Freezer meals part II: Caribbean Shredded Pork

Serves 8

   

Another installment of the freezer meals that mom and I made to ease the family into life with two kids—it was great to be able to pull this out for dinner last night and only worry about making rice and some vegetables. And of course Chris loves such versatile leftovers. I wager he’ll be eating it at noon wrapped in a tortilla or in a toasted bun.

1 1/2 pound lean boneless pork loin

1 (8-ounce) can unsweetened pineapple tidbits, juice reserved

2 tablespoons lime juice

2 tablespoons raisins

2 teaspoons brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper

3/4 cup peeled, seeded, and chopped tomatoes

1 small onion, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon cornstarch

2 tablespoons rum

1 Tbs molasses

2 Tbs honey

Combine all ingredients (including reserved pineapple juice) in your slow cooker and cook on low for 8-10 hours.

 

Shred pork once it’s done cooking.

Avocado Chocolate Mousse

Serves 2-3

   

Oh yeaaaaah, talk about smooth, creamy, sweet, velvety luxuriousness. Chocolate mousse made from avocado is something I’ve been meaning to try for a long time, and something about which, no matter many good reviews I’d read or overheard, I was still a little doubtful. The moment of truth came when I was brainstorming dairy-free dessert ideas for my nephew. His mom just had a baby and we’re bringing dinner over next week. He’s almost four, so I know he hasn’t been exposed to loads of different desserts and can only, realistically, be so bummed about his allergy and about all the desserts that he misses out on—I imagine the biggest ones in his mind are birthday cake and ice cream. But I still like to think outside the box for him, when possible. I resist just making cookies with margarine or shortening because I love a culinary challenge, and it brings me such joy when someone gets to eat something they thought they never would. Case in point: chocolate mousse for the lactose intolerant. Long story short, I had an extra avocado lying around and decided to give it a go last night. Actually, I have to admit another motivation: Sawyer has refused avocado his whole short life. This, to me, is the greatest freaking mystery on the planet. Every other baby we knew, during the phase of introducing solids, loved avocado. Most of them still like it. But his categorical refusal of anything green has branded this food for him, and it drives me crazy. Every time he sees it in something he says, “mama I don’t want dat green bean!” Saying that it’s an avocado and not a green bean is beyond pointless. So I thought, “If I can get this mule-child têtu to eat avocado mousse, my hope in his future will be restored.” (Because I’m pretty sure avocado is the first step on the path toward world peace.) So, back to the mousse: I consulted a few recipes and ended up winging the simplest version possible—many variations have cashew, peanut or almond butter, but as you probably know, lactose intolerance often goes hand-in-hand with nut allergies, as is the case with my nephew. So here’s more or less what I included:

1 ripe avocado

1/4 C maple syrup

2 Tbs soy milk

2 Tbs dark cocoa

pinch of salt

Put it all in the blender or food processor and process until smooth. The result? Is it as good as they say? I’d venture to say it’s better. Truly. It’s like the greatest culinary hornswoggle ever, but, like, a horswoggle for good. A world peace farce, if you will. However: as someone who has both made and eaten a lot of chocolate mousse, here and abroad, it is not—in the spirit of full disclosure—very much like mousse. It’s more like chocolate cake batter pudding…which is maybe even better.

As you can see, it was a big hit with monsieur anti-veg. Maybe when he’s 18 he’ll learn the truth about his new favorite dessert.

Tian Tian Chao Mian (Everyday Fried Noodles)

