Curried Lentil Salad

I used a combination of regular wheat berries
and charcoal wheat berries

Happy New Year!  What better way to start off the year than a delicious, healthful lentil salad.
Lentils are said to hold significance at the start of the year -- consuming them brings you luck for the year!
The reason is in the shape of the lentil: they resemble little coins and are symbolic of a plentiful and rewarding year to come!
A large part of the flavor of this salad is a curry vinaigrette, make your own curry or purchase it, but with a main component being turmeric you also get the benefits of this anti-inflammation and immune boosting herb.
Lots of fiber and protein in the lentils and more whole grain in the form of wheat berries (or spelt) and this is a powerhouse side dish.
The curry vinaigrette I have sweetened with honey, I find most people like curry subdued with a bit of sweet, but I have made this for myself without adding honey and I up the amount of white balsamic vinegar.
Experiment with what works for you, taste the vinaigrette as you go and add what works for you.

I used what are referred to as "ancient sweets" in many grocery stores.  It is an elongated thin skinned pepper.  I like the sweetness this adds to the dish but you can omit or substitute red bell peppers. 

Baccala di Natale

Aah, the feast of the seven fishes.  Or 13 fishes, more or less.  It just depends on how crazy you want to get with the Christmas Eve menu.  But suffice it to say the Italian Christmas Eve feast is a delight for seafood lovers.  If you haven't had baccala before it is a salt cured cod fish.  In the United States there is generally just an opportunity to purchase baccala without defining a "grade." But I have seen different grades, you may find that talking to an importer of Italian or Greek foods can guide you to the type they sell and what would be best for this style preparation.  It does come with quite a few bones, just leave them in and remove as you eat the fish.

This dish marries the sweetness of raisins with the tang from the vinegar you will add (and from the marinated peppers).  The bread and potatoes that are on the bottom of the pan become golden and crispy at the edges but are still moist from olive oil and vinegar.  The fish is sandwiched within the layers to keep it moist.

Note: salt cured baccala needs to be soaked for several days in water.  Place the fish in a rectangular container large enough to hold the piece(s) of fish. Cover with a couple inches of water and place the lid on container.  Place in the refrigerator.  Change the water daily. 

This dish on it's own is satisfying.  It is an exercise in portion control on Christmas Eve or you will never make it to the baccala with all the courses that lead up to it!  Luckily it helps being the one to prepare the meal--you know what is yet to come!

The bread -- and potatoes-- at the bottom of the pan
will become golden, crispy at the edges and soft inside.

I remember the first time I had an Italian Christmas Eve dinner.  I didn't like seafood at the time-- and we had an anchovy pasta as part of the meal.  It was not an event I was looking forward to again.  Fast forward several years and suddenly my taste buds had changed and I liked fish.  As I experimented with varieties and adapted ideas to my liking I also started contemplating the Christmas Eve meal.

I've made very extensive Christmas Eve dinners and lighter ones, but all have an antipasto plate, pasta, baccala, eel (or swordfish) and salad.

 A typical menu might be:

Antipasto plate:
marinated seafood salad of calamari and octopus in a citrus marinade

Zuppa di Pesce:
A thin tomato based soup with seafood (mussels, clams, shrimp)

Pasta:
Pasta di Mare: Red sauce pasta with baccala and octopus (or variety of additional seafood)

Baccala:
Roasted with potatoes, pine nuts, raisins, peppers, garlic, swiss chard and bread

Eel:
Grilled with lemon, oil, garlic and parsley.  Served with salad

What I am posting here is the Baccala course.  I'm sure there are as many ways or preparing this as there are regions and sub regions in Italy.  This one is based on what may be served in the Molise region. 

Roasted Butternut Squash and Chestnut Wheat Salad

I garnished this with whole roasted chestnuts.
I had some from a farm, but you can buy them in a package at
Trader Joes and Whole Foods

Did I mention I bought a large case of butternut squash from an Amish farmer just as the last frost hit?
I do the same with other squash and onions, I find locally grown vegetables will hold for a long time in the fruit cellar--months from when purchased if kept cool.
Butternut squash is one of the sweetest varieties and I like how it pairs with balsamic vinegar-- the dressing for this salad is a rosemary vinaigrette.
This is such a versatile recipe that can be used with any vegetable you like or variety of grains.  Just keep in mind to use a vegetable that will roast until soft yet still hold its shape when tossed with the remaining ingredients.  I think a chewy grain is best, wheat berry, spelt, or farro.  But if you want it to be lighter then freekeh or quinoa would work too but watch how much dressing you use, add it in small amounts until it seems "right".

