Recipes
- Thai Style Stir-Fry
6-8 oz rice noodles
1 lb. stir fry greens
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 tbs. fish sauce
2 tbs. hot sauce (Asian type)
2 tbs. sugar or honey
2 tbs. oil
12 medium shrimp (or substitute chicken or tofu)
1 onion
3 cloves garlic
Prepare Asian noodles (rice can be substituted).Make sauce by combining vinegar, fish sauce, hot sauce and sugar. Heat wok over medium heat and coat with oil. Sauté onions and add garlic. Add sauce and heat to simmering point. If using chicken, add next and cook until done. If using tofu or shrimp add and stir quickly until coated; add other ingredients. Cook until shrimp is pink and greens are wilted. Do not overcook shrimp. Serve over noodles. Garnish with uncooked stir-fry greens and lime wedges.
- Sautéed Greens
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Wash and dry 1 1/2 pounds of mixed greens. Heat in a large pan 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add and cook one large onion, diced small and 2 cloves of garlic. Add the greens and salt to taste. Wilt greens and sprinkle with Balsamic vinegar. Serve at once.
- Pak Choi and Greens with Ginger
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Wash a mixture Pak Choi and greens. Steam for 3 to 5 minutes. Mix 1/4 cup soy sauce (or tamari), 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar, 1 tablespoon fresh chopped ginger, and 2 tablespoons water. Remove greens from steamer and pour sauce over them.
- Pasta with Arugula Pesto
1/4 cup walnut pieces
2-3 large garlic cloves
2 cups coarsely chopped arugula (stems included), firmly packed
1/4 cup coarsely chopped cilantro or basil
1/2 cup plus 1 TBS. olive oil (preferably extra-virgin)
1/3 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
Salt to taste
1 pinch cayenne
1 pound dried pasta (any kind)
More Parmesan cheese, for garnish (optional)1. Combine the first four ingredients in a food processor or blender. Whirl them just until they are coarsely chopped. While the machine is running, add the olive oil in a thin stream. Transfer the pesto to a bowl. (at this point the pesto can be frozen. thaw it before proceeding.)
2. Stir the Parmesan cheese, salt and cayenne into the pesto.
3. Cook the pasta in boiling salted water until just tender.
4. Drain the pasta, return it to the empty pot, and toss it with the pesto, adding a TBS. or two of water if necessary to distribute the pesto evenly. Transfer the pasta to a serving bowl or to individual plates and garnish with Parmesan cheese, if you like, and serve.
Serves four. Recipe from Vegetarian Planet by Didi Emmons.
- Asian Radish Salad (from Please to the Table by Anya von Bremzen & John Welchman)
1 medium size daikon, about 1 lb.
1 large carrot, peeled and grated
1/2 tsp. sugar or more to taste
3 Tbs. olive oil
2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice (about 1 lemon, or slightly less)
Salt to tastePeel radish and grate. Gently squeeze out some but not all the liquid from the radish. Place in salad bowl.
Add the carrot, 1/2 tsp. sugar, oil, and lemon juice and toss. Season with salt and add more sugar if desired. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Serves 4.
Notes on the recipe:
This dish is traditionally served with a Lamb Pilaf, and actually uses a sweet margilan radish from central Asia. These radishes aren't available here, and the recipe's creators list the daikon as an adequate substitute. Given that the original radish is sweeter, I've made this recipe with 2 carrots or more to taste and the above ingredients. Of course you can just add more sugar, but I liked the extra carrot taste. Oh -- and I didn't really peel the daikon, just scraped it a little after
washing and grated it. And you can serve it on a bed of some of those greens!- Basil Pesto
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Put in a food processor: 1 cup of basil leaves, 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, 1/2 cup of pine nuts (you can substitute walnuts or pecans), 2/3 cup of olive oil, 1 tablespoon of of lemon juice, and salt to taste. Add water if necessary to make into a paste. Cook 1 1b. pasta and add pesto.
- Roasted Garlic
Unpealed garlic head and grease with olive oil. Bake garlic in the oven at 350
degrees until soft.
Spread on bread.- Chard (From Joy of Cooking)
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Chard is best steamed, wilted, sautéed, microwaved, or braised. Dress cooked greens with oil and vinegar or butter and lemon juice. Very young chard (that's
what you are getting) can be added to salads, but usually this green is cooked. Cooked stems are excellent with any cream sauce. - Chard Sautéed with Garlic (serves 4-6)
remove the stems from about 1 1/2 pounds of chard
Cut the stems into 1/2 inch pieces. Coarsely chop the leaves.
Rinse but do not dry.
Heat in a large skillet over medium-low heat until the oil smells good
2 tablespoons extra- virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 small dried red chili pepperAdd the chard stems and add salt to taste. Cook, stirring occasionally until the stems are nearly tender (about 2 minutes). Add the leaves and cook, partially covered until both the leaves and stems are tender (about 3-5 minutes) Season with 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice Taste again for salt.
- Tabbouleh
1 cup medium bulgur and 2 cups boiling water in a large bowl..Cover and let sit 30 minutes. Drain.
Then add -
4 large finely chopped tomatoes
2 cups finely chopped parsley springs
1 cup finely chopped fresh mint
1 cup finely chopped purslane
2 finely chopped medium onions
Stir in (to taste) salt and black pepper
Add 1/3 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup olive oil
Serve at room temperature.- New Potato Salad
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The best potato salad is made with a sugar-vinegar syrup (you can make a batch and keep it in your refrigerator for months)
Syrup
2 cups sugar
1 cup vinegar
boil until thick (watch that it doesn't boil over)
Dice potatoes and cook until soft
Mix 1/4 cup of syrup and Dijon mustard to taste.
Chop dill (to taste)
Add salt (to taste)
Mix with potatoes
- Sorrel Soup
2 cups loosely packed sorrel leaves
1 medium potato, diced
2 cans chicken broth
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cloves minced garlic
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour- Sorrel and Purslane Soup (vegan)
Recipe By : Rebecca Wood, THE SPLENDID GRAIN 1997
1 leek -- trimmed cleaned and chopped
6 cups shiitake dashi stock -- see recipe
1/3 cup arborio rice or short-grain white rice
2 cups finely chopped sorrel
4 cups purslane or about 8-ounces
salt and black pepper -- to tasteCombine the leek and just enough stock to cover in a medium saucepan over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the rice, the remaining stock, and salt. Raise the heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the rice is tender. Remove from the heat. Stir in sorrel and purslane. Sprinkle with black pepper. Adjust the seasoning. Ladle into individual soup bowls, garnish with the remaining sorrel, and serve.
Melt butter in a large saucepan, add onions and garlic and sauté over low heat until transparent. Add sorrel and cook until it softens. Add flour and cook 5 minutes. Add chicken stock and diced potato. Bring to a boil, cook until potatoes are soft. Puree in food processor or blender. Reheat gently and serve.
(Serves 4)- Fennel and Roasted Pepper Salad with Olives
1 small head fennel, cored and cut into thin slices
1/3 cup sliced roasted pepper
1 green onion, thinly sliced
Black olives for garnish--pitted and sliced
Vinaigrette mixed with either pesto or tapenade to echo flavor in
sandwichToss ingredients together and season to taste with salt and pepper; serve with sandwich.
Yield: 2 servings
Recipe by Michelle Urvater
- Tangy eggplant, bean and tomato salad
2 long, thin eggplants
10 cherry sized tomatoes, or a couple of large ones
1/2 pound green beans
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
4 teaspoons sugar
Thai basil (a few leaves or more, depending on your taste)
2 teaspoons lime juice
1 tablespoon peanuts
olive oilSplit and brush eggplants w/ olive oil. Grill or broil until lightly brown and soft, but still firm enough to cut up into bite-sized pieces.
Meanwhile, cut beans into 1-2 inch pieces. Cook in salted water or steam.
