Vegetarian Week

The house is empty, suddenly, as Ted has gone back to college and Paul is in New York all week. It's just Maddy and me this week, so we're indulging in dinners designed more for the two of us. It's vegetarian week around here, a great opportunity to make Maddy happy and to experiment with some new recipes and some lighter dinners.

First off, I have to thank Maddy for the photo above. I'm still hobbling along with my old point and shoot although I did go in halvsies with Maddy on a Nikon dSLR that I have yet to use. Maybe experimenting with that camera should be my New Year's resolution. She took this photo on my old camera after I unsuccessfully attempted a few shots myself in the darkness that accompanies a winter dinner. My camera (and I) seem only to do well with lots of natural light.

I started out with a bang on Monday night, in part to cheer us up after everyone departed. I created a version of pasta alla Norma, or, generally, pasta with roasted eggplant, tomatoes and ricotta cheese. This turned out to be the richest meal we had all week. The recipe for this is below. I had a frozen bag of slow oven roasted tomatoes I'd made in October with the last of the local plum tomatoes so I used those instead of canned tomatoes this time.

Tuesday night we had a dinner I don't think I've had since I was married. Baked potato stuffed with sauteed (very) garlicky spinach, mushroom and onions and about a tablespoon of leftover ricotta cheese and a sprinkle of parmigiano. With all the controversy over white carbs, I sometimes forget about potatoes, but this is a delicious and very light vegetarian dinner that is simple to prepare.

Last night we enjoyed last week's winning recipe from food52, Rivka's Mujaddara, which is a blend of lentils, rice and caramelized onions. Rivka also provides the recipe for an accompanying spiced yogurt. It was terrific last night, and I expect it will be even better for lunch today!

Tonight we will be enjoying this soba which I blogged about last year for Gourmet, Unbound, topped with vegetables and perhaps, a small piece of salmon for me. If you check my notes in that blog post, you'll see what I altered in that recipe.

Oh, and before you start cooking, I just wanted to alert you to something I read in Cooking Light this month. For those of us buying chicken directly from farmers, it's not so much of an issue, but if you buy your chicken in a grocery store, be aware that some chicken, particularly boneless breasts, are injected with a saline solution to plump them. This can add an enormous amount of sodium to a 4 ounce serving. According to Cooking Light, chicken altered in this way can still be labeled "natural" under current USDA labeling policies. Not only does this process add hidden sodium, you are paying for more chicken than you're getting. The injected water will cook out of the chicken leaving you a smaller yield than unenhanced chicken.

Processors must disclose the injections, but they sometimes hide the disclosure with small lettering and inconspicuous location. Look for language like "contains up to 15% chicken broth" in fine print. Also, check the Nutrition Facts label - natural chicken should have only about 70 mg. of sodium which occurs naturally in many foods. "Enhanced" chicken might have 440 mg. in a 4 ounce serving.

While that might not seem like a lot of sodium, it is a completely unnecessary one-fifth (and almost one-third of the amount the American Heart Association and the Center for Science in the Public Interest are urging the USDA to adopt as the new daily amount - a decrease from 2300 mg. per day to 1500) of the daily recommended amount before the chicken has even been put into a recipe that might contain salt. Buy it or don't, but at least be aware it's there.

Penne with Roasted Eggplant, Tomatoes and Ricotta Cheese

(serves 3 - 4)

1 eggplant, diced into about 1/2 inch pieces
3 - 4 tablespoons olive oil
3 fat cloves garlic, peeled and cut into pieces about the size of the eggplant chunks
1 small to medium onion, peeled and diced
1/2 teaspoon Aleppo pepper or 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
14 ounce can of no sodium added San Marzano tomatoes (or about a cup to a cup and a half of slow roasted - not sun dried! - tomatoes if you have them)
8 ounces (half package) penne rigate - I used Garofalo whole wheat penne and it was fine in this dish
1/2 cup torn basil leaves
1 cup fresh ricotta cheese
salt and pepper to taste
Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, shredded or grated to sprinkle on top
.