Dark Chocolate Dates with Citrus Walnuts

We were going to dinner at a friends house and I wanted to bring something simple, I knew dinner would be delicious and filling!  I also knew this person loved dates and chocolate.  I remember making these for Christmas last year and they were a big hit.  So 20 minutes later I had a plate of these ready to go...
Make a few more for yourself, these are unbelievably good!

Seitan Roulade

I was seeking out something to make for Thanksgiving that was meatless and could accompany all the wonderful sides that go along with the holiday meal.

I've never even tried Tofurkey but it does not look appealing to me, nor do some of the other items like Quorn's Vegetarian Turk'y.

In the past we have made fish in a variety of preparations to go with the meal.  I wanted to do something else but yet we don't eat meat.  Not wanting to serve a premade vegetarian Thanksgiving entree I found several ideas online.  I adapted one I found on the Olives for Dinner site (olivesfordinner.com) by adding some spicing to the wheat gluten and making a different stuffing for the roulade.  I love how this came out.  I seared the outside a bit more than I may have liked--in fact I made this again and seared it less, it rolls better and stays moister.

I had extra seitan left so i coated those with coarse ground corn meal and seared those -- vegan cutlets.  They were very easy to make and really good also!

Creamy Kale Chestnut Gratin

Absolutely delicious!  A small amount of almond milk makes these creamy without adding a lot of fat.  You can use whatever your favorite dairy or nondairy milk is: soy, flax, oat or evaporated milk.  A firm type of greens work best, such as kale or collard.  You can use swiss chard but it will cook down a lot-- add more greens.
I like the addition of roasted chestnuts but if you prefer use pinenuts or leave out altogether.

Winter Herb Stuffed Squash

I absolutely love this dish!  And its so versatile, use whatever you like pairing with the sweetness of butternut squash.  Mushrooms would be great, certainly sage makes a great partner.  I've added some whole wheat breadcrumbs to these but that is purely optional.  Prepared quinoa would be a good addition or substitute, this would make it heartier and would be a great entree served with a salad or rapini.
I hope you enjoy this as much as I do!

Vegan Stuffed Savoy Cabbage

Looking for what else to do with falls bounty of cauliflower, carrots, cabbage?  Totally vegetarian and vegan cabbage rolls....

I'm still using the massive cauliflower I bought at the farmers market!  I decided to cook it until tender, mash it and use it incorporated into a stuffing for savoy cabbage leaves.  You can make a quick red sauce and place these on top of that in a pan to cook, but I placed these on a bed of sliced onions and carrots to roast.
Savoy cabbage is more tender than the typical cabbage so if you are using another type just blanch a bit longer.

Eggplant Polenta Stacks

I have been asked many times how to use eggplant.  Often in the checkout line at a grocery store and most always I hear that people tend to make it fried or fried then baked in eggplant parmesan. 

I love eggplant and it can be used in so MANY ways!  I roast it very often when in a hurry.  Sliced, cut in chunks or in long wedges until it becomes creamy inside and golden outside.  I grill it, thinly slice and marinate it in balsamic and to things with that, use in casseroles.  This is a short list.

Here I have made it two ways for this dish--I roasted some and then pureed that for between the polenta rounds and a small amount (barely visible) I put on top the stack.  Then that is topped with thinly sliced and marinated eggplant.  But you could use sliced grilled or roasted eggplant chunks on the top.

This makes a large appetizer, I would probably make them smaller for that, or a good side dish.  Maybe serve with a simple white fish like tilapia.
I had the last of the basil that was still holding on after being moved inside after summer ended, now it is gone--but was so appreciated!

Cauliflower Steaks Siciliano

The cauliflower at the markets and stands seems like its gotten pumped up on steroids.  They are huge, and if you buy one for a family of 2, well you have to find lots of ways to use it before it browns.  Don't get me wrong, some of the slight discoloration on the florets can be cut off, and that will especially happen if you wash the whole head and only use part.
This was inspired by flavors I associate with Sicily: tomatoes, olives, capers, fennel and raisins.  And of course garlic, feast on....

