Colcannon

I’ve had this recipe from a Spilled Milk podcast pegged since St. Patrick’s Day, but it wasn’t until now that I ended up with the cabbage and potatoes to make it happen. That said, I made quite a few changes, mixing in this recipe as well. Here’s what I did:

Ingredients:

• 1 pound cabbage, sliced thin
• 1 pound potatoes , diced into 1-inch pieces
• 1 small leek, sliced thin
• 1/2 cup milk
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 pinch ground nutmeg
• 3 T. butter

Directions:

1. In a large saucepan, sauté cabbage in 2 T. butter until tender. Meanwhile, boil potatoes in salted water until tender. Remove from heat and drain.
2. While cabbage and potatoes are cooking (if you have enough pans), simmer leeks in milk, until they are soft.
3. Add remaining butter and leeks to potatoes and mash well. Stir in cabbage and mix well.

Comments: Creamy, yet so much more flavorful than mashed potatoes (I love potatoes, but mashed have never been a favorite). I look forward to making this again.

Leek and Swiss Chard Tart

Still working my way through tart crusts, I landed on this recipe, also courtesy of Deb at Smitten Kitchen:

Ingredients:

• 1 sheet frozen puff pastry (half of 17.3-ounce package), thawed (I used a ready made crust)
• 2 T. butter (I used 1 T.)
• 3 large leeks (white and pale green parts only), coarsely chopped (I used 2 leeks)
• 1 t. dried thyme
• 1/2 bunch Swiss chard, ribs removed, leaves chopped (about 2 1/2 cups) (I used a whole bunch)
• 1 1/4 cups whipping cream (I used 1/4 c. cream and one cup whole milk)
• 3 large eggs (I used 4 eggs)
• 2 large egg yolks (I skipped this, with the extra egg above)
• 1 teaspoon salt (oops! Forgot this!)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper (uh…I think I put in 1 T.)
• Pinch of ground nutmeg (and this was forgotten—this is why I need to cook without the distractions of great conversation)

Directions:

1. Roll out pastry on floured work surface to 12-inch square. Transfer to 9-inch-diameter glass pie dish. Trim overhang to 1 inch. Fold under; crimp edges. Cover; chill.
2. Melt butter in large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Add leeks and thyme. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover; cook until leeks are very tender but not brown, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Add chard; saute until wilted, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat; cool.
3. Position rack in bottom third of oven; preheat to 425°F. Whisk cream and next 5 ingredients in large bowl. Mix in cooled leek mixture. Pour filling into crust.
4. Bake tart 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350°F and bake until filling is puffed and just set in center, about 15 minutes longer (this took my oven about 10 minutes longer). Transfer to rack; cool 10 minutes.

Comments: This is the perfect example of why I usually cook alone. I was chatting with friends my whole way through this, and not referencing the recipe several times over. However, it seems like a solid recipe when you account for my errors. I’ll probably try this again when I’m in the mood for a tarta de verduras. It felt like it was missing cheese, but that may have just been something I needed to counteract my accidental pepper dump.

Low-Fat Caponata

While it was a small, oil soaked, and highly rewarding meal, I was left craving something healthy after my fried rice dinner. So, I turned to the ever-reliable VeganEpicurean for something to absolve me of my dietary sins. And it really did make me forget about the oily goodness of fried rice! Here’s what I did:

• 1 onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ fennel bulb, chopped
• ¼ cup water
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• Red pepper flakes, to taste (optional)
• 1 eggplant, diced small into small bite size pieces
• 1 zucchini, diced small into small bite size pieces
• 2 cups tomatoes, diced into small bite size pieces
• ½ cup golden raisins
• ¼ cup pine nuts
• ¼ cup red wine vinegar
• 2 T. sugar
• 1/3 c. olives, chopped

Directions:
Heat the pan with the water on high until it comes to a boil. Add the onions, garlic and fennel and cook, stirring often until they have begun to wilt.

Add the remaining ingredients, except the sugar and cook until the eggplant and zucchini have softened. If you want the caponata to be saucier add as much tomato sauce as you think is necessary. Next add sugar until the caponata is as sweet as you like. You want the caponata to have a sweet and sour flavor. Garnish with fresh parsley or torn basil leaves (if desired) and serve at room temperature or cold.

Comments: I was a little nervous at omitting oil from this recipe, as it is so traditional, but it actually worked fine! That said, I would probably use a tablespoon next time, and sub a cup of garbanzos for the pine nuts to get more protein. The nuts didn’t have much of a crunch, and felt like a waste. My picture isn’t great, but I ate this with quinoa the first day, and afterwards scooped up on crackers, for that added crunch.

