pasta with artichoke-walnut pesto

This pasta was served with a variation of a wedge salad: very crisp iceberg lettuce cut into large chunks, 1 cup of flat leaf parsely, coarsely chopped tomato, a sprinkling of gorgonzola all tossed with your favorite viniagrette dressing.

(note: cheese can be left out of each step, making a great vegan dish)

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A fun holiday meal for two:

THE PESTO (this will give you left-overs)
1 jar or can of artichoke hearts, packed in water and drained well (it's 1 1/2 cups if you are so lucky to find frozen)
1/4 - 1/3 cup parsley
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
3-4 garlic cloves, skinned
salt, pepper (to taste)
juice of 1 1/2 lemons
1/3 cup sherry vinegar
1/2 - 3/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup freshly grated asiago cheese

If you haven't made fresh pesto before, it is generally rather thick.  It is best tossed through hot pasta or spread with a knife. Place the artichoke hearts, parsley, walnuts, garlic, salt and freshly ground pepper in a food processor or blender until well mixed.  Add lemon juice and vinegar and blend further.  Stream in olive oil until preferred consistency and add asiago, blending well.  The sauce should have a thickness of a heavy salad dressing.  If it is too thick, add a little more of both lemon juice or vinegar and olive oil and blend. Set aside at room temperature.

THE PROTEIN
1/2 cup cannelli beans (1 cup if you don't include shrimp)
1/2 cup edamame (1 cup if you don't include shrimp)
16 50-count shrimp, peeled and deveined (optional)
3-4 sliced garlic cloves
pinch salt; pepper to taste
extra virgin olive oil

Mix ingredients together. Set aside to marinate.  Refrigerate if you include shrimp.

THE PASTA
A nice flavored fresh pasta is great with this.   We made homemade pasta with lemon zest and parsley, but any kind would do.  This recipe calls for about 2 cups of fresh pasta.

THE DISH
Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil.  Add a hefty pinch of salt to bring the water to an even higher temperature.  Allow to return to a boil.  Add pasta.  If you are using fresh pasta, you know it's done when it floats.  If you are using dried pasta, cook according to package instructions.  Once done, remove from heat, drain, and mix with enough pesto to lightly cover the pasta.

Bring a sautee pan to heat with a tiny bit of olive oil in it (medium high; allow the oil just to begin to smoke).  Add the shrimp (if you are using it).  Once shrimp is seared on one side (about 2 minutes), turn it and add the rest of the beans and garlic, cooking another two minutes.

Plate the pesto covered pasta and place the beans and shrimp on top.  This recipe is terrific topped with a gremolata of finely chopped garlic, parsley and parmesan.

Serve immediately and enjoy!

Delectable Artichoke Pasta

2 cups whole wheat pasta
1 cup spinach, frozen
1 cup peas, frozen
garlic powder, to taste
3 tsp. artichoke antipasto, from Trader Joes
1/2 cup parmesan or romano cheese, to taste
1 cup garbanzo beans

Cook the pasta as directed. Add spinach and peas. Cook until tender. Drain. Sprinkle garlic powder to taste. Add artichoke antipasto, mix evenly` Return to heat and warm. Add cheese, to taste, and add garbanzo beans and heat. Serve warm.

This would also be delicious with olive tapenade, if this suits your tastes.

Thanks to my cousins for this delicious meal!

Saffron Rice with Lemon

This simple dish is a great complement to any spicy, rich Moroccan dish.  The rice is steeped with subtle nutty flavor of saffron while the lemon provides a wonderful contrast.  Leftover rice is wonderful mixed into an herbed egg scramble the next day for breakfast (I usually make a chive-parsely scramble for this). 


INGREDIENTS
2T extra virgin olive oil
Small pinch of saffron threads (maybe 10-15)
1 cup basmati rice
1T lemon zest
water
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Rinse rice in cold water and drain multiple times until water becomes clear.  Drain thoroughly and set aside.  Heat oil in a heavy saucepan on medium until a drop of water sizzles in it.  Add drained rice and saffron; sautee, stirring occasionally, until the rice is very dry and sticks to the bottom of the pan (without burning).  pour water over the rice to cover by about an inch.  Release rice from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.  Add lemon zest.  Cover, and bring to a gentle simmer.  Simmer until water has evaporated (about 15 minutes).  Let stand for 5 minutes and fluff with a fork prior to serving. 

Fennel & Berry Salad

Sometimes the season dictates flavors that are beautiful together.  This salad perfectly balances a savory dish such as vegetarian lasagna or anything baked and complex.

INGREDIENTS
1 fennel bulb, halved and thinly sliced
1/8 red onion shaved or very thinly sliced, then chopped
2 clementines, segmented
1/3 cup pomegranate seeds
1 teaspoon poppy seeds

RECIPE
Assemble the ingredients on a bed of sliced fennel.  Top with a sprinkling of poppy seeds.  The salad is also great with dried berries, particularly cranberries or  cherries. I can think of two perfect simple dressings for this:

DRESSINGS
Lemon-Honey
   1-1/2 T lemon juice
   1t cidar vinegar
   1t  local honey

Rice Wine Vinegar - Mirin
   Sprinkle about a tablespoon of each over the salad

South Indian Inspired Vegetarian Chili

Back in 1996, my friend Rahul returned from a trip from Mumbai with some brand new recipes he had learned from his cousins.  This is where I learned to make jalepeno-coconut chutney.  It's also where I learned to use mustard seed properly and understand the impacts of spice layering on the taste of dishes.  Most importantly, immediately upon smelling the popping mustard and cumin seeds, I absolutely knew how to make a delicious vegetarian chili that is unmistakably chili.  Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS (note the importance of flavor layering highlighted in sections):

