Month: September 2018

I looked at a number of recipes for an Indian style curry using sweet potatoes and spinach.  Most either used a lot of fat (I was hoping for a light, vegetarian or vegan dish) or had a Thai spin (good, but not what I was craving). Drawing a little from this one and a little from that, I put together this quick and pretty healthy version.  It is terrific served over basmati (or even jasmine) rice.

INGREDIENTS:

1 large onion

2 T. of canola or vegetable oil (olive oil can be used but adds its own flavor)

pinch of sugar

salt and pepper

2 cloves of garlic, very finely chopped

1/2 knob of fresh ginger, finely minced or grated

2 T of garam masala (mild curry powder)

1 T of vindaloo seasoning (hot curry powder)

1/2 T of cumin

1/2 t. crushed red pepper (or more to taste)

2 medium sweet potatoes

1  15 oz. can of chickpeas, preferable no salt added (if not, rinse very well)

1 bag or plastic container (not family-size) of baby spinach

1/2  or so of 15 oz. can of crushed tomatoes

PREPARATION:

1. Peel and cut the sweet potatoes into cubes of about 1 inch.
2. Place into a steamer and cook just until barely tender. Set aside.
3. Wash the spinach and remove any long stems from the leaves.
4. Place 2 t. of oil in a large sauté or fry pan with a cover and heat over medium low heat.
5. Add the spinach (it is fine if there are still drops of water clinging to the leaves) and cover.  Steam the spinach until just wilted.  Remove from pan and cool.
6. Thoroughly drain the chickpeas and set aside.
7. Slice the onion very thinly.
8. Place remaining 1+ T. of oil in a fry pan over low heat, add the sliced onions and cover until the onion is wilted.
9. Remove the cover, increase the heat to medium-high and add a pinch of big pinch of salt and a big pinch of sugar and stir.  Watch the onion, stirring often, until it is just beginning to caramelize.
10. Lower the heat to medium and add the minced garlic and ginger to the onion, and the garam masala, vindaloo, cumin, and red pepper flakes. Stir to thoroughly combine all ingredients and sauté for a minute or two until the mixture is very fragrant.  Turn off the heat.
11. Squeeze the cooled spinach in your hands over a sink to extract as much excess water as possible.  Place the clumped spinach on a plate or cutting board and use two forks to tease it apart.
12. Add the sweet potatoes, chick peas, and the half can of crushed tomatoes to the onion and spice mixture and gently stir to combine, then add the spinach last and warm over low heat just until hot.  Check seasonings and add more salt, pepper, garam or vindaloo if needed.

 

 

 

 

 

This is a great side dish when figs are in abundance. For us, that is in late summer and early fall.  You can use any type of cauliflower (white, orange, etc., but don’t substitute broccoli because it will get mushy)

Serves 2-3

INGREDIENTS:

2- 3 T. good quality olive oil

1 small to medium head of cauliflower

6 (or more if you choose) ripe figs

3 – 4 T. grated parmesan

2 – 3 scallions

2 T. capers

1/2 lemon or fresh lemon juice

salt and pepper

PREPARATION:

1. Remove outer leaves from cauliflower and separate the head into large florets with up to 2 inches of the stem attached (see picture above).

2.  Gently wash the figs and cut off the stem end.  Slice the figs in half from stem to bottom and set aside.  Thinly slice the scallions and set aside.

3. Wash and gently (but pretty thoroughly) dry the florets and place them on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil (and which is large enough to later accommodate the figs, as well). Toss with 1 – 2 T. of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

4. Preheat the oven to 450°F, using the convection setting if you have it.  When hot, add the cauliflower and cook for 10 minutes or until the tops begin to have brown spots and the underside is nicely golden brown.

4. Remove the cauliflower from the oven and carefully turn the florets making room to add the figs.

5.  Using tongs, place the figs cut side up on the pan with the cauliflower, and sprinkle both with the parmesan, keeping as much on the cauliflower and figs as possible.

6.  Return to the oven for 3-5 minutes until the figs are hot and beginning to sag a bit and the cauliflower is nicely browned.

7.  Meanwhile, heat just under  1 T. of olive oil in a small fry pan over medium heat. Drain the capers on a paper towel (the drier they are the less they will splatter when fried). Fry the capers for 1 – 2 minutes until they begin to crisp.

8.  Place the cauliflower and figs on a platter and scatter the fried capers and scallions over them. Top with a grinding of black pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice.

There is nothing more delicious than perfectly velvety essence of corn, which is exactly what this sauce for pasta delivers. Adapted from a Melissa Clark offering in the NY Times, it is a perfect dish for late summer.

Makes 5-6 servings

INGREDIENTS:

6 ears of corn (very fresh–the best way to tell is to feel the tassels at the end, if they have dried out the corn is getting old), taken off the cob.

2 shallots, very finely chopped

1 T of olive oil

1 T of butter (can substitute 1 T. of olive oil, if vegan or out of butter)

hot sauce (whatever brand you like)

Salt and pepper

1 cup of water (or, if you prefer, chicken stock)

1 to 1 1/2 lbs. of small to medium shaped pasta (penne regatta, orechiette, farfelle, etc.)

fresh basil leaves for garnish (you can substitute fried sage leaves as autumn is approaching)

grated parmesan for serving (optional)

PREPARATION:

1.  Heat the 1 T of olive oil in a large skillet (that has a lid) or similar wide somewhat deep pan with lid over medium low heat.
2. Add the shallots and saute until quite soft, stirring often (3-5 minutes).
3. Add 3/4 or a  bit more of the corn to the pan along with 2/3 cup of the water (or stock) and a generous pinch of salt.
4. Increase the heat to medium and cover.  The corn will cook very quickly and so you should check and stir every minute or two until the corn is just tender. Remove from the heat.
5. Place the corn/shallot mixture, along with some of the pan liquid into a blender.  You will need to do this in batches. Remove the clear cap on the lid of the blender and instead hold a folded up paper towel over the hole as you work (so the lid doesn’t blow off from the heat).
6. Puree the mixture on your blender’s highest setting for several minutes–turning the blender off periodically so you don’t overheat the motor. Test the puree to make sure it is really smooth–this will take longer to accomplish than you think.
7. Put each batch of pureed corn into pan that can be reused for reheating when ready to serve.
8. Taste the puree to check for thickness.  It should be thick enough to coat the pasta but not so think it seems like grits. If it is too thick, add more of the remaining liquid.  (An alternative is to add a small amount of the pasta cooking water just before you serve.)
9. Add salt, if needed and a few shakes of a few shakes of hot sauce and stir to mix.
10. When all the cooked corn has been pureed, wipe out the pan and add the T of butter, and melt over low heat. Add the remaining corn kernels and saute until they are cooked (2-3 minutes). If you want them to look a bit charred, turn up the heat to high briefly at the very end, but watch carefully as they brown quickly.
11. Add the corn kernels to the sauce.
12. When ready to serve, heat a large pot of salted water to cook the pasta, according to the package directions.
13. When done, place the pasta in a large bowl and top with the sauce, mixing thoroughly.
14. Thinly slice the basil by rolling it up like a cigar and cutting crosswise, and sprinkle over the pasta.
15. Finish with a generous grinding of black pepper and parmesan (if you wish).