You are what you eat

Tian of butternut squash and Parmesan

I know we're all looking forward to spring, but around these parts, there's still snow on the ground, with more cold weather on the way. This is a lovely fall and winter dish that presents squash in a different form from the usual mashed or pureed baked squash.

What is a tian? you may ask. A tian is a dish of vegetables sauteed in olive oil, layered in a casserole, and baked au gratin. This particular recipe doesn't saute the squash; rather, chunks of squash are tossed with olive oil, arranged in a baking dish, and sprinkled with garlic and Parmesan. I served it recently and my guests (at least the vegetable-lovers) found it wonderfully tasty.

This recipe comes from Laurie Colwin's  (also see this) More Home Cooking, a book that would be a delight to read even if you never used a single recipe.

1 large butternut squash
flour
oil
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1 clove garlic, minced
pepper to taste
2 to 4 T. olive oil

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Peel, seed, and cut the squash into 1-inch chunks. Coat the chunks with flour by shaking them in a bag with the flour; shake off excess flour and place them, in one layer, into an oiled shallow baking dish. Scatter the squash with the Parmesan, garlic, and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil.

The oven must be very hot before you put the baking dish in; otherwise, as Colwin advises, "you will get a sodden mess." Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until squash is tender. The squash will retain it's shape but be very tender in the center of each chunk.

Pan-roasted corn

We're still able to buy fresh corn, but the quality isn't necessarily peak. Nonetheless, fresh corn is lovely to have on hand. I put together this dish one night to go with enchiladas. It's easy and very tasty. Use a roasted poblano if you want a little more heat (info on roasting peppers here) . And use amounts of each ingredient to your liking; I used approximately the following amounts.

2 ears of corn, kernels cut from the cob
1 roasted Anaheim or poblano pepper, diced
1 or 2 Tbsp. butter
1/2 to 1 tsp. ground cumin, or to taste
salt to taste

Melt the butter in a skillet (more is better!). Add corn kernels and diced pepper; saute until the corn is cooked. Add seasonings to taste.

Simple but good!

Chicken and pasta salad, Southwestern style

This is more of a guideline than a recipe, since I threw this together on the spur of the moment. It came about when my spouse bought cilantro instead of flat-leaf parsley by mistake (why oh why is the cilantro always right next to the parsley? I've done this myself!). I had made a very large chicken the day before, so I had lots of left-over chicken to use up, too.

We love cilantro, but many people don't. If you're in the latter group, omit cilantro and use parsley, if you want, for color and added flavor. I read recently that whether or not you like the taste of cilantro depends on genetics. For some people, cilantro has a soapy taste, while those of us who love it find it citrusy and fresh-tasting.

We prefer Barilla Plus pasta, as it has a lower glycemic index and added protein from bean flours.

This salad would also be good with diced Monetery jack cheese added--I didn't have any on hand when I made this.

Chicken and pasta salad, Southwestern style

8 oz. rotini pasta
1 1/2 to 2 cups cut-up cooked chicken
1 cup or more cooked or canned black beans, rinsed and drained well
1/2 large green bell pepper, diced
diced fresh tomato to taste
1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro, or to taste (we like lots)
1/3 cup finely chopped red onion, or to taste
red pepper flakes (opt.)
juice of one large, juicy lime
1/2 cup or more olive oil, or to taste
minced garlic to taste (I used about a teaspoon)
1/2 tsp. ground cumin, or to taste (I like more)
1/4 tsp. crushed dried Mexican oregano
salt to taste

Cook the rotini according to package directions. Rinse under cold running water and drain well. Toss with the chicken, beans, bell pepper, tomato, cilantro, onion, and red pepper flakes, if you're using them.

Combine lime juice with olive oil to taste. I probably started with less than half a cup of oil and just added until the balance seemed right. Add garlic, cumin, oregano, and salt. Whisk until thoroughly emulsified. Toss with the pasta, but don't add all the dressing at once--you may not need it all. If you don't, save the remainder, as pasta can really soak up dressing and you might need to add some before serving.