Scalloped Cabbage

I don’t know why, but I’m always fascinated by cabbage. Maybe because we only ate it on St. Patrick’s day (occasionally) and in cole slaw, neither of which ever did it justice.

So, I keep trying to find my own way. My latest attempt was found on AllRecipes, an adaptation of Scalloped Cabbage. Here’s how I did it:

Ingredients

· 2 tablespoons butter

· 1 medium head cabbage, cored and sliced thin

· 1 large onion, chopped

· 1 1/2 cups milk

· ½ t. nutmeg

· 4 eggs, lightly beaten

· 1 cup crushed saltine crackers

· 1 teaspoon salt

· 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

· 2 T. parmesan cheese, grated

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x12 inch casserole dish.

2. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add cabbage and onion and cook for about 10 minutes, or until tender, stirring often. Add milk and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes. Gently pour in eggs, stirring constantly. Stir in 3/4 of the cracker crumbs, and the salt and pepper; mix well. Pour into casserole dish and top with remaining cracker crumbs and parmesan cheese. Dot with butter.

3. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until golden brown and heated through.

Comments: I really enjoyed this. I was afraid of it being bland, but I didn't have that problem at all. I attempted to temper the eggs a bit, before mixing them in and also didn't have the scrambled egg problem. My only change next time is to try and make it a bit healthier--nonfat milk, less butter, and maybe using breadcrumbs instead of crackers.

Carrot and Ginger Quickie Pickle

Pickles grab my attention at times, and then leave for long periods...but suddenly they were popping up all over my blogosphere, and I knew I had to give them a shot. I chose Clotilde's recipe to start, as, conveniently, I had all the ingredients on hand.

- 2 medium-small carrots, about 200 grams (7 ounces)
- a 40-gram (1 1/2-ounce) knob of fresh ginger, scrubbed but unpeeled, sliced thinly
- 120 ml (1/2 cup) apple cider vinegar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar

Makes about 1 2/3 cups; the recipe can be doubled.

Peel the carrots and, using the vegetable peeler, cut them into thin ribbons. Place the ribbons in a heatproof bowl, and set a fine-mesh sieve over the bowl.

Combine the ginger, vinegar, salt, sugar, and 240 ml (1 cup) water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. When the mixture boils, stir with a wooden spoon to make sure the sugar and salt are dissolved, and remove from the heat.

Pour the ginger brine through the sieve and into the bowl of carrots. Make sure the carrots are completely immersed, cover with a plate, and let cool to room temperature. Transfer to a clean jar, close tightly with the lid and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.

Comments: I had no sea salt in my kitchen, so I used regular. The first time I doubled the recipe (a single recipe just seems so small), and had TONS of extra brine, so the next time I doubled everything except the water. I also left the ginger in the mix, which I enjoyed, although I'd probably decrease the ginger a bit next time. These are a bit addictive, but a great healthy snack!

“Grilled” Summer Vegetable Salad

All the summer veggies looked fabulous at the verduleria today, and I was craving some major veggies, so I took a bit of each with a salad in mind. Eggplant, cherry tomatoes, basil, cucumber, something Mediterranean was coming to mind, and I wanted to douse it in balsamic vinegar.

I started with this recipe, which was quite close to what I was shooting for. And then I found this recipe for my balsamic dressing, which seemed great, until I had it almost made and saw the 3/4 cup oil it called for!

So, here’s what I did…

1 small eggplant

1 small onion

1 red bell pepper

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

1 smallish cucumber

3 T. chopped basil

2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon light brown sugar

1 garlic clove, crushed through a press (optional)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Cut the onion, eggplant, and bellpepper to bite sized pieces. Toss with cherry tomatoes and 1 T. oil, salt, and pepper and place in the oven for 5-10 minutes.

Meanwhile, cut the cucumber into wheels, and cut each wheel in half. Chop basil. Mix remaining ingredients together until blended.

Take the veggies out of the oven, and toss with dressing. Allow to cool to desired temperature before adding cucumber and basil. Makes about 3 servings.

Comments: This turned out great, although it had about twice as much dressing as needed. Next time I’d only use half the dressing. I didn’t miss the feta I’d normally think was essential with something like this…maybe I’m adapting?

