ALMOND MILK CREAMED SPINACH

Posted in Side dishes, Veggies by sallybr

Remember my cauliflower puree made with almond milk instead of cream? In that post I mentioned another recipe from Food and Wine that uses almond milk: a creamed spinach finished in the oven with a coating of bread crumbs and Marcona almonds. Of course, right after publishing that post, Marcona almonds were nowhere to be found… Apparently there has been a shortage of these almonds in Spain, so if you happen to find them where you live, act fast. Our Dillon’s store got a shipment last month, and I grabbed a bag faster than Buck catches a cookie in mid-air.

ALMOND MILK CREAMED SPINACH
(from Food and Wine magazine)

Four 5-ounce bags baby spinach
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 shallots, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups unsweetened almond milk
1/2 cup grated Cotija cheese
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
3/4 cup panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
2 tablespoons finely chopped marcona almonds

Preheat the oven to 425°. In a large saucepan, heat 1 inch of water. Add the spinach by the handful; allow each handful to wilt before adding more. When the spinach is wilted, drain it, pressing out as much water as possible. Wipe out the pot.
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Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in the pot. Add the shallots; cook over moderate heat until softened. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Add the almond milk and simmer until very thick, whisking occasionally, 5 minutes. Stir in the cheese and spinach. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon into a baking dish.
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In a small bowl, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Stir in the panko and almonds and sprinkle over the creamed spinach. Bake for 15 minutes, until golden.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: My Mom used to make creamed spinach the old-fashioned way, basically a bechamel-sauce into which some sautéed spinach was mixed in. Much to her despair, I never touched it. I actually never touched spinach in any type of recipe, raw, cooked, even a ravioli with spinach filling was not welcome on my plate. But, of course I wised up at some point and to quote my virtual friend Sawsan: “I made peace with spinach”. 😉

When I made this recipe, I did not think it would have a happy ending. The key point is to have the right proportion of almond cream to spinach, and that’s not very easy to achieve. I printed the recipe exactly as published in Food and Wine, but I halved it. To do so, I needed only 10 ounces of spinach, but more spinach would have been better. I advise you to made the almond cream, wilt all the spinach you have and then hold back some of the cream. You want the spinach to be nicely coated by cream, but not swimming in it. I did not add melted butter to the Panko, just sprinkled all over the dish and half way through baking I softly pressed the coating into the cream. Since my concoction already seemed to have too high a cream to spinach ratio, I thought the melted butter would complicate matters further. So, to summarize, I think this recipe has potential, but it needs some tweaking.

Creamed spinach goes very well with fish, so I served it with grilled salmon & white rice. Simple, but very tasty. Almonds and spinach make a very nice combination. If you don’t like almond milk, a regular bechamel sauce like my Mom used to make, decorated with toasted slivered almonds would be a nice dish too.

31Jan2014

ZUCCHINI PASTA WITH CILANTRO-CASHEW PESTO

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

I won’t lie to you, making zucchini pasta with the spiral cutter is a task that requires patience (a virtue that I lack) and probably one or two less than spectacular outcomes. By that I mean overcooked zucchini that will lay as a limp mass on the plate and make you wonder if take-out sushi was that bad an idea after all. If you want to see the gadget I used in action (by someone who is a lot better than me at handling it), take a look at this youtube video.

Once you master the spiral cutter and how to deal with the zucchini strands, you will be on your way to a satisfying, flavorful and unique dish. After butchering a few Cucurbita pepo, I was rewarded with a beautiful bowl of veggie strands.

ZUCCHINI PASTA WITH CILANTRO-CASHEW PESTO
(adapted from Martyna’s recipe at Wholesome Cook)

for the pesto:
2 bunches fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
1 Serrano chile, seeded and minced
¼ cup raw cashews
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup grape seed oil
½ tsp sea salt flakes
freshly ground black pepper to taste
zest of 1/2 lemon
squeeze of lemon juice

for the “pasta”:
enough zucchini to make a large bowl of strands
(save the collateral damaged ones for veggie stock, stir-fries, soups)

Make the pesto by adding the cilantro, chile, cashews, and cheese to the bowl of a food processor. Process until a paste forms. Add grape seed oil until you achieve a consistency you like. I tend to add a lot less oil than most recipes call for. Adjust to your taste. Process until smooth, season with salt, pepper, the lemon zest, and juice. Process again. Reserve.

Cook the zucchini by placing the strands in boiling water for 20 seconds, drain well, incorporate with the pesto and serve. Alternatively, you stir-fry the zucchini quickly in a small amount of olive oil, then mix with the pesto.

