BROWN BUTTER TOMATO SALAD

Posted in Salads, Vegetarian-friendly, Veggies by sallybr

This is the simplest salad you will ever make. If you read Portuguese, or don’t mind the butchering that google translate occasionally causes, jump over to Fer’s blog (Chucrute com Salsicha) to see where I got the idea for this great side dish. I echo her words, and urge you to use the best possible tomatoes you can find. They need to be juicy, packed with flavor, and you must cut them in thick slices to stand the warm shower of the brown butter. You also must enjoy this salad right away. Am I bossy today or what? 😉 But, once you comply with my demands, you will thank Fer for bringing this to our attention…
Looking for the recipe? There is no recipe, too simple for that. Grab the best tomatoes you can find (have I made that clear enough? ;-)). Cut them in thick slices, and arrange them on a plate.

Melt some butter, gently. On low heat, allow it to get a brownish color, by that time a nutty, wonderful smell should make you smile in anticipation. Spoon some of the brown butter over the tomatoes, season with Maldon salt (for that added crunch), black pepper, and serve right away.

Leftovers? Toast some rustic sourdough bread, and while the bread is still hot from the toaster (or grill), place a nice slice of brown butter tomato on top… Take a bite. Then another. And have happy thoughts.

Fer, obrigada pela super receita! Seu ginger ale esta’ na fila para uma proxima empreitada…

I close this post offering you a link with NINETY recipes for healthy, no-heat lunches to take to work. Kalyn, a veteran food blogger recently assembled this collection and I immediately bookmarked it. A wealth of information!
Click here and ENJOY!

ONE YEAR AGO: Spelt and Cornmeal Rolls

TWO YEARS AGO: Roasted Potato and Olive Focaccia

THREE YEARS AGO: Multigrain Bread Extraordinaire

19Aug2012

ASPARAGUS PESTO

Posted in Pasta & Noodles, Vegetarian-friendly, Veggies by sallybr

My dear friend and great cook Cindy raved about this recipe during the peak of asparagus season. Full disclosure: the year was 2010. Yes, it takes me a while to get to important stuff, but I finally made it. Better late than never! I am fond of the traditional Genovese pesto, but often find it a bit overwhelming. This version takes just a bit of basil in a sea of asparagus, and I guarantee if you make it even the die-hard asparagus haters (like two of my stepsons ;-)) will fall for it.

ASPARAGUS PESTO WITH WHOLE WHEAT PASTA
(adapted from Cindy, who adapted it from Michael Chiarello)

1 lb asparagus|
1 cup (lightly packed) basil leaves
2 tablespoons slivered almonds, toasted
1 clove garlic, sliced
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1/4 cup low fat yogurt
about 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup grated Pecorino cheese
zest of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Boil the asparagus in salted water until very tender. Drain, reserving the water, and cool slightly. Put in a food processor with the all of the other ingredients except the oil, and puree well. With the machine running, slowly add the olive oil. Taste and adjust for seasonings and consistency. It should be about the thickness of mayonnaise.

Return the water used for cooking the asparagus to a boil and cook pasta. Drain, reserving about 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water. Mix the pasta and pesto, thinning with the pasta cooking water as necessary. Taste and adjust seasoning.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

We had this pasta with a juicy, thick salmon steak, cooked to perfection by the master grilling-guru whom I married 12 and a half happy years ago. The pesto was excellent with the whole wheat pasta, but a small amount topping the hot salmon just as it left the grill was mind-blowing delicious! I actually think grilled salmon and asparagus pesto might be the gastronomic discovery of 2012 for me, and I have to thank Cindy for it.

And now, for something completely different, once again. While reading Sawsan’s blog, Chef in Disguise, I learned that she’s got two awards: The Versatile Blogger, and Very Inspiring Blogger. I smiled and told myself “she definitely deserves them both!”. Much to my surprise and delight, she passed them to a few bloggers and there was the Bewitching Kitchen! Now I am the proud receiver of those awards too! Versatile, maybe. Inspiring? Wow, that would be awesome…

Thanks so much, Sawsan!

ONE YEAR AGO: Chocolate and Chestnut Terrine

TWO YEARS AGO: Under the spell of lemongrass

THREE YEARS AGO: Greens + Grapefruit + Shrimp = Great Salad!

