Meatless Mondays: Thing One & Thing Two

After a weekend
of meatish indulgence,
veggies were called for
in overabundance.


She chopped up some leaves
and defrosted some beans
and whipped up a dressing
quite worthy of queens.


"Tis a shock to my system"
her boyfriend exclaimed,
yet not one lettuce leaf
on his plate went unclaimed.


Despite her public distaste
for salads in general,
she realized she needed
some vitamins, minerals!


"Cilantro," she said,
"will just do the trick."
And indeed it transformed
the salad - and quick!


She boiled wheatberries
till soft to the tooth.
It took over an hour -
and that's the sad truth.

Every once in a while
you need a good cleanse
so you and your figure
can remain best of friends.


Enjoy these two salads
without any guilt.
For optimum health
they were specially built.


INGREDIENTS: WHEATBERRY & ASPARAGUS SALAD

1 cup wheatberries
olive oil
1 bunch thin asparagus, ends trimmed
1 medium shallot, chopped
1 small onion, diced
2 stalks green garlic, halved and thinly sliced
fresh thyme
fresh oregano
fresh rosemary
salt and pepper
red pepper flakes
~1/3 c. white wine
1/3 block of extra-firm tofu


INGREDIENTS: ASIAN BROCCOLINI SALAD & CILANTRO-TOFU DRESSING

a few handfuls mixed baby lettuces
1 T. sesame oil
2 finger peppers, thinly sliced, with all seeds
1 bunch broccolini, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 medium shallot, chopped
~1 cup frozen shelled edamame
salt and pepper
~1/2 c. roasted cashews
2 smallish carrots, peeled and thinly sliced into rounds

Dressing:

1/2 medium shallot, chopped
a few big dashes rice wine vinegar
juice of 1 lime
dollop creme fraiche (or sour cream, or yogurt)
1 bunch cilantro, ends trimmed
big squeeze honey
1/3 block tofu, crumbled
~1/3 c. water
salt and pepper

Spring Feast!

This Saturday, I made my first trip of the outdoor-market season to Green City Market. And aaaahhh, what a glorious trip it was!


I've literally been waiting months for this! And I couldn't be happier to get reacquainted with my most favorite Saturday activity. It was a fantastic weekend morning all around: an early bird market visit (8 AM) followed by Starbucks, a rhubarb muffin (from a local vendor), and the New York Times on a patio. A nice walk home finished the morning off perfectly.


And what's a girl with a bag full of produce to do with the rest of her day? Why, invite friends over for dinner - the perfect excuse to start cooking at 3 PM!


I wasn't entirely sure what I was going to make until crunch time. I picked up some nice lean lamb at Whole Foods, and, inspired by my Green City haul, I pretty much just winged the rest of it. There were a few recipes I'd been stashing away that made planning pretty much a no-brainer considering I'd picked up Spring's main stars: asparagus, green garlic, strawberries, and rhubarb.


A couple of bottles of red wine and some great company made Saturday night just as good as Saturday day. We really rung in Spring deliciously. Thanks to guests Taylor and Sarah (Fearless Cook loyalists)!
INGREDIENTS

Lamb

about 2 lbs. lean lamb roast (mine was in 2 pieces)
2 T. olive oil
salt and pepper
2-3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
fresh chopped rosemary, oregano, and thyme
~1 cup rich red wine, such as Malbec
fresh chopped parsley for garnish

Radish Relish
Check out this recipe: Radish Relish.

Asparagus & Potato Gratin

4 medium Russet potatoes, boiled whole until about 3/4 of the way cooked, unpeeled
1 bunch thin fresh asparagus, ends trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces on the bias
3 T. butter
2 stalks green garlic, halved and thinly sliced, white part only (or substitute 2 cloves garlic or 1 small leek)
2-3 T. flour
~1.5 c. milk
~1/2 c. white wine
salt and pepper
~1/2 lb. sharp white cheddar (leave a little for topping the gratin)
fresh chopped parsley for garnish

Biscuits

Check out Alton Brown's no-fail biscuit recipe here: You'll thank me later.

