Weekly Cooking (and related issues) Thread

[Jamestown1630]

I don't think there are any strict vegetarians in my current personal circle, but there are always some people with food restrictions whom we have to consider whenever we give or contribute to a big party.

I work in an 'ethnically diverse' environment with many people who don't eat 'mainstream', ranging from Jews and Muslims who don't eat pork, to a Hindu who doesn't eat beef OR pork; the occasional vegetarians of varying commitment; and (sigh) one 'raw-foodist'. (Just buy a pineapple for that one.)

Having been largely vegetarian for the first part of my own adult life - and loving veggies for their own sake - the biggest section of my personal loose-leaf cookbook is the vegetable section. I thought this week I'd share some unusual vegetable recipes.

I found this simple but special eggplant dish last year, but don't have a picture. The 'scoring' that you do on the eggplant is a kind of cross-hatching that looks like nice grill marks. (I've also seen similar recipes done by slicing the eggplant into thick slices, instead of two long halves):

Roasted Eggplant with Tahini Dressing

2 medium eggplants (about 1 1/4 pounds total), trimmed and halved lengthwise

coarse sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

DRESSING:

3 tablespoons well-stirred tahini

2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons hot water

1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt

1/8 teaspoon minced garlic

1/8 teaspoon ground cumin

For Eggplant: Heat oven to 425°F with rack in middle. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. (It helps to first sprinkle the eggplant halves with salt, and let them "drain", flesh side down, in a large colander for about 30 minutes before roasting. It helps to reduce the moisture content of the dish.)

Put eggplant pieces on prepared baking sheet, flesh-side up. With the tip of a sharp knife, score flesh, about 3/4 inch deep. Season eggplant with salt and pepper, and drizzle with oil. Roast, rotating pan once halfway through, until eggplant flesh is soft and collapsed and edges are deep golden, 35 to 40 minutes.

For Dressing: While eggplant is roasting, in a bowl, whisk together all dressing ingredients. Remove eggplant from oven and sprinkle with salt.

Transfer to serving plates, drizzle with half of the dressing and sprinkle with parsley. Serve with remaining dressing.

One of the most popular vegetarian recipes I've taken to a party was a Mushroom Strudel. I originally found it in some healthy-eating magazine, where it was suggested as an entree for a vegetarian Thanksgiving. I've misplaced the original, but this recipe is identical:

http://www.food.com/recipe/mushroom-strudel-21852

This next recipe from Paula Wolfert's book 'The Slow Mediterranean Kitchen' is one of the most surprising recipes that I've tried, though it appears to be very common in the Middle East. I think we actually cheated the first time by making it with frozen artichokes, and it was still very good:

http://leitesculinaria.com/6844/recipes-compote-of-artichoke-orange-coriander-and-mint.html

Lastly, as Jacques Pepin has often said, you can't do better than excellent bread with excellent butter. This week someone asked to be added to this ping list, and mentioned an interest in Sourdough bread-making. I would like to learn that too, and perhaps some of the folks who have done it can give us tips/recipes. I'm not sure if I've posted this before, but I recently found this interesting article by a microbiologist named Debra Wink, who turned her scientific knowledge to the sourdough cause:

http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/10856/pineapple-juice-solution-part-1

[IamConservative]

Cauliflower Mash

1) Clean and cut 2 heads of cauliflower into smallish chunks.
2) Clean 1 clove of garlic and remove the skin.
3) Line a baking pan with parchment and generously coat with olive oil.
4) place cauliflower chunks and garlic on the pan and coat the top with oil.
5) Roast in 350 degree oven until the cauliflower starts to brown.
6) In batches, put equal amounts of cauliflower and garlic in food processor.
7) Add cream cheese, sour cream and season to taste. For two heads, I use 8 ounces of cream cheese and a cup or so of sour cream. You can add some milk or cream as well to get the right consistency.
8) Blend until smooth. Two minutes or more.
9) Put blended cauliflower in a baking dish. Add some cheese topping if you like. Bake in a 350 oven for 30 minutes or so.