3T canola oil (or any high flash point oil)
1T yellow mustard seeds (black are fine, I use a mixture)
1T cumin seeds
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1 yellow onion, diced
3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
1-2 dried chilis of your choice
1-28 oz can of whole tomatoes
28 oz water
1-6 oz can of tomato paste
2T ground cumin
1/2 t curry powder
1/4-1/2 t cayenne pepper
1 can each dark and light red kidney beans, thoroughly rinsed
2 cans black beans, thoroughly rinsed (you must use canned because you need them to disintegrate into the chili to thicken it)
1 package sliced portabello mushrooms, chopped
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RECIPE
Place oil, mustard seeds and cumin seeds in a covered pot over medium high heat.  Seeds will begin to pop.  When popping slows, turn down the heat to medium-low and add the diced onions and dried peppers.  Sauté until the onions are thoroughly softened.  Add garlic and stir.

Crush the whole tomatoes into the pan, removing any skin that might be remaining.  Add juice, water and tomato paste.  Mix thoroughly and turn the heat up to medium.  Add remaining spices, mushrooms and beans; cover and bring to a nice simmer.  Simmer for 1/2 hour or so until desired thickness and serve piping hot.


YOGURT RAITA
1 cup plain yogurt, drained

zest and juice of 1 lime

1 tablespoon coriander seeds, crushed


I typically use fat free yogurt for this.  First, you need to drain some liquid from the yogurt to thicken it.  I Place a coffee filter or 2 paper towels layered in a fine mesh sieve over a bowl.  Spoon in the yogurt into the sieve, and set aside to drain for at least 1/2 hour.  Add lime zest, lime juice and freshly crushed coriander.  Mix well.  This makes a wonderful topping for chili (or any spicy Mexican dish)!  If you prefer it a bit more savory, you can add a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil. 

Artichoke Salad/Artichoke Lemon Soup

The Salad:

1 lb bag frozen artichoke hearts, halved (you can substitute jarred or canned *in water*)
1 lemon, very thinly sliced
1/4 red onion, very thinly sliced
juice of 1 lemon
1T extra virgin olive oil
pinch grey salt (or sea salt)
freshly ground black pepper

Thaw or drain artichoke hearts.  Halve and place in a large bowl with lemon and onion slices.  Add lemon and olive oil.  Toss and refrigerate overnight.   Add salt and pepper to taste.  Allow to come to room temperature.

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Artichoke lemon soup

Place leftovers in a saucepan.  Add thinly sliced garlic (around 3 gloves).  Add vegetable broth -- just enough to cover artichokes and maybe 1/2 inch.  [If you don't have broth, you can make it with 1/2 onion, 1 carrot and 1 stalk of celery, roughly chopped.  Put in sauce pan with a pinch of salt. Sautee in olive oil until soft.  At 3-4 cups of water and simmer for 30 minutes.  Add artichoke salad].

Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes.  Turn off heat and transfer in batches to a blender or food processor.  Pulse until a nice puree.  Be careful -- hot soup expands when you blend it.  Hold a kitchen towel over the lid as you blend.

Serve and top with fresh parsely and/or shaved parmesan cheese.

Fried Green Tomatoes

1 lb firm green tomatoes, sliced in 1/4 inch slices
1/2 cup corn meal
1 T cayenne pepper (optional)
1T black pepper
1T grated parmesan cheese (optional)
olive oil

Mix the dry ingredients and cheese together and spread over a large plate. Slice the tomatoes and coat them lightly in the corn meal mixture.

Fill a sautee pan until it has 1/2 inch of oil. Heat over medium high heat. When a drop of water sizzles, add a few tomato slices, being sure not to over crows them. When the corm meal mixture begins to brown, remove the slice from the oil and place on paper towels to drain.

Coconut Chutney

I learned the basics of this recipe from my dear friend Rahul when we were in grad school. This is a great topping for vegetable biryani, or baked fish (or even chicken). For a special meal, I often top halibut steaks with this chutney and bake in parchment paper. You may leave the peppers out entirely if you do not enjoy spicy food.

1 cup unsweetened grated coconut (you can easily purchase this from an Indian grocer)
2-3 jalepeno peppers
zest and juice from 1-2 lime (you need 2-3 T depending on how moist the other ingredients are)
1 inch fresh ginger root, peeled and minced or finely grated
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, large stems
1/4 cup sofrito
1T toasted cumin
2-4 T extra virgin olive oil

I often make the chutney completely by hand, so it is very possible to make a great chutney even if you do not have access to a food processor or blender, grate the coconut and mince and/or chop the ingredients finely. Mix by hand. In this case, you will want the mixture to sit for at least an hour so the flavors may be nicely blended.

-or-

In a food processor or blender, combine the coconut, peppers, lime, ginger, cilantro and cumin. Once well blended, continue to blend gently and stream in olive oil until it the mixture is a texture you like (perhaps more course for vegetable toppings; you might like it more smooth for baking with meat or protein).

Basic and Simple Vinaigrette Dressing

This is the very basic. Add the following ingredients to a mixing bowl.

1T dijon mustard (works as an emulsifier to add body to the dressing)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup sherry vinegar (balsamic or red wine vinegar make great dressings, too)
small pinch of course sea salt and pepper to taste
if you prefer a sweeter dressing, 1/2 - 1T honey (an emulsifier)

Wisk the mustard [and honey] until they are are suspended thoroughly in the vinegar. Add the oil and wisk again. Add the salt and wisk. I prefer sea salt and usually use grey salt in this very simple vinaigrette, but what you have on hand will do just fine. Taste the dressing for balance. (Remember that it will have to compliment the salad you prepare and will seem much more strong by itself).

