meinyourkitchen

June 1, 2011 Cucumber, Lime and Mint Soup w. Fresh Chilli

Well, spring is starting to look and smell a lot like summer here in Brooklyn. Local produce is starting look and taste great and I’ve been spending a lot of time outside in the backyard grilling whatever I can get my hands on. I will post some grilling recipes and photos shortly. But in the meantime, let’s talk about summer soups. While many of us associate soups with colder weather, summer soups are as refreshing as winter soups are warming. A favorite of mine is cucumber soup. Last summer, when I was working in the kitchen of a catering company, I made about 50 gallons of the stuff a week. The recipe I’m posting today resembles that soup only in that it has cucumbers in it. My version is vegan (though it certainly doesn’t have to be), tangy and beautifully spicy. The traditional recipe calls for yogurt, I used the old trusty cashew cream in it’s place. If you prefer yogurt, be my guest. I would recommend a looser, thinner yogurt as opposed to the thicker Greek style yogurts which have most of the liquid removed. I bought some amazing pickles at the Farmer’s Market recently, made by a company called “Divine Brine”, and in an effort to boost the tang and spice factor of the soup, I chopped up one of their delicious “Devilish Dills” and added it to the recipe. I’m glad I did.

A quick note on using fresh chilli peppers. I really like my food spicy so I used the entire pepper. If you like a milder flavor, then I would suggest removing the seeds from whatever peppers you’re using. And be sure to wash your hands after working with any chilli pepper. Especially Anthony Kiedis. Who knows where that guy’s been?

This soup couldn’t be easier to prepare. All of the ingredients are pureed in a blender until really smooth and then strained into a bowl and chilled for a couple of hours. Voila – Cucumber Soup. You can really get as creative as you want with the recipe – just make sure you use ingredients that are white and/or green to preserve the color.

Recipe below:

Cucumber, Lime and Mint Soup w. Fresh Chilli
Yields 2 servings

Ingredients

2 Cucumbers (I used English, but whatever you have on hand is fine as long as they have seeds), peeled and roughly chopped
1 Pickled Cucumber, roughly chopped
1 Scallion, roughly chopped
1 fresh Chill (I used a Thai Bird, but again, whatever you have in the fridge), finely chopped.
1 Garlic clove, finely chopped
1 Tablespoon of fresh Mint Leaves, roughly chopped
Juice and zest of one Lime (reserve the zest for garnish)
1 Tablespoon of Pickle Brine
3/4 Cup of Cashew Cream (recipe below)
Course Sea Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
Whole Mint leaves for garnish
1 Cup of fresh, cold water to thin out soup if necessary

Procedure

Put all of the ingredients into a blender and puree until very smooth.
Add water if soup is too thick.
Strain through a sieve or chinois and chill in a refrigerator for a couple of hours (or overnight).
Serve cold and garnish with fresh mint leaves and lime zest.

Cashew Cream
Yields 2 cups

Ingredients

1 cup raw cashews, soaked in cold water for a few hours (in a pinch, you can soak them for a few minutes in very hot water).
1 cup of fresh, cold water
Pinch of sea salt

Procedure

Rinse and strain cashews and place into a blender.
With the blender on, add water slowly until it forms a creamy texture. You’re looking for the consistency of heavy cream.
Season with salt.
Line a strainer with two layers of cheese cloth.
Pour the mixture into the lined strainer, tie the cheesecloth together, and squeeze through the strainer into a bowl. You will be left with a smooth “cream”, free of any graininess.

Tags: Cucumber Soup, Spicy, Summer Soups, Vegan, Vegan Soups, Vegetarian, Vegetarian Soups

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Posted under Soups

April 26, 2011 Truffled Potato, Celery Root & Chanterelle Gratin w. Chard

I adapted this recipe from Heidi Swanson, who adapted it from a Millennium Restaurant recipe. While I loved the structure, flavor and visual appeal of her recipe, I felt it needed some greens for color and added nutritional kick and I thought the techniques as written weren’t totally maximizing the flavors of all of the various ingredients. So rather than cooking everything together before baking in the oven, I am recommending sauteing everything separately before bringing them together with the cream (cashew) and spices and then ultimately baking it in the oven. It means a little extra work, but having prepared this both ways, I can tell you the results are worth the effort.

Let there be no mistake, this is a show stopping dish. Make this for your friends and/or family, like TONIGHT. The fact that it’s dairy free is almost besides the point. Nobody will even know if you don’t tell them. I made this for five carnivorous, cheese and cream loving freaks who never knew that the dish was made without any cream or cheese. That being said, grating some fresh Parmigiano on top does add a delicious nuttiness (and a touch of saltiness), but it absolutely isn’t necessary. This is a rich, creamy, indulgent dish. Comfort food with a hint of sophistication.