Serves 4

Before I get into these noodles I have to confess that I’ve really been mulling over the purpose of this blog for the last few days. In my attempt to cook my way through my collected magazine recipes, I’ve made a few this week that just really didn’t make the grade. “Should I put them on the blog?” I wondered. I mean, I did say that I was going to make all of the recipes that I’d cut out…but does that mean that I have to share them if they’re sub-par? At first I thought maybe I would, thinking that other people might have an idea how to improve them, or that maybe I could share how to improve them…but now I’ve reached my conclusion: no matter how many recipes I try, I’m only going to post the excellent ones. Therefore, forget the Shrimp and Pancetta on Polenta (the shrimp overpowered the pancetta and the whole thing was bland) and the Chicken in Garlic Vinegar Sauce (also bland, and it gave my baby wicked, wicked nocturnal gas). On to more inspiring and delicious things, like Tian Tian Chao Mian, which sounds like the start of a nursery rhyme or a jump rope game. This is from a recent issue of Saveur—have I mentioned how much I am in love with this magazine? I got it to replace Gourmet when it tanked, and I like it so much more than any other cooking magazine I’ve ever had. It doesn’t overwhelm me with more recipes than I could ever cook in a lifetime (like, cough, Cooking Light, my evil nemesis), nor does it recycle the same 10 recipes over and over in each issue (CL and the accursed flank steak dish!) and what’s more, it has breathtaking photos and outstanding writing with lots of touching ruminations about the meaning of food in our lives. It’s just awesome. Period. So, back to Tian Tian. It needed a little extra flavor, which I detailed in the directions below, but it was quick to prepare and truly delightful. And any food that helps make memories as sweet as the ones in the pictures below is a winner in my book. Turns out toddlers will eat anything with chopsticks, including broccoli.

 

 

1/2 small seedless cucumber, peeled and julienned

pinch of salt

3 tbsp. canola oil

1 medium carrot, julienned

1 onion, thinly sliced

1/4 lb. ground pork

4 cloves garlic, minced

1  1" piece ginger, minced

6 scallions, minced

1 1/2 tbsp. dark soy sauce

1 1/2 tbsp. rice cooking wine (mirin)

1 1/2 tsp. sugar

2 cups bean sprouts (I used broccoli instead)

6 oz. dried flat noodles, boiled and rinsed under cold water (I used chop suey noodles, which are like ramen, but not as cheap and gross)

1 tbsp. Asian sesame oil

Toss cucumbers and a pinch of salt together in a small bowl; let sit 5 minutes. Heat a 14" wok (or stainless-steel skillet) over high heat until it begins to smoke. Add 1 tbsp. oil around edge of wok; swirl to coat bottom and sides. Add carrots and onions; cook until softened, about 1 minute. Transfer to a plate; set aside.

Return wok to high heat and add remaining oil. Add pork, garlic, ginger, and half the scallions; cook, breaking pork into small pieces, until browned, 3–4 minutes.

Add soy sauce, wine, sugar, bean sprouts, and carrots and onions. Cook, stirring, until hot, about 30 seconds.

Add cucumbers, remaining scallions, noodles, and sesame oil; cook, tossing, until hot, about 1 minute. Season with salt. At this point I found it pretty bland, so I added about an extra tablespoon of soy sauce and maybe 1 tsp of memmi, which is Japanese and has no place in this dish, but it’s full of umami and ended up being just the thing. Oh, and then I squirted sriracha all over the noodles and it was perfect!

Mango Dal (with Chard)

Serves 6

  

I’m a dal fiend, so when I saw this recipe in Eating Well magazine, and imagined the blissful combination of my favorite fruit and my favorite legume preparation, I knew it would be on the menu soon enough. I finally got around to trying it when we had guests the other night. We served it with an Indian-spiced roast chicken (I made a spice rub with salt, cumin, curry, biryani seasoning, cinnamon, chili powder and ginger), and homemade parathas, which are kind of like an Indian version of a tortilla. I call them the lazy man’s naan, since there’s no yeast involved. Below is the recipe as written, but I found that it need a little extra….something. Salt being part of the something. I also dipped into my Indian spice mixes and added a tablespoon of a basic vegetable curry spice blend. Oh, and I added chard because I’m a chard disciple lately.

1 C yellow lentils

4 C water

1 tsp salt, divided

1/2 tsp ground turmeric

1 Tbs canola oil

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1 onion, chopped

(1 bunch chard leaves, washed and chopped)

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbs minced fresh ginger

1/2 tsp ground coriander

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

2 mangoes, peeled and diced

1/2 C chopped fresh cilantro

Rinse lentils, then combine with water, 1/2 tsp salt and turmeric in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes.

In the meantime, heat oil in a large skillet. Add cumin seeds and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add onion (and chard) and cook until soft. Add garlic, ginger, coriander, cayenne and remaining 1/2 tsp salt, and cook for one minute longer.

Stir the spice mixture and the mangoes into the lentils. Return to a simmer and cook 15 minutes longer. Serve with rice and garnish with cilantro.

