1 cup dried (whole wheat) orzo pasta
8 - 10 medium asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch segments
1/2 a medium head of broccoli (or broccolini), cut into small trees
small handful of cilantro(or mint if you prefer), chopped
1 small clove of garlic, mashed with a big pinch of salt and chopped
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
a small handful of sprouts
1/3 cup almonds, toasted
1/2 small cucumber, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1 medium avocado, sliced into small pieces
1/4 cup feta, crumbled
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt generously and boil the orzo per package instructions. Avoid over-boiling, you want your orzo to be cooked through, but maintain structure. About 30 seconds before the orzo is finished cooking stir the asparagus and broccoli into the orzo pot. Cook for the final 30 seconds, drain and run under a bit of cold water. Just long enough to stop the cooking.
In the meantime, whisk together the garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, and more salt (if needed) into the dressing. Set aside.
When you are ready to serve the salad toss the orzo, asparagus, broccoli, and cilantro with about half the dressing. Add more dressing if needed, and toss well. Now add the sprouts, almonds, cucumber, avocado, and feta. Very gently toss a couple of times to distribute those ingredients throughout the salad and serve.
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Circassian Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
2 full chicken breasts (both halves)
4 tablespoons olive or walnut oil
4 teaspoons paprika
1 ½ cups chopped walnuts
3 chopped garlic cloves
2 tablespoons chopped green onions
1 teaspoon cayenne
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
2 slices of bread, crusts removed
1 quart chicken stock
Salt
Black pepper
The juice of a lemon
Method
1 Bring the chicken stock to a simmer and add the chicken breasts. Add some water if there is not enough liquid to cover the meat. Simmer gently for 10 minutes, then turn off the heat.
2 Meanwhile, heat the olive or walnut oil in a small pot over low heat and add the paprika. Stir well to combine. Heat until you can smell the aroma of the paprika, then turn off the heat.
3 Tear the bread into chunks and put into a bowl. Ladle out about a cup or two of the chicken broth and pour it over the bread.
4 Set aside ½ cup of walnuts and put in a bowl with the green onions and 1 tablespoon of the parsley.
5 Put the rest of the walnuts into a food processor with the garlic, the cayenne, about a teaspoon of salt, the rest of the parsley and the soaked bread. Buzz to make a thick, relatively chunky paste. If it needs a bit more chicken broth to loosen up, add some a tablespoon at a time.
6 Stir the paprika-oil, then pour it into the food processor and buzz to combine. Taste the mixture to see if it needs salt.
7 Pull the skin off the chicken breasts and tear the meat into shreds. Put it in the bowl with the unchopped walnuts, green onions and such.
8 Add the walnut-paprika paste from the food processor to the bowl and stir gently to combine everything thoroughly. Add black pepper and lemon juice to taste and stir one more time to combine.
Serves 4-6 as a lunch.
2 full chicken breasts (both halves)
4 tablespoons olive or walnut oil
4 teaspoons paprika
1 ½ cups chopped walnuts
3 chopped garlic cloves
2 tablespoons chopped green onions
1 teaspoon cayenne
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
2 slices of bread, crusts removed
1 quart chicken stock
Salt
Black pepper
The juice of a lemon
Method
1 Bring the chicken stock to a simmer and add the chicken breasts. Add some water if there is not enough liquid to cover the meat. Simmer gently for 10 minutes, then turn off the heat.
2 Meanwhile, heat the olive or walnut oil in a small pot over low heat and add the paprika. Stir well to combine. Heat until you can smell the aroma of the paprika, then turn off the heat.
3 Tear the bread into chunks and put into a bowl. Ladle out about a cup or two of the chicken broth and pour it over the bread.
4 Set aside ½ cup of walnuts and put in a bowl with the green onions and 1 tablespoon of the parsley.
5 Put the rest of the walnuts into a food processor with the garlic, the cayenne, about a teaspoon of salt, the rest of the parsley and the soaked bread. Buzz to make a thick, relatively chunky paste. If it needs a bit more chicken broth to loosen up, add some a tablespoon at a time.
6 Stir the paprika-oil, then pour it into the food processor and buzz to combine. Taste the mixture to see if it needs salt.
7 Pull the skin off the chicken breasts and tear the meat into shreds. Put it in the bowl with the unchopped walnuts, green onions and such.
8 Add the walnut-paprika paste from the food processor to the bowl and stir gently to combine everything thoroughly. Add black pepper and lemon juice to taste and stir one more time to combine.
Serves 4-6 as a lunch.
Pasta with Summer Squash, Spicy Sausage, and Goat Cheese
Kosher salt
1 lb. dried pasta (rigatoni, rotini, etc.)