A quick note on how to make breadcrumbs. I find the best thing to do is whenever you get to the end of a loaf of bread, set the pieces aside (in a bag, in the freezer, wherever) and when you’ve got a pretty good collection, turn them into breadcrumbs. I like to put them in the oven on a very low temperature (100F or so) and let them toast up a bit. Then, simply put the bread into a food processor and season however you see fit. Parsley, oregano and thyme with a pinch of salt and pepper work perfectly for this dish. But you can also leave them plain (just a touch of salt) and toss them with whatever seasoning you want.

Truffled Potato, Celery Root & Chanterelle Gratin w. Chard
Yields 4-6

Ingredients

2 cups peeled, sliced celery root (one medium celery root will suffice), sliced into thin rounds
2 cups sliced Yukon Gold potatoes (about two medium potatoes), sliced into thin rounds
4-6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
2 cups sliced leeks (1 large leek), white section only
1/2 tablespoon garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, picked and minced
1 cup gold chanterelle mushrooms, cleaned and sliced (if you can’t find chanterelles, or don’t want to spend the $$$, you can substitute with any kind of mushrooms)
1 bunch chard (or any bitter green), stems removed and sliced very finely
2 cups vegetable stock
1 1/2 cups cashew cream (see recipe below)
1 cup homemade bread crumbs
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon truffle oil (white or black – I like white)
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano cheese (optional)
Sea Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Procedure

Pre-heat the oven to 375F
Blanch the celery root and potatoes in a large pot of salted water until al-dente, about 3 to 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.
In a medium saute pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the leeks and garlic. Sweat until soft.
Add the mushrooms allowing them to caramelize before seasoning. Then add a pinch of salt and fresh ground black pepper and stir well. Remove from pan and set aside.
In the same pan, add a teaspoon of oil and a bit of garlic and saute the chard until it softens and turns a deep green.
Now, pour a tablespoon or so of olive oil into a heavy bottomed pan, add the blanched celery root and potatoes and stir gently. You want to get a little bit of color so don’t fuss with it too much.
Next add the leeks, garlic, mushrooms and chard incorporating everything together.
Add the cashew cream, stock, nutmeg and thyme and simmer for about ten minutes (until the liquid has reduced slightly and thickened).
Transfer the vegetables and cream mixture to an oiled gratin pan or casserole dish. Bake in a 375F oven until the celery root and potatoes are soft and creamy (about 20 to 30 minutes).
Remove from the oven. Sprinkle evenly with the bread crumbs, parsley, and truffle oil just before serving. As noted in the intro, you can add a 1/4 cup of grated Parmigiano cheese as well.
ENJOY

Cashew Cream
Yields 2 cups

Ingredients

1 cup raw cashews, soaked in cold water for a few hours (in a pinch, you can soak them for a few minutes in very hot water).
1 cup of fresh, cold water
Pinch of sea salt

Procedure

Rinse and strain cashews and place into a blender.
With the blender on, add water slowly until it forms a creamy texture. You’re looking for the consistency of heavy cream.
Season with salt.
Line a strainer with two layers of cheese cloth.
Pour the mixture into the lined strainer, tie the cheesecloth together, and squeeze through the strainer into a bowl. You will be left with a smooth “cream”, free of any graininess.

Tags: 101cookbooks, Breadcrumbs, cashew cream, Celery Root, Chanterelle mushrooms, Chard, Gratin, Heidi Swanson, Millennium Restaurant, Potatoes, Truffle Oil, Vegan Entrees, Vegetarian Entrees

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Posted under Entrees, Gratin, Vegan, Vegetarian

April 23, 2011 Pan Seared Tofu w. Roasted Vegetables, Sauteed Kale, Farro & Lemon Garlic Sauce

Sometimes, you come home from work, you open your fridge and while there may in fact be a bevy of ingredients staring back at you, nothing seems to be saying, “hey you, cook me”. It was on one such an evening that I put this dish together. Tofu, has come to symbolize everything that people who aren’t vegan or vegetarian despise about the plant based diet. Is it mystery un-meat? Does it grow on the bottom of old sneakers? Must it always be followed by, “and steamed brown rice”? Well, to answer all of your questions as succinctly as I can, 1) no, 2) no and 3) NO. In many Asian cultures, Tofu is not seen as a meat replacement at all. It is a vegetable protein that has been made in the same traditional way for centuries (this guy knows what I’m talking about). You will often find it on menus along side meat, as well as in its place. Regardless, I have found that it tastes best when it is seasoned properly and is allowed to really take on the flavors of whatever it is you are pairing it with. In and of itself, it’s bland. But hey – so is chicken. And while good tofu doesn’t “taste like chicken”, it does taste good when treated right.

