ROASTED LEMON VINAIGRETTE

Posted in Salads, Vegetarian-friendly by sallybr

The rind of a lemon is exceptionally bitter, w...

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I had this recipe filed in my computer for 13 months. All I can say is “better late than never.” Please, make this dressing as soon as you can possibly gather the ingredients and spare half an hour of your time. My friend Gretchen urged me to try it a long time ago, but only the constant influx of Meyer lemons in our fridge set my wheels in motion. Consider making a double batch, as you will find many uses for this liquid gold: I drizzled over our salad, and next thing I knew, my grilled halibut was under its shiny coating too.

ROASTED LEMON VINAIGRETTE
(from Gretchen’s kitchen)

1 lemon (Meyer, if available)
1 tsp + 3 Tbs olive oil (divided)
1 clove garlic, unpeeled
1 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp honey
1/4 tsp salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste

Wash the lemon, cut it in half, remove the seeds with the tip of a knife. Rub the lemon halves and the garlic clove with 1 tsp of olive oil, place in a small baking dish and roast in a 400F oven for 25-30 minutes, until the lemon starts to get brown at the edges. Remove from the oven, and as soon as it’s cold enough to handle, squeeze the juice and the pulp in a small bowl.

Add the mustard, honey, salt, and pepper, and use a whisk to mix it all well. Remove any large bits of white pulp, if present. Add the remaining 3 Tbs. of olive oil, slowly at first, then drizzle it as you continue to whisk, forming an emulsion. Adjust the seasoning.

Serve over salads, steamed veggies, roasted veggies, grilled fish, chicken, or pork. Have fun with it, and…

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: I cannot recommend this recipe strongly enough. It is simply perfect if you are into citric flavors. We usually make a big salad on Friday evenings, using any greens and other goodies left in the fridge. This dressing turned the “everything but the kitchen sink salad” into something special. Next day, I used what was left in a farro concoction very similar to this one, except that I omitted the raw asparagus and added diced cucumber and fennel instead. Farro and roasted lemon vinaigrette: another example of a match made in heaven, I hope you’ll give it a try.

ONE YEAR AGO: Torta di Zuchini

receita em portugues na proxima pagina
proxima pagina

12Feb2011

SOPHIE GRIGSON’s PARMESAN CAKE

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

This year’s Super Bow was low-key for us. We’ve been hard at work, so what we wanted on that quiet Sunday was to recharge our batteries and reload for another busy week. Since it was just the two of us, we kept it simple: Phil made his killer guacamole, and I prepared a recipe from my newest acquisition, the mammoth “Essential New York Times Cookbook.” The way it’s going, our pickup truck may not hold all our belongings (cookbooks!) on the trip home. I’ve bought more cooking literature than I can possibly use here, and this one will add considerable weight to our load! 😉

This savory cake resembles corn bread in its looks and texture, smells terrific while baking, and does not disappoint in taste either warm or at room temperature. We had a couple of slices on Sunday, and enjoyed the rest for lunch in the Gonda-McDonald courtyard at UCLA, on the sunny patio outside our building. In the 75 degree sun it was hard to believe that the rest of the country was battling snowstorms…

Is it Summer yet?

SOPHIE GRIGSON’S PARMESAN CAKE
(from The Essential New York Times Cookbook)

1 cup flour
1+1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 oz parmiggiano cheese, finely grated
1/4 cup semolina flour
freshly ground black pepper
6 Tbs. unsalted butter, melted and cooled
3 large eggs, yolks and whites separated
3/4 cup whole milk

Heat the oven to 375 F. Grease an 8-inch round cake pan with butter and reserve. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl, then add the grated cheese, semolina flour, and black pepper to your taste. Mix well to combine.

Make a well in the center, pour the butter, egg yolks, and milk, and mix until thoroughly combined. Beat the egg whites in a clean bowl until stiff, then fold delicately into the cheese mixture. Spoon everything in the prepared pan, and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown and the surface feels firm to the touch. Serve warm or cold, cut in wedges.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: One word about the New York Times book: awesome! I have no idea how anyone could gather the energy and commitment to create such a masterpiece, but I’m sure glad that Amanda Hesser did it. I haven’t yet finished browsing its 932 pages, but I already have a long list of things to make.

