Thursday, February 29, 2024

Red Lentil Barley Stew

 


From here

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, more for drizzling
  • 2 leeks, white and light green parts, sliced into half-moons, or 1 cup sliced onion
  • 3 carrots, diced
  • 1 cup chopped fennel, fronds reserved
  • 1 bunch cilantro, leaves and stems mostly separated and chopped (don’t worry too much about leaves and stems mingling)
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1½ teaspoons fine sea or table salt, more to taste
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon baharat or garam masala
  • ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 2 quarts vegetable or chicken broth
  • 1 cup pearled barley
  • 1 cup red lentils
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, plus lemon wedges for serving

Instructions

  1. In a large Dutch oven or soup pot, heat oil over medium-high. Add leeks and cook, stirring often, until tender and beginning to brown, about 10 minutes.
  2. Stir in carrots, fennel, cilantro stems, garlic and salt. Cook until the garlic is fragrant, about 2 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, baharat, turmeric and cinnamon stick, and cook until the tomato paste begins to caramelize, about 2 minutes.
  3. Add the broth, barley and red lentils, and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 1 hour to 1 ½ hours, stirring occasionally, until the barley and lentils are tender. (Add some water if the pot starts to look dry; this can be as thick or soupy as you like.)
  4. Stir in a tablespoon of lemon juice and the chopped cilantro leaves. Taste stew and add salt and lemon juice if needed (you might need a lot more salt if you started with unsalted broth). Serve in bowls drizzled with olive oil and garnished with chopped fennel fronds.

Comments

  • I just tossed all of the cilantro in at the start; worked fine
  • Skipped the fennel

Sunday, February 04, 2024

Buffalo Cauliflower Dip

From here

Ingredients

  • 1 small head cauliflower (about 1 1/2 pounds), cored and cut into small florets (about 4 cups)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • Kosher salt and black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • ½ cup Buffalo-style hot sauce, such as Frank’s
  • 4 ounces cream cheese, cut into pieces and softened (about 1/2 cup)
  • ¼ cup sour cream
  • ½ cup freshly shredded Cheddar (about 2 ounces)
  • ¼ cup crumbled blue cheese (about 1 ounce)
  • 1 ½ teaspoons finely chopped chives or scallions, or to taste
  • Celery sticks, carrot sticks, bread, potato chips or tortilla chips, for serving
Instructions
  1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. In a 9-inch cast-iron or ovenproof skillet, toss the cauliflower with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Cover with a lid or aluminum foil and cook on the stovetop over high to steam, 5 minutes.
  2. Uncover the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until the cauliflower is fork-tender and caramelized in spots, about 10 minutes.
  3. Stir in the butter. Once melted, stir in the hot sauce and simmer until the sauce has reduced by half, about 3 minutes.
  4. Turn off the heat, then stir in the cream cheese and sour cream until combined. Sprinkle the Cheddar on top.
  5. Bake until bubbling around the edges and the cheese has melted, about 10 minutes. If you’d like the top to get browned, run it under the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes.
  6. Immediately sprinkle with blue cheese and chives. Serve with vegetables, bread or chips for dipping.

Comments

  • First step is kind of weird; there's probably a better way to steam (or pressure cook?) the cauliflower to soften it up
  • Cut the florets into as small pieces as possible (or perhaps even rice them?)
  • More blue cheese = better

Saturday, January 20, 2024

Mushroom Risotto With Peas

From here

Ingredients
  • 6 to 7cups chicken, vegetable or garlic broth or stock, as needed
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • ½ cup finely chopped onion, or 2 shallots, minced
  • ¾ to 1pound wild mushrooms, cleaned if necessary and torn or sliced into smaller pieces if thick (small wild mushrooms should be left whole, mushrooms like maitake can just be separated into small pieces)
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves or chopped sage
  • 1½ cups arborio or carnaroli rice
  • ½ cup dry white wine, such as pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc
  • 1 cup frozen peas, thawed (optional)
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
  • ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, or a mixture of Parmesan and Pecorino Romano
Instructions
  1. Bring stock or broth to a simmer in a saucepan, with a ladle nearby. Make sure stock is well seasoned, and keep it simmering on the stove.
  2. Heat oil in a wide, heavy nonstick skillet or saucepan over medium heat. Add onions or shallots and cook gently until just tender, 3 to 5 minutes.
  3. Turn up heat and add mushrooms. Cook, stirring, until they begin to sweat, about 3 minutes, then add garlic and thyme or sage. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Season mushrooms with salt and pepper and continue to cook over medium heat until they are soft. Taste and adjust seasoning.
  4. Add rice and stir until grains begin to crackle. Add wine and cook, stirring, until wine is no longer visible in pan. Stir in enough simmering stock to just cover the rice. The stock should bubble slowly. Cook, stirring often and vigorously, until stock is just about absorbed. Add another ladleful or two of stock and continue cooking, not too fast and not too slowly, stirring often and adding more stock when rice is almost dry, for 15 minutes.
  5. Add peas, if using, and continue adding stock and stirring for another 10 minutes. Rice should be tender all the way through but still al dente. Taste now and adjust seasoning.
  6. Add another ladleful or two of stock to rice. Stir in parsley and Parmesan, and remove from heat. Season with black pepper and serve right away in wide soup bowls or on plates.
Comments
  • Requires a lot of chopping and stirring
  • Go heavy on spices 