Ratatouille

No, not the movie, although the movie is wonderful, especially for foodies. I'm talking about the French vegetable stew, a perfect dish to make at this time of year. I was inspired to write about it, and offer a recipe, when a visit to the garden revealed baby eggplants and luscious green bell peppers.

Ratatouille is composed of eggplant, bell peppers, zucchini, onions, garlic, and herbs. Julia Child, in her classic Mastering the Art of French Cooking, insists that each vegetable must be cooked separately "before it is arranged in the casserole to partake of a brief communal simmer," in order that each vegetable retain "its own shape and character." For the film Ratatouille, the American chef Thomas Keller used his version of ratatouille, confit byaldi, fanned out on a plate.

Well, I'm not that fancy--or patient. I simply simmer the vegetables all together in a pot and enjoy the delicious flavors of Provence. You may also simmer the stew in a 350 degree oven for an hour, as does Mark Bittman (How to Cook Everything).

The ingredients are humble, but the taste is divine. I have been known to serve this as a main dish with homemade bread and a bit of  good cheese.

Ratatouille

2 T. olive oil
2 large onions, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 lbs. eggplant, cut into chunks
2 green bell peppers, cut into squares
2 medium zucchinis, cut into 1/4-inch slices
4 plum tomatoes, cored and coarsely chopped
fresh herbs such as thyme, marjoram, rosemary, bay leaf, basil, and parsley, to taste
salt and pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Saute the onions and garlic until softened. Add the eggplant and stir to coat with oil. Add the peppers and stir well. Now cover the skillet and cook for about ten minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.

Add the tomatoes, zucchini, and herbs, stir to mix well, cover the skillet and cook on low heat until the eggplant is nice and tender, probably about 15 minutes or so. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and drizzle a little more extra virgin olive oil over. Garnish with more fresh herbs, if desired. 

Quick vegetarian meals, part one

This post is in response to a friend who asked for some fifteen-minute vegetarian recipes. I laughed and said, "Well, maybe 30-minute recipes ..." and she replied that even that would be helpful.

I was a vegetarian for nine or ten years, and believe me, it was no hardship (except, as my friend pointed out, in restaurants, which can be a problem in that you always end up having a pasta dish or the meatless pizza or some such). At the time I didn't object to soy-based meat substitutes, but today I'd balk at that, so I'm not going to include these in my menus or recipes.

Most vegetarians depend on legumes for much of their protein. I love beans, lentils, and split peas, and I relied on them for many of our meal plans. During my vegetarian years, I didn't have a pressure cooker, which was foolish of me. A pressure cooker makes fast work of dried beans, even if they're unsoaked.

But let's start at the beginning. (I want to state right here that my friend probably knows all this, and I'm just throwing it out there for anyone who hasn't stopped to consider these points.) I'm a believer in meal planning, and I plan meals covering one to two weeks. This simplifies grocery shopping, I never have to wonder "what's for dinner," and I don't rely on those nasty processed foods. I have all the ingredients I need to make dinner on a given night. It also ensures variety and gives me the advantage of being organized, so that I know I have to soak beans on Tuesday night for Wednesday's dinner. I'm not rigid about this stuff, but having a general plan works great for me.

So, the first thing to do is to plan your meals around your schedule. A busy day followed by an evening of work or social obligations is not the time for an elaborate dinner. Save that for weekends or whenever you have the luxury of time.

Second, I can't emphasize enough how much a pressure cooker can help. I can whip up split-pea soup in under half an hour, including chopping the veggies. In the smaller of my two pressure cookers, I make risottos whose taste cannot be differentiated from the time-consuming stove-top, constant-stirring-required version. Dried beans are cooked through very quickly compared to the hours of simmering they otherwise require, and they're far superior to canned beans (cooked dried garbanzo beans, in fact, seem like an entirely different vegetable from the canned variety). Vegetable broth is done in a matter of minutes.

