The perfect accompaniment to bread and cheese on a hot summery afternoon.
Ingredients
1 cucumber or Armenian cucumber (about 12 oz), halved lengthwise and thickly sliced
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
About 10-12 large leaves fresh sweet basil, chiffonade
1/2 Eureka lemon, juiced
Olive oil
Sherry vinegar
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Whisk together the lemon juice, oil, vinegar, and a little salt and pepper in a small bowl. Lightly toss the cucumbers with a little of the vinaigrette, and set in the fridge for 5-10 minutes to crisp up.
Meanwhile, prepare the rest of the ingredients. Toss the tomatoes and basil in the vinaigrette, and adjust salt and pepper to taste. Toss with the cucumbers, and serve immediately.
Serves 3-4, and pairs well with an Argentinian Torrontes.
Faced with a fridgeful of whole foods in my post-Pollan kitchen, I set out to discover what on earth to do with them.
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
Sauteed Dandelion with Apricot and Golden Raisins
Speaking of dandelions, here's a springtime twist on winning the weed wars:
Ingredients
Serves 2-3.
Ingredients
Olive oil
1 red spring onion, halved and sliced (or sub a shallot)
Small handful golden raisins
1 bunch dandelion greens, cut crosswise into ribbons
1/4 cup chicken broth
1 ripe apricot, halved and thinly sliced
Heat the olive oil in a pan over
medium heat. Add the onion and saute for a couple of minutes until
soft, then add the raisins and cook for a minute more. Fold in the
greens and saute, stirring, for another minute or so, then pour in the
chicken broth. Stir once or twice, then cover and let simmer for 3-4 minutes. Remove the lid and simmer until the excess liquid boils off.
Turn off the heat, fold in the apricot slices, and cover. Let sit for 1-2 minutes till the apricots have just warmed through, and then serve.
Serves 2-3.
Sunday, May 26, 2013
In Defense of Dandelions
This just in: We've been Breeding the Nutrition Out of Our Food. Oops.
(Antidotes here, here, and here. Or track down some arugula or purslane at your nursery and start a planter full of phytonutrients to toss in your summertime salads).
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Making Time for Taste
All right. Just because I've fallen off the face of the earth doesn't mean you shouldn't have something good to read. So try this: The Science of Savoring. A good reminder to put down the work, back away from the computer, and cook something to eat with family and friends.
P.S. Back soon, I promise...but in the meantime, keep cooking!
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
Easy Quinoa Salad
An easy, healthy, and delicious springtime side dish that complements just about anything.
Ingredients
Olive oil
1 tbsp chopped red spring onion (or sub shallot)
1 tbsp chopped green garlic (or sub 1 clove garlic, pressed)
1/2 cup quinoa
3/4 cups chicken and/or veggie broth
4 oz baby arugula
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Rinse the quinoa well in a mesh strainer and let soak in cold water for 15-30 minutes, then rinse and drain well. (This removes the bitter saponins so the quinoa tastes sweeter. A lot of the quinoa sold in supermarkets is now prewashed so that you can skip this step, but some of the fair-trade quinoa still seems to taste better if you have time to soak it first. The liquid measurements here assume you've soaked the quinoa—if not, cook according to the package directions.)
Heat olive oil in a smallish pot over medium heat. Add the onion and green garlic and saute, stirring, until they soften (about 2-3 minutes). Add the quinoa, stir, and then add the broth. Cover, bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the quinoa has unspiraled and the liquid is absorbed. Uncover and remove from the heat.
Meanwhile, heat a small pot over medium-low heat. Add the balsamic vinegar and simmer very gently until the liquid is reduced by half (don't stand over the pot or you'll get a nose full of vinegar). Remove from the heat.
Toss the arugula with a spoonful of good-quality olive oil. Add the quinoa and toss together (the arugula will wilt a bit from the warmth of the quinoa). Drizzle with balsamic reduction, sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste, toss once more, and serve.
Serves 2.
Ingredients
Olive oil
1 tbsp chopped red spring onion (or sub shallot)
1 tbsp chopped green garlic (or sub 1 clove garlic, pressed)
1/2 cup quinoa
3/4 cups chicken and/or veggie broth
4 oz baby arugula
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Rinse the quinoa well in a mesh strainer and let soak in cold water for 15-30 minutes, then rinse and drain well. (This removes the bitter saponins so the quinoa tastes sweeter. A lot of the quinoa sold in supermarkets is now prewashed so that you can skip this step, but some of the fair-trade quinoa still seems to taste better if you have time to soak it first. The liquid measurements here assume you've soaked the quinoa—if not, cook according to the package directions.)