Pasta with Sausage and Butternut Squash

Serves 4

Another recipe from the collection down…about 800,000 to go. Only slight exaggeration. Once again I did quite a lot of adapting with this one, primarily for the (to me) hilarious reason that the grocery stores don’t carry canned pumpkin until just before Thanksgiving (I guess I should mention that the recipe was originally Sausage and Pumpkin Pasta). Not only do they not carry it now—they can’t! Because of the great pumpkin blight of 2009! Global warming be damned, you ruined the pumpkin crop and now I have to improvise. Although, as my MIL pointed out, the grocery stores have been selling pumpkin pies and pumpkin bread all year. So either they have access to some top secret supply or, “They’ve been cheating.” Long story short, I used roasted pureed butternut squash in this recipe, to no real detriment. I think pumpkin is a little more pungent and earthy, while the squash is a little sweeter, but in the end it’s just a tasty bowl of pasta.

2 cups uncooked multigrain bow tie pasta (we used angel hair)

1/2 pound Italian turkey sausage links, casings removed

1/2 pound sliced fresh mushrooms (whoops, didn’t have those either—we added green pepper instead)

1 medium onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 cup canned pumpkin (or butternut squash)

1/2 cup white wine

1/2 teaspoon rubbed sage

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, cook the sausage, mushrooms, onion and garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the broth, pumpkin, wine, sage, salt, garlic powder and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5-6 minutes or until slightly thickened. Drain pasta; add to the skillet and heat through. Just before serving, sprinkle with cheese and parsley.

Pear Custard Tart

Serves 8

I’m not sure why there is such a proliferation of desserts on here lately—we really aren’t eating all that much dessert. We have had company since Fielding was born, and that was the occasion for this particular delight. And when I say delight, I mean deeeee-light. My mother has declared this “one of the all-time great desserts” that she has tasted in her life time. That’s saying a lot, coming from someone with a sweet tooth and who has all manner of sweet lusciousness to choose from when picking a life-time frontrunner for number one. The great advantage to this tart is that you can whip it up in about 15 minutes, making it ideal for casual weeknights and unexpected guests.

Crust:

1/2 C cold butter, cut into chunks

1/4 C white sugar

1 1/2 C flour (I always combine whole wheat and white flours)

pinch salt

1 tsp vanilla

1-2 Tbs cream, half and half or milk

 

Filling:

2-3 pears peeled and sliced

1/4 butter at room temperature

1 C sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

pinch salt

1/4 C flour

For crust: place flour, sugar, butter and salt in the food processor and process until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Slowly add vanilla and milk until dough comes together into a ball. Press crust into greased 9-in pie pan, tart pan or spring form pan and refrigerate until ready to fill. (I always use foil in my spring form pan because I have bad luck getting it to release well on such crusts…I don’t know why.)

 

For the filling: Set the pears aside. Place remaining ingredients in the food processor and blend until smooth. Peel, core and slice the pears; arrange them in a circular pattern in the crust and pour the filling over. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-55 minutes.

 

 

For a variation: substitute almond extract for vanilla, sprinkle sliced, toasted almonds on top, and/or add 1/2 ground almonds to the crust.

Spinach and Beet Greens Quiche

Serves 8

Quiche is one of my favorite speedy meals, also great for freezer dinners and for using up wilty veg. The latter was my motivation this time—loads of spinach and beet greens were about to go to waste until I girded my loins and put two quiches together. Needless to say, one is in the freezer for after the tiny bundle arrives. My favorite all-time quiche recipe is from Mark Bittman—it’s supremely indulgent, no-fail, and very rich. I don’t use it every time—in fact that’s what I like about quiche. You can mix a few eggs, some form of milk (skim, whole, half and half, whatever), and some cheese, and it will always turn out delicious. But if you’re aiming to impress, I recommend following this one.

Crust:

1 1/2 C flour (whole grain flours work well)

1 C cold butter cut into chunks

1/2 tsp salt

4-6 Tbs ice water

Filling:

1 onion, chopped

1 bunch spinach, washed, rinsed and chopped

1 bunch beet greens, washed, rinsed and chopped

6 eggs

2 C grated Swiss cheese (Jarlsburg, Emmenthal, Gruyere are all good choices)

2 C milk or half and half

1/2 tsp salt

Combine flour, butter and salt in your food processor and process until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Slowly add ice water while processing until dough comes together in a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill one hour (I admit, I NEVER do this, but I’m sure it makes for an extra flaky and delicious crust). Preheat oven to 425. Roll the dough out to fit a 9-in pie pan or a 10-in tart pan (again, I’m such a lazy bastard, I always just press the dough in with my fingers, which makes for an ugly, ugly crust, but whose homemade aesthetic touches my heartstrings). Prick crust with a fork and bake for 15 minutes (lots of people cover it with foil and weigh it with beans…I find that this particular crust doesn’t really need that step).

