ZEN AND THE ART OF RISOTTO

Posted in Side dishes, Vegetarian-friendly by sallybr

For a long time certain of my favorite dishes (for example souffles and risottos) were restricted to restaurants, because I felt intimidated to make them myself. I lost my souffle-phobia thanks to my friend Vanda, who kept sending me e-mails about the broccoli or spinach & cheese or other tasty spur-of-the-moment souffle that she was serving for dinner. Indeed, she can whip up a souffle in her sleep… but because she was 6,000 miles away in Brazil, I resorted to Julia Child in order to Master the Art of Souffle Cooking.

Risotto took a little more time. I had some failures that slowed down my learning curve. Then it hit me: my main problem was lack of patience. You can’t rush it, and you can’t be completely sure how long it will take. Risotto takes however long it needs to reach the stage of perfection, and that is its Zen beauty.

This recipe reinforces the Zen of risotto with green tea as the cooking liquid. I found it in a nice food blog years ago, and made it several times. It’s lighter than traditional versions, and a perfect dish for Spring!

GREEN TEA RISOTTO WITH PEAS
(adapted from Cooking Books blog)

1 quart water
4 bags green tea
oil for the pan
3/4 cups frozen peas, thawed
1/4 cup fresh parsley, minced
Juice of 1 lemon
1 cup Arborio rice
1 small shallot, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup grated parmeggiano-reggiano cheese

Bring 1 quart of water to a near boil, then pour it over 4 bags of green tea in a pot, allowing to steep for 2 minutes. Remove the bags and place the pot over low heat to keep it warm.

Blanch the peas in boiling water for one minute, then drain and run them under cold water to stop the cooking process. Set aside.

Warm the olive oil in a large pan or heavy-bottomed pot and sauté the shallots until they soften. Add the rice, season lightly with salt, and cook, stirring, for 4-5 minutes, then begin adding the tea, one ladle at a time. Stir constantly until all of the tea has been absorbed by the rice and add another ladle. Continue this process, adding tea and stirring to incorporate. The rice will take at least 20 minutes to be ready, check it from time to time.

Stir in the grated cheese and peas until the cheese is melted and incorporated and the peas are warmed through. Remove the risotto from the heat, and begin adding the lemon juice, tasting, until it has a bright flavor. Then stir in the parsley and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve with a few shavings of parmiggiano over the top.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: Most recipes for risotto start with some white wine and end with quite a bit of butter. You can modify this basic recipe to take it in that direction, or try this lighter version, that is still very satisfying. It is important to avoid over-brewing your tea, because green tea can quickly become bitter. I used this tea from Peet’s, a favorite of mine. The original recipe called for mint, but our mint was not growing yet, so I used parsley instead. I think fresh tarragon will be excellent too.

18Feb2010

MOROCCAN COOKED CARROT SALAD

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

Simple. Quick. Delicious. From a cookbook that I highly recommend, Mediterranean Fresh, by Joyce Goldstein. The secret is in the dressing, that pairs citrus and cumin, giving the carrots a very subtle background of heat. Do not skip toasting the cumin seeds. In recipes with so few ingredients, you need to bring out the best in each of them, and toasting spices does just that, makes them talk to you loud and clear.

MOROCCAN COOKED CARROT SALAD
(adapted from Mediterranean Fresh)

1/2 cup mixed citrus dressing (recipe follows)
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp toasted cumin seed, ground
2 Tbs sugar
1 pound carrots
salt to taste
fresh parsley, minced

Mixed citrus dressing
Whisk together all these ingredients:
1/2 cup olive oil
zest of 1 orange
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
2 Tbs fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp sugar, if needed (I omitted)
salt and pepper

Toast whole cumin seeds using a small non-stick skillet over medium heat, moving them constantly to avoid burning. Let them cool slightly, and grind them. Mix the citrus dressing with the spices and sugar.

Peel the carrots and cut in thin slices. Cook in boiling salted water for 5 minutes, or until they start to get tender, but do not overcook. Drain and toss with the dressing. Adjust the seasoning, and add minced parsley just before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: If this salad does not appeal to you because you are not fond of carrots, consider making the dressing, because it will go quite well on many veggies as well as composed salads. I can envision my default method to cook asparagus getting a boost from this mixed citrus dressing at the end. The original recipe called for three tablespoons of sugar, I used only two, as carrots are naturally sweet already.

The recipe serves 4 to 6 people, I scaled it down for the two of us, but next time I’ll make a full batch to have leftovers. We had just a tiny bit left, which was still wonderful next day, but left me craving for more.

14Feb2010

TORTA DI ZUCCHINI

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

I sincerely hope that I’m below the radar of the food-blog-police, or I may be in trouble for posting too many zucchini recipes. Without a doubt, to my mom’s shock and disbelief, zucchini is one of my favorite vegetables. While growing up I wouldn’t even try it, little did I know my how much my tastes would change!

The first time I tried this recipe was more than 20 years ago; it comes from an old, out of print cookbook by Giuliano Bugialli. It’s unusual because this “torta” takes no flour. It also contains zucchini cut in two different ways: grated and sliced. The grated component becomes creamy during baking, surrounding the more defined slices to form a light, refreshing, sort of crust-less quiche. By skipping the breadcrumbs, this recipe is also low in carbohydrates, for those who are counting.

TORTA DI ZUCCHINI
(from Giuliano Buggiali)

1 pound zucchini (2 medium-size), grated
1 pound zucchini, sliced thin
4 eggs, beaten
zest of 1 lemon
1/4 cup grated parmiggiano cheese
salt and pepper
fresh parsley, minced
fresh bread crumbs (about 1/2 cup)

Grease a pyrex pie dish with butter. Sprinkle some bread crumbs to coat.