[Liz]

Get your fresh vegetables to last longer--brined and pickled. Spoon out on tacos, salads, sandwiches or grilled fish.

TACO PICKLES

METHOD Mandolin into thin rounds bunches of radish, handful of carrots. Place in canning jars. Add cooled brine, 1-2 sliced fresh jalapeños, handful chp cilantro, salt to taste. Stored in fridge, will last couple of weeks.

BRINE BTB slowly 1/2 c ea sugar, distilled white vinegar, 1/4 c ea apple cider vinegar, red wine vinegar; whisk/dissolve then fridge or freezer. Use at room temp.

[pugmama]

Also did this and served with leg of lamb. It is a bit labor intensive. Everyone liked it.

Potato-Tomato Gratin

Recipe courtesy Suzanne Goin, 2011

Total Time:3 hr 40 min
Prep: 35 min |

Cook:3 hr 5 min
Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
6 cups thinly sliced onions (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 1/4 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 1/4 pounds ripe tomatoes
1 pound gruyere cheese, cut in 1/4-inch-thick slices
1/2 cup pitted black cured olives
1/4 cup sliced fresh opal basil

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Heat a large saute pan or Dutch oven over high heat for 2 minutes. Swirl in 3 tablespoons olive oil, and then add the onions, 1 teaspoon thyme, 1 teaspoon salt and some pepper. Cook 6 minutes, stirring often, and then turn the heat down to medium. Add the butter, and cook 15 minutes, stirring and scraping with a wooden spoon, until the onions start to caramelize. Turn the heat down to low and continue cooking for about 10 minutes, stirring often, until the onions are a deep golden brown. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.

Use a mandoline to slice the potatoes into 1/8-inch-thick rounds. Toss them with the cream, 1 teaspoon thyme, 1 teaspoon salt and some pepper.

Cut the tomatoes into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Arrange them on a plate and season with 1 teaspoon salt and some pepper.

Place half the caramelized onions in an even layer in a 9-by-9-inch (or equivalent) gratin or baking dish. Arrange one layer of alternating potatoes and tomatoes on top of the onion layer. Layer a couple of slices of cheese and scatter some olives over the cheese. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the cream from the potatoes and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Season with 1 teaspoon salt, a healthy pinch of pepper, 1/2 teaspoon thyme and half the basil.
Scatter the rest of the caramelized onions over the potatoes and tomatoes. Arrange another layer of potatoes, tomatoes and cheese on top; make this layer pretty, because it will be the top of your gratin. Pour the remaining cream from the potatoes and the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil over the potatoes and tomatoes. Season with 1/4 teaspoon salt, a pinch of pepper, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon thyme, olives and basil. Press the vegetables down with your fingers. The cream and oil will come up through the layers and coat the vegetables evenly.

Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil. Bake until the potatoes are tender when pierced, about 2 hours. Remove the gratin from the oven and uncover it, being careful of the steam.

Turn the oven up to 450 degrees F and return the gratin, uncovered, to the oven. Cook until the juices have thickened and the top is nice and golden brown (as in “gratineed”), another 25 to 30 minutes.

[Liz]

These Irish Nachos are quick and delicious.

IRISH NACHOS

I use frozen waffle fries---baked as directed. Then layer cooked fries w/ shredded Cheddar, or grated pepperjack, cooked bacon crumbles, chp onion, pickled jalapenos slices. Broil/melt 10–15 min til hot and delicious.

SERVE topped w/ sour cream, chp scallions, diced tomatoes, more jalapenos.

[ken5050]

Here ya go..check out the upper right hand corner for a great free tahini cook book.

BTW...Yum...Love Halvah...I like to freeze it, then slice it thin..melts in your mouth

[ken5050]

Do you pour Guinness over it before eating?

[ken5050]

Looks good....and you can dress it up with watermelon radishes and/or daikon...

[ken5050]

Anyone do much steaming? I’ve been eating a lot of fish lately..and it’s healthy, and quick and easy..always steam the fish on a piece of lettuce..makes for an easy clean-up, and I do the veggies..usually zuccini or squash below. I’m wondering if anyone has any more elaborate/fancy steaming ideas?