In the meantime sauté the onion until translucent, then add greens. Sauté until they begin to wilt and onion begins to caramelize. Spread greens in your hot crust, like so:

Reduce the oven temperature to 325. Whisk together eggs, milk, cheese and salt (optional: a dash of nutmeg), and pour over vegetables. Note: this is not in Bittman’s recipe, but this time I added loads of fresh parsley, and it was delightful. Bake for 30-40 minutes until the quiche is set, but still moist. It’s ok if it still jiggles a little in the middle.

 

Serve warm or cold, with a smile.

Basil Tofu Scramble

Serves 3-4

In my world, there’s just nothing like tofu scramble. I have lots of variations that I do, which is part of what I love about it; you just can’t go wrong, flavor-wise. When you can get your hands on fresh herbs, however, you should keep the additions to a minimum and just let the harmonious green herbiness shine through. Any vegetables at all will do for tofu scramble, so below I’ve just written what I happened to use last night in this one.

1 pkg extra firm tofu

1 C panko bread crumbs

1/2 tsp salt

1 pkg baby bella mushrooms, sliced

3 green onions, sliced

1 zucchini, sliced

large handful of fresh basil

olive oil

Saute the onions, mushrooms, zucchini and basil in olive oil until soft; set aside.

Drain the tofu, pat dry, and half the brick horizontally, then cube. Mix the bread crumbs and salt in a shallow bowl. Toss the tofu cubes until coated, then combine in a frying pan with olive oil.

Let them brown for 3-5 minutes on each side before stirring. They should be nice and golden. When they’re done, add the vegetables back in and season to taste with additional salt, pepper or all-purpose seasoning salt.

Greek Salad with Sardines

Serves 4

Another photo stolen from a website—now that I found our camera, the battery is dead. This recipe is from Eating Well magazine, and Chris—truly, this is some kind of miracle—had flipped through the issue and DOG-EARED the recipes that he wanted me to try. That’s the most enthusiasm and interest he’s shown for anything in the kitchen pretty much since we’ve been married. Greek salad is nothing new for the Grays, we do quick dishes like this a lot, but the addition of sardines was something new. Buying sardines at all was something new, in fact, even though we’ve both heard how good they are for you. We had the perfect family dinner last night, yumming up this refreshing salad on the back porch with toddler and dog, enjoying the 80 degree evening.

3 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

2 teaspoons dried oregano (I used Greek seasoning instead)

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

3 medium tomatoes, cut into large chunks (I used cherry tomatoes, halved)

1 large English cucumber, cut into large chunks (I used 2 regular cukes, peeled and seeded)

1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed

1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese

1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion

2 tablespoons sliced Kalamata olives

2 4-ounce cans sardines with bones, packed in olive oil or water, drained

Whisk lemon juice, oil, garlic, oregano and pepper in a large bowl until well combined. Add tomatoes, cucumber, chickpeas, feta, onion and olives; gently toss to combine. Divide the salad among 4 plates and top with sardines.

Quinoa Tabouleh

 

Quinoa tabouleh is one of my favorite culinary augurs of summer; it was practically demanded by our organic box this week, which was full of tomatoes, cucumbers and parsley. You can, of course, use bulgur, which is equally as delicious and requires no cooking (just pour boiling water over it, cover and let it sit for an hour). But why deny yourself the insane amount of nutrients that quinoa has to offer? I like to garnish my tabouleh with toasted nuts, and sometimes include garbanzo or white beans for a little extra protein.

1 C quinoa, rinsed (it has a bitter coating, so rinse it well)
2 C water with 1 tsp salt
3 tomatoes, chopped
2 cucumbers, chopped (and peeled if they’re not organic)
1 bunch parsley or cilantro, minced
a few tablespoons olive oil
a large lemon
salt

Bring the quinoa and water to a boil, then cover and simmer 30-40 minutes until water is absorbed. Stick it in the fridge to cool. In the meantime you can chop all your veg. Mix quinoa and vegetables together and toss with olive oil and the juice from your large lemon. Salt to taste.