Rhubarb Compote

I got this recipe from Chow.com: Ridiculously easy.

Full dessert recipe ingredient list:

one batch Alton's biscuits, fresh from the oven
one recipe rhubarb compote, preferably warm (but mine was at room temp - the world continued to turn)
sliced fresh strawberries (don't skimp - get organic. Strawberries are one of the most pesticide-heavy fruits out there.)
a few dollops store-bought creme fraiche (or just substitute unsweetened whipped cream - you could also be extra-sinful and top them with vanilla ice cream)


STEP 1:

Make the radish relish, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Make biscuit dough, then wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to bake. (NOTE: I didn't have buttermilk, so I just used regular milk (1%) and it was fine. I also added about 1 and a 1/2 tablespoons sugar to the recipe since I was making them for dessert.)

STEP 2:

Boil the potatoes, then set aside. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and saute the green garlic for about a minute. When the butter has melted, whisk in the flour and cook for 2-3 minutes while whisking. Pour in the milk a little at time, whisking constantly, until the roux and milk are smooth and incorporated. Turn the heat up. Whisk in the wine. Add salt and pepper and bring the whole thing to a boil and cook for a few minutes to thicken. Add the cheese in two to three batches, whisking until it's melted and the whole thing is a smooth, fragrant, cheesy delight. Taste and adjust seasonings (make sure you don't skimp on salt - this will be the seasoning for the entire dish).

STEP 3:

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375. Slice the potatoes thinly (about 1/8" thick). Put a ladleful of the cheesy bechamel sauce into the bottom of a casserole dish. Place a single layer of potato slices on the bottom, then scatter half the asparagus pieces on top. Top with a couple ladlefuls of the bechamel. Repeat that process again. Place a final layer of potato slices on top, top with a little more bechamel, and sprinkle a light layer of cheese on top. Bake for about 30-45 minutes, until top is browned in places and edges are bubbly. Set aside and cover with a kitchen towel. Reheat in the oven about 10 minutes before serving.

STEP 4:

Reduce oven heat to 325. In a Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Liberally season the lamb with salt and pepper. Brown on both sides. Remove meat from pot and set aside. Turn off stove heat and pour in wine, scraping the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Return the lamb to the pot and add garlic and herbs. Cover and roast for about 45 minutes to an hour, until lamb is medium (I overcooked my lamb, so just remember to check it and take it out of the oven before you think it's done. If it's underdone after resting for about 20 minutes, you can always stick it back in).

STEP 5:

When lamb is done, remove from its cooking liquid and slice thinly. Return to cooking liquid and cover until ready to serve. Place on a serving platter, ladle some cooking liquid on top, top with fresh chopped parsley and a few spoonfuls of radish relish. Serve with the hot gratin. Enjoy!

STEP 6:

Preheat oven to 350. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface until it's about 3/4" thick. Using a biscuit or cookie cutter (or glass, which is what I used), cut the dough into rounds and place on a baking sheet lightly coated with nonstick cooking spray. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until biscuits rise and become golden-brown on top. Use a fork to pry them in half and top with a few spoonfuls of rhubarb compote. Top with sliced strawberries and a dollop of creme fraiche. Serve while biscuits are still warm. Enjoy!

Eat well and enjoy life, friends! More soon...

Karyn's Green Zebra

I don't usually give my dishes creative names, only because I think that when you see my newest post online (or in your Facebook newsfeed), you should instantaneously be able to know if you'd like to make it, based on the ingredients.


This, however, I couldn't resist. This past weekend was nothing but work, work, work for me, but I did have one night of respite - and what respite it was. I had dinner with my friend Colleen at Green Zebra, an amazing upscale restaurant (thank you, Groupon!). Green Zebra also happens to be a vegetarian restaurant. I had heard such amazing things about it - from veggies and non-veggies alike - that I couldn't wait to go.


Green Zebra did not disappoint. In fact, it was one of the best meals I've had in Chicago. From a sublime cauliflower pot de creme to a truly transcendent duck egg on potato puree, it was an incredible meal from the first bite to the last. I can't wait to go back.