[Liz]

Mmmmmmmmmm....I’d say don’t pour it over...just wash ‘em down w/ Guiness. LOL.

[Liz]

Mmmmmmmmmm....I’d say don’t pour it over...

.....just wash ‘em down w/ Guiness. LOL.

[Liz]

Those would ne nice additions.

[Jane Long]

Ooh...sounds great! Always looking for new ways to prepare butternut squash. Thanks!

[V K Lee]

Bacon...yum yum!! Remember not long ago when the bacon mayonnaise was introduced? Never purchased it, too much of a chicken to do so. Never found a soul who might have tasted it and don’t remember what company mfg was. Bacon is very versatile LOL You can make a bacon bowl, weave bacon strips to enclose a meat loaf, or now we find that pizza can be wrapped in bacon..yards of it. We love bacon!!

[V K Lee]

JT, VEGGIES, these sites have been found to be helpful

VEG WEB
http://www.vegweb.com/

VEGGIES MADE EASY
http://veggiesmadeeasy.com/site/

And a site for the Amish Friendship Bread recipe variants for using the SD starter.
http://www.friendshipbreadkitchen.com/

Love fresh pineapple but don’t eat often. Blisters form on the tongue and in the mouth. Awful!! Canned, eaten in moderation is no problem but NO FRESH :(

[Liz]

Asians do a lot of steaming. The recipe booklet that came w/ my electric rice cooker had some amazing steamed dishes. The rice cooker has fitted trays to cook several foods at one time. There's a cookbook available---how to cook meals in a rice cooker. Here's a thumbnail selection:

SPAGHETTI BOLOGNESE---Layer in rice cooker tray (w/ water on bottom): grnd meat, carrot shreds, raw thin spaghetti, can whole tomatoes. Snap on lid; press quick cook button timer--cook 20 min.

CREME CARAMEL---Layer in custard cup, br/sugar, custard. Set on cooker tray. Water on bottom. Cover cups w/ foil squares. Set timer. Invert to serve.

BREAKFAST--fast and easy
Fill separate CUSTARD CUPS W/ MEAT, ETC. Insert down into raw rice. Top w/ raw egg in shell. Foil over/set timer/cook.

CHOCOLATE CAKE---Pour batter into rice cooker tray. Set timer/cook. Invert on plate to serve.

[ken5050]

Pureeing squash is a nice, and quick way to prepare it. Peel and seed 2 squash..cut into 2-3" chunks..place in a large bowl..cover with plastic wrap, and microwave on high, about 15-20 minutes, until fork tender..stirring every 5 minutes.

You can go 2 ways with this..

While squash is cooking, melt 1/2 stick butter..and add to it fresh chopped sage, let it steep in butter. Drain squash, transfer to food processor, add butter, and brown sugar, salt and pepper to taste. If too thick, add a little warm milk, cream, or 1/2 and 1/2 till you get the desired consistency..

Or

Instead of sage, add melted butter, brown sugar, salt and pepper, milk, and about 3 TBSP orange or apricot marmalade. Process until desire consistency.

Manga!!!

[ken5050]

Last 3 sound OK...but the first..UGH..That is NOT a bolognese sauce..it’s disgusting...

[Liz]

Strange as it may sound, Japanese love Italian food.

It’s on all their menus——this is their version, I guess.

[ken5050]

Yup..Chef-Boy R Dee

[Liz]

Here's a great steamed dish.

JAPANESE STEAMED VEG-RICE IN PEANUT SAUCE

Try to get the Basmati rice used in India--- cooks up very fluffy, grains stay separate.

METHOD Place steamer basket in pot w/ 1/2" water; add Japanese eggplant strips, juliened bell pepper, carrot, baby bok choy, onion. Steam crisp-tender 5-8 min.

SAUCE Whisk 2 tbl soy sauce, tbl ea p/butter, hoisin, grated gingerroot, minced gar/cl.

ASSEMBLY Add/toss veg, Sauce.

SERVE over hot basmati rice.