If it's too tart, add a bit more honey and/or olive oil. If it's too sweet, add a bit more vinegar and/or mustard. Once balanced, add pepper to taste.
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Other additions you might consider:
   minced garlic
   hot sauce
   horseradish
   fresh lemon or lime juice (replacing some of the vinegar)
   mashed and strained berries
   blood orange juice and ginger
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The possibilities are endless...

101 Simple Salads for the Season (thanks NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/22/dining/22mlist.html?_r=2&hp

Potato Salad, My Style

This potato salad is a non-mayo based version that is loved by my mayonnaise-loving friends.

Dressing

1 cup of plain, non-fat yogurt, strained for 1/2 hour

2 T sweet onion (I use cippolini when I can find them) VERY FINELY minced (or grated or pulped in a food processor and drained)

1 T dijon mustard

1 T honey (your local variety)

1 T extra virgin olive oil

2 T minced fennel fronds
salt and pepper to taste (optional)

Veggies

6-8 medium red potatoes, diced (or those of your choice)

4 hard boiled eggs, sliced (you can omit yolks)

5-6 radishes, thinly sliced

1-2 stalks celery, diced

3 cloves of garlic, minced

Set the yogurt in a coffee filter lined sieve over an empty bowl to drain. Dice the potatoes and boil. Once cooked, drain and place in large bowl. Cool them to room temperature.

While the potatoes are cooling, mix the remaining dressing ingredients together. Make sure you are using very finely minced onion because you just want the sweetness and taste of the onion to be subtle. If you have to mechanically pulp them, be sure to drain excess water off. Once mixed, taste the dressing to ensure it balanced to your liking. If it's too sweet, add mustard; if it's too tart, add a bit of honey and olive oil. You may add salt and pepper to taste.

Once at room temperature (or refrigerator cooled to below room temp), add the remaining salad ingredients in layers. Pour the dressing over the top and mix thoroughly, but gently.  It's best to do with your bare hands, as with most pre-dressed salads.

I love to serve this at room temperature, but it is great cooled.

My Favorite Yogurt Sauce

This is a very good sauce for spicy dishes...it replaces a dollop of sour cream and is more refreshing.

1 C plain or fat free yogurt (I only use organic dairy)

1 lime; zest and juice

1 tablespoon coriander seeds

1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves (optional)

pepper to taste

Place a metal sieve that can hold your yogurt over a bowl. Insert a cheesecloth, large flat coffee filter or a couple of paper towels over the sieve. Put the yogurt on top of the cloth to drain, refrigerated, for at least 1/2 hour.

Zest and juice a lime, making certain to strain out any seeds. With a mortar and pestle, grind the coriander seeds. The grindings don't have to be very fine; what you have the patience to do is okay. Mince the cilantro if you plan to add it.

Once the yogurt is strained (and anything really between unstrained and overnight is good depending on your preferred thickness and application), discard the residual liquid. Use a spoon or silicone spatula to transfer the thick yogurt to a bowl. Add your lime juice and spices and mix thoroughly. Add freshly ground pepper to the top and fold in.

Enjoy this on chili, Mexican rice, fish tacos, biryani, or any other dish that you would like a cooling influence.

Greek Variation (Tsatsiki)

Tsatsiki is often used as a condiment for gyros and other spicy Greek dishes, and includes:

1 cup yogurt

1/4 cup shredded cucumber, drained

1-2 cloves of garlic, minced

1/8 cup fresh mint leaves, minced

salt and pepper to taste

1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

Indian Variation (Raita)

1/2 seeded, towel dried and diced cucumber

1/2 tablespoon toasted cumin seeds

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tablespoon minced cilantro leaves (mint or italian parsley are fine if you don't prefer cilantro)

Quick & Simple Marinara Sauce

This marinara sauce is so easy that it can be finished by the time you boil water for pasta. It keeps well in the refrigerator and is a great homemade choice for lasagna, eggplant parmesan or anything similar.

Ingredients:

1 T extra virgin olive oil

1 medium sweet yellow onion, diced

3 cloves of garlic, finely minced

1 28-0z can of whole tomatoes

1 6-oz can of tomato paste

1T dried basil

1T raw sugar

1T balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup sliced black olives (optional)

crushed red pepper to taste

Add the olive oil to a saucepan on medium low heat. Add the chopped onions and allow to slowly cook, stirring often enough to keep them from browning. Once the onions have cooked through, add the garlic. Quickly crush the tomatoes (I like to do it with my hands) and add them to the pot. Add the remaining ingredients and stir between each addition.

When the sauce begins to simmer, it is finished. If it is too thick for your liking, you may add a bit of the pasta water.

Spicy Seafood Stew

(Don't let the length of the recipe dissuade you. This is one of my absolute favorites and it just came to me serendipitously.  No other recipes were used as the basis for the creation of this dish, but honors Emeril's "2 beer rule." ) BAM!!