Stir it all together and, if you have the patience, chill for a bit before serving. I especially like to eat this with grilled meat like kebabs or pork loin.

Kale Chips, ie: VICTORY

serves 2-4

 

In the past few months Sawyer’s intellect has matured to the point that he really “gets” negotiation, and this has been a boon to his diet. Formerly the all-star nose-turner-upper at anything that wasn’t cereal, toast or Annie’s bunnies in cheese sauce, he has now pretty much made peace with the whole “this is what mom made for dinner; eat it or go hungry” idea. While he might put up the tiniest stink, we’ve managed to get him eating more or less what we eat, with the occasional toddler modification, all on the promise of “un bonbon” if he makes a valiant effort. Well, this whole system was completely overturned tonight when he ate tiny fistful after tiny fistful of kale chips, saying, “Mama, I eat more chips!”  I wish I could explain the miracle, but I think it’s simply that baked kale is truly tasty. Thank goodness this miracle came along when it did, because as much as I want to be that person that eats kale all the time (“sautéed with just a little balsamic vinegar,” say some of my friends, which tastes to me like shredded plastic bags with vinegar), who does yoga, and doesn’t kill house plants, the truth is that I only formerly liked kale when stewed to oblivion in winter soups packed with sausage and sweet potatoes and the like. But the times, they’re a changin’ with this kale recipe.

1 bunch kale, stems removed, leaves torn into pieces

1-2 Tbs olive oil

Sea salt to taste

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Toss kale leaves with oil and salt.

Spread on cookie sheet and roast for about 20 minutes or until crispy.

Roasted Potatoes and Grape Tomatoes à la Grèque

Serves 6

We got a 2 lb bag of potatoes in our box of organic goodness today. Here’s what’s interesting about that: we learned recently that the average American eats 150 lbs of potatoes per year. Among the group present at the time, some claimed to eat much more than that, but I was the only one who said, “No way…I bet I eat 5 lbs of potatoes a year…” I like potatoes just fine, it just doesn’t occur to me to eat them that often. And since you’re supposed to store them in a cool, dark place, I have often forgotten about them in the past when I did buy a bag, and have only rediscovered them when their sprouted tendrils have started to take over some part of the pantry and grow body snatcher pods. So when the produce arrived today the first thing I asked Chris was, “How do you like your potatoes?” It’s not that often that he really has a say, so this was a big moment. “Slice them thinly,” he said, “and cook them with that herb…what is it…the one that is like little sticks.” With some coaxing we arrived at rosemary, and from there this recipe was born.

5 small potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced (1/4-in)

1 1/2 C grape tomatoes

1/4-1/3 C olive oil

1 tsp dried rosemary

1 tsp dried sage

1 tsp Greek spice blend (I have McCormicks and like it a lot; in lieu of a blend you could mix oregano, mint and dehydrated onion)

salt (maybe 1-2 tsp)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a medium bowl mix everything together:

Spread the mess on a cookie sheet and bake for 12 minutes.

Stir the vegetables and turn them as best you can, and return them to the oven for another 12. The picture at the top of the post was taken after this second 12-minute installment, but I let them go another 8 minutes or so to get them good and browned.

Total success. Sawyer needed minor prodding, Chris needed none, and even said, “This was my idea.” He gets full credit.

Beet Roesti

serves 4-6, unless you're me. I could eat the whole thing by myself.

It would be difficult to find a less photogenic dish than beet roesti…almost as difficult as finding a more delicious vegetable concoction! Yes, it looks like mysterious burnt muscle tissue, or possibly charred animal brain matter, BUT, it’s the most divine way to eat beets. I like beets anyway, so I don’t need to be convinced, but if anyone you know does, this is the means by which to do it. The rosemary is the perfect balance to the natural sweetness, and the crispy, almost latke-like crunch that forms on the outside will help convince doubters that beets are not so different from other beloved root vegetables, like potatoes and carrots. Like I said, I need no convincing on beets, though I admit that they can be prepared in…gross ways…so I thank Mark Bittman for introducing me to this method which I can now use to spread the beet love all over the universe. PS: if you’ve never eaten beets before, do not be alarmed the next day. YES, they do color your body’s waste, if you know what I mean. NO, you don’t have bladder cancer or some wicked colon disease, you’re not bleeding from the insides, it’s just the vestigial pigment of those beloved beets saying hello one last time.

