Category: Vegetarian

New Potato Salad

, Valentina Rice

 

This super simple salad has all the fresh flavors of summer and takes no time at all to make. It will become your staple for every picnic or cookout!

 

New Potato Salad with Roasted Garlic Mayonnaise

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

1 bag tricolor new potatoes

2 tablespoons Roasted Garlic Mayonnaise

2 tablespoons finely chopped chives

2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

Salt and Pepper

 

Method:

 

Boil the new potatoes in a saucepan for approximately 12 minutes until just fork tender. Let them cool and then quarter them lengthwise. Mix with the mayonnaise and herbs and season well.

Fried Risotto Balls with Classic Spicy Tomato Sauce

, Valentina Rice

 

Utterly addictive, these crispy fried risotto balls are filled with melted mozzarella and are heavenly when dipped in Jar Goods Classic Spicy Tomato Sauce. Easy to make ahead and fry at the last minute, they make for the perfect appetizer. You can also freeze the risotto balls once made to keep for impromptu gatherings.

 

Fried Risotto Balls with Classic Spicy Tomato Sauce

Makes approximately 12-14 balls

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 onion, finely diced

1 ½ cups Arborio rice

1 cup dry white wine

4 cups stock (vegetable or chicken), heated

1 teaspoon saffron threads

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper

4 ounces mozzarella cheese, cut into small cubes

3 eggs

1 cup breadcrumbs

Vegetable oil for frying

Classic Spicy Tomato Sauce for dipping

 

Making the risotto:

 

Heat the butter and olive oil in a large saucepan and then gently sauté the onion for about 6-8 minutes until soft and translucent. Add the rice and cook on medium heat for 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and add the wine. Cook until evaporated and then begin to add the stock a ladle at a time, waiting until the stock has cooked down before adding the next. Stir frequently as you are adding your stock.  After about 10 minutes, add the saffron threads and mix thoroughly. Continue adding the stock until the rice is tender and creamy, approximately 20 minutes. Add the Parmesan cheese, stir well and season to taste.  Leave the risotto to cool.

 

Making the balls:

 

Once the risotto has cooled, add 1 egg and mix in well. Whisk the remaining 2 eggs in a bowl and have another bowl ready with breadcrumbs. Make a 2” ball out of the risotto as if you were making a meatball. Add a small square of mozzarella cheese to the center and cover the risotto around it. Once you have a round ball, dip in the egg mixture and then cover with breadcrumbs and leave to rest on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Repeat until you’ve used up all the risotto.  At this point, you can freeze the balls or leave them in the fridge for a few hours or go ahead and fry them.

 

Frying the balls:

 

Pour enough oil in a large Dutch oven so there’s about 2-3 inches of oil. Heat until oil is very hot but not smoking and gently add the balls in batches so they’re not overcrowded. Fry until golden brown, approximately 3 minutes and then drain on paper towels.

 

Serve immediately with Classic Spicy Tomato sauce.

Asparagus alla Parmigiana

, Valentina Rice

 

For me, one of the definitive signs that Spring has finally arrived is the bounty of fresh asparagus at farmers’ markets and restaurants across NYC. My favorite way to eat it is the way my mother always made them for me with fried eggs so that I can dunk the tips into the yolk.

 

Planning this post for Mother’s Day reminded me of a story she used to tell me. In the spring of 1970, she visited her favorite restaurant in London, the famed but no longer existent Grill at The Connaught hotel. The Maitre D’, also an Italian, let her know that they had just got in the first asparagus of the season and she asked if the chef would do them ‘alla Parmigiana’. Being a regular and heavily pregnant with my brother, the chef agreed to accommodate her unusual request.

 

Soon four waiters appeared, each carrying trays, the contents of which were concealed under large silver domes. With great theatrics, the waiters lifted the domes simultaneously to reveal four dishes; one with the steamed asparagus, one with the fried eggs, one with the browned butter and the last with the grated Parmesan cheese. At this point all the other tables were craning their necks and asking if they can have the same and lore has it, that from that day on, Asparagus alla Parmigiana became a regular dish at The Connaught.