Ingredients…
Part One: The Roux (30-40 minutes)
2-3 T butter; 1 T olive oil
1/3 c flour

Part Two: The Trinity (20 minutes)
1 large white onion, finely diced
3 stalks celery, finely diced
1 1/2 – 2 bell peppers, a combination of red, yellow, or orange, diced
pinch of salt

Part Three: The Stew (30 minutes)
2-3 bay leaves
1 T fresh thyme, chopped
3/4 t cayenne pepper, ground
¼ t cocoa powder (Dutch processed)
1/8 – ¼ t cinnamon
3 cloves garlic
1 carrot, diced
1 box organic vegetable broth
zest of 1 lemon
2 small Yukon gold potatoes, diced (optional)
28 oz can diced tomatoes
black pepper and crushed red pepper to taste

Part Four: The Seafood (8-10 minutes)
1 lb bay scallops
1 lb medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 lb salmon, no skin
(or 3 pounds of your favorite sturdy seafood)
fresh lemon juice or red wine
pinch of salt, pepper to taste

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Cooking Instructions

TO AVOID BURNING THE ROUX, START BY PREPARING THE TRINITY -- DICE THE ONION, BELL PEPPER AND CELERY AND SET TO THE SIDE OF THE POT. NO KIDDING. YOU CAN DICE EVERYTHING ELSE LATER WHILE YOU ARE COOKING, BUT YOU MUST CONSTANTLY STIR THE ROUX AND SHOULD NOT BE TAKING A BREAK OR TURNING DOWN THE HEAT TO CHOP. (and, yes, I am "yelling at you" here)

PART ONE – THE ROUX
Bring a heavy bottomed large stock pot to medium temperature. If you don’t have a cast iron (either plain or enameled pot) or a high quality stainless pot (something like All-Clad) you will need to lower the heat and the roux will take a bit longer to cook. Add the butter, oil, and flour and whisk into a paste. Heat and stir continuously and watch the color change…use the “two beer rule” – you should be stirring gently for about 30-40 minutes as the mixture changes from blonde, to almond, to chocolate, to brick colored. Use common sense and turn the heat up or down to cook the roux without burning it. You burn it, you start over. However, if you are easily amused and patient about cooking, you will absolutely love this...

Have a nice beverage or two to drink, good music and good company and the time will pass quickly. This step is immensely worth the effort. I’ve made lighter roux with whole wheat flour, and it may work for a dark roux, but I’m not sure. You do NEED a darker roux here. You can move forward with a minimum of a brick red roux, but a dark chocolate color is by far the best. To my amazement, these roux proportions become nice and liquid as they are cooked – don’t worry about that.

PART TWO – THE TRINITY
Once your roux is to color, add the trinity and a big pinch of salt. Pinch with all of your fingertips. This is about 1 teaspoon or so, but the food will taste better if you get your hands (clean, of course) into it. The salt causes the veggies to weep, which has two important effects – blending the flavors and adding to the volume (and the vegetable flavor) of the cooking liquid.

You may increase the heat if you feel you should. If you are using a heavy pot, you probably have enough thermal mass and therefore enough heat; if you are using a typical pot, you will most likely need to increase your heat a level or two.

A typical soup base is onion, celery, and carrots. In French cooking, this is called a mirpois. In Cajun cooking, “the Trinity” is onion (2 parts), celery (1 part); bell pepper (1 part). You may add the carrots along with the standard Trinity, but be gentle or you will have too much sweetness.

PART THREE – THE STEW
After the diced vegetables of the trinity have softened (maybe 10 minutes), add the spices, remaining chopped veggies, liquids and seasonings to the pot. Increase the heat and bring to a simmer. Everything should simmer together for about ½ hour.

PART FOUR – THE SEAFOOD
By this time, you or your sous chef should have prepared your fresh seafood for cooking. You may need to peel and devein your shrimp, remove skin from the salmon, take the foot off sea scallops…You may add a tiny bit of salt, black pepper or crushed red pepper to the raw fish. Be gentle with the salt. I don’t add any at this point.

Don’t bother searing bay scallops; they’re too small. Sear fish and shrimp or large scallops. Of course, you won’t sear mussels or clams or something in a shell. Fish in shells will cook in the stew. You can tell they’re done when they open. You wouldn’t sear crab, either.

Heat a skillet or grill pan to searing hot. Yes, I mean heat it to searing hot before you put any food in it; maybe you want a tiny bit of oil, but it’s not really needed. Place the shrimp and fish n the skillet to briefly sear the seafood. Don’t crowd it; cook it in batches. Once the first side is slightly seared, turn each piece over and sear the other side. Each side should take about 30 seconds or so for the shellfish – you’ll see the color start to change; two minutes for salmon. Pile the partially cooked, but seared seafood on a plate as you go. Once you have finished the last batch, squeeze ½ of a fresh lemon and/or a little red wine into the pan to deglaze it and scrape all of the remaining bits loose from the pan.

After searing all of the seafood, dump all of your seafood (seared and other) and the pan juices into the simmering stew, cover and let simmer for 4 minutes…no more; no less.

YOU MAY SKIP SEARING ALL TOGETHER – in that case, add the fish, about 4 minutes later, add the shellfish and squeeze ½ lemon into the stew. And cook for another 4-5 minutes.

Your spicy seafood stew is DONE!! Serve and enjoy with friends. (2-3 hours)

Fruit on the Bottom

1/2-2/3 cup plain organic non-fat yogurt

1/4 cup fresh or frozen raspberries

1 T honey

1/4 t vanilla extract (optional)

1/2 t freshly ground black pepper

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Mash raspberries in the bottom of the serving dish. Add honey and yogurt; mix thoroughly. Although honey isn't necessary to sweeten this and the vanilla extract if you have it on hand, it is great for the immune system and adds a wonderful earthiness to the dish.

Add a little freshly ground black pepper and mix through for a wonderful light and healthy breakfast or snack. Great with granola, flax seed, or any grain you prefer to add.