1 to 1/2 beets trimmed and peeled

1 tsp dried rosemary, crumbled

1 tsp salt

1/4 C flour

2 Tbs butter

Grate the beets in a food processor or by hand. Why do raw beets always look positively hallucinogenic when you try to photograph them?

Preheat a large skillet over medium heat. Toss the grated beets in a bowl with salt and rosemary, then little by little incorporate the flour until evenly distributed. Melt one tablespoon butter in the hot skillet. When it’s sizzling, scrape the beets into the skillet and press them into a flat, round shape with a spatula. Here we go:

Cook until the bottom is crisp, 6-8 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally. Now it’s time to flip. Slide the cake onto a plate, cover with another plate and invert.  

 

Add the second tablespoon of butter to the pan and let it heat briefly. Slide the cake back into the skillet and cook another 6-8 minutes:

 

Cut into wedges and serve immediately.  

Gazpacho

serves 4

Gazpacho = cold Spanish tomato soup. Ever heard of it? It’s one of our all-time favorite warm weather treats, especially when the garden is going crazy in July and August. One of the great advantages of gazpacho is that it can be personalized (make the soup with tomatoes, top it with whichever vegetables you prefer), as well as easily adapted (one of our favorite variations is made with tomatillos instead of tomatoes). There’s also something sort of hilariously kitsch about it. It’s the fondue of the 80’s and 90’s: after every couple got three fondue pots at their wedding, the whole idea just took on this maize and olive green 1970’s hue of culinary disrepute. Fondue is back now, and I think gazpacho is on its way. Who could say no to such extreme freshness? Who could deny the dish that tormented Arnold J. Rimmer to his very soul? If you don’t know what I’m talking about, you can watch the video below to see clips (someone's clever montage) from one of my favorite British comedies, Red Dwarf, during which hopefully you’ll have a laugh, wonder so deeply why that guy has an H on his head that you watch the whole series without sleeping, or at least learn a little more about gazpacho.

 

2 lb tomatoes, cut into large chunks

1 1/2 C water

1/4 C olive oil

2 Tbs vinegar

1 Tbs sugar

1 tsp salt

1 clove garlic

4 C cubed artisan bread, divided

Start by making the croutons: place 2 C cubed bread in a bowl; drizzle with olive oil and sea salt.

I like to put mine in the toaster oven at 375 for 15-20 minutes until they’re golden and crispy.

Next make the soup: place first 7 ingredients in blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Chill in the refrigerator until cold.

Here are my gorgeous tomatoes, many of which came in my organic produce box this week. As you can see, I had too many. Most of us would be hard pressed to fit almost three pounds of tomatoes in our blenders, so stick to two, like the recipe says:

        

Just before serving chop the vegetables that you’d like the add to your gazpacho. We like cucumber, avocado, green onion, peppers, fresh corn (we cut it off the cob, raw), mushrooms, etc. and lots of fresh parsley or cilantro. Here’s our bowl of goodness next to the toasty croutons:

Most Savory Roast Chicken

This was originally going to be a slow cooker roast chicken, but this morning got so hectic, there was just no way that I was going to get a chicken spiced up and ready to go before 8am. So the time-saving slow cooker got pushed aside for a proper oven tonight, with no loss whatsoever, I think. The spice mix is a variation on one I found on the Tasty Kitchen website, and it really is as close to commercial rotisserie chicken as I’ve ever tasted. One more thing: being the lazy cook that I am, I can’t be troubled to truss my bird. Therefore: I cook it breast side down on a roasting pan to avoid the breasts getting overdone, which is more or less what trussing achieves. Remember to let your bird rest for 15 minutes before carving in order to seal in the juices!

1 Tbs salt

2 tsp paprika (I used 1 tsp regular and 1 tsp smoked paprika)

1 tsp thyme

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp cayenne

1 tsp black pepper

butter

Preheat oven to 450. Remove giblets from chicken, rinse bird and pat dry. Rub the carcass with butter, salt the inside. Rub the spice mixture onto the outside of the bird. Place breast side down on a roasting pan. Roast for 15 minutes, reduce temperature to 350 degrees and bake an additional 18-20 minutes per pound of bird. Use the pan juices to make gravy, if you wish, or I often use them to flavor soups/sauces. I also usually toss the carcass in the freezer to make stock.