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

2. Put up a pot of water to boil for the pasta.

3. Drizzle about 1 tablespoon of the olive oil onto a half sheet pan or low sided roasting pan and spread around. Add the eggplant pieces and another tablespoon or two of olive oil and toss well. Roast in oven for about 15 - 20 minutes, stirring a couple of times, until soft and slightly caramelized but not crispy.

4. In a saute pan over medium heat, sweat the onions in 1 tablespoon olive oil. Sprinkle a pinch or two of salt and some black pepper over top. Once the onions are translucent, add the garlic and Aleppo pepper or cayenne. After about two minutes, add the tomatoes, breaking them up with your hands or a spoon. Let the tomatoes simmer with the onion and garlic for about five minutes. You can throw in a pinch or two of thyme leaves if you have some. If you're using slow roasted tomatoes, put them into the pan with the olive oil they are in, but don't let them simmer, just move on to the next step.

5. Once the water boils, prepare pasta according to package directions. When the penne is cooked and drained, place it into a large bowl.

6. Add the tomato sauce, roasted eggplant and the basil to the pasta, reserving a pinch of basil for garnish if you like. Add the ricotta cheese. Mix well.

7. Taste for salt and pepper and add more if needed. Garnish with a bit of basil and Parmigiano Reggiano.

Some Belated New Year Thoughts

Here it is January 11, and I'm first getting around to a New Year's post. Francis Lam, late of Gourmet and now writing a blog for Salon.com, has said it all. I hope you'll check out this blog post , and, perhaps, this one that preceded it. Why recommend the later post first? I really appreciated the comments to his original blog post that Lam included in his later post.

I agree with him that "cheap chicken" is no bargain. And where he wavers - will he still support a local fried chicken chef even though he knows that chef is using cheap chicken - I don't waver at all. If you like fried chicken, then continue to support that business, in moderation. Moderation is a very good thing. Despite my picky buying habits for my home, I worry a little less on the rare occasion I'm out. If it's an everyday thing, that's a chicken of a different color.

Lam's readers raised the moderation issue, but also raised another, highly political and high profile issue these days. We who are able to purchase the $7.99 per pound (and up!) local, organic, hormone and antibiotic free, grub pecking, free grazing happy chicken boneless chicken breast are extremely lucky to have that option. Many in this country can not spend that kind of money on their dinner protein, even if the amount purchased is more of a garnish than a main event. I have no answers but I do worry about this issue. Can we persuade a nation of Big Mac eaters to go for lentils and kale instead? I can barely persuade my family.

To this end, though (and ever optimistic), I sneak kale into as many dishes as I can. In the manner of the Irish, tonight's mashed potatoes (olive oil and chicken stock) will have some leftover kale mixed in. It's the dish for which I originally bought the kale that I want to share with you now.

I've made any number of minestrones and many, many pasta fagioli. They're all represented here. However, I saw the inspiration for this soup on a lovely blog called Dinner a Love Story, done by a former editor of the now defunct Cookie magazine. She writes about the daily trials of getting dinner on the table in a two career family with kids. Even if you've never used dried beans before, give it a try. You can control the sodium and the flavor is markedly better in the case of cannellini beans. I figured if she has time to use dried cannellini beans, so do I! Just plan ahead a little with the beans - you'll need to soak them overnight and then drain them in the morning and then add fresh water and simmer for about an hour. Then you're done until you make the soup which actually goes quickly. You can even make the beans over the weekend and keep them refrigerated in their cooking water for a day or two until you want to make the soup.


