Impressing Vegetarians

Sicilian Chickpea Fritters, Pasta with Artichoke Hearts

Hello again! I return from a triumphant eight weeks in Moscow, Russia. Lacking a kitchen in my dorm room on Ulitsa Skakovaya, I've done almost nothing but make up for it since my return, and have been cooking almost non-stop. After revisiting old favorites already posted, I tried something new last night- and I actually took a picture of it!

You see, my roommate brought someone over for dinner- he's a vegetarian, and I wanted to serve up some veggie-friendly protein that wasn't a bean salad. So I modified a Sicilian recipe I'd been meaning to try for a while. Panelles are a simple fritter traditionally made from chickpea flour with some parsley, salt and pepper, lightly pan-fried. Since these aren't true panelles, I won't call them that- I substituted a can of chick peas for half of the flour in the original recipe. You can eyeball this one- the texture will let you know when it's ready. I served this alongside a very simple but extremely tasty veggie pasta, and a simple tomato basil salad.

In case you were wondering, I usually fry and sautee in either vegetable or safflower oil. This time I used sunflower oil, which gives everything a nice buttery, nutty flavor while still being fairly healthy. Olive oil has a low smoking point and I don't prefer it for high-heat activities like frying or browning garlic. Long exposure to heat messes with the delicate taste of olive oil and its healthy properties, so I usually reserve it for use as a flavoring, adding it at the end of cooking.

Sicilian-Style Chickpea Fritters

1 can chickpeas, drained
1 1/2 cups chickpea flour
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp anise seeds
2 cups water
2 tbsp fresh chopped parsley
*1/2 tsp hot pepper flakes (optional)
1/4 cup vegetable or sunflower oil (for frying)

In a pan over medium heat, mix together the chickpeas, chickpea flour, seasonings, and water, stirring constantly. Mash up the whole chickpeas as much as possible while you stir. If the mixture begins to thicken too fast, add a little water. Once the mixture reaches a boil, it will begin to thicken fast- when it becomes a dense paste (after 5-8 minutes), remove it from the heat, and pour it out onto an oiled cookie sheet, pressing it into a layer about 1/2 inch thick. Let the mixture cool, and once it is cooled and firm, cut it into evenly-sized pieces at least 2 inches across. Fry them in a small amount of oil until golden brown on both sizes, and serve.


Pasta with Artichoke Hearts

2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 large shallot, chopped
1 12 oz. jar marinated artichoke hearts
1 12 oz. can diced tomatoes, drained
1 cup white wine
2 zucchini, sliced
2 tsp. capers in vinegar, rinsed
juice of 1/2 a lemon
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp dried basil, crushed
2 tbsp fresh basil, shredded
1 tsp black pepper
Salt to taste
*sprinkle of sugar (if needed)
3/4 lb. angel hair pasta

In a pan on medium heat, sautee the garlic and shallot in a small amount of vegetable oil. Add the wine, artichoke hearts in their liquid, and tomatoes, and stir. Add the zucchini, lower heat, and simmer until the alcohol in the wine has cooked off. Season to taste with lemon juice, salt, pepper, basil, and capers, adding a sprinkle of sugar if it seems too tart. Once the pasta is cooked, strain and toss with the sauce, adding the olive oil.

Hot Peppers on the Lamb

Lamb and Rice Stuffed Red Peppers

Ok, so I ripped off my title from an old episode of AMC's Dinner and a Movie. "Two Hot Peppers on the Lamb" was what they cooked when the featured film was "Thelma and Louise". I always thought that was brilliant. Now then...

These stuffed peppers have a little Middle Eastern influence, since the stuffing was inspired by the heavily spiced ground lamb kebabs known as kofta. I had tried this before and been disappointed; getting it right meant putting in more rice, more egg, more salt and more lime juice, and all of this translated into more delicious. I topped the roasted stuffed peppers with a little spicy tomato sauce, and served them with couscous and a spinach salad in strawberry-balsamic vinaigrette (see last summer's entries for the dressing recipe).

Lamb and Rice Stuffed Red Peppers

1 lb ground lamb
1 shallot, chopped
1 tsp garlic, minced
1 cup cooked rice
2 eggs
2 tsp salt
1 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp sumac (available at Middle Eastern markets)
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp oregano
2-3 bell peppers (depending on size), halved
2 tbsp olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Rub the peppers in some of the olive oil and grease a deep pan with the rest. Mix the ground lamb and other ingredients and seasonings well, then press the mix into the peppers, heaping about a 1/2 inch over the top of the pepper. Brush a little olive oil on top of the peppers and set in the oven for 45 minutes. Top with spiced tomato sauce and serve.