 

Asparagus alla Parmigiana

Serves 2

Ingredients:

1/2 lb asparagus, trimmed

3 tablespoons butter

2 large eggs

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Ancho Chile Salt

Freshly ground pepper

 

Method:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cover with a bamboo steamer. Lay the asparagus flat in the steamer, cover and cook for 4-5 minutes – asparagus should be tender but still crisp.

2. In a large frying pan, heat the butter on high until it begins to foam then carefully crack the eggs into the hot butter. Once the eggs have begun to set, tip the pan and baste the eggs with the hot butter using a spoon. I like the edges of the egg white to get nice and brown.

3. Divide the asparagus between 2 plates, cover each with a fried egg and some of the browned butter. Top with grated Parmesan cheese and season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

 

Mushroom and Lentil Soup

, Valentina Rice

 

It’s been a relatively healthy beginning to 2017. Despite the odd hiccup, (Saturday’s birthday celebration for my friend Dwight included a stick of butter per person to ensure the Louisiana shrimp was authentic) I’ve been pretty well behaved. Making a big batch of this incredibly satisfying and unintentionally vegan soup has been the largest contributor to my restraint. It has also been especially comforting to have a steaming bowl of soup after walking Daisy in these frigid temperatures. It’s hearty, healthy, and very very tasty!

 

Mushroom and Lentil Soup

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 small onions, peeled and diced

2 large cloves garlic, peeled and smashed

1 large dried chili (any mild dried chili works)

5 oz. mushrooms, sliced (I used a mixture)

4 oz. small brown lentils (I used Puy lentils), rinsed

4 cups vegetable stock

3 sprigs of thyme

Cognac

1 lemon

Good French bread for dipping

 

Method:

1. Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan and add the onions. Cook on medium until soft, about 5-8 minutes. Save some of the browned mushrooms to a separate plate for garnish.

2. Add the garlic and chili and cook for a further minute or two, stirring regularly, before adding the mushrooms and cooking for a further 5 minutes.

3. Add the lentils, pour in the stock and bring to the boil. Once boiling, reduce to a low simmer with a lid almost covering the pot for about 30 minutes or until the lentils are soft. 

4. Season with salt, pepper, a dash of cognac and the juice of a lemon.

5. Remove the garlic, chili and thyme and then whizz using a hand held blender till about half of the soup is pureed but you still have plenty of texture. 

6. Serve warm with browned mushrooms as a topping and extra bread for dipping.

 

 

Cairo Falafel

, Valentina Rice

 

Doaa and Freda are very serious about their research as they set about creating a new spice kit. Falafel was no exception. Eaten throughout the Middle East, each region makes it a little different. Doaa and Freda decided to go to the source after discovering that falafel originated in Egypt. They combined the influences of both Egypt and the Levant to come up with their unique spice blend. The cumin and coriander are typically the only seasonings used in Egypt. Egyptian falafel is also characterized by the heavy use of spices and herbs, whereas Levantine falafel is less heavy-handed with both. Traditionally, Egyptians would use dried, split fava rather than chickpeas to make their falafel and if you can find them, I would definitely recommend it. Either way, these fried balls of deliciousness are packed with flavor incredibly easy to make at home.

 

Cairo Falafel

Makes approximately 18 balls

Ingredients:
1 cup dried split fava or chickpeas, soaked for 8 hours in a bowl of cold water
1 medium onion, quartered
4 garlic cloves
4 sprigs of parsley
2 tbsp Spice Tree Organics Cairo Falafel
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp water, or more if needed
3-4 cups of oil, for frying

 

Method:
1. Drain the fava or chickpeas, and place them along with the other ingredients and 2 tablespoons water in a food processor. If your food processor bowl is small, pulse the chickpeas first, remove them, and then pulse the onion, garlic, and parsley.
2. Add the chickpeas back to the bowl, along with the spices, salt, baking soda, and water. Run the food processor until the mixture is well combined and finely chopped.
3. If the mixture is not coming together, add more water, a little at a time, until it does.
4. Heat the oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot to 350°F.
5. Take a tablespoon of the falafel and roll it between your hands to form a ball. Press firmly so that the ball holds together and squeeze off any excess water so that you are left with compact falafel balls. Repeat until all balls are made.
6. Carefully deep fry falafel until golden brown, about 2 minutes each (fry in batches of 4 at a time to prevent over-crowding). They will puff up significantly, so do not shallow-fry these!
7. Serve hot, with tahini sauce, hummus and tabouleh salad.