3 tbsps extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 lb. bulk hot Italian sausage (or links with the casings removed)
1/3 cup shallots, finely chopped (~3 medium shallots)
2 cups yellow and green summer squash, medium dice
3 oz fresh goat cheese, crumbled (~3/4 cup)
2 tsps fresh flatleaf parsley, finely chopped
black pepper, freshly ground
1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated (optional)
Add pasta to a large pot of boiling well-salted water and cook for about 10+ minutes or al dente. While the pasta is cooking, heat 1/2 tablespoon oil in a sauté pan and cook the sausage, breaking it into small bits with spatula until cooked through. Drain off the fat and reserve the sausage in a bowl. Heat the rest of the oil in the same pan and sauté the shallots over medium heat until they are soft. Increase the heat to medium high and add the squash, sautéing until the squash softens. I tossed the sausage into the squash here and gave it a stir for a minute over medium high heat. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water and drain the pasta. Place the pasta, sausage, and squash in a large bowl together and toss with a few tablespoons of the pasta water. Add the goat cheese and parsley and toss. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with grated cheese.
1 lb. dried pasta (rigatoni, rotini, etc.)
3 tbsps extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 lb. bulk hot Italian sausage (or links with the casings removed)
1/3 cup shallots, finely chopped (~3 medium shallots)
2 cups yellow and green summer squash, medium dice
3 oz fresh goat cheese, crumbled (~3/4 cup)
2 tsps fresh flatleaf parsley, finely chopped
black pepper, freshly ground
1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated (optional)
Add pasta to a large pot of boiling well-salted water and cook for about 10+ minutes or al dente. While the pasta is cooking, heat 1/2 tablespoon oil in a sauté pan and cook the sausage, breaking it into small bits with spatula until cooked through. Drain off the fat and reserve the sausage in a bowl. Heat the rest of the oil in the same pan and sauté the shallots over medium heat until they are soft. Increase the heat to medium high and add the squash, sautéing until the squash softens. I tossed the sausage into the squash here and gave it a stir for a minute over medium high heat. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water and drain the pasta. Place the pasta, sausage, and squash in a large bowl together and toss with a few tablespoons of the pasta water. Add the goat cheese and parsley and toss. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with grated cheese.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Strawberry Rhubarb Sponge Pudding
1 1/3 pounds rhubarb, cut into 1-inch lengths (about 5 cups)
1 cup chopped fresh strawberries
1/3 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
2 tablespoons water
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup sugar
7 tablespoons butter, room temperature
2 large eggs
6 1/2 tablespoons whole milk
Softly whipped cream
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Butter 11x7x2-inch baking dish. Place rhubarb pieces in baking dish in even layer. Scatter brown sugar over and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons water.
Whisk flour and baking powder in small bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating well between additions. Fold in flour mixture in 3 additions alternately with milk in 2 additions, mixing just to blend after each addition. Spoon batter over rhubarb, smoothing top to cover.
Bake dessert until top is golden brown and toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Cool at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour. Serve warm with softly whipped cream. Makes 8 servings.
1 cup chopped fresh strawberries
1/3 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
2 tablespoons water
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup sugar
7 tablespoons butter, room temperature
2 large eggs
6 1/2 tablespoons whole milk
Softly whipped cream
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Butter 11x7x2-inch baking dish. Place rhubarb pieces in baking dish in even layer. Scatter brown sugar over and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons water.
Whisk flour and baking powder in small bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating well between additions. Fold in flour mixture in 3 additions alternately with milk in 2 additions, mixing just to blend after each addition. Spoon batter over rhubarb, smoothing top to cover.
Bake dessert until top is golden brown and toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Cool at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour. Serve warm with softly whipped cream. Makes 8 servings.
Simple Cauliflower
2 - 3 heads of small cauliflower (or 1/2 head large)
2 tablespoons of olive oil
a couple pinches of sea salt
1 clove garlic, minced
1 small bunch of chives, chopped
zest of one lemon
freshly grated Parmesan
a bit of flaky sea salt
To prep the cauliflower, remove any leaves at the base and trim the stem. Now cut it into tiny trees - and by tiny, I mean most florets aren't much larger than a table grape. Make sure the pieces are relatively equal in size, so they cook in the same amount of time. Rinse under running water, and set aside.
Heat the olive oil and fine grain salt in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add the cauliflower and stir until the florets are coated. Wait until it gets a bit brown on the bottom, then toss the cauliflower with a spatula. Brown a bit more and continue to saute until the pieces are deeply golden - all told about six minutes. In the last 30 seconds stir in the garlic.
Remove from heat and stir in the chives, lemon zest, and dust with a bit of freshly grated Parmesan cheese and a pinch of flaky sea salt (if you have it on hand). Serve immediately.
Serves 2-3 as a side.