Sunday, October 29, 2023

Broccoli Cheddar Nuggets


Ingredients

  • 16 oz steamed and blended broccoli
  • 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon garlic salt
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
  • 1 teaspoon dry oregano
  • 1 cup bread crumbs
  • 3 large eggs, whisked

Instructions

  1. Blend the broccoli 
  2. Mix the rest of the ingredients together
  3. Add the blended broccoli to the mix and stir to mix
  4. Ball the mix into two-tablespoon portions and place on a cookie sheet
  5. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 mins, then flip and bake for another 15 minutes
Comments


Sunday, July 16, 2023

Brussels Sprouts With Walnuts and Pomegranate

 

From here

Ingredients

  • 1½ pounds brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
  • tablespoons olive oil
  • Kosher salt and black pepper
  • ¼ cup roughly chopped walnuts
  • tablespoons pomegranate seeds, plus more to taste
  • Pomegranate molasses, for drizzling (optional)
  • Flaky salt, to serve
Instructions
  1. Heat the oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl, toss brussels sprouts with the olive oil. Season well with the salt and black pepper and toss again. Spread everything evenly on a sheet pan cut-side-down and roast until crisp and deeply golden brown, about 25 to 30 minutes, flipping the sprouts halfway through to ensure even browning.
  2. Meanwhile, toast the walnuts in a skillet over medium-low heat, stirring frequently to ensure they don’t burn, about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
  3. When the brussels sprouts are done roasting, toss them with the toasted walnuts and the pomegranate seeds. Drizzle with the pomegranate molasses (about 1 teaspoon or so), if using. Season with flaky salt.
Comments
  • Could use more walnuts
  • One pomegranate suffices for seeds

Thursday, April 27, 2023

Gochujang Potato Stew




From here

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter or olive oil
  • 1 large red onion, coarsely chopped
  • Salt and black pepper
  • 5 large garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
  • 3 tablespoons gochujang, plus more to taste
  • 3 cups vegetable broth
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon honey or dark brown sugar
  • 1 pound baby gold or fingerling potatoes, large ones halved
  • 1 (15-ounce) can cannellini or butter beans, rinsed
  • 1 large bunch Tuscan kale, stems and leaves chopped (6 packed cups)
  • Cooked white rice, for serving
  • Sour cream and chopped flat-leaf parsley (both optional), for serving

Instructions

  1. Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high. Melt the butter and add the onion. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion starts to soften, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and gochujang, and stir until heated through and fragrant, just a few seconds.
    1. Stir in the vegetable broth, soy sauce, honey, potatoes and beans. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over high, then reduce the heat to medium-low to maintain a gentle boil. Cover and cook for 10 minutes, then add the kale. (It will seem like a lot at first but will wilt down considerably.) Tamping down the kale, continue gently boiling the covered stew, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are tender and the broth is thickened to your liking, 10 to 20 minutes. Taste the broth and add more salt, pepper and gochujang as desired.
    2. Serve the stew alongside white rice and, for coolness against the heat, top with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of parsley, if using.
    Comments

    • Chop the potatoes finer
    • More greens!

    Friday, March 24, 2023

    Baked Spanakopita Pasta With Greens and Feta

    From here (mirror)

    Ingredients

    • Kosher salt and black pepper
    • 4cups chopped spinach, Swiss chard or other mild greens (tough stems removed)
    • 4cups chopped arugula, watercress or other peppery greens
    • 1cup chopped fresh dill or parsley leaves and tender stems, or a combination
    • 6scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced, whites and dark green parts separated
    • 1pound tubular or curvy pasta, like rigatoni or fusilli
    • 2tablespoons unsalted butter
    • 4garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
    • 8ounces cream cheese (1 cup), cut into ½-inch cubes
    • 4ounces mozzarella, grated (1 cup)
    • 4ounces crumbled feta (1 cup)
    Instructions
    1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Heat the oven to 450 degrees.
    2. In a 3-quart/9-by-13-inch baking dish, toss the chopped spinach, arugula, herbs and scallion greens with 2 teaspoons salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Squeeze the mixture with your hands to wilt, then set aside.
    3. Cook the pasta in the boiling water until 2 minutes shy of al dente; reserve 1 cup pasta water, then drain pasta and set aside. Return the pot to the stove.
    4. Melt the butter in the pot over medium heat. Add the scallion whites, garlic and a pinch of salt, and sauté until softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the cream cheese and pasta water and stir until smooth. Stir in the wilted greens, half the mozzarella and half the feta until combined. Stir in the pasta until combined. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
    5. Transfer the pasta to the baking dish, then top with remaining mozzarella and feta. Bake until the sauce has thickened and bubbly and the top has browned in spots, 10 to 15 minutes. If you like a crisper top, broil for a few minutes.
    Comments
    • Chop up the greens a bit before putting them in the pot, otherwise they'll bunch up together in clumps
    • Buy already-crumbled feta instead of a block of feta to more easily sprinkle on top towards the end
    • Goes well with: Pita chips, olives, other Mediterranean stuff 
    • Step #2 is a bit strange; squeezing seems unnecessary, as is reusing the baking dish

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