Heat olive oil in a smallish pot over medium heat. Add the onion and green garlic and saute, stirring, until they soften (about 2-3 minutes). Add the quinoa, stir, and then add the broth. Cover, bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the quinoa has unspiraled and the liquid is absorbed. Uncover and remove from the heat.
Meanwhile, heat a small pot over medium-low heat. Add the balsamic vinegar and simmer very gently until the liquid is reduced by half (don't stand over the pot or you'll get a nose full of vinegar). Remove from the heat.
Toss the arugula with a spoonful of good-quality olive oil. Add the quinoa and toss together (the arugula will wilt a bit from the warmth of the quinoa). Drizzle with balsamic reduction, sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste, toss once more, and serve.
Serves 2.
Labels:
arugula,
balsamic reduction,
green garlic,
quinoa,
red spring onions,
salad,
side dish
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Moonfish with Curry Leaves, Ginger, and Asparagus
Spring is here, and with it comes green garlic, red spring onions, asparagus, and memories of our trip to Maui. Throw those together in a pan over medium heat, and you get this.
Ingredients
Olive oil
1 tsp chopped red spring onion or shallot
1 tbsp chopped green garlic
1 bunch asparagus, sliced at an angle into 1 inch pieces
1/2 lb moonfish (opah)
8-10 fresh curry leaves
1 tbsp julienned fresh ginger (slice thinly, then slice crosswise)
Salt
1/4 cup coconut milk
Heat a pan over medium heat. When hot, add a glug of olive oil. Add the asparagus, onion, and a bit of the green garlic, and saute, stirring, for 2-3 minutes. Cover, turn down the heat, and let cook for 1-5 minutes longer (depending on how thick the stalks are) until al dente, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle with salt, then transfer into a bowl and set aside.
Add another glug of olive oil to the pan, and return the heat to medium. Press a few curry leaves onto
one side of the fish, and then flip leaf-side down into the pan. Press curry leaves onto the upward side of the fish as well, and sprinkle with a little salt. Cook until the bottom of the fish is golden brown, then flip, and cook the other side till golden brown as well.
Add a little more olive oil, the rest of the green garlic, curry leaves, and ginger to the side of the pan and saute, stirring, for about a minute or until the garlic softens but before it browns. Add the coconut milk and a splash of water, stir to combine with the garlic ginger mixture, and then add the asparagus back to the pan. Cover and cook over medium-low heat until the fish is almost but not quite cooked through, then immediately turn off the heat.
Serve over jungle rice. (The heat of the rice will finish cooking the fish on the way to the table).
Serves 2.
Ingredients
Olive oil
1 tsp chopped red spring onion or shallot
1 tbsp chopped green garlic
1 bunch asparagus, sliced at an angle into 1 inch pieces
1/2 lb moonfish (opah)
8-10 fresh curry leaves
1 tbsp julienned fresh ginger (slice thinly, then slice crosswise)
Salt
1/4 cup coconut milk
Heat a pan over medium heat. When hot, add a glug of olive oil. Add the asparagus, onion, and a bit of the green garlic, and saute, stirring, for 2-3 minutes. Cover, turn down the heat, and let cook for 1-5 minutes longer (depending on how thick the stalks are) until al dente, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle with salt, then transfer into a bowl and set aside.
Add another glug of olive oil to the pan, and return the heat to medium. Press a few curry leaves onto
one side of the fish, and then flip leaf-side down into the pan. Press curry leaves onto the upward side of the fish as well, and sprinkle with a little salt. Cook until the bottom of the fish is golden brown, then flip, and cook the other side till golden brown as well.
Add a little more olive oil, the rest of the green garlic, curry leaves, and ginger to the side of the pan and saute, stirring, for about a minute or until the garlic softens but before it browns. Add the coconut milk and a splash of water, stir to combine with the garlic ginger mixture, and then add the asparagus back to the pan. Cover and cook over medium-low heat until the fish is almost but not quite cooked through, then immediately turn off the heat.
Serve over jungle rice. (The heat of the rice will finish cooking the fish on the way to the table).
Serves 2.
