Posts filed under 'Vegetarian'
While this is not a quick recipe, it is certainly an old favorite from the original Greens cookbook by "vegetarianista" Deborah Madison. This is a perfect vegetarian dinner, especially for a large group on a warm summer night.
Basically this roulade is a flat, filled souffle. You can fill it with anything you like, but I feel that less is more with a roulade.
This one was filled with drained ricotta cheese and pesto and the topped with a very simple salsa of fresh vine ripened tomatoes, some fresh chopped garlic and basil, a little EVVO and salt and pepper. Served alongside chard (stay tuned for recipe) and Israeli couscous with peas, our group of 12 had plenty to feast on.
For the Roulade:
10 eggs at room temperature
5 cups of milk
1/2 tsp nutmeg
8 Tbsp. butter
1/3 cup flour
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Put a few dabs of butter on the pan to help anchor the paper in. Lightly butter and flour the paper, knocking off any excess flour.
Separate the yolks and the whites; lighty beat the yolks and set them aside. Heat the milk and make the roux by melting the butter, add the flour, and, stirring cook for 1 to 2 minutes over medium heat until the roux is lightly colored.
Add the heated milk, and cook for another 3 minutes, stirring constantly; then remove from the heat and season with 1 teaspoon salt and the nutmeg. Gradually whisk some of the hot mixture into the yolks to warm them; then return to the pan and combine with the rest of the roux.
In a large bowl, whisk or beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until smooth firm peaks form. Stir about a quarter of the whites and half the grated cheese and the milk-egg yolk mixture; then gently fold in the rest of the whites. Pour the whole mixture onto the baking sheet, spread it to fill all the comers, and sprinkle rest of the cheese over the surface. Bake until the top is nicely browned and puffed, about 15 minutes.
Remove the souffle from the oven and let it cool. Carefully turn it out onto a large flat cutting board, with a tea towel on it, by turning over the pan. Remove the paper. It is now ready to be filled and rolled.
Filling: If you’d like an extra punch of basil, scatter a few whole leaves over the ricotta mixture before rolling the roulade.
1 lb. tub plus 1/2 cup ricotta cheese, drained
1 cup prepared pesto (or Marcela Hazan’s tried and true pesto)
salt and pepper to taste
Place the drained ricotta into a bowl and stir in the pesto. Season with salt and pepper.
Assembling the Roulade:
With the long side of the roulade facing you, spread the ricotta/pesto mixture across 2/3 of the roulade. Using the towel gently guide the the roulade into a log form. If possible, take the whole cutting board and place it into your refrigerator and let the roulade sit for about 20 minutes.
Otherwise, you can cut the roulade in half and place it on to 2 smaller plates and refrigerate. You can assemble the salsa a this point. Remove the roulade from the refrigerator and slice into 1/2 inch pieces. Arrange on a serving platter or directly onto your dinner plates, top with the salsa and enjoy!
August 30th, 2010
With all of the hot, dry weather this summer, eggplant is rivaling zucchini’s abundance! Besides babaganoush, what’s a cook to do? This recipe was originally published in Hannaford’s fresh magazine. I just love the combination of smokey eggplant and creamy mozzarella, all pulled together with store-bought sauce.
I know that garden tomatoes are bountiful right now and you certainly could use homemade tomato sauce if you have it on hand, but the idea behind this recipe was ease. Many folks in the south and west have already headed back to school; with only six ingredients, this recipe can be cooked up in about the time it takes to cook and drain the pasta. Love it!
Grilled Eggplant Parmesan Pasta
adapted from Hannaford fresh magazine, July-August 2009
1 lb. dry rigatoni
1 (24-oz.) jar favorite pasta sauce
1 eggplant, about 1 lb, peeled
8 oz. fresh mozzarella, diced
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
Preheat grill. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and stir well. Cook 10 to 12 minutes,stirring occasionally, until just tenderor al dente. Drain and return to pot. While pasta cooks, warm sauce in a saucepan over medium heat. When sauce is simmering, reduce heat to low.
While sauce heats, cut eggplant lengthwise into 1-inch-thick slices. Lightly spray both sides with cooking spray. Grill eggplant until well marked on both sides, 4 to5 minutes per side. Roughly chop grilled eggplant.
