REVISITING SPRING

Posted in Side dishes, Veggies by sallybr

I am fully aware that Spring is long finished, and that every year I commit the exact same sin: buying asparagus from a far away place, just because I can’t resist their charm at the grocery store. Locavores, forgive us. We love asparagus too much to wait for several months…

This is a very simple way to prepare them, but looks elegant enough to make a weeknight dinner special.

ASPARAGUS BUNDLES WITH PROSCIUTTO AND PARMIGGIANO
(from the Bewitching Kitchen)

asparagus
prosciutto slices
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Parmiggiano Reggiano cheese, shaved

Make a bundle with a single-serving amount of asparagus. Cut 2 slices of prosciutto in half or thirds lengthwise, forming small ribbons. Wrap them around each bundle and place on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Drizzle a little olive oil over it, rubbing it around the surface with your fingers or with a silicone brush. Season lightly with salt and pepper (prosciutto is salty, go easy on the salt).

Bake in a 400F oven until the asparagus are starting to brown on the edges – 20 to 25 minutes. Add shaved parmiggiano and bake for a couple of minutes. Sprinkle extra black pepper right before serving.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: Roasted asparagus are always showing up as a side dish in our home, the addition of prosciutto is a nice variation. We enjoyed it with a delicious grilled salmon and white rice. I did not give credit to a particular source for this recipe, because I’ve been making it for years, I probably saw it in some publication long time ago. However, it’s so simple that it hardly qualifies as a real recipe… I’ve made it with regular ham and it works well too, but I prefer the extra-bite the prosciutto provides.

ONE YEAR AGO: Basic Sourdough Bread

1Sep2010

VEGETABLE MILHOJAS

Posted in Side dishes, Vegetarian-friendly, Veggies by sallybr

I prepared this recipe the week before our departure to the “nano-kitchen,” (which I’m still adapting to), but using only the appliances I took with us, as a warm up for the “adventure.” I’d also like to say that this is a simple and straightforward recipe. In some ways it’s not, but in other ways it is: it takes time and effort in the prep work, but once that’s completed it’s painless. After tasting it, I predict that you won’t mind the road you traveled to make it. I suggest that you assemble it on a weekend afternoon with nice music playing, perhaps this excellent CD from Yo Yo Ma (skip the Metallica, or you may lose some fingertips). I made individual servings with 3″ ring molds that I originally bought for cakes, but never used for that purpose.

VEGETABLE MILHOJAS
(adapted from Michael Bauer’s Secrets of Success)

for the tomato sauce:
1 Tbs olive oil
1/2 lb tomatoes, seeded and diced
2 garlic cloves
5 basil leaves
salt and pepper to taste

for the veggies
1/2 pound eggplant, sliced 1/8 inch thick
1/2 pound zucchini, sliced 1/8 inch thick
1/2 pound kabocha (or other squash), peeled, sliced 1/8 inch thick
1/2 pound celery root, peeled, sliced 1/8 inch thick
1/2 bunch basil + 1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 pound soft goat cheese (Montrachet type)
salt and pepper

Make the tomato sauce by sauteeing the garlic in olive oil for 30 seconds, adding the tomatoes, basil, salt and pepper. Cook on medium heat for a couple of minutes and reserve.

Heat a non-stick skillet (or preferably a large electric griddle), sprinkle each slice of vegetables with a little salt and pepper, and add to the hot surface of your non-stick pan (or griddle) for a couple of minutes on each side, until it just starts to show some color. Do not let it burn, or completely cook. Reserve the slices.

Mix the olive oil with the basil (you can use a food processor or finely slice the basil to help releasing its flavor.

Assemble the dish: coat a 8 x 8 inch baking dish slightly with olive oil to prevent the veggies from sticking. Layer the eggplant slices, zucchini, squash, and celery root. Add a little basil oil as you form each layer. Continue layering the veggies until they are all used up. Spoon some tomato sauce over the top, crumble the goat cheese and bake in a 450F oven for 10-15 minutes until the veggies are hot and the cheese shows some golden brown spots.

(If making the dish in individual rings, coat them slightly with olive oil to help removing the rings before serving – bake on a baking sheet, and use a flat spatula to remove each ring to the serving plate).