Labels:
asparagus,
coconut milk,
curry leaves,
fish,
ginger,
green garlic,
Hawaii,
moonfish,
opah,
rice
Saturday, April 13, 2013
Jungle Rice
Pairs wonderfully with seared fish, sauteed bok choy, grilled garlic shrimp, avocado tossed with cilantro, ripe mango, and probably anything else you might find yourself cooking with Hawaiianesque ingredients (we named it "Jungle Rice" in honor of the little patch of Maui jungle in which we were staying when we first cooked it). And it's flexible—if you're missing something like pistachios, you can substitute cashews (or just leave the nuts out). If you don't have curry leaves or coconut milk, it will still turn out quite well (though make sure you add enough water to replace the liquid from the coconut milk). And you can make it with other kinds of rice as well (we just discovered that Madagascar pink rice is particularly delicious in this recipe...just make sure to adjust the water and cooking time for the type of rice you use).
Ingredients
Olive oil
1 shallot, chopped
4 fresh curry leaves
2 tbsp shelled pistachios (roasted is even better)
1 scant cup black Forbidden rice, rinsed and drained
1 cup water
1/4 cup coconut milk, plus a couple spoonfuls to drizzle over the top if desired
Heat a glug of olive oil in a smallish pot over medium heat. Add the shallot, curry leaves, and pistachios and saute, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes or until the shallot softens. Add the rice and saute for 1-2 minutes more. Stir in the water and coconut milk, cover, and bring to a simmer, then turn the heat down to low and simmer for 23 minutes or until the liquid is all absorbed and the rice is tender.
Serve hot, with a little coconut milk drizzled over the top.
Serves 2-3.
Labels:
avocado,
cilantro,
coconut milk,
curry leaves,
fish,
Hawaii,
mango,
pistachios,
rice,
shallot,
shrimp
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
Wordless Wednesday: Maui Edition
Labels:
avocado,
banana bread,
Hawaii,
mango,
Okinawa spinach,
papaya,
pineapple,
poke,
shrimp,
travel
Sunday, March 31, 2013
Braised Carrots with Cumin Seed and Lemon
Cumin seeds and lemon zest combine to make these carrots anything but ordinary.
Born to go with this, but heavenly on their own as well.
Ingredients
Olive oil
1 bunch carrots, sliced at an angle
Cumin seeds
Pinch salt
About 1/4 cup chicken or veggie broth
Pinch or three Meyer lemon zest
Heat a nonstick pan over medium heat. When hot, add a drizzle of olive oil. Add the cumin seeds and stir once, then add the carrots and stir to coat. Let cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring once (if they brown a bit, that's great).
Add a pinch or two of salt and a slosh of broth, cover, and let steam for 2-3 minutes more or until carrots are just tender. Uncover to let any excess liquid evaporate. Turn off the heat, sprinkle with a pinch or two of lemon zest (just enough to get a hint of lemon), and serve hot.
Serves 2-3.
Born to go with this, but heavenly on their own as well.
Olive oil
1 bunch carrots, sliced at an angle
Cumin seeds
Pinch salt
About 1/4 cup chicken or veggie broth
Pinch or three Meyer lemon zest
Heat a nonstick pan over medium heat. When hot, add a drizzle of olive oil. Add the cumin seeds and stir once, then add the carrots and stir to coat. Let cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring once (if they brown a bit, that's great).
Add a pinch or two of salt and a slosh of broth, cover, and let steam for 2-3 minutes more or until carrots are just tender. Uncover to let any excess liquid evaporate. Turn off the heat, sprinkle with a pinch or two of lemon zest (just enough to get a hint of lemon), and serve hot.
Serves 2-3.
Friday, March 22, 2013
Plants for Dessert: Strawberries and Limoncello
I have heard, through the grapevine, that certain readers have been clamoring for more desserts. Because I am, at heart, a selfless individual, I have virtuously set aside my dinner plate and subjected myself to rigorous taste-testing of the following recipe. Results so far are promising, and yet as a scientist, I must insist on 10-20 more trials before coming to any definite conclusions.
If you need me, I'll be over there in the corner with a bowl full of strawberries.
Ingredients
Fresh, fragrant strawberries, sliced crosswise into thirds or quarters
2-4 fresh mint leaves per person, chiffonade
1/2 shot limoncello per person
Bar of good-quality dark chocolate, for shaving
Toss the strawberries with the limoncello and mint. Spoon into serving bowls or glasses, and shave a little dark chocolate over the top using a microplane or carrot peeler.
Serves you and anyone you've decided you really, really love that day.
Ingredients
Fresh, fragrant strawberries, sliced crosswise into thirds or quarters
2-4 fresh mint leaves per person, chiffonade
1/2 shot limoncello per person
Bar of good-quality dark chocolate, for shaving
Toss the strawberries with the limoncello and mint. Spoon into serving bowls or glasses, and shave a little dark chocolate over the top using a microplane or carrot peeler.
Serves you and anyone you've decided you really, really love that day.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)