The slow cooker (crock-pot) is also extremely valuable, especially for the working person. I had forgotten this handy tool until one summer when I had so much to do out in the garden that I never felt like cooking at the end of the day. Putting dinner in the slow cooker before noon meant that we were guaranteed a decent meal after the busiest (and grimiest!) of days. And it doesn't heat up the kitchen much, either. Among other conveniences, the crock-pot cooks previously soaked dried beans overnight so that they're ready for the next day's meal.

Next, let's consider the meal itself. Your meal should include protein, so if you're having, say, spaghetti with marinara sauce, it's a good idea not only to sprinkle your pasta with parmesan, but also to have a side salad that incorporates feta and chickpeas, or whatever cheese and bean varieties you like. To simplify putting a balanced meal together, it's helpful to have the following on hand:

• Washed salad greens. Either buy pre-washed salad greens, or wash the greens, spin them dry in a salad spinner, lay them on paper towels, roll them up in the toweling, and put them in a plastic bag. Don't add juicy veggies like tomatoes and cucumbers until you put the actual salad together, as they will cause wilting and sogginess.
• Cooked dried beans, or canned beans. These can be added to salads and pasta (and pasta salads!) and soups and casseroles ... you get the idea. Having a bean salad in the fridge is even better; use two or three kinds of beans for variety, throw in some scallions, tomato, bell pepper, sliced black olives, celery, or whatever, and toss with a vinaigrette, and you've got lunch or a dish to round out a dinner. Add cooked pasta for a great main dish salad.
• Hummus, if you like it. Spread it on a pita, topped with some fresh veggies and/or sprouts and some good yogurt, and you've got an instant lunch.
• Cheeses that you like. These can be shredded into salads, rice, pita sandwiches, quesadillas (I'll get to that), refried beans, vegetarian chili, etc. to complete the protein in a meal.
• Hard-cooked eggs. These add protein to a tossed salad, fit well in many pasta salads, and are good to eat out of hand or as deviled eggs. I love egg salad, which can be used to stuff a tomato as well as serving as a sandwich filling.
• Tofu, if you like it. I don't, but I wish I did. It can be used in all manner of dishes, including salads, soups, stir-fries, breakfast eggs or shakes, etc.
• Better Than Bouillon, vegetarian or mushroom type. This is somewhat expensive, but even a little really strengthens the taste of soups and stews. You can also make a good mushroom gravy using fresh mushrooms and the Bouillon.

Of course, I never had all these things on hand at all times, but having some of them, at least, does make things easier when time is at a premium.

Other things to consider:

• When you cook dried beans, cook more than you'll need, and freeze the rest in some of the cooking liquid for another recipe down the line. Toss cooked beans into salads, rice dishes, pasta, soup, etc. for a protein boost.

• Cook more rice than you need for a recipe, and plan to use it as fried rice in the next day or two (more on this to come).

• Freeze leftover soup, or dishes like lasagna or eggplant parmesan, in amounts suitable for lunch or for another dinner. The freezer is your friend!

• Make veggie stock when you have time and freeze it in amounts you're likely to use for your favorite recipes.

• Think about how to use one recipe two ways. For example, leftover vegetarian chili is great as a burrito filling (just simmer the excess liquid away) or even an omelet filling.

Neither of the above lists exhausts the possibilities, of course, but it should give you some ideas about planning, using ingredients efficiently, and so on.

Next up, I'll post some ideas and recipes for quick meals.

My new favorite way to cook asparagus

My former favorite recipe, which I still love, can be found here. But recently I've been using a recipe from Cook's Illustrated for pan-roasted asparagus.

Don't use pencil-thin stalks of asparagus for this dish; thicker stalks work better.

Pan Roasted Asparagus

1 T. olive oil
1 T. butter
2 lbs. thick asparagus spears, woody ends snapped off
Salt and freshly ground pepper
balsamic vinegar (optional)

Heat oil and butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. When the butter has melted, add half of the asparagus to the pan with tips pointed in one direction; add the other half of the stalks with tips pointing in the opposite direction. Use tongs to distribute the spears evenly (they won't quite fit into one layer, but that's fine). Cover and cook until asparagus is bright green and still crisp, about 5 minutes.