Add eggplant and sauce to cooked pasta. Toss well. For each serving, start with sauced pasta then add a portion of fresh mozzarella, top with more sauced pasta, Parmesan and parsley. Serve immediately.
Alternatively, the pasta, sauce and cheeses can be layered into a serving bowl and served family-style.
August 23rd, 2010
Here is the 3rd installment of the carrot salad postings and honestly, I cannot select a favorite. I LOVE all three.
If you are looking for straightforward simplicity and utter ease in the kitchen, go with the classic French version. Looking for something a bit more upscale with bright flavors and the added nutrition of walnuts? Try Dorie Greenspan’s version.
Today’s recipe comes via The Wednesday Chef and Smitten Kitchen. It is the boldest version of the three. A warm dressing is made with garlic, spices and harissa; then something magical happens as you toss this spicy, lemony dressing with crunchy carrots. The flavor magic continues when you add fresh herbs and seal the deal with crumbled feta.
This salad is brilliant. For Meatless Monday, we paired it with grilled pitas, hummus, babaganoush and sliced cukes. This salad held up really well to refrigeration, just be sure to let it come to room temperature before eating.
The toasted spices and harissa are the ingredients that make this salad special. There is no substitute for harissa, a Tunisian condiment made from roasted chili peppers. Last fall, Barr posted Kirk Warner’s recipe for harissa and it is indeed an excellent recipe. Additionally, you can buy canned harissa at Whole Foods and harissa in tubes is available at some middle eastern markets or on Amazon.
The original recipe called for ground caraway seeds. I thought I had them in the pantry but I didn’t. I proceeded without them, the salad lacked nothing.
Carrot Salad with Harissa, Mint and Feta
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen
1 lb. carrots, peeled and cut into thin strips (julienned) or coarsely grated
1/3 cup olive oil
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. ground cumin
3/4 tsp. sweet or smoked paprika
1 tsp. harissa, more to taste for added spiciness
1/2 tsp. ground caraway seeds (optional)
1 tsp. sugar or honey
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
generous pinch of kosher salt
3 Tbsp. finely chopped flat leaf parsley
3 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh mint
6 oz. crumbled feta
In a small frying pan, warm the olive oil. When hot, add the garlic, cumin, paprika and harissa. Cook and stir until quite fragrant, about 2 minutes.
Stir in the sugar, lemon juice and salt. Pour the warm dressing over the carrots and toss well. Add the herbs and toss again until the carrots are evenly coated with all the seasonings.
Allow the dressed salad to sit for about 1 hour. (The salad really does improve in flavor as the dressing cools and the carrots absorb all the flavors.). Top with the crumbled feta and serve.
August 16th, 2010
Perfect for an August dinner, grilled veggies and crispy coleslaw are sure to please. Portobello mushrooms are meaty and easy to grill. The key is to make sure they are properly marinated. I think 24 hours is perfect but 8 hours is the minimum.
The coleslaw recipe is adapted from Cook’s Illustrated. The key here is to salt the cabbage and let sit in a colander for 1 to 4 hours. It makes a huge difference. I really enjoyed this recipe as it is not heavily laden with mayonnaise and is quite refreshing just as coleslaw should be.
Marinade for Vegetable Skewers
Makes 1 Cup, enough for 4 skewers
4 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup EVOO
1 tsp. granulated garlic
1/2 tsp. each salt and pepper
1 Tbsp. Dijon Mustard
1/2 tsp. thyme
Whisk all ingredients together. You can use any vegetables you want.
I like the combination of yellow squash, red onion, portobelllo mushrooms, red bell peppers and green bell peppers. Marinate the mushrooms for at least 8 hours or as long as overnight. Place a colander over a bowl. Drain the mushrooms reserving the marinade.
Transfer the marinade to a sauce pan and bring to a simmer. Allow the mixture to cool slightly. Marinate the remaining vegetables and marinate for 1 hour, at room temperature. Drain the vegetables
Skewer the marinated vegetables with the portobello mushrooms. Grill the skwers over medium to low heat for 5 minutes per side.