Simple Greek Style Green Beans

Green beans are very seasonal here. They show up for a couple months, the conventional ones are pricy (the broader style are more affordable), and then they’re gone until the next spring. I usually make them using this Sweet and Spicy Green Beans recipe, but decided to try something different, from Captious Vegetarian.

This is what I did:

In a skillet saute:

· 2 tsp. olive oil

· 1/2 onion, diced

· 1/4 tsp. dried chili flakes

· 3 garlic cloves, minced

When the onions are soft, add:

· 1 lb fresh green beans

· 1/2 tsp. dry oregano

Finally, while the green beans are cooking, add:

· 1/2 cup tomato sauce

· 10-20 kalamata olives, chopped

Stir and heat through, then serve.

Optional: sprinkle with a little crumbled feta.

Comments: Upon a closer look, this is essentially green beans in spaghetti sauce. And that’s basically what it tasted like. Not bad, but not very exciting either. (I didn’t use feta, as it’s hard to find/expensive. I thought about adding parmesan, but decided not to.)

Spicy Sesame Cabbage

Cabbage is so cheap! And supposedly good for you, I keep trying to make it work. Here is my latest (and most successful) attempt.

Ingredients:

1/2 head of Savoy cabbage
2 T. sesame oil
2 T. soy sauce
2-3 T. rice vinegar
Sea salt to taste
1/4 t. cayenne pepper, or more, if you like things particularly spicy
1/4 c. sesame seeds, lightly toasted

Directions:
Slice the cabbage into fine ribbons, and heat the sesame oil in a pan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10-15 minutes, until the cabbage is tender, but still lets out a gentle crunch when you bite in. Reduce the flame to low, and add the soy sauce and rice vinegar. Stir, and taste. Add a few grinds of sea salt, and the cayenne pepper, to taste. Stir in the toasted seeds right before serving.

Comments: I didn’t get any sesame seeds, although I’m sure it’d be better with them. It was still tasty. Not too spicy, next time I’d increase the cayenne. Repeat-worthy.

Braised Red Cabbage

Red cabbage is great for healthy variety, and plentiful here in Argentina. I'm just trying to find the recipe that compliments it best. I tried one a while ago that wasn't worth repeating, so this time around I went with a craigslist suggestion, similar to others I researched:

Ingredients:

1 large red cabbage

1 apple

1/2 c. red wine

1/2 c. red wine vinegar

2-3 cloves garlic

oil

salt/pepper

Slice/shred thinly (like coleslaw) the cabbage. Saute in a large non reactive pot til transparent a finely chopped large onion in some oil you prefer. Pile cabbage on top, add salt/pepper, a grated apple, 1/2 cup red wine and 1/2 cup red wine vinegar, 2 or 3 cloves of garlic skewered on a tooth pick (retrieve when done and throw away) and simmer for 1-2 hours. You can make this way before and reheat, in fact it is better reheated. (This is how Grandma made it; it's not really a recipe, she glugged in the wine and wine vinegar, but a half cup each was probably average and everything else is accurate; you have to taste for salt and pepper as usual).

Comments: Another, not worth repeating. I'll look for feedback, as it was similar to so many others, but just overpoweringly acidic. And with no other noteable features. I only cooked it a scant hour, maybe this was the issue? As it's reportedly better the next day, I waited to review it...3 days have now passed, and...no improvement has been noted.

Simple Cauliflower Recipe

Simple Cauliflower Recipe (101 Cookbooks)

To make this recipe vegan, just omit the Parmesan cheese finish - still delicious.

2 - 3 heads of small cauliflower (or 1/2 head large)
2 tablespoons of olive oil
a couple pinches of sea salt
1 clove garlic, minced
1 small bunch of chives, chopped
zest of one lemon
freshly grated Parmesan
a bit of flaky sea salt

To prep the cauliflower, remove any leaves at the base and trim the stem. Now cut it into tiny trees - and by tiny, I mean most florets aren't much larger than a table grape. Make sure the pieces are relatively equal in size, so they cook in the same amount of time.

Rinse under running water, and set aside.

Heat the olive oil and fine grain salt in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add the cauliflower and stir until the florets are coated. Wait until it gets a bit brown on the bottom, then toss the cauliflower with a spatula. Brown a bit more and continue to saute until the pieces are deeply golden - all told about six minutes. In the last 30 seconds stir in the garlic.

Remove from heat and stir in the chives, lemon zest, and dust with a bit of freshly grated Parmesan cheese and a pinch of flaky sea salt (if you have it on hand). Serve immediately.

Serves 2-3 as a side.