I also recently experienced local vegan haunt Karyn's Cooked, which was - much to my surprise - delicious! Not that I can't imagine vegan food being good...I guess I just didn't expect it to be that good. I had brunch with my friend Sarah, and I'd love to go back for lunch or dinner. Hence, I named this dish after my two recent inspiring vegetarian meals. Karyn's Green Zebra (or asparagus and carrots with cilantro chutney and marinated tofu) is easy, healthy, and was completely unplanned. It was borne of pure hunger and a desire to use the last of my fresh veggies before they wilted in the fridge.

If I made this again, I'd roast the veggies a bit longer, as they were a bit crisp, but if you prefer a more raw, salad-like texture, you could cook them as little as you like. The quick-marinating of the tofu really added a nice texture and flavor to it - this is a technique I am definitely going to revisit with varying ingredients in the future.

After a weekend full of work and several late nights, I'm exhausted and going to cut this short, but to my Chicago followers, let me know if you head to Green Zebra or Karyn's. Better yet, take me with you!

INGREDIENTS

1 bunch thin-stemmed asparagus, washed and trimmed or tough ends, and cut in half
1 bunch true baby carrots (the kind with green tops attached), peeled and halved
2 finger peppers, sliced, with all seeds
3 T. olive oil, divided
1/4 block extra-firm tofu, cut into thirds and pressed dry of excess moisture
soy sauce
rice vinegar
Sriracha
1/4 c. roasted salted cashews
2 medium onions, halved and sliced thinly
salt and pepper
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, leaves and stems
juice of one lime
juice of one lemon
olive oil
salt
water
squeeze of honey

STEP 1:

Preheat the oven to 400. In a shallow baking dish, toss the carrots, asparagus, and finger pepper slices in about 1 T. olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast until desired donesness (I cooked mine for about 20 minutes). You could cook it more, but I wouldn't recommend cooking it less.

STEP 2:

Meanwhile, heat another 1 T. olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook the tofu in the oil until golden brown on one side. Flip and cook until golden brown on the other side. In a shallow bowl wide enough to hold the three tofu pieces, mix a few dashes soy sauce, a few dashe rice vingegar, and a squeeze of Sriracha. When the tofu is done, take it out of the pan (leave the oil in the pan) and place it in the soy sauce mixture. Let it soak until you're ready to seve the dish, flipping it occasionally. Nestle the cashews alongside the tofu, in the liquid.

STEP 3:

Add another T. of olive oil to the pan. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add the onions and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until caramelized. Set aside.

STEP 4:

Meanwhile, put the rest of the ingredients listed (starting with the cilantro) into a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings. Set aside. Remove the asparagus and carrots from the oven. Pile on a plate, top with some onions, lay the pieces of tofu on top, and top with a little of the tofu marinating liquid and the cilantro sauce. Scatter some cashews around the plate. Serve and enjoy!

Eat well and enjoy life, friends! More soon...

Anthony Bourdain and Basil-Oil & Asparagus Pizza

J'taime Tony! Ever since I read Kitchen Confidential a couple years ago, just about the time my love for all things culinary was really starting to blossom, I have had a growing obsession with Anthony Bourdain, the former chef-turned-travel-host and star of the Travel Channel's fantastic No Reservations.


If you haven't seen No Reservations, it's basically a raw, documentary-style travel show focused on Bourdain's travels around the world - Istanbul, Saudia Arabia, Singapore, you name it. It's wickedly well-written (by Bourdain himself) and compulsively watchable.

For lovers of the show (and all things Tony), seeing Anthony Bourdain on stage is a dream come true. He basically talks for about an hour, an hour and a half - very much in the style of his show, although sans bleeping - and then takes questions from the audience for another hour. He tells behind-the-scenes stories, but he also pontificates (hilariously) on everything from how not to piss off your host to why he thinks vegetarians are a-holes.