Slice tomatoes.
In a serving bowl, mix oyster sauce, sugar, lime juice and Thai basil until sugar is dissolved. Mix in tomatoes, beans and eggplant in sauce, and garnish w/ roasted peanuts. Serve with grilled chicken, fish, etc.
Serves 2-4 people
Recipe from Vanessa York- Quick-Cooked Tomatillo-Chile Sauce (Salsa Verde)
Yield: 2 1/2 to 3 cups
1 pound (11 medium) fresh tomatillos, husked and washed (or two 13-oz cans tomatillos, drained)
Fresh hot green chiles to taste (roughly 3 chiles serranos or 2 chiles jalapenos), stemmed
5 or 6 sprigs fresh coriander (cilantro), roughly chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 large clove garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
1 tb lard or vegetable oil
2 cups any meat broth
Salt1. The tomatillos. Boil the Fresh tomatillos and chiles in salted water to cover until tender, 10-15 minutes; drain. Simply drain canned tomatillos.
2. The puree. Place the tomatillos and chiles in a blender or food processor, along with the coriander, onion and garlic; if using a blender, stir well. Process until smooth, but still retaining a little texture.
3. The sauce. heat the oil in a medium-large skillet set over med-high. When hot enough to make a drop of puree sizzle sharply, pour it in all at once and stir constantly for 4-5 min., until darker and thicker. Add the broth, let return to a boil, reduce the heat to med and simmer until thick enough to coat a spoon, about 10 min. Season with salt.
This cook book uses this sauce for enchiladas or simply poured over poached chicken breasts.
- Tomatillo Cold Salad
from Mica Scalin
4c cooked French lentils
1 med. bell pepper
2 cloves fresh garlic
5-6 various sized tomatillios
1 jalepeno
3T balsamic vinegar
2t soy sauce (or bragg's liquid aminos)
also
some of whatever fresh herbs Leigh brings you
(i.e:thyme, rosemary, dill )
- Summer Harvest Bake
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You can vary the amount of veggies below. I am only giving approximate numbers. Beets, parsnips, turnips or eggplant might also be good additions.
15 new potatoes - cut in half
10 tomatillos - paper removed and cut in half
2 zucchinis or other squash - sliced
2 sweet potatoes - peeled and cut into chunks
5 carrots - cut into chunks
Hot pepper - sliced. only some seeds included.
2 garlic cloves - minced
1 onion - coarsely cut
1/4 cup olive oil (or to taste)
fresh chives
fresh basil
pepper
small can of tomato paste (critical)Mix everything together in roasting pan. Cook at 400 for about 1 hour 20 minutes. Check and mix veggies every 20 minutes or so. Great as a main course with salad and bread.
- The tomatillo-avocado salsa recipe (from Mark Miller's Salsa book)
1 avocado
6-9 tomatillos (about 1/2 lb.)
1/2 bunch cilantro
juice of 1-2 limes
1 jalapeno (use seeds and ribs if you want it hotter)
Dash of salt and ground black pepper
Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until well-blended.- Creamed Corn
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Scrape kernels from 5 ears of corn.
melt in a nonstick skillet: 1 tablespoon butter
add and cook over low heat (3-4 minutes)
1/4 cup sliced scallions
add the corn with 1.2 cup half and half
cook over low heat for about 2 minutes
season with salt and pepper to taste, basil, parsley - Corn Pudding with Poblano peppers
3 poblano or Anaheim peppers (remove the seeds, then chop)
scrape the kernels from 4 ears of corn
heat in a skillet over medium heat with 2 tablespoons butter for 5 minutes
Add:
I diced onion
2 teaspoons garlic
1 teaspoon oregano
cook for 3 minutes then let cool
combine in another bowl:
4 large eggs
3/4 cup grated Monterey jack cheese
1/2cup cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to tasteAdd the cooled corn mixture and then put everything into a buttered casserole dish Place in oven and bake until puffed and golden, about 30 minutes
- Squash and okra curry
1.5 pounds squash, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 pound okra, sliced
1 large onion chopped finely
2 tomatoes
1 inch ginger, chopped5 cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon coriander powder
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
salt to taste
3 tablespoons yogurt
1 stick butter
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepperMelt butter and sauté onion. Add tomatoes and cook about 5 minutes. Add squash and okra and fry well. Add remaining ingredients except yogurt. Cover and cook well for 20 minutes no low heat. Add yogurt. Serve hot with chapatis or paratha.
- Sautéed Okra with Roasted Peppers
(serves 4-6)
1 pound okra
heat a heavy skillet - add 1.5 tablespoons olive oil
when hot add one sliced onion
cook and stir for 4 minutes.
Add the sliced okra and cook 3-5 minutes.
Stir in 2 cloves minced garlic
2 sliced peppers
salt to tasteCook and stir about 2 minutes more then sprinkle with parsley and serve
- Stewed Okra
2 cups okra sliced into 1 inch pieces
drop into pan with enough boiling water to cover bottom of pan by 1/8th inch
Simmer covered until tender (about 5-8 minutes).
Season to taste
Serve with melted butter, hollandaise sauce or vinaigrettes- Sunflowers
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The first thing you do is to dry the seeds. An easy way is to hang the flower in a dry ventilated area. Once the seeds are dry then you need to separate the seeds and soak in water over night. If you like salty sunflower seeds put salt in the water. My book says to make the water very salty. But then I work outside
all day and lose a lot of salt.Your final step is to roast the seeds. Take the seeds out of the water and place on a baking sheet and put in the oven at 200 degrees for 3 hours or until crispy.
- Pumpkin-Sherry Soup
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This recipe comes from Great Good Food. We had it last fall using winter squash. I'm not a great winter squash fan, but it was good. Serves 8.
3 1/2 pounds pumpkin peeled, seeded, and roughly chopped (save seeds)
1 teaspoon canola oil
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
31/2 cup chicken broth
3/4 cup low-fat buttermilk
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 cup dry sherry1. Preheat the oven to 400. Place the pumpkin seeds on a sheet pan and lightly spray with vegetable oil, toss well. Toast the seeds until golden, about 12 minutes.
2. Heat the oil in a large stockpot. Add the onion and sauté 4-5 minutes, until soft and lightly golden. Add the pumpkin and chicken broth. Cover and simmer for 40-45 minutes, or until the pumpkin is tender. Transfer to a food processor and puree. Return the puree to the stockpot and whisk in the buttermilk, pepper and ;sherry. Heat about 5 minutes.
3. Serve immediately, sprinkled with the toasted pumpkin seeds. - Pumpkin Pie (from the new Joy of Cooking)
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Wenonah's recipe calls for a pinch of this and a smidgen of that and, while her pie was great, for some reason the recipe didn't sound very scientific to me.
Use 3 eggs for a soft, custardy filling, 2 for a firmer pie with a pronounced pumpkin flavor.
Position a rack in the center of the oven. Preheat to 375.
Building up a high fluted rim, prepare in a 9 inch pie pan, preferably glass, glazing with the egg yolk:
Make a crust (Joy of Cooking or any good cookbook tells you how. Wenonah makes horrible sounds when I suggest it, but you can buy a crust).Whisk thoroughly in a large bowl:
2-3 large eggs
Whisk in thoroughly:
2 cups freshly cooked pumpkin puree or cooked squash puree
11/2 cups light cream or evaporated milk or 3/4 cup milk and 3/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup firmly packed light or 4 dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated or ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves or all spice
1/2 teaspoon saltWarm the pie crust in the oven until it is hot to the touch, letting the filling stand at room temperature in the meantime. Pour the pumpkin mixture into he crust and bake until the center of the fillings seems set but quivery, like gelatin, when the pan is nudged, 35-45 minutes later. Let cool completely on a rack then refrigerator for up to 1 day. Serve cold, at room temperature or slightly warmed.