Spicy Tomato Sauce

1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp garlic, minced
2 tbsp tomato paste
1/2 cup chicken stock
2 tsp aleppo pepper (available in Middle Eastern markets)
1 tbsp fresh chopped basil
1 tbsp fresh chopped parsley
1 tsp lime juice

In a small pan, sautee garlic in oil briefly, then mix ingredients together over low heat until fully blended, and simmer for 1-2 minutes before serving over the peppers.

Swordfish is the Password

Swordfish Steaks, with Turnip Greens,
Harukei Turnips, Asparagus and Potatoes

The farmer's market has just started up and the pickings are still slim, but yesteday I came upon some very interesting little vegetables called harukei turnips. They taste like a cross between a radish and asparagus, and the farmer told me they would be excellent either raw or roasted alongside some actual asparagus. I had some asparagus at home, some swordfish in my freezer (an excellent deal at Trader Joe's), and the good fortune of a boyfriend who is exceedingly fond of both swordfish and asparagus. He likes potatoes, too, as do I, so I also roasted some of those. The greens from the turnips looked wonderfully fresh, so I sauteed them and served them as well. I don't care to dwell on it, but this must have been a damn healthy dinner.

I'm not even going to include a recipe for the roasted potatoes and vegetables, since all I did was set my oven to 350, rub a little olive oil, salt, pepper and lemon juice on everything, and cook it. The potatoes stayed in for about 45 minutes; I stuck the turnips and asparagus in a separate pan and cooked them for about 25 minutes.

Swordfish Steaks

2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 swordfish steaks
2 tsp olive oil
1 tsp crushed basil
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp Northwoods seasoning (from Penzeys.com)

Rub the above mixture onto your swordfish steaks and cook on medium heat until brown on both sides, about 10-15 minutes if the steaks are about an inch thick. That's it.


Turnip Greens with Mushrooms

1 tbsp oil
1 tsp garlic, minced
1 shallot, chopped
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup white wine
1 bunch turnip greens
2 tsp lemon juice
salt & pepper (to taste)

Sautee the garlic in oil, then add the shallots and mushrooms and cook until lightly browned. Add the wine, then toss in the greens. Lower heat to lowest setting and cover for 2-3 minutes. Stir occasionally, and once greens are tender turn off the heat. Sprinkle with lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste before serving.

Georgia on my Mind

Lobio, Kasha, and Khachapuri

First, let's get something straight: I mean Georgia the COUNTRY, not the US state! Georgian food is still waiting to be discovered as a cuisine over here, but I think it has a bright future. I discovered it in a little family-run cafe on the Fontanka in St. Petersburg, and it took a lot of self-control to keep myself out of there every day. Everyone I know who has experienced Georgian food it will tell you it is exceedingly tasty and fairly simple to prepare. The ingredients are easy to find in the US, and there's little that the American palate will find threatening.

Lobio is a savory bean dish that has numerous variations, all dubbed "Lobio", so I'm including my own recipe, which gets pretty close to the version I first ate in the Georgian cafe. I used canned beans simply because they're faster. It may or may not be traditional to serve this with buckwheat kasha, but I love the stuff and think they're great together.

The real crowd pleaser, though, is bound to be the khachapuri, which is Georgian cheesy bread. Likewise, this dish seems to come in a variety of shapes and styles, so I felt fine taking a few liberties. I used a blend of sharp cheddar and asiago to mimic the salty Georgian cheeses you'd find baked into traditional khachapuri.

Lobio (Georgian Bean Stew)
1 tbsp oil
1 tsp garlic
1 shallot, chopped
1 can red kidney beans or fava beans, rinsed
1 can cannellini beans, rinsed
1/2 cup white wine
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup chopped kale (optional)
1 tsp oregano
1 tbsp seasoning blend*
2 tsp lemon juice

*I used a prepackaged Georgian seasoning blend containing black pepper, salt, paprika, turmeric, oregano, basil and fenugreek. A goulash seasoning, or a blend called "Khmeli-Suneli" would also work well, but the seasoning of this dish seems to be wide open.

Sautee the garlic in oil on medium heat until lightly browned, and add the shallot. Add the beans and stir together, letting them cook for a minute or so before adding the wine. Keep stirring and add the chicken stock and kale. The consistency should be like a thick soup- feel free to add more stock if needed. Add the seasonings and lemon, and lower heat. Stir occasionally- it should be ready when the kale is cooked.

Buckwheat Kasha

1/4 cup oil
1/2 onion
1 cup buckwheat kasha
2 cups chicken stock
1 tsp dill

First make sure to inspect your kasha for small stones and whatnot; even the best American brands might have a pebble in them somewhere, but kasha is delicious and worth the effort. On medium heat in a deep saucepan, sautee the onion in oil until brown. Then add the dry kasha and toast it lightly in the oil for a few minutes, stirring constantly. Add the chicken stock and dill and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and cover. Let it simmer while stirring occasionally until the liquid is absorbed (a 2:1 ratio of liquid to kasha usually works). Remove cover and stir, letting some liquid evaporate- the kasha should be soft, but the individual grains shouldn't be so mushy they stick together.