Kale Salad with Farm Fresh Pecans

, Valentina Rice

 

Last week’s visit to the farmers market had me lugging home more kale than I could fit in my fridge. Reducing its bulk to a manageable size was the first order of business. There’s something therapeutic about cleaning a large volume of greens; methodical and rewarding but completely mindless. Next was the Rumpelstiltskin style task of turning a mound of kale into culinary gold. I made a huge batch of pesto (just substitute basil for kale), 2 trays of kale chips and still had enough left over for a bright salad with Molly and Me’s Sneaky Hot Pecans. The pecans added a perfect pop of heat and crunch to compliment the sweet golden raisins and the tart vinaigrette, resulting in a completely satisfying lunch on a steamy hot day.

 

Kale Salad with Farm Fresh Pecans

Serves 2

Ingredients:

5 oz kale (washed and stems removed)

1/4 cup golden raisins (soaked for 5 minutes in water)

1/2 cup Sneaky Hot Pecans

1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese

 

Dressing:

1 teaspoon dijon mustard

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

 

Method:

1. Roll up the kale in bunches and slice into bite size strips. They don’t need to be even.

2. In a small bowl, mix the mustard and vinegar then whisk in the olive oil and season.

3. In a large bowl, add the kale and dressing and massage well with your hands.

4. Add raisins, pecans and goat cheese.

5. Leave to rest for a few minutes before serving.

Mary’s Tomato Tart

, Valentina Rice

 

Trying to recreate a recipe from your childhood is challenging. It’s at least 20 years since I’ve had this tart but it’s one of those dishes that I’ve never forgotten. Made regularly for us on weekends in Suffolk by our friend Mary Miller, it has a legendary status and indeed is always referred to as Mary’s Tomato Tart. A couple of failed efforts almost got the better of me. Even after Mary kindly dug out the original recipe, I started to believe that only Mary could make Mary’s Tomato Tart and the memory of it was too entwined with flavors of English summers that I would never be able to recreate it. Now, I’m glad I persisted and the third time was the charm! This recipe now transports me back to a time filled with afternoons of blackberry picking and elderflower cordial.

 

Mary’s Tomato Tart

Serves 6

Shortcrust pastry ingredients (fills a 9″ tart pan):

7 ounces flour

3.5 ounces unsalted butter, cubed and chilled

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon cold water

 

Filling Ingredients:

4 ounces fresh breadcrumbs from brown bread

8 tomatoes approximately

1 teaspoon anchovy paste

1/2 cup heavy cream

6 ounces grated Gruyere cheese

1 tablespoon fresh thyme

 

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Add all the ingredients for the pastry into a food processor and pulse until it forms a ball of dough.

2. Lightly flour your hands then mold the dough into a flat disc. Cover the disc of dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, prepare the tomatoes by bringing a pot of water to the boil. Score a cross on the bottom of each tomato and then blanche for 45 seconds. Once tomatoes have cooked, drain and allow to cool.

4. Once cooled, peel them and cut each in half. Remove all stalks and seeds. Sprinkle the halved tomatoes with salt and leave in a colander to drain for about 30 minutes. Discard any remaining liquid and be sure to dry well.

5. Spread the fresh breadcrumbs out on a cookie tray. Cook for about 5 minutes or until the breadcrumbs are crispy.

6. In a small bowl (it helps to pour if it has a spout) mix the anchovy paste well with the cream and then mix in the Gruyere and thyme.

7. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the chilled shortcrust pastry. Lay the pastry over a 9 inch tart pan and press the pastry flush with the tin, cutting off any overhanging pastry.

8. Prick the bottom of the pastry with a fork, line with parchment paper and weigh down with pie weights or dried beans and blind bake for 10 minutes. If you don’t have old beans to blind bake with, you can use rice or even coins.