- Wenonah's salad dressing
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Equal parts of balsamic vinegar and olive oil, add garlic (we like garlic), salt and pepper to taste
- Candied Sweet Potatoes
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Boil potatoes until tender (about 35-45 minutes depending on size)Cool and peel. Place in casserole dish:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup orange juice
1/4 cup butter
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon cinnamonBring the above ingredients to a boil and cook a few minutes until the sauce thickens. Pour over potatoes and top with 3/4 cup pecans. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.
From Sue Rome.
The orange juice makes it really delicious. - Pumpkin Puree
1. Cut pumpkin into halves or quarters.
2.Remove seeds and stringy stuff.
3.Peel
4.Cut into large portions.
5.In saucepot over high heat, in one inch of boiling water, heat pumpkin to boiling.
6.Reduce heat to low
7.Cover and simmer for 25-30 min., until the pumpkin is tender.
8.Drain
9.Mash, chop or run through a potato ricer.
10.Pour into a sieve or strainer and allow excess water to drain off.
11. Use in various recipes or mix with butter, brown sugar and spices and eat.- Pumpkin Challah (Pumpkin Bread)
1 pkg of dried yeast
1/4 c. warm water
1/4 c. honey
3 3/4 c. flour
2 tbsp. oil
2 eggs (reserve 1 tbsp. for glaze)
1/2 c. pumpkin puree
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. salt
1. Pour water into large bowl and sprinkle yeast on top.
2.Allow to stand for 10 min.
3.Add honey and 1 c. flour.
4.Allow to stand for 10 min. more
5.Add rest of ingredients and mix well.
6.Turn out onto floured surface and knead for 10 min. adding enough additional flour to keep dough from sticking.
7.Form dough into a ball and place in bowl.
8.Cover and let rise in a warm place for 1-2 hrs.
9.Form into two loaves.
10. If you like, divide each of these loaves into three pieces. Stretch each of these pieces out like a length of rope, then braid them together. But you don't have to do this.
11.Place on baking sheet or stone and allow to rise for and additional 30 min.
12.Glaze with 1 tbsp. egg
13.Bake at 350'F for 20-30 min or until browned.- Sweet Potato Biscuits
1# Sweet potatoes
or 1 3/4 c. pumpkin puree
2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
4 tsp. baking powder
2 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/4-1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
8 tbsp. (1 stick) unslated butter, chilled
1/4 c. milk1. Heat oven to 400'F
2. Wash sweet potatoes and prick all over with a fork.
3. Place on baking sheet; bake until soft (about 1 hr.; the juices will start to run out).
4. When cool enough to handle, scoop out flesh and press through a sieve, or potato ricer, or mash. You should have about 1 3/4 c. of sweet potato puree.
5. In a mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and cayenne. With a pastry cutter or two knives, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal.
6. In another bowl, whisk together milk and puree
7.Add to dry ingredients, and mix until well combined.
8. Place dough on lightly floured surface and knead once or twice.
9. Pat out into a 1/2" thick sheet.
10. Cut out buscuits using a 2" round cutter or upside-down glass.
11. Bake at 400'F on parchment-lined baking sheet until golden brown; about 20 min.- Winter Squash with Parsley
1 onion, grated or finely chopped
3-6 cloves of garlic, grated or finely chopped
1/2 c. parsley, chopped
1-2 acorn squash
1/4 c. olive oil
1 c. water
1 tsp. salt
pepper to taste1. Mix together onion, garlic and parsley
2. Slice each squash lengthwise into four slices.
3. Remove seeds and stringy stuff.
4. Arrange slices in the bottom of a pan.
5. Sprinkle onion-garlic-parsley mixture on top.
6. Pour in oil and water
7. Add salt and pepper
8. Cover and simmer until tender (15-20 min.)- Mashed Sweet Potatoes
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1" cubes
1 white potato, peeled and cut into 1" cubes (optional)
1/3 c. cottage cheese, 2%
1/2 c. milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon1.Boil potatoes in water for 15 min. or until they break apart easily when pierced with a fork.
2.Drain and keep warm
3.Puree cottage cheese and milk in blender in blender or food processor until smooth (I usually skip that step and just add them to the potatoes as-is)
4.Mix potatoes with chhese/milk, salt, and cinnamon.
5.Whip with a fork or hand mixer until fluffy- Hot Pepper Jelly
3 medium red peppers, chopped
2 medium green peppers, chopped
10 large Jalapeno peppers, chopped
1 cup cidder vinegar
5 cups sugar
1 box fruit pectinMeasure 4 cups of peppers. combine in large pan with vinegar and pectin. Addd 1/2 teaspoon butter. Bring to a rolling boil. Add sugar. Return to rolling boil. Boil for exactly 1 minute. Jelly should form sheet as it is spilled off of a metal spoon. If not boil for another 30 seconds and check again. When jelly is ready pour into hot sterilized jars. Wipe aro8und mouth of jar and place lid andd ring on jar. Sccrew lid on firmly and invert jar for 5 minutes. Store in dark place.
Yeilds 6 cups of jelly.
This recipe came from Anne Wick.- Basil Linguine
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3 cups tomatoes, peeled, chopped, seeded ( or 2 16-oz cans tomatoes, drained)
1 8 oz package cream cheese, cubed
3/4 cup olive oil
1 tbsp. Red wine vinegar
2 tsp dried basil, or 1/3 cup fresh chopped basil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 lb linguine
1/2 cup pine nuts toasted
grated cheeseIn a four-quart serving bowl, combine ingredients through salt and pepper. Let this marinade sit at room temperature for 2 hours to mix flavors. Cook linguine and toss lightly into the marinade. Top with pine nuts and cheese.
(another of my grandmother's recipes. Not exactly low fat, but I use lower fat cream cheese and not so much olive oil. Very, very tasty, especially on hot summer evenings. Don't have to start the stove or anything. Charity Hanif)
- Posole with Garnishes (From Martha Stewart's Healthy Quick Cook Menus)
Serves 4
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 medium onion, diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
2 medium-size garlic cloves
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 16-oz can hominy, drained
1 small jalapeño pepper
1 pound tomatillos, diced (about 3 cups)
2 bunches Swiss Chard, coarsely chopped (about 26 oz)
4 cups Chicken Stock (page 13)
2 bay leavesGarnishes
8 radishes, very thinly sliced
2 jalapeño peppers, very thinly sliced
1 small avocado, peeled, halved, pitted, and quartered
8 scallions, very thinly sliced
2 tablespoons sour cream
2 limes, quartered
chile de arbol powder
8 sprigs of fresh cilantro, coarsely choppedHeat oil and sauté onion and garlic until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the cumin and salt and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the hominy, jalapeño, and tomatillos and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the Swiss chard, stock and bay leaves and bring to a boil. Cover and cook, stirring until the chard is wilted and the leaves are tender, about 20 minutes. Remove the bay leaf. Ladle the soup into 4 bowls and garnish each serving.
Charity Hanif's shortcuts:
I use 2 cans of hominy, generally a mix of white and yellow. I add a small can of green chilis, maybe add a bit more cumin, and I use either fresh spinach or a small box of frozen spinach, or tatsoi, or even some other cooking green instead of swiss chard. I also sometimes use canned tomatillos, (which if you get a larger can, freeze very well in small ziploc bags for the next batch of soup). If you have no other garnish, the little bit of lime juice really makes it!- Radish Salad (from Greg Rainey)
1C Radishes
1/4C White or Rice Vinegar
1tsp Salt
Olive Oil
Freshly Ground Pepper1. Slice radishes, marinate in vinegar & salt for 3 hrs. Drain.
2. Mix radishes with oilve oil & pepper to taste.
3. Optional garnishes: TBSP capers, hot pepper strips.- Baba Ghanouj
This recipe makes 5 cups; we cut it in half.