Khachapuri (Georgian Cheesy Bread)

1 packet quick-acting yeast
1 cup warm water
1/2 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
2 tsp *seasoning blend (optional- see above)
2 cups all-purpose flour
4 oz sharp white cheddar, in small cubes
4 oz asiago, in small cubes
2 tbsp olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a mixing bowl, dissolve the yeast in warm water along with the sugar and salt. Add the seasoning (if desired) and flour, mixing together. When well-mixed, cover and let sit in a warm place for 5 minutes. Then knead the dough for one minute on a floured surface. Divide the mixture into four parts, pressing each into an oval. Fill each with a mix of cheddar and asiago cubes, then pinch the narrow ends of the oval up until it looks like a boat (see picture). Be sure the sides are securely closed, and leave an opening at the center. Leave some flour on the underside of each boat to prevent sticking, and brush the tops with olive oil. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.

Tequila!

Tequila-Lime Tilapia with Tomato Couscous and Spicy Mango Chutney


My roommate was nervous about her big presentation today, so last night I thought she could use some tequila. Drinking it straight was probably not a good idea, though, so I decided to make something extra-spiffy for dinner and opted for one of my favorite flavors; tequila-lime. I pan-seared some tilapia filets and served them with tomato couscous, mango chutney and steamed broccoli. I really wish I had taken a picture- the plate looked so pretty! Why don't I take pictures before I eat the pretty things? Maybe because they look too good...

The tequila-lime treatment should be familiar to anyone who has ever eaten at Applebee's or Chili's. As good as it always sounds, no restaurant has ever managed to make one with enough tequila OR enough lime for yours truly. I'm liberal with both, so this sauce has a great kick. You can make it spicy, too, but I kept it mild this time. It also works well with chicken and pork. I plan on dousing some shrimp in the leftover sauce later this week.

Ingredient of the Day: Ancho Chili Powder
Ancho chili powder is only mildly spicy but has a very distinct taste and a wonderfully rich smokiness. It will add depth and a Southwest flair to your more powerfully-flavored dishes and makes a good addition to barbecue rubs and sauces.

Tequila Lime Tilapia
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 large shallot, minced
1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
3 tbsp brown sugar
juice of 1 fresh lime
1 tbsp Rose's lime juice
1/2 cup tequila
1/2 tsp ancho chili powder
1 tsp dried basil (or several shredded fresh leaves)
1 tsp dried parsley (or fresh)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
*1 tbsp fresh cilantro, shredded

4 tilapia filets (about 1 lb.)

In a non-stick pan on medium heat, sautee the garlic and shallot in the oil until lightly browned then add the chicken broth, lime juice and brown sugar (you can mix them all together beforehand if you like). Then add the tequila and stir. Once the alcohol has cooked off (taste it to find out), lower the heat and simmer the sauce until some of the liquid cooks off. Season with the ancho chili powder, basil and parsley. Add salt and freshly-ground black pepper to taste.

I removed the pan from the heat and let a little bit of the sauce cool, then rubbed it on the tilapia filets before pan-searing them. Once they were cooked, I set them on the plate and spooned more sauce over them. This made sure the fish browned and didn't get stewed from having too much juice in the pan. *I topped mine with a healthy dose of fresh cilantro, but if you hate cilantro, by all means leave it out.

Tomato Couscous
2 cups water
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce (the little squat cans)
1 cup couscous
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp olive oil

I kept this simple because there were so many other flavors on the plate. Mix the water and tomato sauce and salt together and bring it to a boil. Add the couscous, stir well and lower the heat to its lowest setting. Let cook for 5 minutes, then check to see how much of the water has been absorbed. If the couscous looks cooked and the water has been absorbed, remove it from the heat and let it sit for 5 minutes. Add the olive oil and fluff with a fork before serving.

Spicy Mango Chutney
1 fresh mango, diced
2 tbsp red bell pepper, chopped
1 shallot, minced
1 tsp lime juice
1/2 tsp brown sugar*
1/2 tsp aleppo pepper
1/2 tsp dried basil

Simply chop and mix these ingredients together just before serving. *If you have an especially sweet, ripe mango, you might omit the sugar.

Hot Soup, Cold Treat

Sambhar Squash Soup and Strawberry Ginger Mint Sorbet


Check it out- an actual photo I took of food I prepared! I really need to start taking pictures of stuff...