Mexican Rice with Salsa Fresca

Red Rice

2 T canola oil (or other high heat oil)

1T annato (achiote) seeds

1 sweet yellow onion (diced)

2/3 cup brown rice

Salsa Fresca

1.5 -2 cups diced fresh tomatoes (whichever variety look best t you)

4 scallions, sliced

1/2 cucumber, seeded and sliced

3 cloves garlic, finely minced

2-3 hot peppers, finely minced (option: if you cannot eat spicy food, mince 1/2 red pepper)

2 T cilantro, finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

pepper to taste

Garnish

Very thin lemon slices

Avocado slices

sharp cheddar cheese

The Rice

In a small sauce pan (the smallest one you own) add the oil and annato on medium high heat. You do want the oil to be deep. Add a bit more, need be. Watch carefully as the oil turns a very dark bright red, but doesn't burn. After about 5-7 minutes of cooking, it will be done. Take the mixture off the heat and carefully strain the annato out of the oil through a small metal sieve into a pyrex measuring cup.

Once drained, transfer the very red oil into a saucepan big enough to cook the rice. It can be the same saucepan you used before. On medium heat add the diced onion. Once cooked, add the rice and turn the heat up to high. Continuously stir and sear the rice for 3-5 minutes. Add two cups of water, bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 25 minutes or until thoroughly cooked. Remove from heat and set aside until room temperature.

The salsa

Chop tomato, cucumber and onion and place in a big bowl. Add a pinch of salt and mix thoroughly. Salt will cause this vegetables to weep and create a beautiful liquid. Add the remaining ingredients and mix at each addition. Refrigerate for 1/2 hour if you have time or allow to sit at room temperature depending on your preference.

Place the rice into a casserole dish or large bowl. Add the salsa and mix through. Top with your favorite garnish.

For a complete protein, add a can of black beans or a cup of reconstituted dried black beans to the rice.

Yogurt Coriander Sauce

Strain 1 cup of yogurt through a coffee filter for 1/2 hour. Add the zest and juice from 1 lime. Add 1 tablespoon of freshly crushed coriander seed. Top this or any chili, indian or mexican style dish with this yogurt sauce.

Mediterranean Vegetable & Bean Bowl

Ingredients
Start With
1-2 T extra virgin olive oil
2 Italian style sausages (I use Fields vegetarian, but you can use traditional or turkey sausage)
1 14 oz can crushed fire-roasted tomatoes
2-3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 T lemon zest (zest of 1 lemon)

Add Vegetables
1/2 cup kale or spinach, finely chopped
1/2 cup fresh mushrooms, chopped
8-10 unmarinated artichoke hearts, sliced in half (frozen or in water)
1 14 oz can garbanzo or cannelloni beans, rinsed well; dried and soaked are fine here
1/4 orzo, cooked

Herbs and Spices
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, basil (2 tablespoons fresh), crushed red pepper
freshly ground black pepper to taste

Assembly
Heat oil in large saute pan until it is hot. Slice sausages into 1/2" thick rounds and sear on each side in the hot oil. Add the crushed tomatoes, 1/2 cup of water and sliced garlic. Slicing the garlic gives it a more mild flavor than mincing, but increases it's heat. Add lemon zest.

Bring water to a boil for the orzo. Add 1/4 cup orzo to the boiling water and allow to cook in a rolling boil for 5 minutes. Add the herbs and spices, then the remaining vegetable ingredients. Of course, feel free to choose; whatever you have on hand. (My basic go-to for this are beans and artichoke hearts).

Drain and transfer the orzo to the sauce to finish cooking. Simmer everything together for 5 or 10 minutes. You may top lightly with your favorite hard cheese.

Optional Change: For a nice pasta dish, omit the orzo and serve over whole wheat linguine.

Tofu Smoothies - YUM!

A favorite of mine... Simple, takes 5 minutes, high protein, and sooo yummy!

8 oz soft tofu, dump into blender

8 oz full fat vanilla yogurt (I prefer Trader Joe's brand)

1 mango, skinned and diced

1 ripe banana

10 strawberries, hulled and sliced

1 tsp honey (if you have a sweet tooth - not really necessary)

ice

Blend in blender for at least 30 seconds. Enjoy.

Tofu/Veggie Mexican Scramble

aka "Scrambled Eggs"

1 Tbsp oil

8 oz extra firm tofu, pressed and drained

1/2 green pepper, diced

1/2 onion, chopped

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tomato, chopped

feta, to taste

salt/pepper to taste

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp turmeric

avocado

salsa

cilantro

Heat oil, cook onion until starting to brown. Add garlic powder, cumin, turmeric, paprika, and stir vigorously (you may wish to add oil more oil at this time). Add green pepper and crumble tofu in hands before dropping it into the pan. Continually stir, coating the tofu with spices. Any excess water will sweat out, and you can drain the pan if you need to. When tofu seems cooked, add tomatoes, feta and salt/pepper. Serve garnished with avocado slices, salsa, and cilantro (I like to serve it in a toasted pita).

Cauliflower with fennel and mustard seeds

Cauliflower has long been one of my favorite vegetables and it is very good for people with stomach issues. One of the most important things about cooking good cauliflower is the preparation of it:

Preparation & Ingredients:

1 small cauliflower head
5 T extra virgin oil (you can use safflower or canola)
2 teaspoons mustard seed (I prefer dark, but either will work)
1 teaspoon fennel seed
1T garlic, minced
1/8 teaspoon tumeric
1/4 teaspoon madras curry powder (optional)
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 - 1/3 cup water

Cut the cauliflower head into bite sized florets and soak in cold water for a minimum of 1/2 hour. This removes the gasses and prepares it for crisp cooking. Drain the cauliflower and set aside.