Sprinkle roasted cashews, and…

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

My beloved mini-food processor did a great job on the pesto…

Comments: On my first attempt at making zucchini “pasta”, I overcooked the strands, which is very easy to do. The taste was still pretty good, but the poor zucchini looked almost gray. No bueno. This time, the 20-second blanching worked much better. I might even cut the cooking shorter next time. You can sauce this dish any way you like, including a marinara sauce, which was on our menu the following week, by the way. I still need to master the spiral cutter better, our kitchen looked like a crime scene when I was done, and zucchini bits were found on my hair later that evening. That’s some wild cooking prep. 😉

For those interested in gluten-free side dishes, or low carb pasta-like concoctions, this recipe fits the bill nicely. For those who simply enjoy trying a new preparation for the under-appreciated zucchini, the same applies.

A little shredded Asiago to gild the lily…

ONE YEAR AGO: Bran Muffins, Take Two

TWO YEARS AGO: Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

THREE YEARS AGO: Mogo Mojo

FOUR YEARS AGO: Slow-Roasted Chicken Thighs: an Ice-Breaker

27Jan2014

SECRET RECIPE CLUB: QUINOA AND SWEET POTATO CAKES

Posted in Secret Recipe Club, Small Dishes, Vegetarian-friendly, Veggies by sallybr

The Secret Recipe Club is a monthly event that pairs food bloggers in secret so that they pick a recipe from their assigned partner, and blog about at the exact same time. My group always posts on the last Monday of the month, but we had a vacation break in December. Having barely survived SRC withdrawal syndrome, here I am to report on the outcome of my virtual stalking of Nicole’s site, Hapa-tite. I was delighted to learn the rationale behind her blog’s name: Hapa is a Hawaiian word that means “half” and is used to describe a person of mixed race with partial roots in the Asian or Pacific Islander heritage. Hawaii is one of our favorite spots on earth for a vacation. We love the atmosphere, the music, the pace of life, the people, and you cannot beat the weather. Weather? Sore subject. As I type this on a Sunday morning, a foot of snow is laying in our backyard. Simply put: a meteorological tragedy. But, rather than dwell on the harsh reality of January in Kansas, I will tell you that two other recipes fought very hard to be featured in the Bewitching today: her Chicken-Lime Skewers with Apricot Glaze, and her Pork Souvlaki. In the end, the chance to use my black, red & white quinoa made me go for these tasty little fritters.

QUINOA AND SWEET POTATO CAKES
(from Hapa-tite, inspired by original recipe from Cannelle & Vanille)

makes 8 cakes

1/2 cup (90 g) quinoa, rinsed
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 shallot, diced
1 + /2 cups (about 200 g) grated sweet potato
1/4 teaspoon coriander
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 eggs
1/3 cup (50 g) Panko bread crumbs
1/3 cup finely grated Parmigiano cheese
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
1 tablespoon finely chopped chives
grape seed oil for frying
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Bring 1 cup (250 ml) of water to a boil in a small saucepan over high heat. Add quinoa and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Stir, reduce heat to medium low, cover with a lid, and cook for 20 minutes until quinoa has absorbed all the water and it’s tender. Set aside to cool.
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Heat a medium saute pan over medium high heat. Add the olive oil and cook the shallot for 3 minutes. Add the grated sweet potato, 1/4 teaspoon salt, coriander, and black pepper, and cook for another 3 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.
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In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, breadcrumbs, cheese, parsley, and chives. Add the cooled quinoa and sweet potato mixture. Stir to combine.
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Heat a large saute pan over medium high heat. Add enough grape seed oil to cover the bottom of the pan. Spoon 1/4 cup of the mixture and shape it into a round cake. Add enough cakes to the pan without overcrowding it. Cook for 3 minutes on each side or until golden. Finish frying all the cakes. Drain them on paper towels before serving.
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ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: Aren’t these cakes the most colorful thing ever? I modified the recipe a little bit, adding more sweet potato than called for, and using a mixture of different quinoa colors instead of only white. They turned out quite festive. Those who have gluten intolerance can use gluten-free bread crumbs, or I suppose almond flour could go well too. You could probably get by with only 1/4 cup of almond flour as a binder. I also think some grated ginger could be fantastic together with the coriander and the herbs. Fun things to try.