9. Once the pastry has baked for 10 minutes, scatter the browned breadcrumbs over the base of the pastry then arrange the tomato halves (rounded side up) to fill the base of the tart. Next add the cheese and cream mixture. You will have to press it in between the tomatoes. Don’t worry if it gets all over the tomatoes, you want to ensure that all the filling is coated with cream.

10. Bake in the oven for approximately 30 minutes. Test with a skewer to make sure the filling is set. Check that it’s not browning too quickly and reduce heat for the last 10 minutes if it is. Serve warm.

 

Black Bean, Hatch Chile and Cheddar Flautas with Avocado Cream

, Valentina Rice

 

There are so many great Mexican dishes, so choosing a menu for a Cinco de Mayo party is always fun. We have posted a lot of great recipes over the years and even included A Mexican Fiesta and Tex-Mex Brunch chapters in our cookbook, Recipes from Many Kitchens.

 

It’s easy to create when we have producers like Rancho Gordo who supports small farmers to grow their indigenous beans in Mexico as well as Zukali Mexican Gourmet and Zia Green Chile Company who source small batch pepper to make their delicious products ranging from hatch chiles like we used in these flautas to fire roasted poblanos which we used in our chicken tortilla soup.

 

So to kick-off your own fiesta, we wanted to do a lineup of some of our favorites. We hope you enjoy.

 

Starters:

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Chile Rellenos

Mole Beef Nachos

 

Tacos:

Baja Style Fish Tacos

Mexican Pulled Beef Tacos

Red Chicken Tacos

Skirt Steak Tacos

 

Drinks:

Agua Frescas

Hot Cilantro Margarita

 

Black Bean, Hatch Chile and Cheddar Flautas with Avocado Cream

Serves 4-6 as an appetizer

Ingredients:

15.5 oz can black beans, drained

½ cup roasted green hatch chiles

½ cup diced yellow onion (about ½ onion)

1 tablespoon olive oil

Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup frozen chopped spinach

2 tablespoons green salsa

1 teaspoon cumin

1 tablespoon lime juice

Canola/veg oil to fill a pot 2 inches high with oil

1 cup grated cheddar

1/2 cup grated Monterrey Jack cheese

5, 6 inch flour tortillas (the small size makes for better frying so if you can’t find 6″ flour try corn or cut your tortillas down so they just overlap when rolling)

 

Avocado Cream:

1 Hass avocado

1/2 cup sour cream

2 tablespoons milk

1 lime, juiced

Sea salt, to taste

Tomato, as a garnish

 

Method:

1. In a food processor or blender, puree your black beans and Zia Green Chile until smooth.

2. Next, in a sauté pan on med-high, add your olive oil and onion and cook until onion begins to turn translucent, about 5 min. Season the onion with salt and pepper.

3. Then add in your garlic, spinach, green salsa and cumin. Cook for 2 minutes or until the spinach is soft and cooked through.

4. Combine your with bean puree with onion mixture and season to taste with salt.

5. Then mix in lime juice, cheddar and jack cheese and set aside.

6. Fill a thick bottomed pot with oil to reach 2 inches up the sides of the pot. Heat to frying temp (360F).

7. Fill each tortilla with ½ cup of the black bean mixture and roll tightly. Secure each rolled tortilla with 3 toothpicks.

8. Fry in batches to avoid overcrowding. The oil is just right when it ripples as small little bubbles around the tortilla as it cooks. Each flauta should cook about 1 minute. They have a tendency to bob, so make sure you turn with tongs to make sure all sides cook fully and brown to golden. Once cooked, remove toothpicks and set flautas on a paper towel to drain off excess oil.

9. Mix the ingredients of your avocado cream in a food processor and season to taste with salt.

10. Cut flautas in half and serve with avocado cream and chopped tomatoes as a garnish.

Sesame Noodle Salad with Chili Oil

, Valentina Rice

 

 

I’ve been working on a TEDx talk about community and as a result thinking a lot about what that word actually means. It is impossible to think of community without thinking of food. The story behind this recipe embodies my feelings about the true meaning of community and how generous and giving a group of people can be.

