milk
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Light olive oil (for cooking
  • Place a large stockpot filled with water to boil on the stove top. Once it comes to a full boil, add the prepared cauliflower and cook until tender, but not too mushy. Drain and rinse with cold water, set aside to cool.
  • Saute the shallots and garlic in olive oil until soft and fragrant; do not brown. Remove from heat and set aside.
  • Break the cooked cauliflower pieces down into very small pieces using your hands or a knife. The cauliflower needs to be solid enough to taste and create texture, but not so large as to not allow the patties to cook properly.
  • Add the eggs, cooked shallots and garlic to the bowl of cauliflower and season with salt and pepper to taste. Mix this well and add some flour and milk to begin creating a batter-like consistency (start with 1/4 cup of each and add more as needed; adjust to get the desired consistency.)
  • Add the grated cheese, shredded mozzarella and chopped fresh parsley to the mix and blend well until combined. Again, test the thickness here and adjust accordingly adding flour and milk until you are satisfied.
  • NOTE: The mixture for these patties is a bit of trial and error as it needs to resemble a very thick pancake batter without being too dry or worse, too thin and runny.
  • Heat a large non-stick skillet to medium-high heat and add drizzle of the light olive oil and test the mixture by spooning a small pattie into the skillet and watch how it cooks and holds its shape.
  • Use your spatula to press and form the pattie in the skillet as it cooks to make sure it maintains shape and cooks through. Adjust your heat and resist the urge to flip too soon, allow the pattie to cook until light golden brown (about 3-4 minutes each side depending on your stove) before you flip them.
  • Continue forming and cooking the patties, adding more light olive oil as you go. Remove the cooked patties to a large flat platter to cool (do not overlap them until cooled.) Taste the first patties and adjust your salt and pepper seasoning for the remaining batter, if needed.
  • I love to serve these after letting them cool as they are much more flavorful at room temperature. These are the ideal hostess side dish (plan to make these during the upcoming holidays) that you can make ahead.
  • Store them in a sealed container in the refrigerator and simply deliver them to your host and let them come back to room temperature before serving.  Serves about 4 to 6

 

Spaghettini with Mushrooms, Garlic and Oil, food and wine

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  • Spaghettini with Mushrooms, Garlic, and Oil 
    1/2 cup olive oil
    3 cloves garlic, minced
    1/8 teaspoon dried red-pepper flakes (optional)
    2/3 pound mushrooms, sliced
    1 teaspoon salt
    1 pound spaghettini
    3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper

    1. In a medium frying pan, heat the olive oil over moderately low heat. Add the garlic and the red-pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until the garlic softens, about 1 minute. Add the sliced mushrooms and the salt and cook until the mushrooms exude liquid, the liquid evaporates, and the mushrooms begin to brown, about 5 minutes.
    2. In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the spaghettini until just done, about 9 minutes. Drain and toss with the mushroom mixture, the parsley, and the pepper.

    Spaghettini with Garlic and Oil Eliminate the mushrooms and reduce the oil to 7 tablespoons. Just cook the garlic and red-pepper flakes for a minute and toss with the remaining ingredients.

    Spaghettini with Walnuts, Garlic, and Oil Eliminate the mushrooms and reduce the olive oil to 7 tablespoons. At the end, toss in 2/3 cup of toasted and chopped walnuts.

     

Crispy Baked Pasta with Mushrooms, Sausage, and Parmesan Cream Sauce

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from serious eats

    • 1 cup Panko-style 20140930-past-mushroom-sausage-cast-iron-baked-41bread crumbs
    • 6 ounces grated Parmesan cheese
    • 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
    • 2 tablespoons finely minced fresh chives
    • 2 small shallots, finely minced (about 1/2 cup)
    • 2 medium cloves garlic, minced (about 2 teaspoons)
    • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
    • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
    • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
    • 8 ounces veggie sausage (mild or hot), removed from casings
    • 1 pound mixed mushrooms (such as portobello, shiitake, and oyster), cleaned and thinly sliced
    • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
    • 1 tablespoon juice from 1 lemon
    • 2 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
    • 2 cups homemade or store-bought veggie stock
    • 1 cup heavy cream
    • 12 ounces fresh or 8 ounces dried ridged pasta such as rotini or campanelle

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and keep at a bare simmer. Combine bread crumbs, 2 ounces cheese, half of parsley, half of chives, 1/4 of shallots, and 1/4 of garlic in a medium bowl and massage with hands until combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper

Melt butter in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until foaming. Add sausage and cook, mashing it with a potato masher or a wooden spoon until broken up and well browned, about 7 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer sausage to a small bowl, leaving fat behind.