Perhaps most famously, he slaughters the Food Network and almost everyone on it (he is well-known for past diatribes against Rachael Ray, although he's left those jokes in the past since she sent him a fruit basket). He actually respects Ina Garten, Bobby Flay, Emeril, and Mario Batali (also one of his close personal friends) - but Sandra Lee: watch out. Tony no like. (And it seemed as though the audience couldn't agree more - we erupted in applause when he told tales of her "pure evilness." Actual quote: "Sandra Lee does to food what Hitler did to Poland." Cue audience hysterics.)


The thing I love about Anthony Bourdain is his deep respect for the sheer diversity of world cultures and the people who live, eat, and breathe those cultures every day. He urged us all to "be grateful, and try our best to be polite" as we explore all the world has to offer. That's a philosophy I can most definitely get behind.

Before I left for the show, I whipped up a sauceless pizza that captured one of Spring's best treats: asparagus. I dedicate a slice to the inimitable Anthony Bourdain. Cheers, Tony!


INGREDIENTS

1 recipe hand-method pizza dough (or store-bought)
a few spoonfuls basil oil (recipe follows)
torn fresh basil leaves
small fresh mozzarella balls, halved
several asparagus spears, just the fluffy ends (reserve the rest for another use)
grape tomatoes, halved
freshly grated Parmesan
salt and pepper
red pepper flakes

Basil Oil:
~1/2 cup olive oil
~a dozen basil leaves, torn

STEP 1:

Bring your pizza dough to room temperature and preheat your oven to 500 degrees. Make the basil oil: in a small saucepan, combine the olive oil and basil leaves over medium0low heat and cook until the basil looks fried. Strain the oil into a jar and discard the basil.

STEP 2:

Roll out the pizza dough. Sprinkle your baking stone or pan with a little coarse cornmeal (to prevent sticking). Place the dough on the cooking pan. Spread a little basil oil over the dough's entire surface. Place the torn fresh basil leaves around randomly (as much or as little as you like - I used about 3 large basil leaves total).

STEP 3:

Spread the asparagus ends, tomato halves, and mozzarella ball halves randomly around the pizza in a single layer. Grate Parmesan cheese over the top. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Drizzle a little more basil oil over the top. Bake at 500 until the edges are browning and the cheese is browned in places. Cut into pieces, serve, and enjoy!

Spring Farmer's Market Orzo

Well, my hope was to start making this little blog a little more interesting by making the dishes relevant to something in my life: a book I'm reading, for instance.


I have embarked on a personal journey to read "the classics" (no real parameters there - in fact, I'm taking suggestions), which should take me, oh, the rest of my life. Having just started Charlotte Bronte's Villette, I can't tell you with any certainty that this orzo dish has nothing to do with 1850's England, but my instinct is that Charlotte Bronte's characters have never heard of orzo.

Nevertheless, I still had an entire untouched bunch of asparagus from my farmer's market trip, and I wanted to use it. I had also bought some orzo awhile back which I was excited to use, as I haven't made orzo at home a lot.

This is a really simple dish that could be modified to fit whatever you need to use up in your fridge - the orzo makes a great base for a variety of veggies. This would be a great side dish to baked chicken or a pork chop - you could even throw some lemon-marinated shrimp on top. It would be great with black olives and feta, or with fresh mozzarella, grape tomatoes, and basil.


SPRING FARMER'S MARKET ORZO

INGREDIENTS

6-7 asparagus stalks, ends trimmed, cut into smallish pieces
1 large bunch Spring mix salad greens, slightly chopped if leaves are large
5-6 sun-dried tomatoes, oil-packed, excess oil drained, chopped
1 1/2 T. capers
1 c. dry orzo
juice of one lemon
salt and pepper
red pepper flakes

STEP ONE:

Roast or par-boil the asparagus until tender. Set aside.

STEP TWO:

Cook orzo in boiling water, reserving 1/2 c. cooking liquid. Cook until slightly less than al dente, then drain. Return to pot with the reserved cooking liquid.

STEP THREE:

Stir the Spring mix leaves into the orzo and cook, stirring, until the pasta is al dente and the leaves are wilted. Stir in the rest of the ingredients. Serve and enjoy!