Roasted vegetables are a staple round these parts from November-May. We just can’t get enough. Once the weather gets warmer the roasted veg becomes grilled veg and the fun just continues all year long. Yay Vegetables. Side note – I really hate those Hillshire Farms “GO MEAT” commercials. Not because I don’t eat meat, but mainly because I don’t understand what’s going on in the commercial. Did these people just wake up? What’s GOING ON IN THERE???

A quick note about the sauce. It involves making a slurry, a classic technique employed to thicken sauces (among other things). Making a slurry is really simple. Just mix equal parts kuzu or cornstarch and water, stirring together to form a runny, but slightly viscous mixture. You will then whisk this into the sauce and simmer it until the sauce reaches the desired consistency. Kuzu is the root of a vegetable native to China and Japan as well as the southern US. It looks and feels like chalk, so you will first need to grind or crush it into a powder (I usually do this with a mortar and pestal – it takes about 5 seconds…). Kuzu can be used in place of cornstarch which is highly processed and treated with chemical bleaches and toxic extracting agents.

Pan Seared Tofu w. Roasted Vegetables, Sauteed Kale, Farro & Lemon Garlic Sauce
Serves 2

Ingredients

For The Vegetables
2 Yukon Gold Potatoes, medium dice
2 Parsnips, roll cut (cut on a diagonal)
2 medium Carrot, roll cut (cut on a diagonal)
8 medium Brussels Sprouts, quartered
2 Garlic Cloves
Sprigs of fresh Thyme and Rosemary
2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 Tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar
2-3 Good pinches of sea salt
Fresh ground black pepper to taste

For the Farro
1 cup Farro
2 cups vegetable stock (or water)
1 bay leaf (2 if you’re using fresh)
1-2 good pinches of sea salt
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

For the Tofu
8oz Firm or Extra Firm Tofu – rinsed, dried, drained of its liquid (wrap in paper towel and then place a heavy object on top for 20-30 mins) and cut into triangles
3-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

For the Sauce
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 cup vegetable stock
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon of lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 sprig of fresh thyme, minced
1 tablespoon of kuzu or cornstarch dissolved in equal amount of water
Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

For the Kale
1 bunch Kale, stems removed, chopped into medium sized pieces
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon fresh chili
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup of water

1 tablespoon of fresh chives for garnish

Procedure

Pre-heat oven to 400F.
Place an oven-proof roasting pan in the oven with a teaspoon or so of olive oil.
In a medium bowl, toss vegetables with oil, vinegar, salt, pepper and herbs.
Remove the roasting pan from oven, fill with vegetables, put back in the oven and roast for 30-40 minutes.
Add oil to a small sauce pan, fill with farro and stir until completely covered.
Add stock, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and cover, simmering until liquid has mostly evaporated but grains still have some firmness.
In a medium sauce pan, add oil and garlic. Sweat until fragrant. Then add lemon zest and juice, cooking briefly.
Add stock, herbs, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and reduce until 1/2-3/4 of the liquid has evaporated.
Strain liquid into a bowl, put back in pot, bring back to a boil, reduce heat and slowly whisk in kuzu/cornstarch slurry. Stirring constantly for a minute or so until sauce has thickened. Cover and set aside.
Meanwhile, in a medium saute pan, add oil over medium-high heat until it starts to shimmer.
Add tofu to pan, searing first side for 5-7 minutes or until golden brown.
Turn tofu over searing the other side. Remove from pan and place on paper towel (to remove excess oil) and season well with salt and pepper.
In the same pan, add a little more oil, the garlic and chili. Saute briefly and add kale. Add a little water to help the cooking process. Season with salt and pepper.
Plate, garnish with fresh chives and serve (refer to photo for plating suggestion).
ENJOY.

Tags: Bitter Greens, Brooklyn Chef, Farro, Kuzu, Roasted Vegetables, Tofu, Vegan Entrees, Vegetarian, Vegetarian Entrees

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Posted under Entrees, Tofu, Vegan, Vegetarian

April 19, 2011 Pistacho Honey Cake – Two Ways

I tried a little experiment this past weekend. I had some family coming to visit and wanted to bake them a cake. I decided on a cake I had made a couple of times over the last few weeks (a Jamie Oliver recipe in fact) , once for a client – which I didn’t get to eat (much to my chagrin), and once for a friend’s birthday, which I made sure I ate at least half of. I knew the recipe worked well and that the cake was in fact, delicious. But I also knew that my vegan wife would not be able to partake in the celebration. So I reached out to baking expert extraordinaire (and a former instructor of mine at the Natural Gourmet Institute), Elliott Prag and asked his opinion on how best to vegan-ify it. What I love about the recipe is that it is composed of relatively healthy ingredients. Don’t get me wrong, this is not health food. But, the cake itself is made from unbleached all-purpose flour, corn meal, caster sugar, baking powder, ground almonds, salt, Greek yogurt, eggs, lemon and orange zest and olive oil. The eggs and yogurt obviously being a no-go for a vegan. Elliott suggested a very thick cashew cream in place of the yogurt and a combination of arrow-root and water to replace the eggs.