Uncover the skillet and set heat to high. Season asparagus with salt and pepper. Cook until spears are tender and well browned along one side, using tongs to occasionally move spears from center to outside of pan so all the spears are browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer asparagus to serving dish, adjust seasonings, and if you like, sprinkle with good quality balsamic vinegar.

Glorified sauerkraut

One of these days I'm going to have to do a post on old cookbooks--specifically, those going back to the 1940s--as they've come down to me from my mother and mother-in-law. Not only are they a glimpse into another era and other ways of thinking about food, but often the books themselves, as handed down, contain clippings and companies' promotional material consisting of pamphlets with recipes featuring a particular product--bits tucked into the book by its previous owner.

It was while looking through an old cookbook that I came across a couple of paragraphs torn from a newspaper and stuck between the book's pages. I was amused by the recipe for "Glorified Sauerkraut," but more than that, I had some leftover sauerkraut I didn't want to waste. The recipe itself, in somebody's newspaper column, came out of the columnist's Christmas dinner with  ... I don't know whom, since I had only a couple of paragraphs. But here's the writer on said delicacy:

And then there was a special side-dish called "Glorified Sauerkraut," multiple helpings of which left your commentator with such a feeling of peace and contentment that a Great Light dawned upon him: The world would be better off if this culinary delight was widely shared.

. . . . . .

Serve it to your family some evening, ma'am. If they don't like it, leave them. They will have demonstrated that they are unworthy of the finer things in life. Or if you can't bring yourself to leave the helpless lunkers, just feed them out of cans until they straighten up and fly right.

We were having some from-way-back friends over for dinner--an informal, family-style dinner of old-fashioned pot roast--and I knew they were the perfect guinea pigs for such a recipe.

It was a hit! Forthwith, here it is. (I didn't have a green pepper on hand, so I omitted that.)

Glorified sauerkraut

2 onions, chopped
1 can (or 14 to 16 oz. refrigerated) sauerkraut, drained
1 can tomatoes, undrained, chopped (I used a can of diced tomatoes)
1 green pepper, chopped
1 small can mushrooms, drained

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Saute the onions in butter. Combine with the drained sauerkraut, undrained tomatoes, and mushrooms. Put everything into a casserole dish and bake, covered, for an hour. Then uncover and bake another half hour.

Recipe says it tastes even better re-heated.

So there you have it. One more note: not only did Mom have part of that original column stashed between the pages of her favorite cookbook, but there was also a later clipping repeating the recipe because someone had written to the columnist asking for it again! I don't recall ever eating this while I was growing up, but apparently it made a powerful impression on Mom--two iterations of the same recipe stuck into her most often used cookbook.

In season: new potato and sugar snap salad

New potatoes are now available (in Michigan, that is) at farmer's markets, and I've been picking sugar snap peas nearly every day. Last night I made a delicious salad of the two--plus chopped shallot and mint from my herb garden--dressed with a vinaigrette.

While the recipe below serves 12, I made just a fraction of that for the two of us. I did make the entire amount of dressing, reasoning that I'll be able to use the remainder on other salads. This recipe began on some web site or other, but I've modified it (of course). I think the salad would also be good with snow peas or regular shelled peas.

We had it with grilled salmon brushed with a butter, lemon, and dill sauce. A tossed salad (of young, tender lettuces purchased at the farmer's market and some of our own cherry tomatoes) completed our light summer meal.

New potato and sugar snap salad

3 lbs. new potatoes
1 1/2 lbs. sugar snap peas, trimmed (strings removed)
2 T. white wine vinegar
2 T. lemon juice
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup finely chopped shallot
1 cup lightly packed fresh mint, minced
salt and pepper to taste

Scrub the potatoes (gently, so as not to take the skins off completely), place in a saucepan, cover with water, and simmer until tender. With new potatoes, this won't take as long, so take care not to overcook. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the potatoes to a colander to drain and cool. Return water to a boil and blanch sugar snaps until crisp-tender, about a minute. Drain the peas in a colander and refresh with cold water. Drain the peas and pat them dry with a paper towel.