Garlic Mashed Potatoes and Cauliflower

serves 4-6

 

These were so garlicky that the smell filled the whole house when I opened the tupperware to reheat them. Feel free to temper it. Or to embrace it!

1/2 head cauliflower cut into medium florets

3-4 medium russet potatoes, peeled and cubed

4 Tbs butter

4-6 cloves garlic, minced

1/3 C milk

Bring a large pot of water to boil and simmer potatoes and cauliflower until tender, 15-20 minutes. In the meantime, melt the butter in a small fry pan over medium-low heat and sauté the garlic 3-4 minutes until it begins to brown. Drain the potatoes and cauliflower, place them in the food processor with the milk and the butter/garlic and process until smooth. Salt and pepper to taste.

Gnocchi with Walnut Sauce

Serves 4-6

Another classic dish for the Italian-themed cooking club tonight, gnocchi with walnut sauce is one of my all-time favorite indulgent but so speedy weeknight dinners. I’m putting my favorite gnocchi recipe below, but feel free to use boxed gnocchi—I did tonight, and once it’s drenched in the walnut sauce they’re really not much different from the homemade version of these clouds of potato dumpling ecstasy. You can make the walnut sauce in about 90 seconds in the food processor, so once the pasta is boiling this is about the quickest meal I can think of.

Gnocchi

2 waxy potatoes

1 Tbs salt

2-2 1/2 C flour

1 egg

pinch grated nutmeg

2 Tbs butter

Bring the unpeeled potatoes to boil in a large pot of salted water. Cook until potatoes are tender but not falling apart. Drain and peel as soon as they are cool enough to handle. Mash potatoes with food mill (it’s important to get all of the lumps out). Turn potatoes out onto floured surface, and pour about half of the flour over the top, mixing lightly. Crack the egg over the potatoes, add nutmeg, and knead gently, drawing in more flour as necessary. When the dough is light to the touch and no longer sticky it is ready to be rolled. Divide the dough into four parts and roll each into a 3/4-in strand. Cut the rolls crosswise into 3/4-in pieces. Roll the gnocchi along the tines of a fork if you like them to look authentic. Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook the gnocchi in batches until they float (3-4 minutes). Drain in a serving bowl. When all gnocchi are cooked, toss with walnut sauce and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

Walnut Sauce

1 C walnut pieces or halves

1 Tbs bread crumbs (I used Italian-style)

3 Tbl olive or walnut oil

3 Tbl fresh chopped Italian parsley

1/4 C butter, melted

2 Tbs cream (I used milk and didn’t notice a difference)

Place all ingredients in the food processor and blend until smooth (3-4 minutes).

Amazing Spring Asparagus Sauté

serves 4

I love the springtime (despite the unexpected, debilitating snow storms that it brings to Colorado) because those early vegetables start to come out in all of their delicate, miniature loveliness. You can get the tiniest, most adorable little stalks of asparagus in spring, whereas during the rest of the year asparagus tends to have about the same circumference as my thumb…and is just about as tough and woody as I imagine my thumb would be, were I to undertake to eat it. This little sauté that I whipped up last night was a genuine delight—sweet, salty, tangy, slightly caramelized; I was on the road to eating the whole plate by myself for dinner when Chris snatched it out of my hands.

1 bunch thin asparagus stalks

2 Tbs olive oil

1 shallot, minced

2 tsp French mustard (such as Maille)

1 Tbs balsamic vinegar

1 Tbs water

2 Tbs broth

1-2 Tbs half and half

Wash asparagus and chop off tough lower third of stalks. Cut the remaining stalks in half (widthwise, obviously). Heat the olive oil in a large skillet and sauté the minced shallot 3-4 minutes, until just beginning to brown. Add the asparagus and cover. Cook 5-7 minutes, shaking the pan frequently, occasionally removing the lid to stir and flip the asparagus. In the meantime, whisk the mustard, vinegar, water and broth together in a small bowl. When the asparagus is softening and beginning to brown slightly, add the sauce. Continue to sauté, stirring frequently, another 2-3 minutes. At this point the tips should be starting to get slightly wilty, and the vegetables should be starting to caramelize. Add the half and half, stir or toss until combined with the rest of the sauce. Garnish with fresh ground pepper and serve.  