Increase heat to high, add mushrooms to skillet, and cook, stirring frequently, until moisture has evaporated and mushrooms are well-browned, about 10 minutes. Add shallots and garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add soy sauce and lemon juice and stir to combine.

Add flour and cook, stirring, until a thin film begins to form on the bottom of the pan, about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in chicken broth followed by heavy cream. Bring to a simmer and cook until thickened, about 2 minutes. Stir in remaining grated cheese until melted. Stir in remaining parsley and chives. Stir in sausage. Season to taste with salt and lots of black pepper.

Adjust rack to 10 inches below broiler element and preheat broiler to high. Cook pasta in salted water according to package directions, removing it when still just shy of al dente. Drain, reserving 1 cup of cooking liquid. Return to pot. Add mushroom mixture and stir to combine, adding liquid to adjust consistency. Pasta should be very loose but not soupy. Return to cast iron skillet and top with bread crumbs. Broil until golden brown, rotating pan as necessary, 2 to 3 minutes. Serve immediately.

Neely Veggie Pesto Lasagna

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2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 yellow squash, diced
1 zucchini, diced
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Pinch of red pepper flakes
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
Pinch of sugar, optional
1 (15-ounce) container part-skim ricotta cheese
1 (16-ounce) bag frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
7 ounces store-bought pesto
1 box no-boil lasagna noodles
2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
Fresh basil, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the yellow squash and zucchini and cook, stirring, for 4 to 5 minutes more. Season with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Stir in the crushed tomatoes and tomato sauce; bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Add salt, pepper and a pinch of sugar, if necessary.

In a large bowl, mix together the ricotta cheese, spinach, pesto and season with pepper.

Grease the bottom and sides of your lasagna dish with butter. Spread a little of the tomato sauce on the bottom of the pan. Lay 4 noodles across the bottom of the baking dish, overlapping by 1/2-inch. Spread 1/3 of the ricotta and pesto mixture evenly on top. Sprinkle with about a 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese. Ladle about 1 cup of sauce on top. Repeat layering in the same order. Layer the top layer of noodles and drizzle with the remaining sauce, then sprinkle with the Parmesan and remaining mozzarella. Cover with foil and bake in the center of the oven until the sauce is bubbling around the edges, about 40 minutes. Uncover and bake 5 minutes more. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing.

ZUCCHINI PARMIGIANA Parmigiana di Zucchine from Lidia

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Zucchini is such a convenient and delicious vegetable. It is inexpensive, and you can find it -year–round, although it is best in the summer. In this delicious and simple recipe, the zucchini is baked into a parmigiana but does not have the traditional frying step. I like using a large baking pan and making just one layer; this way, the zucchini will dry up more in the oven, 1090and you will have more of the crispy cheese top, which everybody loves.

2 pounds medium zucchini
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 ounces sliced -whole–wheat bread
4 cups Marinara Sauce (page 80)
2 cups shredded -low–moisture mozzarella
1 cup Grana Padano or -Parmigiano–Reggiano
¼ cup chopped fresh basil

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the whole zucchini, and bring back to a boil. Simmer until the zucchini are almost tender throughout, about 15 minutes. Drain, cool, and slice lengthwise into -½–inch–thick slices. Season with the salt.

Grease a -9–by–13–inch baking dish with the butter, and fit the bread in one layer into the bottom, trimming to fit if necessary.

Layer as follows: Spread the bread with 2 cups of the marinara sauce. Arrange half of the zucchini in an even layer. Sprinkle with half of the mozzarella and Grana Padano. Sprinkle with all of the basil. Arrange the remaining zucchini in an even layer. Spread with the remaining marinara, and top with the remaining mozzarella and Grana Padano. Bake, uncovered, until browned and bubbly, about 35 to 40 minutes.