Buttermilk Coleslaw adapted from Cook’s Illustrated
1 pound cabbage, shredded and salted
(see instructions for salting below) with 1 tsp salt
2 medium carrots, shredded
1 fennel bulb, shredded
5 Tbsp. minced chives or 3 green onions, chopped fine
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 Tbsp. mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. sour cream
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. cider vinegar
2 shallots, minced (or 2 Tbsp. freeze-dried)
1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
Garnish
1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves, rough chop or just whole leaves
To salt the cabbage, toss the cabbage and salt together in a colander. Set the colander over a bowl or in a sink and let it drain for 1 to 4 hours. Wrap the cabbage in a large kitchen towel and dry slightly. Place into a large mixing bowl and add the carrots, fennel, chives and shallots. Save the parsley until just before serving.
Mix together the remaining ingredients to make the dressing, whisk them well and pour over the vegetables. Allow to marinate in the refrigerator for at least 45 minutes so that it gets nice and cold.
Just before serving, add the parsley and toss well. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Coleslaw will be good for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
August 9th, 2010
I make this dish once a week. Chez Shafroth, everyone likes it, even though it’s not authentic. It takes about 30 minutes to assemble the first time but you will get faster at it quickly.
With rice and some pico de gallo the meal is complete.
1 can pinto beans
1 can mild Enchilada sauce (red or green)
Shredded Monterrey Jack and Colby Cheese
about 1 cup ricotta
12 corn tortillas
Safflower oil, about 1 cup
Heat a large skillet on medium heat, once hot add the oil. Using tongs, place 2 tortillas side by side in the oil, flip and then remove to paper towels. This step is necessary as it is the only way you will be able to roll the tortillas up without them tearing. Once all the tortillas as done turn off the heat.
Wipe an oven-proof dish with a bit of the left over oil. Pour just a bit of the sauce on the bottom to cover the surface. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Place the cheeses, beans, enchilada sauce in a line near your cutting board. Place a tortilla on the board, add a bit of ricotta (about 2 Tbsp.) some beans on top then scatter the grated cheese. Roll the torilla up and place it into the baking dish.
Continue until all the tortillas are rolled and placed in a line next to each other. Cover with the some more sauce, but don’t drown them (you will have a bit less then half a can of sauce left over) and then sprinkle with the cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and cook uncovered for another 5.
August 2nd, 2010
I had intended on making little corn custards for this week’s Meatless Monday post but honestly I couldn’t bear to turn on the oven. Instead, I worked up a sort of corn risotto with a creamy sauce that is quick cooking and offers countless possibilities.
Native corn has been available at our Farmer’s market for well over a week, so much for the old adage "Knee high by the 4th of July." Other than the slight grumblings about shucking one’s supper, we LOVE summer corn. I will never forget the summer when Maverick had no front teeth, yet he still managed to eat almost three ears of corn with gusto.
We served this corn pudding with some reheated Boston Baked Beans and some sliced tomatoes drizzled with basil vinaigrette. To speed the cooking process, I used Masarepa, the pre-cooked cornmeal often used to make tamale filling. You could certainly substitute regular cornmeal or masa harina.
Marco insisted that I inform all of you flavoristas that this corn pudding is also very good served over and mixed into rice.
Quick and Easy Savory Corn Pudding
Serves 5
1 Tbsp. butter
3 cups corn cut off the cob or 1 lb. frozen corn, thawed
3/4 tsp. kosher salt, more to taste
generous pinch ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. dried minced onion
2 Tbsp. Masarepa pre-cooked white cornmeal
1/2 cup light cream
3/4 cup milk
1/8 tsp. Tabasco sauce, more to taste
2 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp thinly sliced chives or finely chopped parsley (optional garnish)
Melt the butter over medium heat in a sauce pan. Add corn, salt, pepper and dried minced onions. Cook and stir to coat corn with seasonings.
Sprinkle the Masarepa over the corn. Add the cream and milk, stirring constantly. As the mixture comes to a simmer, it will thicken and the corn will finish cooking, 3 - 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low.
Stir in the Tabasco and Parmesan. If using, garnish with chives. Serve immediately.
July 26th, 2010
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