Comments: I make my own variations of this all the time, based on what I have on hand. It's a great jumping off point.

Swiss Chard Tart: Pasticcio di Bietole al Forno

I was all set to make an Argentina tarta de verduras, with a Spanish recipe and all...when I laid eyes on this, which didn't require making a crust, and I was sold.

It was tasty, but I'd like to try this version next time, which is a bit more complex, and requires some dough.

Here's my adaptation:

· 1 large bunch Swiss chard, washed

· 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

· 1 small onion, thinly sliced

· 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

· 1 t. nutmeg

· 1 t. red pepper flakes

· 2 eggs + 1 white

· Salt and freshly ground black pepper

· 1 cup freshly grated gruyere

· 2T. grated Reggiano cheese

· 1 cup bread crumbs

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Bring 8 quarts water to a rolling boil and add 2 tablespoons salt.

Remove stems from chard, and slice finely. Add to boiling water. After two minutes, add leaves. Add the Swiss chard to the boiling water and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain thoroughly, chop and set aside.

In a 12-inch saucepan, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil over a medium flame until hot but not smoking. Add the onion and garlic, and cook until soft and golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the Swiss chard, nutmeg, and red pepper flakes. Let cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and let cool.

Meanwhile, break the eggs into a small bowl and beat until blended. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Add Gruyere and mix until the ingredients are well-blended. Add the egg mixture to the cooled Swiss chard and toss to combine.

Using the remaining olive oil to lightly grease a shallow 9-inch round or oval baking dish. Dust the bottom of the baking dish with 1/2 cup bread crumbs. Carefully place the Swiss chard and egg mixture into the pan. Dust with the Parmigiano and then the remaining bread crumbs.

Bake until the top is golden brown, about 25 minutes. Serve hot or room temperature.

Golden-Crusted Brussels Sprouts Recipe

I made these brussels sprouts from 101 Cookbooks a couple times...they're rich with the cheese, but yummy.

Use brussels sprouts that are on the small size and tightly closed. You can finish these with many different types of cheese but I tend to go for Parmesan when the weather is good. I trade that in for heavier cheeses like gruyere or Gouda in colder weather. I finished them off with some toasted hazelnuts the other night - delicious!

24 small brussels sprouts
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for rubbing
fine-grain sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup grated cheese of your choice

Wash the brussels sprouts well. Trim the stem ends and remove any raggy outer leaves.

Cut in half from stem to top and gently rub each half with olive oil, keeping it intact (or if you are lazy just toss them in a bowl with a glug of olive oil).

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in your largest skillet over medium heat. Don't overheat the skillet, or the outsides of the brussels sprouts will cook too quickly. Place the brussels sprouts in the pan flat side down (single-layer), sprinkle with a couple pinches of salt, cover, and cook for roughly 5 minutes; the bottoms of the sprouts should only show a hint of browning. Cut into or taste one of the sprouts to gauge whether they're tender throughout. If not, cover and cook for a few more minutes.

Once just tender, uncover, turn up the heat, and cook until the flat sides are deep brown and caramelized. Use a metal spatula to toss them once or twice to get some browning on the rounded side. Season with more salt, a few grinds of pepper, and a dusting of grated cheese. While you might be able to get away with keeping a platter of these warm in the oven for a few minutes, they are exponentially tastier if popped in your mouth immediately.

Serves 4.

Oven Roasted Cauliflower with Garlic, Olive Oil and Lemon Juice

I just made this tasty dish but without the chives...definitely up for a repeat!

Ingredients

5 to 6 cups cauliflower florets, about 1 1/2 inches in diameter (from 1 medium cauliflower)

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon sliced garlic

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan

Chopped chives, for garnish

Directions

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.

Place the cauliflower florets in a large saute pan or a roasting pan. Drizzle the olive oil over the cauliflower, and season with the garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Place the saute/roasting pan in the oven and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure even roasting. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the Parmesan. Garnish with chopped chives and serve immediately while still warm.

Baingan Bharta

I made Baingan Bharta the other night, as I recently got a cheap packet of curry powder. Unfortunately, I should have sprung for the $3 can as opposed to the $0.50 packet. This was disappointing. I also forgot to get a pepper, and used Sriracha instead...

I've made it at home and it was better. I'll give it another try with better ingredients, as it'd be a great dish to break up the monotony here...