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: Michael Bauer states that the secret of this dish is to thin-slice the vegetables, and he’s absolutely right. By doing so, the different layers bake into a single entity in which each flavor mingles with that of its neighbors. It’s a feast for the taste buds. I advise you to avoid excess tomato sauce, because this is not about the tomatoes, which just give it some extra moisture and flavor. This recipe lets the veggies do the talking. I couldn’t find celery root, so instead I used butternut squash, for its texture and color. “Dry sauteéing” is an interesting, low-fat technique. You’ll still need some oil while layering the dish, but it will finish lighter than similar versions that rely on “regular” sauteéing. Eggplant, in particular, absorbs oil and I usually avoid frying it, so this preparation suits my style. Play with different vegetables, as it’s fun to change this basic recipe. It’s perfect for entertaining: assemble it ahead of time, and bake it just before serving.

ONE YEAR AGO: A peachy salad for a sunny day!

11Aug2010

SUMMER’S TOMATOES…

Posted in Side dishes, Vegetarian-friendly, Veggies by sallybr

…. always bring basil to mind. The classic threesome includes mozzarella, in a tasty caprese salad, but recently Fine Cooking offered a different twist: hearty beefsteak tomatoes topped with grilled corn and dressed with delicate basil oil, all of which was prepared in minutes. When it’s too hot to cook inside this meal is a breath of fresh air: everything’s grilled outside, the house stays cool, and so do you. 😉

GRILLED CORN AND TOMATO SALAD WITH BASIL OIL
(Fine Cooking Grilling issue, 2010)

for basil oil
1 cup basil leaves
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp salt

for the salad:
2 ears of corn, husks removed
2 Tbs olive oil
salt and pepper
2 large beefsteak tomatoes

Make the basil oil: bring a pot of water to boil, add the basil leaves and blanch them for 10 seconds. Immediately drain them and plunge them in a bowl with ice water to stop cooking. Drain the leaves again, squeeze them to remove excess water, and place over paper towels to dry. Chop the basil coarsely and add into a blender. Add the oil and salt, blend to form a puree. Let the puree settle for about 30 minutes, strain through cheesecloth or a chinois, pressing the leaves to release all the oil. Keep in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Prepare the corn: break the corn cobs in half, toss them with the olive oil, season with salt and pepper and cook them over a hot grill until browned in spots (about 2 minutes on each side, six minutes total). When cooked, return them to the bowl and allow them to cool. When you can handle them, cut off the kernels (lengthwise) with a large knife, and then set the cut corn aside until you’re ready to assemble the salad.

Make the salad: Slice the tomatoes 1/2 inch thick and season with salt and pepper. Arrange the slices on a plate, scatter the corn kernels over them and drizzle with basil oil.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: Until recently I’d never grilled an ear of corn. We’d always bring the corn to a boil in water with a little sugar and salt. That’s the way my husband’s family has always prepared corn, and trust me, it’s an excellent approach. I don’t even butter mine because it’s so flavorful; just a dash of salt and pepper is enough. But, for reasons that will soon become clear I’ve been grilling more often, sometimes even making a full meal in the grill.

I was satisfied by how well the beefsteak tomato worked in this recipe. We normally don’t buy them, but prefer smaller tomatoes (Campari, cherry, or grape). However, in this recipe the beefsteaks shine! If you find them in your farmer’s market, then don’t think twice and make this salad.

The basil oil is a bit of trouble to prepare, but worth the half an hour. Blanching the leaves produces a bright and beautiful green oil. Store any leftover basil oil in the fridge for about 1 week.

Note to self: Grill more corn! 😉

ONE YEAR AGO: Focaccia

3Aug2010

TWICE-BAKED GOAT CHEESE SOUFFLE

Posted in Appetizers, Side dishes, Vegetarian-friendly by sallybr

If you’re intimidated by the prospect of making a souffle, then this recipe is a special gift for you. This double-baking method (oven time separated by hours, if convenient) is great for entertaining: no more guessing about when’s the correct time to put the souffle in the oven; no more anticipating when the guests will be ready to eat the puffed-up, gorgeous masterpiece. Plus, I’ve always felt that individual servings (in this case individual souffles) makes each guest feel special. 😉 The recipe comes from Secrets of Success, one of my favorite cookbooks.