Hesser suggests serving this cake in small wedges for cocktail parties with a glass of red wine, or with soup or salad for a light meal. A hot bowl of tomato bisque (with a touch of basil, of course) is another great match. My only problem with the recipe was the name: ‘parmesan’ suggests the use of cheap versions of this excellent cheese, with which I strongly disagree. Instead, buy the best parmiggiano reggiano available, because that’s a taste that you’ll remember.

ONE YEAR AGO: Antibiotics and Food (something I’m very concerned about)

5Feb2011

WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU (MEYER) LEMONS

Posted in Pasta & Noodles, Vegetarian-friendly by sallybr

Hundreds of years ago the Chinese developed a new fruit by crossing a lemon and either a mandarin or an orange tree, no one knows for sure. PCR and DNA sequencing could definitely solve this puzzle, but as far as I know, this research hasn’t materialized yet. The fruit, introduced in the USA in 1908, is the Meyer lemon, and once you try it, you understand why people go crazy when they show up in farmers’ markets and grocery stores. I’ve been using them often these days, absolutely in love with their flavor, which is often described (quite accurately) as floral. This pasta came together quickly for a delicious weeknight dinner. My inspiration was a recipe published in a recent Fine Cooking issue (number 108, the one with the beautiful croquembuche on the cover).

ZITI WITH ARTICHOKES AND MEYER LEMON SAUCE
(loosely adapted from Fine Cooking #108)

10 ounces ziti
1 Tbs olive oil
1/2 Tbs butter
1 small size leek, white and light green part only, diced
8 ounces frozen artichoke hearts, cut in large chunks
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
salt and pepper
zest and juice of 1 Meyer lemon (will be used separately)
1 cube of Dorot frozen basil (or 2 Tbs fresh leaves, minced)
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/4 cup mascarpone cheese
freshly grated Parmiggiano

Heat the olive oil and the butter in a large skillet in medium heat. Add the minced leeks, cook until softened, season lightly with salt and pepper. Increase the heat to high and add the artichoke pieces (no need to defrost if frozen), and the red pepper flakes. Cook without moving them too often, so that a nice golden brown color develops. Remove from the heat, add the lemon zest and reserve.

In a small bowl, mix the ricotta, mascarpone cheese, the basil, and the lemon juice. Season lightly with salt and pepper.

Cook the pasta in plenty of salted boiling water, reserve 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid, drain the pasta and place back in the pan. Add the ricotta mixture, stir very well to combine. If too thick, add some of the pasta water. Finally, gently incorporate the artichokes, and serve, with Parmiggiano cheese grated on top.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: The original recipe called for 4 different types of cheese and several herbs. I wanted a dish a little lighter and simpler, so that the Meyer lemon had a better chance to shine. It worked quite well, I am already a bit sad that their season won’t last forever. Carpe diem, my friends. Carpe diem.

ONE YEAR AGO: Blasted Broccoli, Stove-top version

30Jan2011

MOGO MOJO

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

A few weeks ago a reader left a comment on my post about “mandioca frita.” He told me about “mogo,” a common dish in Indian restaurants in the UK, that also starts from cooked manioc root, but instead of frying, the root is seasoned with a mixture of spices and roasted. I was intrigued, and put google to work, searching for an authentic recipe. Very quickly I realized there is no consensus about it. The only common denominator in mogo recipes is that you start with cooked roots, prepared as I described in this post. After that, some recipes call for roasting, some for frying then roasting, others for gently cooking on the stove. Some recipes use tomatoes, some only peppers, others add coconut milk. Spices also vary a lot. With all that complexity facing me, I shutdown my computer and improvised. So, here is my version of mogo, a delicious, hearty dish that will be showing up at our table on a regular basis. Well, as regularly as I can find manioc root at the store… 😉

MOGO
(from the Bewitching Kitchen)

10-12 pieces of cooked manioc root
1 Tbs olive oil
1 shallot, finely diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (or more)
1/2 tsp curry powder
salt and black pepper
1 can diced tomatoes with their juices (14.5 oz, about 1 + 3/4 cups)
1/2 cup coconut milk
chopped cilantro leaves

Cook the manioc root until tender. Cut in serving pieces and reserve (cooked manioc can sit in the fridge for a few days, or be frozen for months).