3 lb. eggplants
1/2 c. lemon juice
1/4 c. red wine vinegar
8 garlic cloves
1 c. well-stirred tahini (sesame seed paste)
1/2 c. sour creamPrick eggplants in several places with a fork. Broil eggplants in the oven or on the grill, turning every 10 to 15 minutes, until charred all over and very soft. Cool eggplants until they can be handled, then peel off and discard skin. Transfer pulp to a colander and let drain 20 minutes.
Blend lemon juice, vinegar, garlic, and salt to taste in a food processor until smooth. Add eggplant and pulse into a coarse puree. Add tahini and sour cream and mix just until blended.
Transfer to a shallow bowl, drizzle with olive oil, and serve with pita wedges.
- Green Chicken Curry
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Adapted from "Real Thai" by Nancie McDermott (Chronicle Books, 1992)
Time: 25 minutes1/2 cup coconut cream
1/4 cup green curry paste (see note)
1 skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces
2 skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
3 cups coconut milk
1 1/2 cups quartered Thai eggplant or purple eggplant, cut
into 1-inch cubes
2 tablespoons Thai fish sauce
1 tablespoon palm sugar or brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 fresh kaffir lime leaves, optional
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
9 long thin strips red bell pepper.1. In a medium-size heavy saucepan, bring coconut cream to a gentle boil. Cook until oil begins to glisten on the surface, 6 to 8 minutes. Add curry paste, and stir to mix well. Continue cooking over medium heat until curry paste releases a pleasing aroma, 1 to 2 minutes.
2. Add chicken breast and thigh pieces and stir to coat them evenly with coconut cream mixture. Cook until mixture thickens slightly, about 2 more minutes. Increase heat to high,and add coconut milk, eggplant, fish sauce, sugar and salt. Stir well. Stir in 6 of the lim leaves, if using. Adjust heat to maintain a gentle, active boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until eggplant is just tender, 8 to 10 minutes.
3. Remove chicken curry from heat, and adjust seasonings with more fish sauce, sugar or curry paste as desired. Transfer to a serving bowl, and garnish with basil leaves, red pepper and remaining 6 lime leaves. Serve hot or warm with rice.
Yield: 4 servings.
- Slow-Grilled Eggplants
Adapted from "The Cooking of the Eastern Mediterranean"
by Paula Wolfert (Harper Collins, 1994)
Time: 30 minutes4 thick, plump purple-black eggplants (10 to 11 ounces each)
1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Pinch of dried Mediterranean oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
Pinch of sugar
Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped parsley.1. Begin a charcoal fire and allow coals to turn to ash.Have a supply of coals to keep a steady heat on grill for about half an hour.
2. Wash and dry eggplants, and prick each one once with a toothpick. Place eggplants far enough from hot white coals so that they will cook slowly and evenly. Turn eggplants as each side becomes black and soft. Transfer to a serving dish and peel one side. Allow to cool for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine the oil, lemon juice, oregano, salt, sugar and pepper.
3. Slip each eggplant into an individual dish so that the peeled side is up. Use a small knife to make three or four crisscrossing slashes into the buttery pulp. Whisk the olive oil dressing until it is well combined, and spoon an equal portion over each eggplant. Gently press the dressing into the pulp with a fork. Top with the parsley, and serve immediately.
Yield: 4 servings.
- Smoky Eggplant
Adapted from Quilty's, New York
Time: 30 minutes2 medium eggplants
Vegetable oil, for coating
2 tablespoons tahini
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground cumin seed
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.1. Rub eggplants with vegetable oil. Place directly on a hot grill or over a gas flame (this may be done on top of the stove). Char skin well on all sides, turning eggplant with tongs. Continue until eggplant is blackened and collapsed, about 20 minutes. (Eggplant may leak a small amount of liquid.) Transfer to a platter and allow to cool slightly.
2. When eggplants are cool enough to touch, peel them, removing as many seeds as possible. Place pulp in a fine sieve and drain, pressing it lightly to remove juices.
3. Transfer pulp to a blender, and add tahini, cumin and lemon juice. Puree, adding olive oil in a steady stream while blender is running. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve at room temperature as a spread or on a plate under grilled meat or seafood.
Yield: About 1 1/2 cups.
- Summer Tian
Adapted from Seen Lippert
Time: 1 hour 15 minutes3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large Vidalia onion, peeled and thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon white wine
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 small bunch fresh basil or oregano
5 Asian eggplants, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
4 ripe tomatoes, cored and sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
1/2 cup caperberries or large capers
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar.1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a heavy skillet over medium heat, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and add onion and garlic. Saute until onion is softened, about 6 minutes. Add wine, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
2. Spread onion mixture evenly in a shallow 8-by-10-inch baking dish, and scatter with basil or oregano leaves. Place a row of eggplant rounds over basil
along one edge of dish. Place a row of tomatoes halfway overlapping eggplant, and continue overlapping rows of eggplant and tomatoes until they are all used. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle caperberries evenly over vegetables, and press lightly with a spatula to compress mixture. Drizzle with remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the vinegar.3. Cover baking dish with a sheet of parchment paper, and bake for 45 minutes. Remove paper and continue baking until surface is lightly browned, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat, and press lightly with a spatula to distribute juices evenly to top layer of vegetables. Serve hot, room temperature, or chilled.
- Fried Okra
6 T Cornmeal
2 T Flour
Salt/Black Pepper to taste
Mix these dry ingredients together.1 Egg(beaten)
1/2 cup to 1 cup Milk or Buttermilk (enough to make a loose mixture when the dries are combined with the wets)
2 T Olive Oil (plus more for frying)
1 small Onion (chopped very fine, 1/4" dice)
2 cloves Garlic (chopped very fine)
1 cup Okra (chopped in 1/4" thick pieces)
Mix the Egg, Milk and Olive Oil together. Add the Onion,Garlic and Okra. Stir to coat the vegetables.Add the dries to the wets. Combine to make a loose "pancake batter," adding more milk if needed. Heat additional Olive Oil in a big skillet over medium heat. Drop by spoonfuls to make 4" sized circles,like pancakes. Brown the fritters on the bottom, then flip over to brown the top.
- Potato/Leek Soup with Wild Garlic Flowers
Serves 6
RECIPE FROM MIRIAM KRESHIngredients:
6 potatoes
1 large onion
1 large leek
olive oil
2 Tblsp. butter or margarine (optional, for taste)
2 Tblsp. flour
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp. thyme
1 bay leaf
2 cups milk
1/8 cup white wine
1 cup sour cream (optional for added luxurious richness of texture and taste)
3 spring onions
6 flower heads of wild garlic1. Peel potatoes; slice thinly, then make thin dice out of the slices.
2. Slice the onion, leek, and spring onions. Put the green onions to one side.
3. Put olive oil in your soup pot; enough to cover the bottom.
4. Start to saute the potatoes. This will require attention on your part, as they will want to stick to the bottom of the pot and become french- fried cubes. Keep stirring them. When they are getting tender, proceed to:
5. Add the sliced onion. Continue sauteeing the vegetables, stirring and scraping them up from the bottom of the soup pot, till they are golden.
6. Cover the vegetables with water. Allow them to cook till quite soft. Add the spices.
7. In a teacup or small bowl, mix a little of the milk into the flour to make a loose paste. Stir it thoroughly into the soup. Allow the flour to become absorbed, then add the rest of the milk.