Rasberry Buttermilk Cake
Makes one thin 9-inch cake, which might serve eight people
1 cup (130 grams) all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon (2 grams) baking powder
1/2 teaspoon (2 grams) baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 stick (56 grams) unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup (146 grams) plus 1 1/2 tablespoons (22 grams) sugar, divided
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest (optional)
1 large (57 grams) egg
1/2 cup well-shaken buttermilk
1 cup fresh raspberries (about 5 oz)
Make your own buttermilk: No need to buy buttermilk especially for this or any recipe. Add one tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice to one cup of milk and let it sit until it clabbers, about 10 minutes. Voila, buttermilk!
Preheat oven to 400°F with rack in middle. Butter and flour a 9-inch round cake pan.
Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and set aside. In a larger bowl, beat butter and 2/3 cup (146 grams) sugar with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about two minutes, then beat in vanilla and zest, if using. Add egg and beat well.
At low speed, mix in flour mixture in three batches, alternating with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour, and mixing until just combined.Spoon batter into cake pan, smoothing top. Scatter raspberries evenly over top and sprinkle with remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons (22 grams) sugar.
Bake until cake is golden and a wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool in pan 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack and cool to warm, 10 to 15 minutes more. Invert onto a plate.
1 cup (130 grams) all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon (2 grams) baking powder
1/2 teaspoon (2 grams) baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 stick (56 grams) unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup (146 grams) plus 1 1/2 tablespoons (22 grams) sugar, divided
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest (optional)
1 large (57 grams) egg
1/2 cup well-shaken buttermilk
1 cup fresh raspberries (about 5 oz)
Make your own buttermilk: No need to buy buttermilk especially for this or any recipe. Add one tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice to one cup of milk and let it sit until it clabbers, about 10 minutes. Voila, buttermilk!
Preheat oven to 400°F with rack in middle. Butter and flour a 9-inch round cake pan.
Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and set aside. In a larger bowl, beat butter and 2/3 cup (146 grams) sugar with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about two minutes, then beat in vanilla and zest, if using. Add egg and beat well.
At low speed, mix in flour mixture in three batches, alternating with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour, and mixing until just combined.Spoon batter into cake pan, smoothing top. Scatter raspberries evenly over top and sprinkle with remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons (22 grams) sugar.
Bake until cake is golden and a wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool in pan 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack and cool to warm, 10 to 15 minutes more. Invert onto a plate.
Pesto Potato Salad with Green Beans
From Smitten Kitten
Serves 10
4 pounds small Yukon gold or red-skinned potatoes, quartered
1 pound green beans, cut into one-inch segments
1 to 2 small garlic cloves, peeled
2 bunches of basil (about one ounce each)
1/4 to 1/2 cup olive oil
6 tablespoons (or more to taste) mild vinegar, such as champagne, white wine or a white balsamic
1/4 cup chopped green onions (scallions)
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
Parmesan cheese to taste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Cook potatoes in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender, about 10 minutes. Add beans; cook four minutes longer. Drain well and let cool, then transfer potatoes and beans to a large bowl.
Meanwhile, discard the stems from the basil and wash and dry the leaves. Puree them in a food processor with garlic, drizzling in enough olive oil that it gets saucy. Season the pesto with salt and pepper. [Alternately, you can swap this step with one cup of prepared pesto, but seriously, I think you'll be missing out.]
Toss the beans and potatoes with pesto. Stir in vinegar and pine nuts and season with salt, pepper and/or additional vinegar to taste. Finally, shave some wide flecks of parmesan over the salad with a vegetable peeler.
Serve immediately, or make this up to two hours in advance. It can be stored at room temperature.
Serves 10
4 pounds small Yukon gold or red-skinned potatoes, quartered
1 pound green beans, cut into one-inch segments
1 to 2 small garlic cloves, peeled
2 bunches of basil (about one ounce each)
1/4 to 1/2 cup olive oil
6 tablespoons (or more to taste) mild vinegar, such as champagne, white wine or a white balsamic
1/4 cup chopped green onions (scallions)
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
Parmesan cheese to taste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Cook potatoes in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender, about 10 minutes. Add beans; cook four minutes longer. Drain well and let cool, then transfer potatoes and beans to a large bowl.
Meanwhile, discard the stems from the basil and wash and dry the leaves. Puree them in a food processor with garlic, drizzling in enough olive oil that it gets saucy. Season the pesto with salt and pepper. [Alternately, you can swap this step with one cup of prepared pesto, but seriously, I think you'll be missing out.]
Toss the beans and potatoes with pesto. Stir in vinegar and pine nuts and season with salt, pepper and/or additional vinegar to taste. Finally, shave some wide flecks of parmesan over the salad with a vegetable peeler.
Serve immediately, or make this up to two hours in advance. It can be stored at room temperature.
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