One Last Hearty Winter Dish

This recipe is is not mine, it was passed to me by one of my favorite foodies, who also happens to be a woman who played a huge role in shaping my understanding of, respect for, and interested in both food and people. The dish sounds pretty good on paper, but turns out SO much better than that! If you try and enjoy, please thank Nonna-Marie and her big food brain.


Kale Pesto Pasta with Beets

Yield: 2 entree servings, 4 sides
Prep time: depends on the beets, 45 to 90 min
vegetarian as written


Ingredients:

2 bunches kale or any dark green of your choosing, rinsed, tough stems removed, and roughly chopped. cooking times will vary based on your green!
1 clove garlic
1/2 + c. olive oil
1/2 - 1 c. parm, romano or locatelli
1/2 c. lightly toasted walnuts or pine nuts
1/2 lemon
1/2 lb beets, scrubbed, root and stem removed
1 t rosemary
1/2 lb whole wheat rigatoni or other pasta
s&p

Method:

1. Set oven to 475*
2. Put a large pot of salted water on to boil.
3. Place beets in a small roasting pan with 1 inch of water. Sprinkle with rosemary and S&P. Cover tightly with foil and pop in the oven. No need for the oven to preheat. Roast beets until tender to a fork. This could take 20 to 90 min depending on the beet. 20 for golf ball sized, 90 for soft ball sized. Allow beets to cool slightly and rub skin off with paper towels or kitchen dish gloves. Slice or dice.
4. While beets are cooking....blanch kale until bright green and just tender. Reserve blanching water for cooking the pasta.
5. Bring water back to a boil and cook pasta to package instructions. Drain.
   
6. Add cheese, garlic, nuts and a handful of the greens to a food processor and turn it on. Add greens and slowly drizzle in olive oil. Reserve a handful of the greens for serving. Once all greens and oil are in, open the processor, taste, add salt and pepper. If too thick, add more oil or a little bit of water till you reach the desired texture.
7. Add a little oil to the pasta pot, saute reserved greens until cooked through - maybe throw in some pepper flakes?
   
8. Add pasta back to the pot, toss with a generous scoop or 2 of pesto. Squeeze a bit of lemon in there too.
   
9. Spoon pasta into warmed bowls and top with beets.

Other serving ideas - top with pancetta or bacon....add some warm smoked ham to the bottom of your pasta dish....julienne some herb roasted chicken over the top....use grape tomatoes, sugar snap peas, baby peas, or roasted portebello instead of beets.

Ginger Carrot Soup

I'm a huge carrot fan ... in fact, when I'm in the zone I can easily eat 5 lbs in a week. I eat so many carrots that my eyes have improved 2 levels in the past year. Seriously. But here's the catch...I only like them raw. My mom tried a million variations on cooked carrots and I rejected them all. Until I futzed my way into this soup recipe. This is a dish that I crave year round...give it a try, you'll be surprised. Really.

Carrot Soup

Yield: 4 mains, 6 starters
Time: 60 min to 3 hrs, depending on the flavor you're seeking. Shorter for bright and fresh, longer for sweet and earthy.
veg, vegan, gluten free...but fun to garnish with bacon!

Ingredients:

1-2 T veggie oil or olive oil

1 lb carrots, peeled & thinly sliced

2 large leeks, white and tender green parts thoroughly washed* & thinly sliced

1 red potato, peeled & diced sugar cube sized

2 cloves garlic, peeled & minced

1-2 inches of ginger root, peeled & minced

5-6 cups veggie broth or water

s&p...maybe some thyme or dill if you're into that?

Method -

1. Heat oil over medium heat in a medium sauce pan
2. Add carrots, cook until just tender - 5-10 mintues
3. Add leek and potato, cook until potato is soft 5-10 min
4. Add garlic & most of ginger, cook 5 min
5. Add salt, pepper, liquid, bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer.
6. Partially cover and simmer for as long as you like. At least 20 min. Once everything is good and soft, remove from heat and let cool a bit. Blend until super smooth with an immersion blender in the pot or pour carefully into a blender in batches.
7. Return to heat - add more broth if needed - the soup should not be brothy thin or too thick like a veggie puree. Return to a boil and reduce to a simmer, add remaining ginger if you like. Also throw in some oj if you want somethin a little sweeter. Partially cover and cook until you get the flavor as deep and rich as you like.

Other thoughts...you could easily take this to the east by adding some basic Indian spices and serving with lentils or garnishing with roasted chick peas. OR - go way thicker and serve as a puree with pork or roast whole fish.