8. When the whole soup is hot through, stir in the wine; allow to heat through, but do not allow the soup to boil.
9. Add the optional sour cream and the chopped green onions you had put aside earlier. Heat through again.
10. Crown this delicious creation with your washed garlic flower heads: they will add a subtle flavor and texture to it. Stir the soup till the flowers have wilted: taste the soup for seasonings and serve right away.- Greens- Southern Style
6 cups of water
1 Ham bone, salt pork, or bacon, if desired
Collard greens, mustard, kale, swiss chard
just make sure there's a high proportion of collardsPour 6 cups of water in a pan. Add the hambone, saltpork, or bacon. Boil for 45 minutes
Add the greens. Boil another 45 minutes, until greens are tender
- Sautéed Asian Vegetables and Fettuccine
12 oz whole wheat or buckwheat fettuccine
Olive oil or vegetable oil
8 oz shiitake or other kind of mushrooms
1 T grated fresh gingerroot
3 large garlic cloves minced
2 jalapenos minced
1 head pac choi washed sliced into 1/2" pieces including the leaves
4 sliced spring onion
2 T oriental sesame oil
2 T soy sauce
2 T sweet saki (optional)
2 T chopped cilantro
Grated Parmesan or pecorino cheese (optional)Bring water to a boil. Boil fettuccine until al dente. Meanwhile, sauté shiitake, ginger, garlic & jalapenos about 4 minutes over med. high heat. Add pac choi and onion and sauté about 3 minutes more. Make sure you don't over cook the pac choi. It should stay slightly crisp. Remove from heat and stir in oil, soy sauce and saki. Mix fettuccine with veggie mix and then top with cilantro. Sprinkle with cheese, if using and serve.
- Sauteed Cabbage and Mushrooms
mushrooms
olive oil
mushrooms
garlic, minced (1-3 cloves depending on taste)
onion, chopped
green cabbage, sliced into shreds (combination of outer leaves and inner core)
salt
pepper
Saute mushrooms in a little olive oil (add salt and pepper to taste) for about 3 or 4 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside. Add a bit more olive oil to pan and saute garlic and onion until soft, about 3 or 4 minutes. Add cabbage and saute until wilted, about 4 or 5 minutes; add salt and pepper to taste. Add back the mushrooms, stir until warmed through.
This recipe can be adapted for just about any type of green (spinach, chard, etc.).- Swiss chard in the style Tunisian Sahel
-
http://www.paula-wolfert.com/recipes/tun_sahel.html
Try the collards boiled with two or three chipolte peppers and a veggie boullion cube til the desired texture and serve over rice.. They have a wonderful rich, smokey flavor with just a hint of heat, which is perfectly complemented by the saffronrice. This also works well with spinach & kale.
- Garlic Flowers Pesto
Ingredients:
2 packed cups garlic flowers, chopped
1/3 cup good olive oil
1/3 cup walnuts or pecans
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
Directions:
Put all ingredients in a food processor, and blend until smooth. Use on pasta, rice, as a dip, or spread on crackers or bread.
Serves: 4
Preparation time: 5 minutes(This recipe can be found at http://www3.nf.sympatico.ca/ambest/recipes.htm)
Any greens (kale, chard, spinach) except collards and mustards do well with the following: Wash VERY well.
Sauté some chopped garlic in two or so tablespoons of olive oil. Pull the leaves off the stalks. If you want to cook the stalks, slice them and saute them first for a few minutes, then add the leaves which have been sliced horizontally across the leaves then, with the water still clinging to the leaves, fill a large frying pan with greens. Add sea salt. Stir fry a little on high. Put a lid on the pan. If you need extra liquid, use 1/4 cup of vegetable broth. Steam about 8 -10 minutes Turn the greens two or three times during this process. If you like the greens less cooked, just test until they are at the texture you want.
Season to taste with lemon juice or white vinegar or about 1/2 cup of the liquid from Claussen's hearty garlic
pickles. We add red pepper flakes or Thai pepper seasoning too.- Any greens
-
Chop up the greens. Stir fry with chopped up onion, garlic, ginger, habanero pepper and tomatos. Add a little soy sauce.
Quantities are based on preference and what's available in the pantry.Serve on steamed basmati rice
- Spicy Indian Orzo (Modified from Bon Appetit)
-
Serve this pilaf-like dish with mango chutney and cold yogurt or raita.
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 pound lean ground lamb (or any ground meat)
1 bunch mustard greens, large stem removed, and chopped
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
1 jalapeño chili with seeds, chopped
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1-2 teaspoons curry powder
8 ounces orzo pasta
2 cups canned beef broth (or any other type of broth)
2 cups of water
1 cup chopped ripe tomato
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Put water and broth in pot and bring to boil. Add orzo and cook until al dente (6-9 minutes). Strain and set aside.
Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add lamb and sauté until cooked through, breaking up with back of spoon, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Using slotted spoon, transfer lamb to bowl.
Reduce heat to medium. Add garlic, ginger and chili to same skillet and sauté 2 minutes. Add cardamom and curry powder and stir to 1 minute. Add chopped mustard greens and saute until wilted (if the pan is dry and there is not enough water clinging to the leaves, you may need to add a small amount of water to prevent scorching). Add orzo, ground meat, chopped tomato, and cilantro to skillet and mix together. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Mound pilaf on large platter. Serve with mango chutney and yogurt or raita.
Serves 4
- Chinese Stir-fry
4-1/2 t. soy sauce
2-1/2 t. oyster sauce
1/2 t. Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
1/2 c. chicken stock or water
1-1/2 t. cornstarch mixed with 1 T. cold water
1 T. peanut oil
1/2 t. minced garlic
2 shallots, chopped (I usually just use onion)
1 t. grated fresh ginger
2 lbs. bok choi or other greens, rinsed and dried
1. In a small bowl, stir together soy sauce, oyster sauce, rice wine, stock and cornstarch mixture.
2. Heat oil in pan until almost smoking. Swirl to coat. Add garlic, shallots and ginger. Stir fry for 30 seconds. Add greens and stir fry until wilted. Slowly drizzle soy sauce mixture over greens and stir until slightly thickened.- Desperation Soup
Wednesday night (with a fresh veggie delivery looming) I was staring at half head of cauliflower (that thing was enormous), about half of the bok choi,
three leaves of kale, some left over mixed greens (no lettuce), about a third of a head of broccoli (that was turning icky colored), a spring onion, and some basil.
Out of desperation, I chopped it all up bite sized, including the greens, (I discarded the icky tops of the broccoli and just used the stalks) and threw it all into a pot with
4 cubes of vegetable bullion,
several cloves of minced garlic and
about 12 cups of water (just enough to cover the vegetables).I sautéed the garlic and onion in the bottom of the pot with some olive oil and then added all the rest. 30 minutes of simmering later (until veggies get soft) and it was great. Made 4 mason jars of soup.
- Greens the "old-fashioned" (not heart healthy) way.
Fry some bacon, remove the bacon from skillet leaving the grease. Immediately add the greens, some green onions, white wine vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper. Toss until wilted. Serve with bacon, hard boiled eggs, cottage cheese, and tomato slices.
- Bok Choy Recipe
1 large bok choy 10 leaves of red mustard
3 TBL oil 2 tsp salt
chopped garlic tops (1) 1/2 tsp sugarWash each leaf of bok chopy and red mustard. Cut white part of bok choy into 1 inch lengths. Split the green leaves, including the red mustard leaves, two or three times and then cut into 1 inch pieces. Keep white and green pieces separate.
Heat oil in a wok or skillet over a high flame. Add white bok choy and stir quickly until the oil coats all the pieces. After about 1 minute, add the green leaves, red mustard leaves and the chopped garlic top. Mix and cook for another 2 minutes. Add salt and sugar - mix another minute.
Cover the wok; turn the flame to medium and cook for 5 minutes. If the bok choy seems dry add 1 or 2 TBL of water before covering.
If you don't like the kick of the red mustard - leave it out. The bok choy we picked up at the farm did not require the extra water.
The basic idea for this comes from Madame Chu's Chinese Cooking School Book.
- Zucchini and Fresh Herb Fritters
-
It's a great recipe from Deborah Madison's Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone. And even meat eaters'll love this one...