Tempeh with orange cranberry kale

A one bowl meal.  There are a few steps to get to the finish but it is such a well rounded dish nutritionally and full of flavor.  I had a treviso kale on hand, but any kale will do.  Also think collard greens, or a mix of greens (chickory, turnip, radicchio, etc)  Also substitute any grain, in this dish I used brown rice but freekeh would work very well. 

Black eyed peas can be purchased canned but are one of the quickest cooking dry beans out there so if you have them on hand, cook the dry beans while steaming the tempeh and put aside for later use.  Prefer cannelini?  Use them, but be gentle as they will break down easily.

I also made a tofu based sauce i put along the edge of the bowl, if you have a favroite pre-made sauce use it (hummus doctored up may work!)

For tempeh:

1 package of tempeh
granulated garlic
salt
smoked paprika
1/2 cup apple cider (or vegetable broth)
1 TBS tamari
1/2 Tbs Chili paste

Cut tempeh in half lengthwise, then make 8 cuts in the opposite direction so you now have 16 pieces.  Staem briefly in steamer basket (~3 minutes).  Remove and place in shallow dish to marinate (or use pan you will bake it in--line pan with nonstick foil so the tempeh doesn't stick while baking).  Coat each side of tempeh pieces with salt, granulated garlic, smoked paprika.  Mix marinade ingredients and pour into pan.
Cover pan and bake in 450 oven , check after 20 minutes, and trun tempeh pieces.  Bake uncovered for 10 minutes until liquid is absorbed.

Black Eyed Peas
1/2 15 oz can black eyed peas or 1/3 cup dried (prepare beans cooked only in water)
2 tsp mint, finely chopped
1 shallot, minced and sauteed in olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Toss beans with thinly sliced mint, shallot, salt and pepper

Brown Rice
1/3 cup brown rice
2/3-1 cup water
Cook according to package directions, 1 part rice to 2 parts water


Kale
1 bunch kale or other greens
juice of 1 orange
zest of 1 orange
1 clove garlic, finely minced
2 TBS dried cranberries
olive oil

In the same steamer basket that tempeh was prepared in, place the kale and cook until wilted.  Heat olive oil in a saute pan over low-medium heat.  Add garlic and cook 1 minute.  Add wilted kale, season with salt and cover pan.  Stir occasionally, after a few minutes add orange juice and cranberries, saute for a few more minutes until most of orange juice has been abosrbed.  Add orange zest and shut off heat.

Tofu Sauce
1/2 lb firm tofu
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup canola oil
2 TBS nutritional yeast
3 TBS fresh basil
2 tsp dijon mustard
2 tsp tahini
1 clove garlic

Place all ingredients in food processor and process until smooth.

to assemble: 
Place some of the brown rice in bowl,  mound some kale in the center, top with some of the minted black eyed peas.  Place tempeh pieces around perimeter.  Drizzle tofu sauce over top.

Goat Cheese Stuffed Fritatta

Making the fritatta thin and then cutting into 4 pieces allows 2 stuffed friatatta wedges

The breadcrumbs make a crispy, crunchy exterior
The goat cheese makes a creamy center

Big surprise--this started off with the grill.  This I know has been a continual theme on the summer blogs I've written.  But if you don't have a grill or don't feel like grilling you can cook vegetables in a very hot oven on a shallow baking sheet.  It won't have exactly the same flavor, but delicious just the same.

We were out for a long run on a muggy morning and tossing around ideas for breakfast.  The basis was a fritatta, mostly egg white but adding one whole egg.  Then decided to make it have a bit more crunch-- the idea for using breadcrumbs in the pan first and lightly toasting them before adding the grilled vegetables came up.

I had fresh goat cheese from a cheese maker at the market and fresh basil so decided to use those as well.  I served this with a small lightly dressed salad and it became brunch!

Chevre de provence

So if you start with a good quality goat cheese then this will be together in minutes.  I actually made a goat cheese ricotta that went a little too far and I ended up with chevre.  Happy mistake, I had plenty so I gathered some herbs from the garden and mixed them in.  Going for an herbs de provence approach I used rosemary, lavender, tarragon, chives and a spritz of lemon.