 

My great friends Camille and Josh were married in upstate NY before I met them, so sadly I didn’t get to experience their wedding first hand but tales of it are legendary! In lieu of wedding presents, everyone pitched in for the meal. There were BBQ aficionados doing meat, Vietnamese beef sticks from the groom’s sister, platters of vegetables and dips from the groom’s parents and even the cake was made by a hobbyist baker friend. It was essentially one large feast and the happiest of communal meals.

 

Hilary, knowing how much Camille loved her sesame noodles, made it for over 100 people at the wedding and it was a fast favorite among all the guests. It has since become one of Camille’s signature dishes and for the happy couple, this dish has come to symbolize people coming together to celebrate. In their typical generous style, they now make it for a large party every year on July 4th.

 

 

Sesame Noodle Salad with Chili Oil

Adapted from: The Greens Cookbook by Deborah Madison

Serves 4-6

 

Ingredients:

14 oz of noodles (I used wholewheat soba noodles)

1 cup of snow peas, julienned

1/2 lb of bean sprouts

1 carrot, peeled and julienned

2 tablespoons of roasted sesame seeds (to roast, add to a pan on medium heat and cook till color turns, about 2 minutes)

 

Garnish:

2 tablespoons of chopped cilantro

2 tablespoons sliced scallions

 

Marinade

4 tablespoons of dark sesame oil

4 tablespoons of soy sauce

4 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar

1 1/2 tablespoons of Brooklyn Wok Shop’s Chili Oil

1 heaped tablespoon of sugar

1 teaspoon of salt

2 teaspoons of crushed garlic

2 teaspoons of fresh ginger, peeled and minced

1 bunch of scallions (cut off two inches from the green end and discard. Thinly slice the rest.)

2 tablespoons of chopped cilantro

 

Method:

1. In a large bowl, mix all the marinade ingredients together. Stir until all the sugar is dissolved.

2. Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook the noodles according to the package instructions.

3. Pour the noodles into a colander and immediately rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process.

4. Add the well drained and cooled noodles to the bowl with the marinade. Mix well to distribute the marinade.

5. In another pot of boiling water, blanch the carrot strips and snow peas for 30 seconds before adding the bean sprouts. Continue cooking for 30 seconds more, then pour the contents into a colander and rinse with cold water until cool to the touch.

6. Add the blanched vegetables and half the sesame seeds to the noodles and mix well.

7. Garnish with the remaining sesame seeds as well as the reserved cilantro and scallions.

8. Serve at room temperature. Recipe can be made the night before as flavor improves over time.

Tagliatelle ai Funghi

, Valentina Rice

 

Today is National Spaghetti day. A day that should be celebrated with gusto even if I’m going to use a little poetic license to include Tagliatelle. An old favorite, I love the different textures and subtle flavors from the medley of mushrooms all rolled into the ultimate comfort food. It’s rich, it’s creamy and it takes less than 10 minutes to make. If only everything in life were that easy.

 

I should probably be starting off the new year with a cleansing soup but why change the habit of a lifetime? I’m too excited about 2016 and all it’s bringing to limit my pasta intake. The first Many Kitchens Cookbook will be in stores in a couple of weeks and I’m holding an advance copy in my hands! I hope you’ll order a copy and enjoy all the incredible recipes our generous producers have kindly shared.

 

 

Tagliatelle ai Funghi

Serves 4

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large clove garlic, smashed then minced

1 lb mixed sliced mushrooms (I used cremini, portabello, shiitake and oyster mushrooms)

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup of chicken stock (use vegetable stock if you want to make the recipe vegetarian)

1 lb of tagliatelle

1 cup heavy cream

2 teaspoon fresh squeezed lemon juice

1 cup chopped flat leaf parsley

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

 

Method:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil (be sure to reserve one cup of water after boiling pasta).

2. Mix butter and olive oil in a large sauté pan and add in garlic. Cook for one minute then add in mushrooms. Cook mushrooms for 5-10 minutes until they’ve released some of their liquid and softened. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Add chicken stock and increase heat to high. Meanwhile cook the pasta according to instructions.

4. Add a cup of cream to the mushroom mixture, stir then add in the lemon juice. Cook sauce for a further minute on medium heat until all the ingredients have melded.

5. Toss pasta in creamy mushroom sauce and toss with parsley and Parmesan cheese