Cooking Instructions

In a large skillet, fry pan or sautee pan (preferably one for which you have a lid) add the oil over medium heat.

Once hot, toss the seeds into the oil. As soon as the seeds begin to pop, add the garlic, stirring fairly constantly. As the garlic begins to brown on the edges, add the tumeric, curry powder, and cayenne pepper. Mix through and add the cauliflower, water and a pinch of salt.

Stir the ingredients to mix thoroughly and cook for about 8 minutes. The cauliflower may be slightly browned, but should be crisp yet cooked through. Add small amounts of water if needed. If your dish is not cooked thoroughly enough for your taste, leave the pot covered during the last 2-3 minutes of cooking and another 2-3 minutes of cooking after you turn the heat off.

Variations

You might enjoy adding garam masala rather than curry powder. You may leave both out altogether.

Italian variation: Omit the mustard seed, tumeric, curry powder and cayenne. Increase the amount of garlic. Instead, add about 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano. Consider adding a bit of chopped fennel root with the cauliflower. Steam in about a cup and a half of diced tomatoes (I use canned for all cooked application except when the tomatoes are freshly picked because they are generally better quality and higher in nutrients than out of season fresh).

Casserole variation: Add 2-3 egg yolks to a cup of heavy cream to make a custard. Stir thoroughly. Place cooked cauliflower in a casserole dish and cover with the custard mixture. Mix throoughly and top with a sprinkling of cheese mixed with bread crumbs or panko (parmesan, cheddar, swiss, whatever you like). Bake in a 350 oven for 1/2 hour.

Vegetable Biryani

2 Tbsp light olive oil

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 carrot, diced

1/2 onion, diced

1 tsp turmeric

3/4 tsp garlic, minced

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp ginger

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

1 cup uncooked Basmati rice

2 cups water

1/2 cup frozen peas

1/2 cup raisins

salt to taste

3/4 cup whole roasted, salted cashews

In a 3-quart saucepan, saute the onion, carorot and bell pepper in the oil until tender. Reduce heat to low. Add the garlic, turmeric, cinnamon, cumin, ginger, and cayenne. Saute for 2 more minutes. Add rice and water. On medium high heat, bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 25 minutes or until rice is tender. Add peas and raisins. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Add salt to taste. Garnish with cashews.

Muttar "Paneer" for the Vegan Set

My favorite Indian dish - with tofu instead of cheese!

2 Tbsp vegetable oil

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 bay leaf

2 medium onions, finely chopped

1 piece (1/2 inch) ginger root, finely grated

1.5 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp ground turmeric

1 tsp garam masala

1/2 tsp chili powder or to taste

1/2 tsp salt

2 medium tomatoes, finely chopped

1 cup frozen peas

1 cup water

1/2 pound extra firm tofu cut into 1 inch cubes

cilantro to taste

Heat oil in a heavy skillet. Add cumin seeds and bay leaf, cook over medium heat until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add onions and ginger. Cook, stirring, until onions are golden, about 5 minutes.

Add coriander, turmeric, garam masala, chili powder and salt. Sprinkle with a little water; cook over low heat until the oil starts to separate, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook until the oil starts to separate again. Add the peas, cook 1 minute. Add 1 cup of water. Cook until the peas are tender, about 5 minutes. Add the tofu and simmer until the sauce becomes thick. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro and serve over rice.

Hint - add more tomatoes if you really like the sauce.

Avocado Dipping Sauce for Steamed Artichoke

For those of you who love steamed artichoke, this is a great alternative to the standard hollandaise sauce, butter and garlic, or a simple vinaigrette...

1/2 ripe avocado
juice and zest from one lemon
1/4 cup sherry vinegar
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 rounded teaspoon dijon mustard
pinch of salt
black pepper for taste

Bring a few inches of water to a rolling boil in large saucepan or stockpot. Trim two artichokes; slice in half lengthwise. Place the artichoke halves in about an inch or two of boiling water and add the juice from 1/2 lemon to the water to help the artichokes maintain good color. Don't worry about straining the seeds; you can do that when the artichoke is cooked. Steam covered until leaves are easily removed from the artichoke (about 20 minutes). Watch the water to make sure it doesn't boil dry and burn the artichokes. Strain and set aside to cool.

******

In a bowl, mash the flesh of 1/2 an avocado. Add the lemon and olive oil and continue mashing. Add the remainder of ingredients and taste. If the mixture is too tart, add a bit more oil; if it's too oily, add a bit more vinegar or dijon mustard depending on the desired thickness or your personal taste.

Let the artichoke cool so that it is easy to handle, and enjoy!

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[olive bar] Tapenade

Here's a neat recipe to bring you to the olive bar at your favorite grocer. It is high in salt and omega-3 fatty acids, so be mindful of how much you eat.

Choose a pint of olives from the olive bar of your choice. I like to get mostly the darker olives to a 3:1 ration with green olives. You might also like to get a half-pint or so of roasted red pepper, marinated mushrooms, sundried tomatoes, marinated artichoke hearts, roasted garlic, etc...whatever you like.

Olive oil, 2-3 cloves of minced garlic, maybe a small minced shallot...

Mince the olives (garlic, shallot and the other marinated veggies) and place in a small saucepan with 1 tablespoons of olive oil and 1-2 tablespoons of tomato paste. Heat gently over a low flame until the mixture is heated through. If needed, add water to bring to reasonable thickness.