There will be no recipe to jump to: for one ounce of chevre add ! TBS mixed chopped fresh herbs.  I would use less rosemary and lavender than tarragon and chives. Rosemary and lavender can overpower the blend.

That's it, but I loved it so much I had to throw it in here!

Shishito Peppers with Chevre

Is anyone else inundated with all things summer?  You may have noticed the abundance of recipes with no more than a few simple ingredients coming through this blog.  Like everyone else, we have been struggling just to get everything done each day so simple is best lately in the kitchen!
You likely have noticed the proliferation of shishito peppers on restaurant menus.  I love them grilled and served with great olive oil and course sea salt.  A little chevre and marcona almonds doesn't hurt either!

I like chive flowers, so added a few more and cilantro leaves.
Chopped marcona almonds or toasted hazelnuts work great too!

I've made these with pepperoncini peppers too -- I have a few plants going nonstop!

Blueberry Lime Preserves

What a great season for blueberries!  I love eating these in season, but will also freeze some on cookie sheets and then fill gallon freezer bags with them.  They make a great addition to smoothies, homemade blueberry "ice cream" with just Greek yogurt, some honey and a rocket blender.  Or just eaten frozen they are a surprisingly sweet dessert.
But a great way to capture summer in a jar is making preserves with blueberries.  I've made many combinations through the summers: plain, or with: orange, lime, cherries, raspberry.
I've even used these and added diced habanero to make a sweet/spicy counterpoint to brie.  The buttery richness of brie against this sweet, tangy, spicy chutney rocks!

The recipe below is a favorite combo of mine--blueberry with lime.
Makes 3-4 half pint jars

Panzanella

The grilled bread is just poking out through in this picture, I add a lot of grilled veggies in the summer!
But add more or less depending on your taste.



Baby it's hot outside!  Why turn on the oven, grab your favorite vegetables and a few slices of a rustic bread.  The framework for this is simple, adjust with any additions or deletions to suit your taste.
you will notice in this picture I served it with a grilled salmon steak. 
this would also make a great summer lunch for company, serve with some cheese and a glass of wine

Stuffed Peppers with Tofu

Scoop through the golden crust and you will find that these don't taste at all what you may imagine tofu to taste like. Great with roasted swiss chard, you can also make a quick red sauce if you like for the peppers.  The same tofu preparation for tofu cakes can be used to stuff peppers and make a great entree.
I like to use a sweet pepper--whether that means a red or yellow bell pepper or one of the "ancient sweets".  The thickness of bell peppers hold up well to roasting though.
You can fill these and bake them filling side up or place the filling on the pan and cap those with the peppers-- same taste just different presentation.

Below is the recipe for the tofu cakes, I don't use the lime juice or baking powder when I make these and occasionally I add some grated cheese. 

Tofu Cakes with Minted Corn Relish

Most people I know have an aversion to tofu.  Or at least they think they do, perpetuated by the many bland preparations of this bean.  I have come to enjoy it just cubed and tossed with grains and a dressing but know that is not the case for most people.  Along the way I have come up with a multitude of ways to prepare tofu-- as a "shake and bake" style entree, to tofu lasagna with tofu slabs baked and replacing the noddles or using tofu to make a ricotta like filling and using homemade lasagna noodles.  The adaptability of tofu to take on many flavors and textures allows an almost endless variety of dishes.
These tofu cakes can be made with whatever vegetables you like, just be sure to cut them in pieces small enough that the cakes won't break apart when you turn them during the cooking process.  I use a firm tofu that I drain but you could also freeze your tofu first--that will give a much more dense cake that absorbs a lot of flavor.  Tofu when frozen becomes almost sponge like--when you defrost it you can practically wring it out!  I prefer to use this when I am going to cut it in cubes and marinate it--it will suck up the marinade and the tofu gets infused with flavor.

Polenta Scones

Blueberry Polenta Scones



Apricot Polenta Scones

Apricot or Blueberry Polenta Scones....
Or any fresh fruit or preserves you care to flavor these with!
I made these last summer with some ingredients I had around after the polenta cake I make (recipe on blog).  Alter however you like, easily adaptable.  I think some thyme leaves would be nice in the batter.