Mix the beaten eggs with the lemon zest, parmiggiano cheese, 1/4 cup of bread crumbs, parsley, salt and pepper. In another bowl, place the grated and sliced zucchini. Shake the dish carefully to distribute the slices more or less evenly. Add the egg mixture to it, mix gently, and pour into the prepared pie dish. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of bread crumbs on top, forming a very light coating.

Bake in a 375F until set and golden on top. Allow it to cool for at least 15 minutes before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: This “torta” makes a nice light meal, possibly served with soup or a salad. In the summer I like to match it with tomatoes from the garden or from the farmer’s market. Leftovers are best re-heated in the oven, because microwaving tends to make it watery.

On a side note… in Brazilian Portuguese, if someone says things that make no sense, either because they are wrong or have no relevance whatsoever, the favorite expression is “to talk zucchini” (falar abobrinhas). I have absolutely no idea where the expression comes from, but maybe it helped shape my negative childhood view of zucchini. Glad I got over it. 😉

5Feb2010

BLASTED BROCCOLI, STOVE-TOP VERSION

Posted in Side dishes, Veggies by sallybr

I love roasted vegetables, whether it’s cauliflower or butternut squash, carrots or mushrooms, and especially broccoli. For reasons that I can’t explain, when broccoli is being roasted it’s become fashionable to call it “blasted broccoli“.

I recently encountered a method for ‘blasted broccoli‘ that literally only took minutes to prepare. We enjoyed it so much that I made it twice in the same week! The strangest thing happened, though: now that I want to write about it, the link is gone. I tried and tried to retrieve it, but without success. All I can find are the usual recipes that call for roasting in a high oven. So, my apologies for failing to give proper credit, but here’s the method that we liked.

BLASTED BROCCOLI
(adapted from unknown source)

broccoli florets (enough for you and a lucky guest)
1 T olive oil
salt to taste
red pepper flakes
freshly squeezed lemon juice

Heat the olive oil until very hot, almost smoking, in a large skillet that will hold the broccoli in a single layer, with little or no overlapping. Add the broccoli florets, sprinkle with salt, add red pepper flakes, shake the pan, and immediately cover it.

Leave it covered for exactly two minutes.

Open the pan and spritz lemon juice all over. Check the broccoli to see if it’s cooked to your taste (I like mine with a lot of bite). If you want it softer, then cover the pan and cook again for another 30 seconds.

Serve immediately…

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: This recipe won me over because it’s lightening-quick, and leaves the broccoli exactly as I like it: firm with a fresh and smoky flavor, from its intensely seared florets. My stainless steel skillet was not in great shape afterward, but I suspect I over-heated the oil a bit. The secret lies in closing the pan and allowing the broccoli to cook undisturbed, to create a little char at the bottom, and enough steam to begin cooking the florets. I’m 99% sure that the original recipe asked to finish it with butter, but I opted for fresh lemon juice instead. Feel free to improvise, as broccoli matches with balsamic vinegar, or grated parmiggiano cheese, or a little nutmeg…. just use your imagination.

When prepared this way the broccoli has the quality of a classic roasted veggie, but with a “brighter” flavor; I couldn’t stop nibbling on it. This one goes into my regular repertoire!

On a side note, this method reminded me of a recipe for Brussels sprouts that I made long ago from 101 Cookbooks. It’s delicious, producing the same kind of flavor in a veggie that’s a little challenging for lots of folks. Give it a try even if you’re Brussels-sprouts-challenged.

23Jan2010

GREEN LIGHT FOR THIS SALAD

Posted in Salads, Side dishes, Veggies by sallybr

This super-simple salad was a burst of Spring in the middle of Winter. With only two ingredients and the dressing, it was hard to imagine its fresh flavor. Had I just seen it in print I probably wouldn’t have tried it. But, something different happens after reading food blogs for years: you enter a virtual forum of people with similar tastes, so if someone gives a recipe “two thumbs up,” it goes directly into a folder of “Upcoming Attractions at the Dinner Table.” Unfortunately, they often they sit in my folder for a long time (just last week I found a printout from 2001 with a note beside it: make it next week 😉

I spotted this gem on Fer’s blog, Chucrute com Salsicha (so, those who want the recipe in Portuguese can get it clicking here), and I’m delighted that a decade didn’t pass before I tried it!

CELERY AND APPLE SALAD
(adapted from Chucrute com Salsicha, original recipe from The Sacramento Bee)

1 small shallot, finely minced
1/2 T Dijon mustard
2 T Champagne vinegar
6 T good quality olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
4 green apples, grated
3/4 cup celery, sliced very thin
1 T black sesame seeds (optional)

Make the dressing by adding the minced shallot, mustard and vinegar to the serving bowl. Mix well and slowly add the olive oil, constantly whisking to form an emulsion. Season with salt and pepper, then taste the dressing and adjust seasoning as needed.

Grate the apples and add them to the dressing, mix well. Add the celery, mix, and sprinkle sesame seeds on top just before serving.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: Champagne vinegar isn’t easy to find, but it’s worth searching for. It has a mild flavor and low acidity, perfect for dressing a simple salad. Following Fer’s suggestion, I didn’t peel the apples, just passed them through the grating disk of my food processor, and then changed the disk to slice the celery. Of course, if you are feeling particularly ambitious you can also grate and slice by hand. Black sesame seeds add a festive note of contrast that I love.

Note to self: For a dinner party, this salad will be nice served inside raddichio leaves, for contrasting color and texture. Nigella seeds or cocoa nibs might top the salad equally well.