This is absolutely wonderful as a dressing for whole wheat linguine lightly tossed with lemon and olive oil. For a vegetarian option consider adding cannoli beans and artichoke heart. For a meat choice, I love adding seared fresh tuna that is thinly sliced.

My favorite Cleveland crepe shop would make a spinach, tomato and brie crepe topped with a similar tapenade accompanied by a mixed baby green salad. Be sure to chiffonade the spinach for this (and in my opinion) and cooked spinach dish.

Tahini Lime Slaw -- a vegan cole slaw

This is an excellent summer Asian inspired slaw for those who cannot eat mayonnaise. You may substitute green bell pepper for the jalapeno if you prefer.  Shown here with a sliced boiled egg and a bit of cracked pepper.

1 heaping tablespoon tahini
juice from 1/2 lime
1/8 cup mirin
1/8 cup rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon oil (vegetable, canola, olive, safflower are all fine)
a few drops sesame oil (optional)
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
pinch of [grey] sea salt
pepper to taste

1/2 finely minced jalapeno pepper
1/2 medium cabbage, julienned
1 medium carrot, grated

In a large bowl, mix the tahini and lime juice until smooth. Add the mirin and vinegar and whisk thoroughly. Add the remaining dressing ingredients one at a time, thoroughly blending each into the mixture.

Place the pepper, cabbage and carrot on top of the dressing. Using tongs, mix thoroughly. If it seems you need more dressing, sprinkle the top of the veggies with rice wine vinegar and mirin. Continue to mix.

Refrigerate for at least an hour before eating!

(This ould be delicious with seared shrimp or tofu, crab or any whitefish, mixed in for a complete meal).

Light Japanese Morning Broth

This is a great light way to start your morning or end your day. I like fruit, coffee and yogurt in the morning, so I eat this at the end of the day. Japanese tradition would have this in the morning.

Add the following to a saucepan:
2 cups water
1/2 inch ginger root, peeled
1-2 garlic cloves peeled
1/2 cup spinach, kale or other tough leafy green
1/2 cup chopped mushroom
1/8 cup quinoa
3'' square of whitefish (cod, tilapia) or firm tofu cubes
1/8 t tumeric
salt/pepper to taste

Bring to a boil and simmer for 10-15 minutes (until desired tenderness and to infuse the broth with flavor). Remove the ginger and garlic; garnish with cilantro, chives, mirin and/or rice vinegar to taste.

Kale & Parsley Salad

This is a delicious salad in the early fall when the ingredients are in season.  If you have only seen kale and parsley as garnishes before, you will be surprised at how delicious they can be.  I recommend using the most tender kale you can find and curly parsley.  Curly parsley stands up to this treatment better than the more subtle Italian (flat leaf) parsley. The older, tougher kale is great in soups and stews.

1 cup kale, rinsed and stemmed
1 cup curly parsley, trimmed and rinsed
1/2 cup chopped tomato (heirloom if you can find it)
1/2 cup granny smith apple, thinly sliced
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/8 cup pepitas
~1T ground cumin
~2T sherry or cider vinegar
[optional] a sprinkling of crumbled gorgonzola or other blue-veined cheese

Once rinsed, shake the water off the kale and parsley.  Then remove the long stems from the parsley and the center vein from the kale.  Break the kale into bite sized pieces and place the greens in a large mixing bowl. Add the tomato, apple, dried cranberries and nuts and combine them through the greens.

Now, sprinkle enough ground cumin over the salad to coat the leaves and using your squeaky clean hands, blend the cumin thoroughly through the salad until you do not feel any clumps of the spice.  It is very important to use your hands to feel that there are no clumps of cumin hiding in the greens.  Then, repeat the process with your vinegar, using just enough to coat the leaves and have the cumin disappear into the mixture.

You will be absolutely amazed at how delicious this salad is and it's so terrific for you.   If you must have some cheese, the only possible thing to stand up to this salad is a sprinkling of gorgonzola (otherwise, don't bother).  Mix a light sprinkling of gorgonzola gently through the salad after dressing with cumin and vinegar.  This recipe makes about 2 main course servings and stores without getting to soggy for a day. 

Ciopinno, (Italian fish stew) from the beautiful Italian cook, JackZen

Dear Lainey,

Here is my recipe.

Heat olive oil to cover the bottom of a medium pot

When it's just hot, add chopped onion, garlic and parsley [plenty of Italian flat-leaf parsley] and cook gently until the partially everything is soft

Add any kind of potatoes, chopped into bite-sized pieces

Add clear vegetable broth, a little white wine and canned crushed tomatoes

Add crushed fennel, some crushed red pepper, and a bay leaf

Let everything cook until the potatoes are done then add bite-sized pieces of any kind of fresh/thawed white fish

When the fish is done (flaky), everything is ready to serve

Top with grated hard cheese and season with pepper.

The approach to ingredient portions is sheer portion intuition and taste. Start with the amount of fish you think you'll be serving, cut it up in pieces and imagine the dish being more of a fish stew than soup. Plan on putting in about a third as much potato as fish and half as much tomato as potato. Start each herb and spice with a little, taste it and decide whether you'd like to have more in it, making sure you stir the whole stew well after you introduce each new ingredient. Plan on learning from each time you do it and expect each time to be a little better and different.