* to wash a leek....cut off the root end and cut off the tough dark green tops. Split the leek long ways down the middle and fan out the layers under cold running water. There is usually a TON of grit and dirt in there. If you intend to fry or sautee (as opposed to throw in a soup or sweat with other veggies) place cut side down on a super absorbant tea towel or paper towel (promise me you'll re-use the paper towel for something...) to wick the water out of the layers.

Sprouts - Take Two!

Brussels Sprouts are delicious, nutritious and grow on trees. The have 3 times more vitamin C per weight than an orange - and - as I mentioned, they are DELICIOUS. This version is a great way to sneak them on a plate...they don't even LOOK like Brussels Sprouts!

Warm Sprout Slaw with Prosciutto
Yield: Serves 6 very lucky people
Easily veg'd, easily vegan'd, gluten free

Ingredients:
4 c shredded Brussels sprouts, just cut them in half long ways and then slice in ribbons
2 T sherry vinegar, or whatever you got
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 small shallot, chopped
1 t Dijon mustard
6 T extra virgin olive oil,
2 t fresh thyme, chopped or rosemary or sage or whatever tickles your fancy
S&P to taste
4 oz prosciutto, julienne


Method:

• Place the shredded sprouts in a medium size metal bowl or pot, if that makes you more comfortable.
  
• Prepare the dressing by whisking together the vinegar, garlic, shallot, and mustard in a bowl until smooth. Then slowly whisk in the oil and work until smooth (or hit it with your immersion blender). Add chopped thyme and season well with salt and pepper.
  
• Pour the dressing over the greens and toss well.
  
• Place the bowl over medium high heat and cook just until the sprouts are sizzling, tossing regularly.
  
• Taste, season, and toss with prosciutto. Serve warm.

Snow Day

In Defence of Brussels Sprouts

This weekend we had some new friends over for dinner. Naturally, I made a traditional Ethiopian meal...cuz that's normal, right? Anyway, one of our guests joined me in the kitchen as I was getting ready to serve - I asked if either half of the couple preferred light meat over dark. The response was "we eat pretty much everything (my heart soared!), except for Brussels sprouts (it crashed to earth, saw stars and everything...)." I pulled my dizzy heart up by its boot straps and managed a "yeah...I hear that a lot..."

I love Brussels sprouts and I'm married to a hater, in fact, no one in my family likes them. I've spent a LOT of time trying to influence opinions about these tasty little cabbages with pretty good success. Below is my first of 3 favorite ways to enjoy these small, sweet, crunchy, complicated little friends of mine - this one is great with chicken and fish or as a main with a side of nutty roast squash.

Pan Seared Sprouts with Lemon Fennel Butter
Yield: 2 side servings
Veg as written, easily vegan'd, gluten free

Ingredients:
12 Brussels sprouts, bottoms trimmed, outer leaves removed, and halved
1 T unsalted butter
1 t fennel seeds, chopped
S&P
1/2 c water, stock or wine
1/2 t lemon juice
1/2 t lemon zest

Method:

1. In a large saute pan (preferably with a lid), melt butter over medium heat, do not allow to brown
2. Add sprouts, cut side down and cook for several minutes until they begin to color. Don't worry if they get a little dark, this will add a lot of flavor and sweetness.
3. Once the sprouts begin to color, add fennel seeds, salt and pepper. Cook about 2 minutes more.
4. Making sure all sprouts are still face down, add liquid and cover pan quickly. The liquid will steam up through the dense cabbage bodies and help carry the buttery fennely goodness into all the layers. Keep covered for a minute or 2. When you remove the lid, the guys should be bright green and the pan should be close to dry.
5. Give the pan a flip to send them all on their backs or just flick them with a fork to get them sunny side up. Continue cooking for a couple more minutes or until they are fork tender. Toss with lemon juice and zest. You don't want them to be all soft - they should still have a little body to them. Taste one - should be buttery and fantastic - nice and al dente. If they're still tasting like cole slaw, then try to get them all cut side down again and add a little more liquid. Conversely, if they are too soft you're out of luck, but I encourage you to try again another day. They're so good.
   

Seitan Fajitas

Quick, easy and super tasty. This is all good stuff to have hanging out in the pantry or freezer. Sub meat for seitan or forgo the protein all together and add more veggies like peppers, squash, tomato and green beans. Tonight its 31* so I did this on the stove, but I would normally grill. I included the timing for that at the end. Grilling is best because everything is hot and ready to go at the same time.

Yield: 6-8 fajitas
Veg as written. Gluten free if you sub corn tortillas and leave out the Seitan!

