CARROT AND SWEET POTATO PUREE

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

Potato puree is comfort food “par excellence”. One of my favorite menus on a chilly evening is braised short ribs served over mashed potatoes (I gained about 3 pounds just by typing that sentence! 😉 ) Sometimes I crave that type of side dish, but I’d be happier with a lighter caloric load.

Giada de Laurentiis devised a perfect alternative during her “Light and Fabulous” menu, that paired broiled tilapia filets with a creamy puree of carrots and yams. You can find the recipes for that episode here. The puree has a beautiful, bright orange color, and its taste complements many main dishes.

CARROT AND SWEET POTATO PUREE
(adapted from Giada de Laurentiis)

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium shallot, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 pounds carrots, peeled and sliced
2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch pieces
1 teaspoon salt, plus extra for seasoning
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus extra for seasoning
2 cups chicken (or vegetable) broth
2 cups water

Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a saucepan. Add the shallot and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Add the carrots, sweet potatoes, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Cook for 5 minutes until slightly softened. Add the stock and water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the veggies are tender, about 25 minutes. Drain the veggies, saving the cooking liquid. Transfer them to a food processor, and puree until still slightly chunky, adding some of the cooking liquid, until you reach the consistency you like. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: Our grocery had sweet potatoes, but not yams, so that’s what I used. Next time I’ll add a touch of ginger to the puree, because it goes so well with sweet potatoes. Maybe a little orange zest too? But even without these additional touches, this puree was an excellent side dish for our grilled, butterflied pork tenderloin. Something about eating bright colored food instantly makes me feel healthy. This puree tastes good, it’s not too heavy, and it gives that feeling of happy satisfaction at the end of the meal.

Want to make it even faster on a weeknight? Cut the veggies in the morning before work, and save them in the fridge. Small details make life a lot easier when you return home feeling a little spent. 😉

ONE YEAR AGO: Impromptu Pasta Dinner

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

10Jan2011

MUSHROOM SOUFFLE FOR TWO

Posted in Side dishes, Vegetarian-friendly by sallybr

One of the lessons we’ve learned in four months of cooking in the nano-kitchen is to keep our meals simple, even on special occasions. To bid 2010 goodbye we settled on grilled T-bone steaks and a Caesar salad. We also sought an additional side dish with a celebratory aura, but we struggled with various options until my beloved said “I’ve got an idea for you: mushroom souffle!”

Back home we have three different sizes of souffle dishes, but none here. And, to further complicate matters, our electric oven is not very tall, so anything rising to full deliciousness might burn on the upper heating element (don’t ask me how I became aware of this problem… ;-)). Still, once the idea of a mushroom souffle got in our heads, it was impossible to resist.

Starting with Julia Child‘s basic master recipe, I down-sized it for a small baking dish, gathered the ingredients and went to work, with fingers crossed for a great New Year’s Eve meal!

MIXED MUSHROOMS SOUFFLE
(from the Bewitching Kitchen)

bread crumbs and butter to coat the dish

1 T olive oil
1 shallot, minced
10 ounces of a mixture of mushrooms, diced
(I used 3/4 of fresh shiitake, 1/4 of cremini)
salt and pepper

for the bechamel base
2 + 1/2 T butter
2 + 1/2 T flour
3/4 cup whole milk, warmed in the microwave
salt, pepper, dash of ground nutmeg
3 egg yolks
1/4 to 1/3 cup of grated gruyere cheese

4 egg whites + pinch of salt

Prepare your baking dish (8 inch diameter, 3 inches tall; about 6 cups volume) by coating it with butter and sprinkling bread crumbs inside, tapping out the excess.

Break the eggs and separate yolks and whites – allow the whites to sit at room temperature while you prepare the souffle base.

Heat the olive oil in a skillet, add the shallots, cook until translucent and starting to get golden. Add the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper, and cook stirring a few times, until they release all their liquid and it completely evaporates. It is important to have the mushrooms without excessive moisture. Transfer to a plate to cool slightly, trying to spread them out as much as possible to release steam.

Prepare the bechamel sauce by melting the butter in a saucepan, adding the flour and cooking for a few minutes, stirring constantly. Add the warm milk all at once, season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg, and cook until it thickens (about 5 minutes on low heat). Remove from the heat, let it cool slightly, then add the egg yolks, one at a time. Reserve.

When it’s time to bake the souffle, add the sauteed mushrooms to the bechamel sauce, mix well. Add the grated cheese, a little at a time, mixing to incorporate (you may not need to use it all, don’t make the batter too heavy).

Beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt in a very clean bowl using an electric mixer until they form soft peaks. Add 1/4 of the egg white mixture to the mushroom/cheese base, and mix well. Now, working gently, incorporate the rest of the beaten egg whites, carefully folding it, trying not to loose too much volume. Pour the batter into the prepared dish and bake in a heated 420 F oven for 30-35 minutes, reducing the temperature to 375 F as soon as the dish goes in.

Remove from the oven and serve right away – it will collapse quickly, but it won’t lose its “wow” factor…

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: My husband commented that “this souffle should be a regular side dish in every classic American steak house.” How’s that for endorsement? It was unexpectedly excellent, considering that I improvised every step of the way through it. Shiitake mushrooms have an assertive taste, and adding some cremini to the mix mellowed the flavor a bit.

If you have individual souffle molds, simply pour half the batter in each, and bake for slightly less time – say, 25 to 30 minutes. It’s a perfect amount for two (hungry) people; a perfect way to close a wonderful year!

ONE YEAR AGO: Stollen

17Jul2009

LEMONY ASPARAGUS

Posted in Veggies by sallybr

asparagus

By the time Summer hits with full force, there is no denying that the best of asparagus is over. For asparagus lovers such as myself this is a sad turn of events, but I still buy it whenever I see some that look tasty enough. There are so many ways to prepare asparagus, either as a side dish or incorporated in pastas, risottos, soups, savory tarts. I will share one of my favorite recipes: simplicity itself. I wish I knew where I got it from to give proper credit, but unfortunately I don’t remember. Only three ingredients (plus salt and pepper), and less than five minutes of your time. Have I convinced you to try it yet? 😉

LEMONY ASPARAGUS

1 bunch of asparagus, not too thin, not too thick, just right
zest of 1 lemon
olive oil, best possible quality you can find
salt and pepper

In a small bowl, mix the olive oil with lemon zest and allow it to sit while you prepare the asparagus.

Cut the asparagus on a diagonal, reserving the tough ends for your veggie stock or your compost pile. Add the asparagus pieces to slightly salted boiling water and boil for 2 minutes. Yes, only two. Trust me. Drain them in a pasta colander and run cold water from the faucet briefly over them. You just want to stop the cooking, but don’t allow them to get cold.

Add the asparagus to a serving dish, pour the olive oil/lemon zest mixture on top, toss, season with salt and pepper. Serve and wait for compliments.

Measurements for this recipe are not precise, in fact I often just eye-ball it.The amount of olive oil, for instance, I just use what it seems to be enough to lightly coat the asparagus pieces, and use enough lemon zest to make sure it will end up with a bright, nice, lemony taste. Sometimes I squeeze some lemon juice together with the olive oil, sometimes I add fresh thyme, but for the most part I keep it simple.

It is important that the asparagus is still warm when you add it to the olive oil mixture. But you can enjoy this dish warm or at room temperature. Leftovers keep quite well, I love to have them in my bento box for lunch, with grape tomatoes, maybe some couscous or a slice of bread.

para receita em portugues, proxima pagina

23Jun2009

FROM BACKYARD TO KITCHEN

Posted in Veggies by sallybr

zucchini2

Two of our three zucchini plants got so sick I had to cut them, but the other one seemed to shape up, maybe afraid of following the neighbors’ fate. Yesterday, as I stared at the pantry considering my options for a quick dinner, it occurred to me to go check our veggie garden. I knew the cherry tomatoes had to be ripe by now, but the two cute zucchinis were a nice added bonus. Let’s hope this is just the beginning of a great harvest! 😉

Veggies fresh from the garden (as well as from farmer’s markets) are so much better than those tired beings at the grocery store, that I like to keep their preparation very simple. One of my favorite quick dishes for zucchini comes from a great blog, Smitten Kitchen. I make it quite often, actually, changing it slightly according to my mood.

Here is yesterday’s version, served as a side dish for barbecued brisket that will definitely show up on Bewitching Kitchen sometime

QUICK ZUCCHINI SAUTE WITH ROASTED PEANUTS
(adapted from Smitten Kitchen, original recipe from Red Cat, New York)

2 small zucchini (preferably from your own garden!)
2 tsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
squirt of lemon juice
lemon zest to taste
1/4 cup roasted, salted peanuts

Julienne the zucchini, not too thin (zucchini tends to turn into mush fairly easily). Heat the olive oil in a non-stick pan until you can detect a little smoke forming. Add the zucchini, salt and pepper. Saute until it starts to get light brown in some spots. Lower the heat, add a squirt of fresh lemon juice, some lemon zest, and incorporate the roasted peanuts. Taste for seasoning, adjust if necessary.

wait, there is more to read!