Perhaps I should start reading Italian literature, as I seem to make some variation of pasta about 4 times a week...then again, maybe not.

I'll let you all know how my pursuit of the classics is going. Thanks for reading! More soon...

Asparagus & Goat Cheese Pizza

Yes, another pizza post! These seem to be quite popular. I actually like making pizza so much that, now that I'm unemployed, I've been fantasizing about opening my own pizza shop (in another country, mind you, where the pizza competition is less fierce).

I can see it now: Eli's Organic Thin Crust...the neon sign would be silhouetted against a tropical setting sun, palm trees swaying, reggae and the sound of waves wafting on the breeze...it could happen!


I made great strides in my homemade dough today by using the bread flour I bought (King Arthur brand, btw) - a tip I picked up on the interwebs. I also used a different brand of dry active yeast (Hodgson Mill) that boasts "25% more yeast per pack for higher rises!" Higher rises, indeed! My normal pizza dough recipe that yields two smallish (6-piece) pizzas, made two less-puny pies this time - the one I made gave way to 9 adult-sized slices!

The bread flour definitely makes kneading a bit more difficult - the dough is much stickier overall - but I think the end result is worth it. The crust was crisper on the outside and chewier on the inside - mmmmmm....

I was having trouble deciding what to top the pizza with until I remembered the fresh Michigan asparagus I got at the farmer's market. I figured that goat cheese and sun-dried tomatoes would make fast friends with the asparagus, and I was right!

My dear friend Kelly came over - bottle of Two-Buck Chuck in tow - and we devoured 7/9 of this delicious pizza.

ASPARAGUS & GOAT CHEESE PIZZA

INGREDIENTS

DOUGH:

2 1/2 - 3 c. bread flour
1 1/2 T. olive oil
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 T. honey
1 package active dry yeast
1 c. warm water (110 degrees)
more flour for kneading
olive oil for rubbing

SAUCE:

1 large can crushed tomatoes
2 T. tomato paste
blend of dry Italian herbs, plus salt and pepper and red pepper flakes*

*I keep an herb blend around, pre-mixed, for just this purpose - I make a lot of pizzas. I just used an old empty herb shaker bottle and mixed dried oregano, thyme, parsley, and red pepper flakes in what seems to be a logical ratio. Works like a charm.

TOPPINGS:

1 small log goat cheese
1 bunch fresh asparagus, ends trimmed off, cut into pieces
fresh parmesan cheese, for grating
1/2 small jar oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes*
olive oil for brushing
cornmeal for sprinkling

*I don't care what anyone says, I HATE dry sun-dried tomatoes. The oil-packed ones taste a thousand times better.

STEP ONE:

Make the dough according to these directions (I added the honey as my own personal touch - take it or leave it). NOTE: I find the dough much easier to roll out and work with after it's rested in the fridge for a few hours, so I always try to make it 5-6 hours ahead of time, or the night before. I just wrap it tightly in plastic wrap.

STEP TWO:

Make the sauce: combine all ingredients and heat over medium-high heat; let cook until slightly thickened.

STEP THREE:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Roll out dough to desired thinness on a lightly floured work surface. Brush a pizza stone or baking sheet with olive oil. Sprinkle cornmeal lightly all over. Place the pizza dough on the baking surface. Brush the dough with a little olive oil all over.

STEP FOUR:

Spread some sauce on the pizza dough, then top with desired toppings. Grate some fresh parmesan over the top of it all. Bake at 400 until edges are brown and crisp. Slice with a pizza slicer. Enjoy!



Wow, who knew asparagus would make such a great pizza topping (OK, I sort of stole the idea from La Madia - so sue me)?!? It didn't need a thing - it was perfect going from raw to just roasting on top of the pizza. The goat cheese was great, as could be expected (I can't tell you how crazy I am about goat cheese - it makes me want to just hug every goat I see*).

*I never see goats.

And red wine with pizza with one of my favorite people on the planet...this exact combination of things is one of the top three best things in life, hands down. And I don't have to go to work tomorrow! And it's going to be a high of 70 - and sunny!


Ain't life grand?

Thanks for reading! More soon...