ASIAN BROCCOLI

Adapted from A Veggie Venture

1 pound broccoli
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 clove minced garlic
1 teaspoon powdered ginger
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
Few turns of salt and pepper

Add 1/2 inch water to a pan with a cover. Add broccoli, cover and boil until broccoli is nearly cooked. While broccoli cooks, assemble remaining ingredients. Pour over the broccoli, cover and let rest for 5 minutes.

Swiss Chard Gratin

I made this, and here is the review I posted:

The recipe was good, however the chard tasted like chard. Given the cream and butter, I hoped for something with a bit more flavor. The topping was salty, I probably won't add salt if I make it again. It was also very labor-intensive. I have other recipes that come together a lot quicker and seem to be a lot healthier.

Zucchini Latkes

So, I've been getting an overload of those cute little zapallitos from work, and looking for ways to use them. Zucchini pancakes are a typical fallback, when I get tired of the steamed and sauced versions...

However, I ran across a recipe for Zucchini Latkes, which seemed fairly simple. Quite similar to my pancakes, except I've never made latkes before. And I'd been craving hashbrowns for a while, so the chance to add some potatoes sounded promising. I wasn't about to hunt down matzo in Argentina, with a bunch of bread crumbs in my pantry, so I subbed those.

They also really needed a sauce, so I mixed up some mayo with a few drops of sriracha, and ended up with a fabulous dish!

Zucchini Latkes
Adapted from Food & Wine

Makes about 4 dozen 1 1/2-inch latkes

1 pound medium zapallitos
1 large baking potato (3/4 pound)
1 small onion (4 ounces), peeled
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Vegetable oil, for frying

1. Halve the zucchini crosswise. Cut the zucchini flesh off the seedy center and coarsely grate it in a food processor. Or grate it on a box grater until you reach the seedy center. Discard the center. In a food processor or on a box grater, coarsely grate the potato and onion. Transfer the grated zucchini, potato and onion to a colander and squeeze dry. Let stand for 2 minutes, then squeeze again. Transfer the vegetable mixture to a large bowl. Add the matzo meal, egg, lemon juice, salt and pepper and stir to combine.

2. In a medium skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil until shimmering. Drop packed teaspoons of the zucchini mixture into the skillet and flatten them with the back of a spoon. Cook the latkes over moderately high heat until the edges are golden, about 1 1/2 minutes; flip and cook until golden on the bottom, about 1 minute. Drain on paper towels. Repeat with the remaining zucchini mixture, adding more oil to the skillet as needed.

Make ahead: The fried latkes can be kept at room temperature for up to 4 hours. Reheat them on a dark baking sheet in a 375° oven for about 5 minutes, or until warmed through and crisp.

Lemon-Mustard Green Beans

Based on a recipe from the cookbook Modern Vegetarian Kitchen by Peter Berley.

In a large pot, bring 3 quarts water to a boil. Add 1 Tbs of salt. Place in a bowl:

* 1 small red onion, thinly sliced

Cover with 2 cups of the boiling water. Cover the bowl with a plate and set aside for 10 to 15 minutes. This will help mellow the onions. Drop into the remaining boiling water, and cook, for 4 to 6 minutes, until crisp-tender, or a tiny bit undercooked (remember they will keep cooking once they come out for a few minutes):

* 1.5 pounds green beans, trimmed

Drain the onions and toss them with

* 1/2 tsp salt (too much?)
* pinch freshly milled black pepper
* 1 Tbs apple cider vinegar

Make the vinaigrette. Whisk together in a large serving bowl until oil is emulsified and creamy:

* 1/2 tsp coarse sea salt
* 1/8 tsp cayenne
* 1 small garlic clove, crushed
* 1 Tbs Dijon-style mustard
* 1 tsp honey
* 2 Tbs freshly squeezed lemon juice
* 2 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil

Drain the onions once again, squeezing them dry. Add the onions and the green beans to the vinaigrette and toss well. Let marinate for 15 minutes at room temperature before serving.

Corn on the cob

1 teaspoon chili powder
1/8 teaspoon dried oregano
1 pinch onion powder
cayenne pepper to taste
garlic powder to taste
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup butter, softened
6 ears corn, husked and cleaned

1.Preheat grill for medium-high heat.
2.In a medium bowl, mix together the chili powder, oregano, onion powder, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Blend in the softened butter. Apply this mixture to each ear of corn, and place each ear onto a piece of aluminum foil big enough to wrap the corn. Wrap like a burrito, and twist the ends to close.
3.Place wrapped corn on the preheated grill, and cook 20 to 30 minutes, until tender when poked with a fork. Turn corn occasionally during cooking.