Minestrone

adapted from Dinner a Love Story (who credits The Fine Art of Cooking by Giuliano Bugialli)

serves 6

8 ounces dried cannellini beans
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 ounces (1 large, thick cut slice) pancetta, diced (optional)
1 large onion, diced
1 large rib celery, diced
1 fat carrot, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup flat Italian parsley
1/2 head Savoy cabbage
1 medium sized Yukon gold potato, peeled and diced on the small size
1 - 2 bunches (depending on size - if you have a really full bunch, one will do it) of lacinato or Tuscan kale, rinsed, cut off the tough ribs and cut into one inch ribbons
1 cup strained tomatoes (no salt added)
2 -4 cups water or no sodium added chicken or vegetable stock
two or three large handfuls of baby spinach
salt and freshly ground pepper
4 ounces (about 1/4 package) tubetti pasta (optional)
best quality olive oil
grated Parmigiano Reggiano

1. Soak the dried cannellini beans overnight in a pot of cold water. Make sure the beans are covered by about two inches of water. In the morning, drain the beans in a colander and then put them back into the pot with 2 quarts of lightly salted water. Bring the pot to a boil and then reduce to simmer for about an hour, until tender, adding a little more hot water if the level gets too low. The beans should be fully covered at all times. If you're making the soup right after, then leave the beans in their pot on the stove. If you'd like to make the beans ahead, refrigerate in the cooking water until ready to use. When you're ready to make the soup, put the beans and their water into a pot and heat gently on the stove to take the chill out. Then turn off the heat and let them sit while you start the soup.

2. If using pancetta, put two tablespoons olive oil and pancetta into a large soup pot or Dutch oven and cook over medium heat until fully cooked, but not crispy, about 10 minutes. If not using pancetta, use three tablespoons olive oil and go to next step.

3. Add in the onion, celery, carrot, garlic, parsley and a couple of pinches of salt and a couple of grinds of pepper. Saute for about 10 more minutes until the vegetables soften and the onions become translucent. Add the potato to the pot, mix well and let cook for a couple of minutes. Add the cabbage and kale and the strained tomatoes. Add a few ladlefuls of the water from the beans and two cups of water or stock. Bring up to a boil and then immediately lower to a simmer, cover the pot, leaving the lid slightly ajar, and simmer for about 15 minutes (if you have an end of a piece of Parmigiano lurking around, throw it in here). Add another cup or two of water or stock and another ladle or two of the bean water as it gets drier. Add the spinach and stir to submerge. Let simmer another 5 or 10 minutes.

4. If you are using the tubetti, put up some water and prepare according to directions. Drain in a colander.

5. Remove about 1 cup of the beans from the water and place into soup. With an immersion blender, puree the remaining beans in their pot and add that puree into the soup as well. Mix well.

5. Simmer another 10 minutes or so. Taste for salt and pepper. Add the tubetti if using.

6. Top each bowl with a sprinkle of freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and a drizzle of great olive oil. With the tubetti, this is a one dish meal, however, if you rather, skip the tubetti and serve with good bread.

What to Eat the Week After Thanksgiving

The problem with Thanksgiving this year was not overeating on the big day. I am usually able to eat moderately during the Thanksgiving meal, and this year, my sister-in-law made efforts to include delicious vegetable dishes that didn't break the calorie bank. And...no mashed potatoes. Rather, it was almost an entire week of parties and celebrations due to the visit of healthier son home from college for the first time as well as visits from other beloved out of town guests.

For his first night home, dinner was these delicious Hungarian meatballs, which I had made ahead so that I could have dinner ready easily after returning from the airport. Wednesday night found us taking meat boy to a steak house, where though we were somewhat careful in our ordering (I had a green salad with vinaigrette, no creamed spinach and baked instead of mashed potato), I did eat red meat for a second day in a row. For turkey day, we limited ourselves to a later breakfast in light of the earlier and bigger dinner, and did the same on Friday when we had a large buffet dinner at our house (see last post!). Saturday lunch was a crowd for dim sum.