Cut the potatoes into suitable size. With the ones I had, cutting them in half was fine and some were so tiny I left them whole. Combine the potatoes, peas, shallot, and mint.

In a small bowl or jar, combine the vinegar, lemon juice, oil, salt and pepper. Whip or shake to emulsify. Pour on the salad and toss gently.

You can serve this at room temperature, but I like it better chilled for at least a short time.

Lima beans? Surely you jest!

Oh, I know how many of you feel about lima beans--yech!

But have you tried the dried kind? Their texture--which is what so many people seem to object to--is completely different from that of fresh (or frozen fresh) limas, and so is the taste. This recipe, in which the beans are first cooked to tenderness and then baked with oil, vegetables, and herbs, results in a buttery, silky texture. The dish is so simple that unless you try it, you won't believe it's so tasty.

The recipe is adapted from Madhur Jaffrey's in World Vegetarian, and she attributes it to "the nuns at the Ormylia Monestary in Macedonia." They serve it as a main dish (as do I), but it would be a lovely side dish as well. Said to serve four, the amounts given here seem just a bit skimpy to me for four as a main dish--I use it to feed three.

I've made versions with either large or small limas, and both are good (though I prefer the large ones just a bit over the small). The beans should be soaked overnight--actually, I often forget to do this, so I start them soaking when I get up in the morning, letting them soak at least 5 or 6 hours; then cook conventionally for 45 to 60 minutes, or in a pressure cooker for about 3 minutes with natural-release pressure (don't run cold water, just let pressure come down by itself).

1 cup dried lima beans, picked over and washed
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
I medium onion, chopped not too coarsely
1 medium carrot, peeled and sliced thinly
2 good-sized tomatoes (6 or 7 oz. each), chopped
      finely (or substituted diced canned)
1 1/4 tsp. salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 to 3 Tbsp. minced parsley
1 tsp. dried oregano

Soak as described above in water to cover by 5 inches of water. After soaking, drain the beans and discard the soaking liquid. Put the beans in a pot with 3 cups of fresh water and bring to a boil. If any scum rises to the top, skim it off. Cover, turn heat to low, and simmer gently 40 to 60 minutes, or until just tender. If pressure-cooking, use slightly less water, bring to a boil with lid fastened, and cook 3 minutes. Let pressure come down naturally.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a pan set over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook for a few minutes. Put in the carrot and cook another couple of minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook for about 10 minutes. Turn off the heat.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

When the beans have finished cooking, place them and their cooking liquid in a casserole along with the contents of the frying pan. Add salt, pepper (don't skimp on pepper!), parsley, and oregano. Bake UNcovered for 2 hours (and it needs two hours).

Enjoy!

Broccoli and Cauliflower Gratin

Another dish brought by Pam, my brother-in-law Bob's better half. I don't usually use packaged sauces, but I have no qualms about offering this recipe. It's very tasty.

5 cups broccoli florets
5 cups cauliflower florets
1 T. butter
1 leek, white and light green parts, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 1/2 cups milk
1 pkg. (1.3 oz.) creamy Cheddar sauce mix
12 oz. smoked Gouda cheese, grated (3 cups)

Preheat broiler. In pot of salted, boiling water, cook broccoli and cauliflower until tender, 5-6 minutes; drain. Transfer to a greased 2-qt. baking dish.

Meanwhile, melt butter in a pot over low heat. Add leek and garlic; cook, stirring often, till lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Add wine and cook for an additional minute.

Increase the heat to medium; stir in milk and sauce mix. Bring to a boil, stirring. Reduce heat to low; simmer, stirring now and then, for 3 minutes. Stir in 2 cups of cheese. Pour sauce over veggies; sprinkle with remaining cheese. Broil until the cheese is melted.