Spinach Mushroom Strata

serves 6-8

 

Whenever I have leftover heels of bread that no one wants, or inedible slices that sat too long and are no longer even toastable, strata is my first thought. Strata is a savory bread pudding that is wildly flexible in its ingredients—whatever flavors, meats and vegetables you are craving, you can put them in a strata (though I don’t recommend putting broccoli in a breakfast strata—that didn’t go over very well, even with me). The basic premise is that you break your stale, leftover bread into cubes, cook up some meats and vegetables, make an egg-milk-cheese mixture, then toss it all together and bake it. Many people love stratas (strati?) because they are great make-ahead foods: assemble it the night before, bake it in the morning. Though the bread is able to soak the juices up better overnight, I don’t find that omitting this step does any harm to the native deliciousness of the dish. So try the recipe below, and next time choose your own meats, vegetables and cheeses. And when you’re craving a sweet bread pudding, go here.

1 (16 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, squeeze of all excess liquid

1 large onion, chopped

1 package sliced mushrooms

3 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

8 C cubed French or Italian bread in 1-inch cubes (I use whole wheat because that’s all we ever eat at home)

2 C grated gruyère or jarlsburg cheese

1 C grated parmesan cheese

1 3/4 C milk

1 C half and half

8 large eggs

Sauté onion in butter in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat until soft, about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook (I like to cover it) until mushrooms release their juices (6-8 minutes)  Stir in spinach, remove from heat and set aside.

While this is cooling, whisk eggs, milk, salt, pepper and nutmeg together in a large bowl. Spread one third of the bread cubes in a well-buttered 9x13 pan or other ceramic baking dish. Top with one-third of one-third of spinach mixture and one-third of each cheese. Repeat layering twice with remaining bread, spinach and cheese. Pour the egg-milk mixture evenly over strata. Or you can just mix it all up in the stinkin’ bowl like I did (and always do):

But then, technically, we can’t call it strata (“layers” in Italian). This would be the time to cover it and stick it in the fridge if you’re planning on baking it the next day. If so, let it stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking. If not, preheat the oven to 350°F and bake strata, uncovered, in middle of oven until puffed, golden brown, and cooked through, 40 to 50 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

 

Borscht

 

There’s not much more to say besides: I love borscht. I can’t even remember where I first had it but, to me, everything about it is bliss. I love the color, the vinegary flavor, the excuse for a dollop of sour cream. I like my borscht to be very hearty, especially in the vegetable department. You can adjust the meat-vegetable ratio, or cut down the vegetable quantities, if you like a brothier soup, or if you’re one of those unfortunate people who suffers from the potentially flatulent properties of cooked cabbage. If so, I pity you, I pity you.

2 lbs cubed beef for stew

1 tablespoon oil

1 medium onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

8 C beef pr vegetable broth

3 medium beets, peeled and cubed

3 carrots, peeled and sliced

3 stalks celery, sliced (optional—I haven’t seen celery in any recipes, but I’m such a celery nut right now that I can’t help adding it…)

2 potatoes, peeled and cubed (optional—I’ve seen potatoes in a lot of versions of borscht, but potatoes aren’t my favorite so I don’t usually use them—your choice!)

1/2 head green cabbage, cored and thinly sliced

2 bay leaves

1 tsp anise seeds

1 tsp caraway seeds

1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste

1 (8 ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained

1 teaspoon white sugar, or to taste

4-5 Tbs white vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

Sour cream and fresh or dried dill to garnish

Get out your giant soup cauldron and start by browning your beef in the tablespoon of oil. When it’s fragrant and golden, remove it to a plate with a slotted spoon and add the onions and garlic to the pot with the remaining oil/juices. Sauté until translucent. Add the broth to the pot, then the remaining vegetables and the bay leaves. If you have the means, crush or grind the seeds (even the handle of your knife with the back of your palm can make a big difference in opening up the flavors) before adding them to the pot with the browned beef. Cover and simmer 40 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients (tomato paste, diced tomatoes, sugar and vinegar) and simmer 20 minutes longer. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of dill.