26Jul2012

A TASTE OF YELLOW TO HONOR BARBARA

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

Long before I started my own site, I already followed Barbara’s blog, Winos end Foodies. For a while I was unaware of her health problems, until one day I clicked on the “About” page and learned that she started blogging right after being diagnosed with cancer, in 2004. She used Winos and Foodies to get her mind away from her illness, and through the years of blogging she touched many people’s lives. A lot has been written about Barbara, you can read a particularly touching tribute here

A few months after I started the Bewitching, I wrote Barbara an email and was amazed by how kind and thoughtful she was, sending me advice and encouragement. She read, left comments, dropped me private emails, it was hard to imagine that she could do it all while fighting one of the toughest battles a person can face. I feel fortunate to have known her, at least virtually.

If you’ve never stopped by Winos and Foodies, please do so. She wrote about art, photography, food, her relationship with her husband of so many years, and occasionally about her tough times with cancer. You will notice that contrary to what most bloggers do (myself included), she didn’t post a blogroll of websites she enjoyed. Instead, she created a page called Blog Friends, and listed everyone by name. A special, sweet gesture, so typical of her.

In 2007, fascinated by the performances of Lance Armstrong 0n the Tour de France, she launched the event “A Taste of Yellow” , to coincide with LIVEstrong Day, and to raise awareness about cancer in the community of food bloggers. Barbara passed away on June 29th, so this year’s event, hosted by Jeanne (Cook Sister), is dedicated to her.

For my participation in this series of Taste of Yellow, I chose to cook with beautiful ears of corn.

COUSCOUS WITH CORN AND SCALLIONS IN BROWN BUTTER
(adapted from Fine Cooking, Aug/Sep 2012)

1 + 1/2 Tbs butter
2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
kernels of 2 ears of corn
2 scallions, finely sliced (white and light green parts)
3/4 cup couscous
1/2 tsp salt
black pepper to taste
1 cup boiling water

Melt the butter on medium-low heat and cook stirring occasionally, until the butter gets a hint of golden color. Do not let it turn brown at this point because it will still cook a little further. Add the thyme, and cook until fragrant.

Add the corn kernels, salt and pepper, cook for 2 minutes, increasing the heat slightly so they brown up. Add the scallions, cook until they soften, another minute or so. Add the boiling water all at once, close the pan and remove from the heat. Let it rest 5 minutes, fluff with a fork, and serve.

to print the recipe, click here

My deepest condolences go to Barbara’s husband Bryan, their two sons, family and friends in this difficult time. She will be missed.

(Comments are shutdown for this post)

28May2012

THE SECRET RECIPE CLUB: ASPARAGUS QUICHE

Posted in Breakfast & Brunch, Secret Recipe Club, Vegetarian-friendly, Veggies by sallybr

The last Monday of each month arrives faster and faster, proving that Einstein got it right with his Theory of Relativity of time and space. How else could we explain that I joined the SRC just a little while ago, blinked my eyes twice, and here I am, on my seventh post?

I had a complete blast with this month’s assignment: The Culinary Enthusiast! A catchy blog name, by the way. Kelley lives in Chicago with her husband and a dog-child called Maddy, who gets to enjoy the many treats she cooks. See similarities between our households? 😉 Kelley has very creative recipes, and it took me a few days of “stalking” before I settled on my choice. Asparagus Quiche. Perfect for the season, perfect to remember Paris, perfect for a romantic weekend dinner.

SPRING ASPARAGUS QUICHE
(adapted from The Culinary Enthusiast)

1 recipe for pie crust (I used this one)
1 leek (white and light green parts only), halved and thinly sliced
salt and ground black pepper
1/2 bunch (about 1/2 pound) asparagus, tough ends removed, thinly sliced
3 asparagus stalks, trimmed and left whole (optional)
4 slices bacon, cut in large dice
4 large eggs
1 + 1/4 cups half-and-half
Ground nutmeg
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese (4 ounces)

Prepare the crust of your quiche, using the recipe of your choice. Roll it out to cover your pie plate. Prick the surface with a fork a few times, cover the bottom with aluminum foil, and place dried beans to keep the crust down during pre-baking. Bake in a 400 F oven for 15 minutes, carefully remove the foil, place it back in the oven for 10 minutes more. Remove from the oven, and reserve.