All the Best Summer Salad

Too hot in the kitchen?  Take a day off from cooking and toss together a salad with a light vinaigrette, have some wonderful crusty bread with your favorite cheese and a glass of wine.  Cheers to summer....

I absolutely love this time of year when all the hard work of spring and early summer pays off in a bounty of vegetables!  Even with a hotter than normal summer the salad greens are still going strong.  I've picked fresh lima beans and keep blanching them and putting them on salads and in side dishes.  The tomatoes have had an early start and are already so prolific that I am drying and freezing some--or in this case using them on salad too.

Go with what you love--No recipe needed!

Blueberry Polenta Cake

Blueberry and cherry blend

I adapted this from the Cherry-Olive Oil Polenta Cake published on oprah.com
I reduced the amount of sugar, used most whole wheat pastry flour where it called for all purpose flour and added more lemon.  I have made this with blueberry, raspberry, sour cherry or a mix. 

Made with black raspberries and served with goat yogurt and berries

Blueberry Buckwheat Pancakes with Key Lime Chevre

So continuing on the daily blueberry fest here--of course pancakes are a natural fit!  I still had some stone ground buckwheat flour in the freezer from the farmers market.
Before each holiday Lake Erie Creamery makes their key lime chevre.  I'm addicted I admit it!  There are so many uses for this from sweet to savory.  Here I put it on the pancakes with some blueberry sauce--summer on a plate!
If you cannot get the key lime chevre: mix some fresh chevre with vanilla, key lime juice, powdered sugar and lime zest to taste.

Rosemary Roasted Beet Salad

Beets right now are abundant at the farm stands around here.  It's one of those vegetables I don't grow as space is limited and I can find them throughout the summer everywhere.  At the beginning of summer you will notice how easily they peel and they are candy sweet!
I like them roasted with a bit of shallot or onion and rosemary and then dress them for this salad, but thyme would work equally well.

Red, White and Blue Arugula Salad

In honor of the Fourth of July holiday I'm posting this recipe.  And frankly I have so much arugula I have been making salads everyday.  Combine that with the 25 pounds of blueberries I just picked and there you have it!  So this is as much a recipe of necessity as a recipe of good flavor combinations!
I've made the vinaigrette with white balsamic, but you could use any vinegar you like: regulat balsamic, seasoned rice vinegar, etc.

Strawberry Ginger Shortcake with Chevre Whipped Cream

The shortcakes for this came out incredibly moist and delicate.  I used half all purpose flour and half whole wheat pastry flour.  After mixing ingredients I added chopped crystallized ginger to the batter. 
If you make these the day before you want to use them they will dry a bit and absorb any topping you put on them-- strawberries macerated with honey, blackberries with ginger and cinnamon, chocolate sauce with candied orange....
But it's strawberry season so I did strawberries with a chevre whipped cream!

Strawberry Rhubarb Preserves

Strawberries were early this year and it has given me way too many opportunities to pick some up from local farmers.  I end up with way too many and have to find ways to keep them from spoiling.  I've made strawberry sauce (I've been making it a couple years now after a failed no pectin strawberry jam experiment).  I don't like to add pectin to my jams and preserves so this combination works really well.  The rhubarb and lemon give enough pectin to thicken these.
As a bonus the tartness of rhubarb and brightness of lemon pair great with sweet strawberries....

Rosemary Raspberry Scones

My sister made these for a family dinner and gave me the recipe.  They were a huge hit with everybody--kids too!  The rosemary is just zesty enough to balance the sweetness of the raspberry.
I call them scookies because they have a cross between a scone, shortbread and cookie texture.  These are not the dense or cakey type of scone, they are much more delicate. 

This recipe has raspberry for the filling and rosemary in the dough. 

Play with combinations!

Use thyme or lavender.  Thyme paired with a lemon curd filling. I also like the idea of lemon or orange zest added to any of these.
Make them Savory-- use black pepper with the rosemary and put a mix of goat cheese and dried cheese in the center and serve these along with cheese and olives, probably cutting them different. 

Or make it quick--roll out the dough a bit thinner, put the filling in the center to one edge and fold the other end of the dough over that.  Then cut into pie shaped pieces.  No it won't be as pretty but will taste just as good and have a rustic appeal!