Nicole, it was great to get to know your blog a little better this month, I see that 2014 will bring wonderful things to your life, like moving to a new home and getting married… Good luck with all your projects, and if you succeed in de-cluttering, tell me your secret! 😉

If you want to see what my fellow Secreters were concocting in their kitchens this month, poke the blue frog at the end of the post. I think she might be Hawaiian, who knows? She sure seems to have that aura of happiness that comes with the islands…

ONE YEAR AGO: Pumpkin Bolo de Fuba’ Cremoso

TWO YEARS AGO: Citrus-crusted Tilapia Filets

THREE YEARS AGO: Bran Muffins, not just for Hippies

FOUR YEARS AGO: Flourless Chocolate Cake

24Jan2014

HAVING FUN WITH JACQUES PEPIN

Posted in Side dishes, Veggies by sallybr

I wish the title of my post could be taken literally, because I’d love to meet Mr. Pepin… Unfortunately (or perhaps I should say malheureusement), I was just playing with one of his recipes: a broccoli puree from his book “Fast Food My Way” that might very well be one of the side dishes I make most often. I am not the only one who loves it, Phil asks me to make it whenever he is grilling a side of salmon or cooking fish filets. It is a perfect accompaniment for seafood, but I also like to pair it with roast chicken or pork. Versatile, non?

BROCCOLI AND SPINACH PUREE WITH BROWN BUTTER
(inspired by Jacques Pepin)

2 large heads of broccoli, florets only
1 garlic clove, peeled
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
pinch of nutmeg
2 cups spinach leaves (or more, to taste)

Bring 3 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the broccoli florets and the garlic clove. Bring back to a boil, reduce heat, and cook until tender (about 10 minutes). Drain and reserve some of the cooking liquid.

Melt the butter in a small skillet and cook it over low heat until it turns golden brown. Do not let it burn.

Put the broccoli and garlic in the bowl of a food processor, add salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Process until almost smooth, open the processor, drizzle the browned butter and add the spinach leaves on top. Process again until fully smooth, adding a bit of the reserved cooking liquid until the puree achieves a consistency you like. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve right away, or refrigerate. It reheats well in the microwave.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

I do hope you’ll try my version of Pepin’s recipe, it is amazing how just a little spinach took this puree to a higher level. A subtle change in texture, a real bump in flavor. I normally don’t preach on nutritional content of food, but the humble spinach always makes me feel great. Old Popeye cartoons speaking (and dating me), I suppose.

This puree matched nicely with a simple tilapia filet prepared according to this recipe. Leftovers can be either enjoyed after a quick tour in the microwave, or… go the indulgent route and use it as a basis for a souflee. I suggest following the basic method from Julia Child. You simply cannot go wrong by joining Julia & Jacques. Almost as good as Sally and Phil… 😉

ONE YEAR AGO: Brined-Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

TWO YEARS AGO: Pork Ragu

THREE YEARS AGO: Friendly Kuri Squash

FOUR YEARS AGO: Green Light for this Salad

9Dec2013

BRAISED FENNEL WITH SAFFRON AND TOMATO

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

This side dish is elegant and luscious. Perfect to pair with chicken, pork or a mild fish like cod or sea bass. But, if you prefer to walk the vegetarian path, enjoy it over farro, barley, or as we did, a colorful quinoa. Add a hearty loaf of bread, and you will be all set…

The recipe is published in Vegetable Literacy the latest cookbook from Deborah Madison. Lisa from “Lisa is Cooking” wrote a great review about the book a few months ago, and shared a recipe from it, check it out by jumping here. Deborah Madison has the amazing ability of bringing the best out of the most humble vegetable. I do not own a copy of this particular book (bravely resisted so far), but her classic Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone is part of our collection.

The recipe is available online, just click here.

Definitely the most important advice is to take the time to brown the fennel well, that will ensure a deeper flavor in the end. I don’t recommend this dish for those who have issues with fennel, because its flavor is very prominent. I crumbled goat cheese over the braise, allowing it to melt down in the liquid, and right before serving added the greens from the fennel, minced. As the recipe states, if your fennel bulbs came without the tops, use parsley instead. My main modification from the published recipe was to squeeze a little lemon juice all over, and reduce slightly the amount of tomato paste. I thought three tablespoons seemed excessive, so I added only two. Capers and saffron are fantastic together, by the way.

Because we have nothing against a little meat with our veggie goodness, a boneless, grilled chicken breast was part of our dinner too. As far as looks are concerned, I suppose a fully white quinoa would have been better, but the bag of tricolor quinoa acquired months ago at a Trader Joe’s was winking at me from the pantry. I spooned a little of the braising sauce over the chicken, so that it all got tied together in a beautiful caper & saffron glory!