Bring the oven temperature down to 325 F, placing a rack in the lowest position. In a large skillet, cook bacon until crispy. Set aside on a paper towel lined plate, allow it to cool, and crumble into smaller pieces. Reserve bacon grease in pan and add the leeks, cook for a few minutes, until softened. Add the asparagus pieces, season with salt and pepper. Cook until the asparagus is crisp/tender, maximum 6 minutes. Let the mixture cool down.

In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, half-and-half, 1/2 teaspoon salt, teaspoon pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg. Place pie crust on a rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle with half of the cheese; add the asparagus/leek mixture, top with crumbled bacon. Pour egg mixture on top, add the remainder of the cheese.

If you want to decorate the quiche with asparagus stalks, cook them slightly in a microwave for a minute, then place carefully on top.

Bake until center of quiche is just set, 50 to 60 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

My main modification of the recipe was to pre-bake the crust, because I’ve had problems with the crust getting too soggy when I omitted that step. I also did not use potatoes in the filling, but I know it would be awesome with them too!

As far as quiche goes, Phil and I had the perfect example at a small, unassuming place in Paris, called “Bistrot du Papa”. Don’t go through the trouble of googleing it, it no longer exists. We were in considerable distress when we attempted to go back on our last visit, only to find an Italian restaurant in its place. Ever since enjoying that masterpiece, I tried to make it at home a couple of times, the traditional quiche Lorraine, but my versions had very little to do with the bistrot’s.

I must say this asparagus quiche was by far the best I’ve made! Will I ever hit “Bistrot du Papa” level? Quite unlikely. They have a different type of cream, a different type of bacon, and then there’s the Parisian aura, hard to duplicate at home. Oh, well… We should have stopped there once a week for the duration of that magical sabbatical year!

We’ll always have Paris…
(great scene from Casablanca, 1942)

Kelley, thanks for a great recipe that brought the best gastronomical memories to our table!

Check out the other recipes in this month’s roundup by clicking on the cute blue frog at the end of this post.

ONE YEAR AGO: Spring Pasta

TWO YEARS AGO: Ice Cream Melts for Mango

27Apr2012

A SUPER HEALTHY SOUP

Posted in Soups, Vegetarian-friendly, Veggies by sallybr

It seems that every year, right when I get all excited that the cold weather is gone for good, a few chilly nights pop up to say hello. Chilly as 50F! For a Brazilian, it’s the dreadful boundary between life and death. So, faced with such adverse circumstances, I made soup. Complete improvisation from a few ingredients I had laying around in the fridge and the pantry. I felt incredibly energized after dinner, and even won a wrestling match with Oscar! It must have been the spinach. 😉

ZUCCHINI SPINACH SOUP
(from the Bewitching Kitchen)

1 Tbs olive oil
1 stalk of leek, finely sliced (white part only)
3 zucchinis, medium size, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1/4 to 1/3 cup of canned white beans
4 cups vegetable stock or water (plus more if needed)
1 to 2 cups baby spinach leaves
salt and pepper
freshly squeezed lemon juice
low fat yogurt to taste for serving

Heat the olive oil and saute the sliced leeks, allow them to get golden. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Add the zucchini, cook the slices for a few minutes, stirring every once in a while, until they get a bit of color in some spots. Add the white beans, cook for a couple of minutes, add the vegetable stock (or water), bring the whole thing to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, and cook, covered, until the zucchini is tender (20 minutes).

Add the spinach, cook until the leaves are just wilted. Puree the soup in a food processor, blender, or with an immersion blender until the consistency you like. If too thick, add more water or vegetable broth. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, sprinkle lemon juice, and keep warm until serving.

Pour some into a bowl, and add a dollop of yogurt seasoned with a pinch of salt and pepper.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

All amounts for this soup are quite flexible. The spinach, added at the very end, gives it a nice bright green color, and a strong herbal flavor, so add as little or as much as your palate appreciates. I used an immersion blender because I like my soup to be a bit chunky and find that with other methods it’s harder to control the texture. But, if you prefer a smoother soup, use a blender. The beans made it creamy without the addition of any fat, and also turned it into a more substantial soup. A thick slice of rustic bread was all we needed.

A final note: if you are in a daring mood, add a splash of Sriracha to the yogurt. Takes the soup to a whole other level… 😉

ONE YEAR AGO: Cinco de Mayo Dinner Celebration

TWO YEARS AGO: Thom Leonard’s Country French Bread