With gratitude, Jack

[editorial note: If you've never cooked with fresh parsley, you will have a new respect for the power of the herb after cooking this recipe] visit Jack at www.jackzen.com

Tip of the Day: Make your own broth

A simple vegetarian broth:

• One quart of water
• One carrot, chopped in a couple of pieces
• 1/2 onion, skin on
• 2-3 stalks of celery
• pinch of salt; pepper; 1 bay leaf
  

Boil for 30-45 minutes and strain with a metal strainer or cheesecloth (for a clearer base). Use as the base for any soup.

For variety, save the veggie scraps from prepping in quart bags in the freezer (I regularly have fennel fronds, zucchini, onion and garlic skins, green bean ends, cabbage trimmings, asparagus ends, etc in containers in the freezer). Pop a bag in with the traditional broth ingredients.

If you eat shrimp, you can freeze the shells to add great flavor to any broth for seafood stews or chowders.

Finally, if you would like to make your own homemade fish broth for a traditional cioppino (not for the squeamish), go to your local fish monger and they'll provide you with appropriate ingredients (okay, bony parts). If you fish or buy whole fish and clean it yourself, this is a good use for the head. It's also a good use for a really bony but delicious fish (like trout) if you run out of patience with deboning them.

For a nice cioppino, you might also add some root vegetables, such as parsnip for the creation of the fish broth.

(and no, I don't eat chicken or beef, but I think you can use your imagination and get there...or google)!

Coriander Tea -- Yummy and Healthy

I drink this delicious tea every morning. It is very good for maintaining a healthy blood pressure and controlling blood sugar. Clear evidence of these effects can be found on the Mayo Clinic and National Institutes of Health websites, amoung many others.

The Basic Tea

1 cup water

1t freshly crushed coriander seed (blood pressure)

1 slice of fresh lemon (immune system)

1/4 t ground cinnamon (glucose absorption)

1T locally made honey (immune system)

OPTION 1: for stomach issues

1/8 t tumeric (optional for immune system)

1/4 t crushed fennel seed (digestion)

1/8 t crushed cumin (digestion)

_or_

OPTION 2: for a really bad cold

1 head purple cone flower (echinnecea) and make 4 cups of the tea

Bring the coriander, lemon, cinnamon and spices to a rolling boil. Pour over honey and stir thoroughly.

Summer Basil Delight

2 tbsp olive oil

1 vidalia onion, chopped

1 diced zucchini

1 ear of fresh corn, boiled

1 clove garlic, smashed and minced

1/2 cup freshly torn basil

(optional) cooked pasta, corkscrew or rotini

2 plum tomatoes, diced

parmesan to taste

salt to taste

fresh pepper to taste

Cook onions in oil until translucent. Add garlic and heat one more minute. Toss in zucchini and keep stirring. Slice kernels off corn cob and toss into cooking pan. When all vegetables are cooked but still crisp, remove from heat and add basil, salt and pepper. Toss with pasta (if using) and liberally season with parmesan. Add tomatoes immediately before serving.

Pretzels!

As a lover of soft pretzels, I made this SIMPLE recipe last night. They are delicious!

1 tsp yeast

1 tbsp brown sugar

salt to taste

2 cups all-purpose flour, additional flour required

1 warm cup milk

1 egg

coarse kosher salt

In a large bowl, mix yeast, sugar, salt, flour and milk. Once you have a big hunk of dough, remove and knead by hand on a flat surface for 5-10 minutes, until the consistency is smooth. You will need to add extra flour as you knead the dough (about 2/3 cup).

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Split into 8 hunks, and roll out 1 inch wide dough strips - about one foot long each. Cover with a towel and let rise for 10 minutes. Re-roll dough strips. Whisk egg in a small bowl, and brush each strip with egg. To form pretzel shape, pick up dough strip, hold horizontally to you, and fold edges criss-cross, pressing the edges lightly into the pretzel. Place onto baking sheet. Sprinkle kosher salt on top, and place in oven. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until golden brown. Serve immediately.

Whole Wheat Pasta with Artichoke, Fennel & Tomato Sauce

SAUCE PREPARATION
Fresh Ingredients
½ medium fennel bulb, finely chopped
½ medium sweet yellow onion, finely chopped
3-4 good sized garlic cloves, minced
1 Tablespoon lemon zest (about ½ to full lemon)
juice from ½ lemon (fresh DO NOT use that nasty squeezy bitter stuff)
***yes, this is a good time to invest in a Microplane zester (about $15 but great for zesting, parm cheese, ginger, etc) & a reamer

Herbs & Spices
1 teaspoon oregano
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (or to taste)

Canned Ingredients
1-28 oz can of crushed tomatoes (I like the organic fire roasted kind)
6-8 UNMARINATED artichoke hearts, quartered (frozen, thawed, are even better)
optional: ½ 14 oz can of garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
optional: ½ 14 oz can of black olives, drained and sliced
1-2 T tomato paste to thicken, needbe

Protein (Optional)
I like an Italian veggie sausage (veggie, turkey, meat…) for this…use your judgment as to how much you need. Cook the sausage fully in the following to make it extra flavorful.
1-2 ladles full of your sauce blended with 1 T tomato past
½ t crushed fennel seed (yes, a mortar and pestle or leave it out)
½ t crushed red pepper

PASTA PREPARATION
I strongly prefer whole wheat fettuccine or penne with this sauce. Cook it hard: bring lots of water to a rolling boil, add a healthy pinch of salt to raise the boiling temp (it helps the pasta cook without getting gummy). Once the water is salted and boiling hard, add your pasta and immediately stir. Watch the time, you want it el dente.

If your pots are not really heavy, you might find you can’t hold the kind of heat you need to cook whole wheat pasta so it tastes good and has good texture. No worries – use traditional semolina.