Salt and freshly milled pepper
2 pounds green or golden zucchini, coarsely grated
2 eggs, beaten
1 bunch scallions, including an inch of the greens, thinly sliced
1 cup dried bread crumbs
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1 tablespoon chopped marjoram or basil
1 teaspoon chopped mint
Olive oil as neededLightly salt the zucchini and set it aside in a colander to drain for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, mix the remaining ingredients together except the oil and pepper. Quickly rinse the squash, squeeze out the excess water, then stir it into the batter. Taste for salt and season with pepper.
Film a large skillet with olive oil. When hot, drop in the batter&emdash; 1/4 cup makes a fritter about 3 1/2 inches across and cook over medium heat until golden on the bottom. Turn and cook on the second side. Serve hot.
Serve plain, or with a yogurt sauce, salsa verde, or other favorite sauce. Serves 4.
The recipe doesn't mention it, but set the fritters on paper towels when they come from the pan, to take a little of the frying oil off.
- Indian Ratatouille
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon mustard seeds
1 8-ounce red onion, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 large jalapeño chili, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped peeled fresh ginger
2 3/4-pound eggplants, quartered lengthwise, cut crosswise into 1/3-inch-thick slices
2 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise, cut crosswise into 1/3-inch-thick slices
3/4 pound plum tomatoes, chopped
3 large garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juiceHeat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add mustard seeds; cook until seeds darken and begin to pop, about 2 minutes. Add onion, chili and ginger; stir 1 minute. Add eggplant and zucchini slices; stir 5 minutes. Cover; cook 5 minutes. Mix in tomatoes and garlic. Reduce heat to medium. Cover; cook until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally, about 25 minutes. Mix in mint and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper.
Makes 6 servings.
- Grandmother's simple squash
Eleanor wrote: my grandmother does a recipe that's really simple and yummy.
Cut yellow squash (maybe green would work, just never tried it) into as thin as you can circles. Same for tomatoes and onions. butter/grease the inside of a baking dish. layer squash, tomatoes and onions in whatever order you want, just as long as they are in really thin pieces. salt, pepper, and butter that layer and repeat that process til you're to the top of the dish. then at the top after your s and p and butter, cover with parmesan cheese and then bread crumbs. Bake at 350 covered for about 30-45 minutes depending on thesize of your dish, and then uncover and bake about 30 more minutes. it's really a yummy recipe. and simple. just the flavor of summer produce.
- Zucchini with Lemon-Basil Dressing
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
5 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup thinly sliced fresh basil
1/2 cup paper-thin slices red onion
1 1/2 pounds medium zucchini, trimmed, quartered lengthwise, then cut crosswise in
halfCombine lemon juice, lemon peel and mustard in bowl; gradually whisk in oil. Stir in basil and onion. Season with salt and pepper. Let stand at least 1 hour and up to 6 hours, stirring occasionally.
Steam zucchini until just crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer to large bowl; cool completely. Add dressing and toss to coat. Let stand 1 hour for flavors to
develop, stirring often.Makes 6 to 8 servings.
- Zucchini Soup
1 large onion chopped
2 Tbs butter or margarine
2 chicken bouillon cubes
2 cups boiling water
4 cups diced zucchini
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp each garlic powder and celery salt
Dash of pepper
1/4 cup parsley leavesIn saucepan sauté onion in butter until tender. Add remaining ingredients except parsley. Cook over medium heat about 5 min. or until zucchini is tender. To puree the soup, carefully pour into blender (do not fill the blender more than 1/2 full), add parsley and puree at high speed. Hint: I let the soup cool before blending so as not to risk overfilling the blender jar and having hot soup fly all over the kitchen. Serve soup hot or chilled.
Garnish hot soup with grated cheese or sliced cooked sausage. Garnish cold soup with sour cream, plain yogurt or thinly sliced stuffed green olives.
Makes 4 to 6 servings.
For a lower-fat version, omit the butter or margarine and sauté the onion in
light olive oil or broth.- Zesty New Orleans-Style Squash Casserole
5 medium Yellow squash
1 package Zatarain's French Bread Stuffing Mix (or 6 oz. any other brand stuffing mix)
3 Tbsp Butter or margarine
8 oz American or other cheese
1 lb Shrimp, peeled & deveined
1/3 cup Bread crumbs
Dice 5 medium size yellow squash and boil in lightly salted water until tender. Remove squash from water and mash. Set aside. Combine contents of Zatarain's French Bread Stuffing Mix seasoning packet with 3 1/2 cups squash and water, 3 tablespoons of butter or margarine, 8 ozs of your favorite cheese, grated and 1 pound shrimp (raw) slightly chopped.Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat, cover and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in Zatarain's French Bread Stuffing Mix bread crumbs, mix thoroughly. Pour into buttered casserole and sprinkle with additional bread crumbs (optional) and dot with butter. Bake in oven preheated to 350° F for 25 minutes.- Zucchini Frittata
(this is from Gourmet magazine)
Serves 6 to 8
Active time: 15 min.; Start to finish: 25 min.7 whole large eggs
3 large egg whites
1/2 cup whole milk
5 oz. ricotta salata, finely crumbled (1 cup)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 medium zucchini (1 to 1 1/4 lb. total), quartered lengthwise & cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
1/4 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (1 oz.)
Whisk together whole eggs, whites, milk, ricotta salata, 1/4 teaspoon salt, & 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl.
Preheat broiler.
Cook zucchini in oil in a 12-inch ovenproof nonstick skillet (or wrap plastic handle in a double layer of foil) over moderate heat, stirring,
until just tender, about 8 minutes. Add garlic, oregano, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, & remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper & cook, stirring, 1 minute. Pour egg mixture over zucchini and cook over moderately high heat, lifting up cooked egg to let uncooked egg flow underneath, 3 to 5 minutes (top will still be moist).Sprinkle top w/ Parmigiano-Reggiano.
Broil frittata 6 inches from heat until set, puffed, & golden brown, about 3 minutes.
Cool 5 minutes, then loosen edges & bottom with a spatula & slide onto a platter. Cut into wedges & serve warm or at room temperature (with one of
Leigh's sliced tomatoes on the side).- Easy Squash
Slice squash into 1/4 inch slices
Place in pan with a few tablespoons of olive oil (amount varies on amount of squash)
Sprinkle with celery salt and pepper.
Saute on low heat until tender and a little brown, approx 20 minutes.- Zucchini Casserole
layered in a 9x12 dish only 6 ingredients:
3-4 medium zucchini (squash, whatever) cut in 14" slices, and halved
jalapenos (as many as you want, but add the juice)
stewed tomatoes (big can, juice too)
SLIVERED (not sliced) almonds (a pack or two)
cheddar cheese over the top (or any kind you like that melts)
bake at 350ish till the zucchini is al dente. (roughly 25 minutes)
served over white rice (brown's good too)It's best the next day, but it never lasts that long!
- Quick Summer Squash
-
Sautee at low temp. some onion in a little garlic, olive oil, and a bit of butter, til soft. Place sliced squash atop the onions in the pan, cover and cook 'til squash is heated through but not soggy. Add chopped tomatoes and fresh basil or thyme, and stir 'til tomatoes are heated through. Sprinkle mixture with grated cheese, eg. cheddar - and allow to melt.
Serve this on a bed of basmati rice - a perfect summer dinner.
- Chocolate Zucchini Cake
From Curtis Aikens, TV chef
Makes 8-10 servings3 c. all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
4 large eggs
3 c. granulated sugar
3 (1 oz.) unsweetened chocolate baking squares, melted
1 1/2 c. vegetable oil (or equal amount of applesauce)
3 c. grated zucchini (about 5)
1 c. pecans, chopped
Powdered sugarCOMBINE first 4 ingredients.
BEAT eggs at medium speed with an electric mixer.Gradually add granulated sugar; beat until blended. Add chocolate and oil; beat until blended.
GRADUALLY ADD flour mixture; beat at low speed until blended.