TWICE-BAKED GOAT CHEESE SOUFFLE
(from Michael Bauer’s Secrets of Success, original recipe from Barbara Mulas & Mark Drazek)

butter for greasing ramekins, plus 3 Tbs
1 cup bread crumbs
3 Tbs cake flour
1 cup milk, warmed slightly in a microwave
10 ounces goat cheese, divided
3 large egg yolks
salt and pepper
1 cup egg whites (about 7 large eggs)

Heat the oven to 425F.

Butter 8 ramekins (5 ounce size), and coat them with bread crumbs. Reserve remaining bread crumbs.

Melt the butter in a saute pan, add the flour and cook, stirring, for 20 seconds. Whisk in the milk, cook stirring until slightly thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Crumble 8 ounces of the goat cheese in a large bowl (you will have 2 ounces left), add the hot milk/flour mixture, stir to combine. Add the egg yolks one at a time, mix well, and season with salt and pepper.

Beat the egg whites by hand or with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Delicately mix half the egg whites into the cheese mixture to lighten it a little. Then, fold the rest of the egg whites. Fill the ramekins halfway with the mixture, crumble a little goat cheese on top, and fill the ramekins to the top with the remainder of the souffle mixture. Sprinkle the top with bread crumbs.

Place the ramekins in a large baking dish, and fill it halfway up the sides of the ramekins with very hot (or boiling) water. Bake on the center of the oven until golden, about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven, let it sit in the water for about 15 minutes, then carefully unmold them, by running a knife around the edges and inverting the ramekins over a plate. Transfer them to a baking dish. They can be held at room temperature for up to 6 hours.

When you are ready to serve them, bake at 425F until golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: I’ve used this recipe many times in the past few years, sometimes with feta cheese instead of goat cheese, but always with the same delicious outcome. It is important to coat the ramekins well with butter, so that they easily un-mold. One or two of pieces of bruschetta on the side completes the perfect opening for a special dinner.

The recipe comes from Zax, a now (unfortunately) defunct restaurant in Berkeley. You can find old reviews online praising this dish, and once you try it, you’ll praise it too!

Note to self: try this method with other flavors. According to Bauer, the key to making a twice-baked souffle is the use of cake flour: it gives the final product a more refined texture.

ONE YEAR AGO: Hearts of Palm Pie

receita em portugues na proxima pagina…..

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10May2010

FLIRTING WITH ORZO

Posted in Pasta & Noodles, Side dishes, Vegetarian-friendly by sallybr

My Brazilian nature often predisposes me towards rice, but the more I cook orzo, the more I like it. It might be more versatile than rice, it cooks faster, and it’s absolutely fool proof, all of which adds to its charm. The inspiration for this recipe came from an old Fine Cooking magazine, but I simplified it quite a bit because the original seemed a tad too busy: too many flavors fighting for attention. This pared-down version was a winner!

ORZO WITH SHIITAKE MUSHROOMS AND SPINACH
(very loosely adapted from Fine Cooking magazine)

1 cup orzo
2 Tbs olive oil
1 shallot, finely diced
8 oz spinach leaves, stemmed, and coarsely chopped
4 oz fresh shiitake mushrooms, sliced (or dried, reconstituted with hot water)
1/2 lemon, juice and zest
salt and pepper
parmiggiano-reggiano (optional)

Start cooking the orzo on a large pot with salted water (it should take around 9 minutes).
Heat the olive oil on a large skillet and saute the shallots, lightly seasoned with salt and pepper. Add the sliced shiitake mushrooms, saute until they start to get golden brown. Add the chopped spinach, cook until it begins to wilt. At this point, if the orzo is not cooked yet, turn the heat off and reserve.

When the orzo is almost cooked, remove 1/4 cup of the cooking water and reserve it. Turn the heat back to medium on the skillet with the spinach mix, squirt lemon juice and zest, season with salt and pepper. Drain the orzo and add it to the skillet, mixing well. Add some of the pasta water if necessary. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. If desired, sprinkle parmiggiano-reggiano on top.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: For years I’ve made quick pan sauces for pasta with the cooking water and some sauteed veggies. Spinach is a constant player in such dishes, but this was the first time I chopped the leaves before sauteeing. Voila‘: it was much better! Somehow, even with baby spinach, the whole leaves had a tendency to clump instead of reaching a nice distribution. Live and learn. 😉

This was a quick dish to put together! It will drop into my regular rotation of meals for busy weeknights, keeping the orzo/spinach/lemon foundation and playing with other options: black olives, sundried tomatoes, roasted red bell pepper, artichoke hearts….