Now that things have quieted down and it's just the three of us, we are craving some lighter, vegetarian meals. On Monday I made this kale pesto/pasta dish using whole wheat fusilli, and though made with kale, it went over quite well with the kale kvetches. Tuesday I returned to what has become a new staple, the curried roasted cauliflower I wrote about a few weeks ago. Last night, I used our smoked turkey leftovers in this Pozole using hominy. With the rest of the big pot of hominy, I plan to make this tortilla soup.

I highly recommend this kale pesto. It sounds so weird, but is a great way to incorporate some kale into your dinner. It works well for lunch the next day, but the pesto itself doesn't hold for too long so use it quickly! In this dish, you might not mind the whole wheat pasta either.

Thanksgiving 2010

As in the recent past, I am not hosting Thanksgiving dinner. I will be a very happy guest at my brother and sister-in-law's home, bringing only the stuffing (changed up a little bit of course!). However, I do host a large gaggle of my extended family on Friday afternoon for a more casual buffet. In the past, I've often made my butternut squash lasagna, which is a lightened up version of a Bon Appetit recipe that calls for a ridiculous amount of cheese. My version is still rich and delicous, but doesn't quite pack the same high fat punch. The last time I made it, I used sheets of fresh spinach pasta which was both delicious and attractive.

This year I've ordered a ham and a smoked turkey breast from Edwards of Virginia. Ham is always a fun and easy buffet option (and I get a bone for soup!) for the non-kosher and the smoked turkey, though repetitive, provides me with the turkey leftovers I otherwise wouldn't have. My plan is to provide pretty heavy hors d'oeuvres and then the turkey and ham with an assortment of condiments and light sides. I'll flesh that out with a large salad garnished with persimmon and pomegranate seeds and rolls and call it dinner. As a nod to the large number of kids in attendance, I'll also make this "beefaroni" type casserole, though I'll make tons as this tends to attract adults as well.

I've already made two cranberry dishes: a simple cardamom infused sauce and a more complex gingered cranberry fig chutney. I also cooked down this Tuscan onion confit for several hours until it was beautifully caramelized, and made a batch of this tapenade. On Friday morning I'll roast off a couple of butternut sqash and some parsnips for this delicious sounding puree.

Dessert will be simple after the two day eating frenzy. Vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce and a cranberry cake from a Dorie Greenspan recipe. If I'm feeling very ambitious, I'll also do some seasonal biscotti and cranberry oat squares.

If you need more side dish ideas, I encourage you to consult food52.com which has a wealth of great ideas. In addition, check out my comfort mash and fall farro salad for a slightly healthier bent.

Roasted Curried Cauliflower

I've been truly addicted to food52 lately, and testing many more recipes from that site than creating my own (though I rarely leave any recipe alone!), but here's one more "share." I thought I've roasted cauliflower to death, but this dish really caught my eye and proved to be a popular one with my tasters. I tested this for food52 several weeks ago during the contest for "your best cauliflower." This one, as well as one of mine, were selected as Editors' Picks, which means something but I'm not sure what. I guess it's like getting Honorable Mention.

If you like the flavor of curry, and have a decent powdered blend or a recipe to make one, I highly recommend you try this out soon! It is an easy, easy, recipe to prep - just cut up the cauliflower, open a can of chick peas, cut an onion and toss it all in a curry vinaigrette. Then just pour yourself a glass of wine and relax while your oven does the rest, roasting until the cauliflower mellows and starts to brown and the chickpeas get crispy and delicious. OK, maybe stir it up once or twice. It can be a vegetarian dinner for 3 or so with just some rice alongside, or can be a side dish for four with some protein, maybe shrimp or salmon roasted at the same time.

I cut the oil and vinegar back by half but kept the amounts for the spices the same. After tossing the veggies with the vinaigrette and arranging them on the baking sheet, I then added about one more tablespoon of olive oil to the bowl in which I made the vinaigrette to get out the rest of the spices stuck to the bowl, and then drizzled that over top of the cauliflower. I also set my oven at 425 instead of the 400 degrees specified.

Delicious!