FOLD IN zucchini and pecans.
POUR batter into a well-greased and floured Bundt pan.
BAKE at 350 for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until toothpick in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 15 minutes. Remove from pan; cool completely on wire rack. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving- Italian Squash Pie
From Blanche Brackin, Shalimar, FL
Makes 6 servings
NOTE: A thin layer of Dijon mustard on the crust seals it and prevents the pie from becoming soggy.1 (8 oz) can refrigerated crescent rolls
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 c. butter
1 1/2 lbs yellow squash (about 4 c.)or zucchini, thinly sliced
1 medium onion, choped
1 garlic clove, pressed
1/4 c chopped fresh parsley
1 T chopped fresh or 1/2 tsp dried basil
2 tsp chopped fresh or 1/2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp chooped fresh or 1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 large eggs
1/4 c milk
2 c (8 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese
UNROLL crescent rolls; press dough on bottom and up sides of a 10" tart pan, pressing to seal perforations.
BAKE at 375 for 6 minutes or until lightly browned. Gently press crust down with a wooden spoon. Spread crust w/mustard and set aside.
MELT butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add squash, onion, and garlic; saute 7 minutes or until tender. Remove from heat; stir in parsley and next 5 ingredients.
WHISK together eggs and milk in a large bowl; stir in cheese and vegetable mixture. Pour over crust.
BAKE at 375 for 20-25 minutes or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean. Garnish w/fresh oregano sprigs & sliced yellow sqash/zucchini, if desired.- Lamb's Quarter and Purslane Salad
Lamb's quarter, otherwise known as goosefoot, or wild spinach, is one of oldest and most prolific greens, used not only for its spear-shaped leaves but for its small black seeds. Equally venerable as a culinary weed is the pink-stemmed purslane, a cousin of the bright-flowered but inedible portulaca. At their youngest, in the first breath of spring, the leaves of both pigweed and purslane are delicious raw. As they grow into adolesence, both need only a quick parboiling to restore tenderness but maintain crispness. If other wild things are near at hand, like leafing poke sprouts, the leaves of dandelions, or the blossoms and leaves of budding nasturtiums, use them too, with sunflower seed dressing.
4 cups each purslane and lamb's quarter leaves
4 green onions, with tops, chopped
1/4 cup toasted sunflower seeds
1/2 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons wine vinegar, or more as needed
salt and pepper to tasteWash the purslane plantes and the lamb's quarter leaves separately. If the purslane is large, chop into 2-inch lengths. Put the purslane in a saucepan, cover with water, and boil 3 to 5 minutes. Drain and set aside. Put the wet lamb's quarter leaves and green onions in a skillet, cover tightly, and steam 3 to 5 minutes, depending on the size and age of the leaf. Drain and mix with the purslane in a salad bowl. Put the sunflower seeds in a blender with the oil and pulverize until chunky. Add the vinegar and season to taste. If dressing is too thick, thin with more vinegar. Pour the dressing over the salad greens.
Serves 4 to 6.
- Rich and Tasty Soup with Bok Choi and Tofu
Sautee...
3/4 stick butter
2 garlic scapes, chopped coarsely
3 small spring onions, chopped coarsely, tops and ends removed
1-2 teaspoons salt (leave this out if your broth is
salted)Add and continue sauteing for about 5 minutes...
1/4-1/2 cup green beans, cut up
3/4 head bok choi, washed and cut, wilted an tough parts removedAdd and continue cooking until almost boiling...
1 can Unchicken broth
1/2 - 1 can waterAdd...
1/2 brick firm tofu, cut in chunks.When everything is hot and bok choi is cooked enough for your tastes, it's ready.
- Gumbo z'Herbes
-
(This dish has also been called "green gumbo".)
The tradition behind Gumbo z'Herbes is that it was usually made on Holy Thursday for consumption on Good Friday. Since Good Friday was (and
still is) a day of fasting and abstinence from meat for Catholics, something meatless had to be prepared for dinner. Catholics in New Orleans normally had no difficulties with the Church's no-meat-on-Fridays rule, since we have such an abundance of seafood in the area. Good Friday was a bit different, however, since it is also a day of fasting. The regular Friday seafood feast had to be toned down dramatically in keeping with the tone of the day.I don't know much about all of the various levels of vegetarianism, but this version of the dish, based on a few different gumbo z'herbes recipes I've researched, is the one I've come up with that I like best. It contains meat only in the form of a smoked ham hock added for seasoning, and removed. You can omit it entirely if you're strictly vegetarian, or go the other way and remove the meat from it, chop it, and add it to the gumbo. You could also make a hearty meaty dish by browning 1 pound each of diced smoked ham and diced veal, and adding it to the gumbo, or even andouille and/or Creole hot sausage.
You don't have to use all these greens if you can't find them, but I'd use at least five. I like using lots, ten or fifteen easily. It gets a bit more labor-intensive, but the flavors are marvelous. Don't worry about being too exact -- precision measuring is never done in this gumbo.
One magical ingredient -- when I was a kid we used to pick this wild grass that was called "pepper grass". If you chewed the stalk and seeds you'd get a distinct black-peppery flavor, but slightly more herbal. I once read that Creole women could be seen on neutral grounds and in vacant lots gathering pepper grass to use in their green gumbo. I've never tried this (not being entirely sure what pepper grass is, and if it grows anywhere outside Louisiana), but if you know what it is and you have it growing in your yard or nearby, I'm sure a bunch of this would add a wonderful dimension to your gumbo z'herbes.
This is an absolutely delicious gumbo. Don't be afraid of it. I once served this to a dinner gathering in which I was the only Louisianian, and I was worried that I'd be the only one eating it, that everyone else would have a little taste to be polite and leave most of it in their bowls. They all went back for seconds and thirds, and this was before the main course and dessert!
1 bunch collard greens
1 bunch mustard greens
1 bunch turnip greens
1 bunch spinach
1 bunch watercress
1 bunch beet tops
1 bunch carrot tops
1 bunch radish tops
1 bunch flat-leaf parsley
1 bunch chicory
1 bunch pepper grass (if you can find it)
1 bunch arugula
1 bunch sorrel
1 bunch dandelion greens
8 or 10 sprigs of tarragon
1 head romaine, green-leaf or butter lettuce (not iceberg)
1 green cabbage
1/2 bunch green onions
1 gallon water, salted
1 large smoked ham hock (optional; omit if you want it strictly
vegetarian)
6 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons oil or shortening
1 large white onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
3 ribs celery, chopped
1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
2 bay leaves
4 sprigs fresh thyme (please try not to use dried for this dish)
2 whole cloves
2 whole allspice berries
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Cayenne pepper to taste
6 cups cooked long-grain white riceWash all greens thoroughly and remove all stems or hard centers. Boil them all together in the water for about two hours. Strain the greens and reserve the water. Chop the greens finely and reserve. In a large, heavy-bottomed stock pot make a brown roux of the flour and shortening. Add the onion, bell pepper and celery and sauté for 10 minutes. Add the chopped parsley and sauté 5 more minutes.
Add the reserved cooking water, greens, herbs, spices, and seasonings. Simmer on low heat for 1 hour. Adjust seasonings as necessary.
Serve in large gumbo bowls. Put 1/2 cup of rice in each bowl, and ladle generous quantities of gumbo over it. Optionally, you may season each bowl with gumbo filé.
Yield: 12 servings
- Apple and Sweet Potato Gratin
-
from Victoria magazine
1 1/2 c heavy cream
1/2 c apple cider
2 T maple syrup
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
salt to taste
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/8" thick rounds
1 large cooking apples, peeled and sliced
1/4 c bread crumbs
1 T unsalted butter, cut into bits1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a saucepan set over moderate heat, combine the cream and cider and bring just to a boil. Reduce the heat to moderately low and stir in the maple syrup, nutmeg, and salt, and simmer for 5 minutes.