Heat the oil in a saute pan, add the shallots, cook until soft and starting to develop some color. Add the minced garlic and the red pepper flakes, cooking for a minute or two. Season with salt and pepper, add the tomato with the juices, cook on gentle heat for 5 minutes, stirring a few times. Add the coconut milk, curry powder, cook for a couple of minutes, add the cilantro leaves, taste the seasoning and adjust to your taste. You can add some hot pepper sauce if you like it really hot.

Spread the cooked manioc on a baking dish, pour the tomato-coconut sauce on top, cover with aluminum foil and bake at 375 F for 45 minutes. Remove the foil, and serve or, if you prefer less sauce and some browning on the cassava root, increase the heat to 400 F to finish roasting.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: I will be forever in debt with Jack for the heads up about this recipe. We enjoyed it with roast chicken, but next day it was a meal in itself re-heated in the microwave and served over Israeli couscous. Wonderful! Change this basic recipe around by adding roasted bell peppers to the sauce, increasing the heat level with a hot sauce, maybe some smoked hot paprika.

I hope my Brazilian readers will give mogo a try, as they have access to excellent quality manioc root in farmers markets and grocery stores everywhere. Manioc root is not a very popular item in the US, but hopefully that will soon change! 😉

ONE YEAR AGO: Slow-roasted chicken thighs

22Jan2011

FRIENDLY KURI SQUASH

Posted in Soups, Vegetarian-friendly by sallybr

I received a wonderful gift the other day (proving once again that I have no shortage of special friends): two kuri squashes. Unlike other members of the winter squash family, kuri has a thin skin that doesn’t require peeling. It’s a huge advantage, because peeling squash is one of my least favorite tasks in the kitchen. Butternut squash is already bad, but acorn squash is worse. I usually just cut it in half and roast it, anything to keep my fingertips intact. I knew exactly how to treat my Kuri squash, by turning it into a soup from Dorie Greenspan‘s Around My French Table. It was perfect for the chilly weather we faced in Los Angeles last week. The thermometers read 55 F, so Californians immediately retrieved their wool scarves from storage to brave the elements! 😉

KURI SQUASH SOUP
(adapted from Around my French Table)

2 kuri squashes (about 3 pounds total)
1 leek stalk, thinly sliced (white and light green parts only)
1 Tbs olive oil
3 cups milk
3 cups of water
salt and pepper to taste
dash of ground nutmeg
minced chives for garnish

Scrub the squash very well to remove any dirt from its surface. Cut the pointed end off, and discard it. Carefully cut it in half, scoop out the seeds. Cut the squash in large chunks and reserve.

Heat the olive oil in a large pan and saute the leeks until they get soft, no need to brown them. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Add the squash, the milk, water, and cook under gentle heat until the squash is tender (about 20 minutes). Puree the soup using an immersion blender, season with nutmeg, taste, adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. The soup can be cooked down if you want it thicker. Serve with minced chives sprinkled on top.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: If you have an immersion blender this soup is a real breeze to make. You can puree it in the same pan you cooked it, and have only the small appliance to wash afterward. I’m fond of this type of blender because it allows me to better control the final texture of my soups. Unless I’m going for a very smooth, bisque-type concoction I prefer some texture, and with a blender or food processor things can get too smooth too fast.

We enjoyed this soup for several days and it got better while sitting in the fridge, so if you have a dinner party, making it the day before won’t be a problem. You can always thin it with a little milk or water if necessary, but we tend to like our soup robust.

ONE YEAR AGO: Celery and Apple Salad