The weather has been blowing hot and cold all month long in DC, so I've been mixing it up a bit food-wise. The other day I put together a nice vegetable curry, and experimented with a soup to go with it. I've been making squash soups with frozen pureed squash for a while, but this time I added sambhar curry powder, and a minced preserved lemon. The effect was spicy and satisfying, and a definite hit with my roommate. Sambhar powder is typically used to season a thin lentil soup in Indian cuisine; it can be pretty strong, so you may want to check how much heat the brand you try is packing before you cook.

Today was a snow day, and since there wasn't enough ice outside, I had to throw some around in the house and make my first ever sorbet. We had a bag of strawberries, frozen at their peak after being picked on a local farm last summer, and with a few other simple ingredients they made a terrifically easy and flavorful dessert using only a blender and a Tupperware container. If you want to use heavy cream instead of the milk and soy creamer I happened to have, I'm sure it will come out awesome, too.

The other experiment of the day was my first attempt at pizza dough, but I won't post that unless it works out when I bake it tomorrow. You know- gotta make sure it doesn't explode in the oven, or crawl out of the fridge overnight.


Sambhar Squash Soup
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
1/2 onion, diced
1 package frozen pureed butternut squash
4 cups chicken stock
2 tbsp. sambhar curry powder
2 tsp. lemon juice
1 tbsp. sugar
1 minced preserved lemon (See entry "Morocco Love")

Heat the oil in a deep saucepan and sautee the onion until lightly browned. Add the chicken stock and the frozen squash. Cook until the squash thaws and the soup comes to a boil, then add the sambhar powder, lemon juice, sugar and minced lemon. You can also add salt and pepper to taste, if you like. Once the soup is boiling, lower it and simmer, stirring until flavors are incorporated. Serve with toasted naan. No, really- dipping toasted Indian bread in this made it even better.

Strawberry Ginger Mint Sorbet
2 cups frozen strawberries
1 1/2 cups milk*
1/2 cup soy creamer
1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped
1/2 cup granulated sugar

Mix all ingredients together in a blender. Pour into a 1 quart container and stick it in the freezer. After 1 hour, stir or shake it to break up any ice crystals. I'm not sure if the soy creamer affected the texture, but the batch I made came out creamy and never turned rock-solid or developed large ice crystals. It may have been the fact that I started with frozen strawberries. Either way, it's fresh and delicious, and will taste even better in a month like July.

Introducing Kale

Kale Soup with Pork and Mushrooms


I love kale. When other greens look wimpy and unappetizing, the kale in the supermarket still appears fresh and healthy, its deep green leaves doubling over themselves with earthy goodness, crisply crenellated with their own vitality. Kale has a distinct flavor, sometimes even a sweetness, and a texture that holds up in soups and stews. Kale is not merely rabbit food, and it's a damn shame it's fed to more rabbits than humans these days. It is, I daresay, a manly green. A very virile vegetable. And it's full of nutrients like calcium and iron. It will do your body good.

I often cook kale with garlic, white wine, and cannellini beans in my own version of the Italian peasant standby, escarole and beans. Since I nearly froze to death on my way home the other night, I was more in the mood for soup.

Kale goes together with pork in a magical way. The Portuguese have a variant of kale soup that uses chorizo. I did not have any chorizo, but I do keep a small reserve of cured pork fat in my freezer, which I use mainly as a flavoring. It's also true that many of the nutrients in dark, leafy greens are fat soluble, and you actually increase their benefit by cooking with a small amount of animal fat. The meat used here is a standard pork cutlet, an extremely lean cut that won't add much fat, but will make for a more satisfying and protein-filled result. Mushrooms and sherry are also a magical combination, and so I've incorporated both ingredient pairings here to wonderful effect. What you get is a very hearty soup with plenty in each spoonful. If you prefer your soup to be soupier, just add stock as desired.

Kale and Pork Soup with Mushrooms

2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 small piece cured pork fat
1 onion, diced
1 shallot, diced
2 small pork cutlets, sliced thin
8-10 button mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup sherry
5 cups kale, shredded
5 cups chicken stock
1/4 cup tiny pasta (i.e. stars, orzo)
Black pepper (to taste)
Salt (to taste)
Grated Romano cheese (if desired)

In a deep pot, sautee pork fat in oil until it begins to brown, then remove it. Add the onion and shallot and cook until browned, then add the pork. When the pork begins to brown, add the mushrooms and cook together until they acquire some of the flavors and begin to brown, too. Add the sherry and stir everything together until the alcohol is cooked off. Begin stirring in your kale- it will cook down, and you'll soon be able to get it all in the pot. Add the chicken stock and bring the pot to a boil. Add the pasta and lower heat to simmering. Once the kale is tender, taste the soup and adjust salt and pepper to taste. You can leave it a little less salty and sprinkle some grated cheese on top instead, if you like.