3. Butter well a shallow baking dish. layer the sweet potatoes and apples alternately in the dish, and pour the cream mixture over all. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and continue to bake for 20-25 minutes longer, or until apples and potatoes are tender. Sprinkle with bread crumbs and dot with butter. Place under a preheated broiler until golden brown. Serves 6. - Creamy Tomato-Basil Soup
-
Sweet vine-ripened tomatoes are the key to flavor in this creamy soup. If your tomatoes are not at their peak of sweetness, add 1/2 teaspoon sugar to the soup. Yields about 8 cups.
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
6 sprigs fresh basil
4 lb. ripe red tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped
4 cups homemade or low-salt canned chicken stock
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup heavy cream
2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup loosely packed fresh basil leavesIn a large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 7 min. Tie the basil sprigs together with a piece of kitchen twine. Add the basil, tomatoes, chicken stock, 1-1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp. pepper to the onions. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to medium low and let simmer until reduced by one-quarter, about 20 min. Let cool. Remove the basil sprigs.
In a blender, purÈe the soup in batches until very smooth, at least 3 min. Strain the soup into a clean pot and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Remove from the heat; stir in the cream and balsamic vinegar. Taste and add salt and pepper if needed. Just before serving, cut the basil leaves into very thin slices. Ladle the hot soup into bowls and garnish with the fresh basil.
Recipe: Joanne Weir
- Zucchini Squares
3 cups shredded zucchini
1 cup Bisquick
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup shredded mozzarella or provolone cheese
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 cup oil
4 eggs, slightly beaten
1 cup diced pepperoniMix all ingredients together except pepperoni. Spray jelly roll pan with cooking spray. Pour mixture into pan and sprinkle with pepperoni on top. Bake at
350-degrees F. for 25 minutes or until set.
- Roasted Tomatillo Salsa
1 1/2 fresh tomatillos
5 fresh serano chiles
3 cloves of garilc, unpeeled
1/2 cup fresh cilantro
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
2 teaspoons coarse salt
Preheat broiler.
Remove husks from tomatillos and rise under warm water to remove stickiness. Broil chiles, garlic, and fresh tomaillos or rack of broiler pan 1 to 2 inches from heat, turning once, until tomatillos are sofened and slightly charred, about 7 minutes.
Peel garlic and pull off tops of chiles. Puree all ingredients in a blender. Salsa can be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered.
Makes about 3 cups.- Lovage soup
1 oz butter
2 meduium onions, finely chopped
4 tbsp finely chopped lovage leaves for a leony soup, substitute sorrel
1 oz all purpose flower
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 cup milk
sald and black pepperserves four
Melt the butter in a saucepand and gently saute the ionions for 5 minutes until soft. Add the lovage, stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.Gradually stir in the stock, cover and simmer gently for 15 minutes. Add the milk and seasoning. Reheat slowly, do not boil.
- Roasting Sunflower Seeds
When the seeds can be rubbed easily from the head, it's dry and the seeds are ready to be roasted
for eating.First, remove them from the heads and pick out any pieces of stem or other debris.
Mix a quarter of a cup or so of plain salt to a quart of water, and soak the seeds in this overnight. Spread them on cookie sheets and roast in a very slow oven (150 to 200 degrees) until completely dry. Stir them once or twice during the drying time; this will take three or four hours. If you intend to store them for any length of time, put them in jars while still warm and close tightly. They keep very well in a cool dark place.
Variations call for mixing a teaspoon of melted butter with a cup of seeds while they are still warm from the oven, (these are for immediate eating) or roasting them until they are browned instead of just dry.
- Okra - Curried
slice okra into half inch pieces
place curry powder (or some other spice mixture you like) in a bowl
stir okra pieces around until they are well dusted
spray or oil a shallow roasting pan
roast okra in 400-450 degrees until tender and a little crisp.from Mary Katherine
- Okra - Pickled
5 pounds okra
8 cups vinegar
1 cup water
1/2 cup kosher salt
8 cloves garlic
8 or more dried or fresh chilesWash okra, leaving top cam and removing excess stem. Combine vinegar, water and kosher salt. Bring to a boil. Drop okra into boiling mixture (and chiles
if you're using fresh chiles) and bring to a rolling boil. Place in hot, pint-sized sterilized jars. Add one clove of garlic and, if you're using dried instead of fresh chiles, one or more dried hot chiles (depending on how hot you want them) to each jar. Seal while hot. Let stand 8 - 10 weeks before serving.- Okra - Ladyfingers
1 pound okra
2 big onions (finely sliced)
1 small tomato (chopped)
tsp ginger garlic paste
1 tsp cumin coriander powder
tsp chilli powder
tsp turmeric
2 large T. oil
Salt to tasteCut okra into round pieces Put oil in a vessel and heat it. Put 1 onion ‚ let it get a little brown. Then put ginger garlic paste and fry it for a while. Put all the dry masala mix it and put bhindi (okra), salt, remaining onion and finely chopped tomato. Let it cook on a slow fire and do not cover it.
Alternate:
You could also put yoghurt in it when okras are half done. But don't put tomato If you want them slightly sweet ( the gujarati way) then put a tsp of brown sugar. Let it cook until done.
Alternate:
You can make stuffed okras. Soak all the dry masal in a little water and lemon juice. Slit the okras and stuff with dry masala. Heat oil , put ginger garlic paste and fry stuffed okras.
- Baked Okra
Butter
3/4 lb large okra, cut into 1/2" thick slices
1 large ripe tomato, peeled, cored, seeded and coarsely chopped
1 small onion, very thinly sliced
1/2 to whole jalapeno pepper (personal taste) seeded and minced
4 slices bacon, diced and fried until not quite crisp, drained
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp chpped fresh sage or 1/2 tsp dried
Splash (scant 3 oz) dry white wine
1/4 cup grated Monterey Jack, colby, or mild cheddar cheesePreheat oven to 350. Generously butter a small casserole dish (9x9 is about right) Layer half the okra in the casserole. Top with half the tomates and thenhalf the onions. Sprinkle with half the jalapenos and top with half the bacon. Season vegetables well with salt, pepper and half the age. Repeat the layers, then pour the wine over all.
Cover the casserole with foil and bake until tender about 30 - 40 minutes. Remove the foil and spread the cheese over the vegetable. Bake, uncovered, until cheese is melted and bubbling, about 10 minutes longer. Let stand a few minutes before serving.
Serves 2 generously, and doubles well using a 9x13 casserole dish, or can be made in smaller amounts in individual ramekins.
- Okra with Coriander and Tomatoes
1lb Chopped Tomatoes
1lb Fresh Okra
3 tbsp Olive Oil
2 Onions thinly sliced
2 tsp Coriander seeds, crushed
3 cloves Garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp sugar
finely grated rind and juice of 1 lemon
salt and ground black pepper1. If using fresh tomatoes, plunge them into boiling water fro 30 seconds, then refresh in cold water. Peel away skins and chop.
2. Trim off any stalks from okra and leave whole. heat oil in a saute pan and fry the onions and coriander for 3-4 minutes until beginning to colour.
3. Add okra and garlic and fry for 1 minute. Gently stir in the tomatoes and sugar and simmer gently for about 20 minutes, until okra is tender, stirring onceor twice. Stir in lemon rind and juice and add salt and pepper to taste, adding a little more sugar if necessary. Serve warm or cold.
- Okra - Japanese style
1. Boil okra - don't overboil too much because it gets stickier.
2. Wash it in cold water (too keep the color green).
3. Cut (bite size) in pieces.
4. Put them in a bowl.
5. If you can find Japanese dried bonito frakes (called katsuobushi, which is sold in any oriental store), put them on the okra.
6. Pour a couple of drops of soy sauce (don't over do it!) and a drop of mirin (which you can find in any oriental store)
7. Mix them lightly, and done!