Filling:
1 batch home made chili powder (see below) or 2-3 T prepared
1 small zucchini, cut into 4 inch long pieces, pencil thick (leave in planks if grilling)
1 small onion, sliced (leave in disks if grilling)
1 12 oz tub seitan (or equivalent meat / veggies)
2 chilies in adobo
2 T vegetable oil
1 lime

Assemble & Garnish:
8 8" flour tortillas, warmed
shredded cheddar
sour cream
salsa
guacamole
etc etc

Home made chili powder:
1 T smoked hot paprika
1 t cayenne
1 t chili flakes
1 t garlic powder
1 t oregano
2 t cumin
1/2 t ground cinnamon
1 t black pepper
1 t coriander
1 pinch kosher salt

METHOD:

1. Heat 1T oil in cast iron pan over medium high heat or in a regualr pan at meduim until shimmering.
2. Add onions over high until crisping on edges, but not yet soft. Remove to a bowl.
3. Return pan to heat (add oil if needed), add zucc, sprinkle with a little chili powder and cook on high until begining to brown, but not soft. Remove to a bowl.
4. Add 1 T oil to pan, return to heat. Add seitan or meat. Toss with the remainder of the chili powder. Cook, stirring frequesntly, about 3 min. Add chopped chilies and continue cooking until heated through...maybe 2 or 3 minutes.
5. Meanwhile....heat your tortillas, latering between damp papertowels and nuking for 45 seconds is a quick n easy way.
   
6. Throw everything back in the pan to heat and then divide between all your warm tortillas.
7. Spritz with lime.
   
8. Top, fold and munch.

Grill Method:

1. Preheat grill to medium, turn off 1 burner for tortilla warming.
   
2. Toss protein in chili powder (reserve a little for zuc)
   
3. Spray grate or food with oil
4. Place onions on grill, close and let cook till marked and still crisp - 4 min.
5. Turn onions add zucchini. Sprinkle with chili powder.
   
6. Spray grill, add seitan.
7. Turn zucchin
8. Spray grate over cold burner. Lay out tortillas to warm.
9. Turn seitan.
   
10. Top tortillas with chilies then layer in the rest of the goods. Spritz, top, fold, eat.
    

Turducken...sans Duck

This dish is the result of a classic case of "A and B are about to go bad and OH LOOK, I found C!" Today's A&B were a single boneless turkey breast and a lonely chicken sausage. My OH LOOK! was a fresh jar of Sierra Nevada Honey Mustard (thanks Chas!). Here's how they made their way to my Kismet Mess...

YIELD: 2-4 servings
Non-veg

1 turkey breast half, boneless about 1.5 lbs
1 sausage, I used an applewood smoked w/ Chardonnay variety
2 T bread crumbs, unseasoned is preferred
1/4 red onion, small dice (pencil eraser size)
1 clove garlic, minced
2 t sage, dry
1/3 c. white wine, dry Chard or vermouth
2 T honey mustard, prepared or whisk together equal parts dijon and honey
salt, pepper, olive oil
toof picks or kitchen string

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 425*, cover roasting pan with foil and let heat IN oven.
2. Rinse turkey under cold water and pat dry. Lay flat on a board and pound with mallet (strike and slide mallet away from you) to even out thickness to about 1/2 inch thick...careful not to tear it. Lightly S&P both sides of the bird. Leave to rest skin side (or formerly skin side) down.
   
3. Heat about a teaspoon of oil in a small pan and add red onion.
   
4. Crumble chicken sausage (or regular sausage or spinach) into pan...not easy, but its worth the effort to crumble it as much as you can. Cook until onions start to get translucent, stirring often.
   
5. Add garlic & sage, cook for 1-3 minutes, stirring to not burn the garlic. Add bread crumbs and toast. Add a bit of the wine to bring everything together - seeking a 'stuffing' texture. If you use all the wine, so what?...pour yourself some more and try to save some for the mustard sauce later.
6. Spoon the stuffing down the center of the turkey, long ways. Pinch the edges together and thread closed with toofpicks or tie with string.
7. Lightly spray or brush the bundle with olive oil and move over towards your oven. You'll want to pull that hot pan out fast and get the bird "seam-side-down" on the hot pan quickly.
8. Do that.
9. Pop the whole thing in the middle upper part of the oven and roast about 25 minutes. Its done when you poke and the juice runs clear or an instant read thermometer gets to about 130*...you'll be reading the temp of the stuffing so that should be good.
10. When done, move bird to a clean plate and tent with foil about 5-10 minutes.
11. Meanwhile, heat the mustard with about 2 T of the wine to make a nice sauce. Taste and adjust seasons as necessary.
    
12. Carve roll into rounds and serve draped in mustard sauce. Nice with any greens and or parmy tater concoction.

This would also be great with the collard greens recipe to follow...too bad I didn't think of that earlier.