So I spent the better part of Sunday morning making the two recipes side by side. I had decided on making a half recipe, as the original recipe makes an insane amount of cake. What I found surprised me. The half recipe of the original cake was half as good as the vegan version. It’s not that it was bad – it just didn’t really translate when cut in half. That’s not to say that it couldn’t work. I’m sure if I played around with it a bit, I could get the balance right. But I found that the cake tasted much like cornbread with a delicious, sweet, pistachio, honey, citrus spiked topping. Not a bad thing. But not the light and fluffy cake I had so effortlessly stuffed my cake hole with at Natalie’s birthday party (“Happy birthday Natalie. I baked you a cake. Now I will saddle up to the bar so I can guard the cake and while your back is turned, eat half of it…). The vegan* version however, was light, lemony and delicious. Below I will give you two recipes; the Jamie Oliver version in its original form, and the vegan version cut in half. Both will allow for the same quantity of the topping, as let’s be honest, you can never have enough.

* Many vegans do not eat honey. I would suggest replacing with Maple Syrup.

Jamie Oliver’s Pistachio Honey Cake
Yields 20 Servings (unless I’m at your party)

Ingredients
225g (8oz) caster sugar
75g (2 2/3oz) ground almonds
150g (5 1/4oz) plain flour
200g (7oz) cornmeal (fine ground)
1 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
Zest of 1 lemon
Zest of 1 orange
225g (8oz) Greek yogurt
5 free range eggs
200ml (3/4cup) olive oil
150g (5 1/4oz) pistachios
100ml (1/2cup) honey
Juice of 1 lemon
Juice of 1 orange

Procedure
1. Pre-heat the oven to 350F.
2. Using a whisk, combine the sugar, almonds, flour, cornmeal, baking powder in a large bowl.
3. Add the eggs, zest, yogurt and oil and stir well with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon. You will have a wet, thick, yellowish batter.
4. Pour this into an oiled baking dish or cake tin (make sure it’s large).
5. Bake for 30 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean. Leave to cool for 1 hour.
6. In a dry frying pan toast the pistachios. Remove from the heat and roughly chop with a knife on your cutting board. Leaving whole pieces of pistachio as well as crushed chunks.
7. Pour in the honey and juices and stir lightly making sure to cover the nuts with all of the juice and honey.
8. Score the top of the cake many times with a knife and pour the honey nut mixture all over allowing it to seep all the way through the cake.
9. Let it rest for 10 minutes and serve.

NOTE: You can either make the sauce/topping in advance and pour immediately over the cake when it’s removed from the oven. Or, you can make the sauce/topping while the cake is cooling and pour it while still hot over the chilled cake. Either way, in order for the cake to totally suck up all that syrup one must be hot and the other cool.

Dairy Free Pistachio Honey Cake
Yields 10-12 Servings

Ingredients
112 1/2g (4oz) caster sugar
37 1/2g (1 1/3oz) ground almonds
75g (2 2/3oz) plain flour
100g (3 1/2oz) cornmeal (fine ground)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
Zest of 1 lemon
Zest of 1 orange
112 1/2g (4oz) thick cashew cream (recipe below)
2 1/2 tablespoons arrow-root
7 1/2 tablespoons water
100ml (1/2cup) olive oil
150g (5 1/4oz) pistachios
100ml (1/2cup) honey
Juice of 1 lemon
Juice of 1 orange

Procedure
1. Pre-heat the oven to 350F.
2. Using a whisk, combine the sugar, almonds, flour, cornmeal and baking powder in a large bowl.
3. Add the arrow-root, water, zest, cashew cream and oil and stir well with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon. You will have a wet, thick, yellowish batter.
4. Pour this into an oiled baking dish or cake tin (any medium size or shape will work).
5. Bake for 40 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean. Leave to cool for 1 hour.
6. In a dry frying pan toast the pistachios. Remove from the heat and roughly chop with a knife on your cutting board. Leaving whole pieces of pistachio as well as crushed chunks.
7. Pour in the honey and juices and stir lightly making sure to cover the nuts with all of the juice and honey.
8. Score the top of the cake many times with a knife and pour the honey nut mixture all over allowing it to seep all the way through the cake.
9. Let it rest for 10 minutes and serve.

Thick Cashew Cream
Ingredients
1 cup raw cashews soaked in cold water for at least two hours (or in very hot water for a few minutes)
1/2 cup of fresh, cold water (more if necessary)
pinch of salt

Procedure
Pour cashews and pinch of salt into a blender and slowly add water until thick and creamy

Tags: arrow root, Cake, cashew cream, corn meal, desserts, honey, Jamie Oliver, non-dairy desserts, pistachio, vegan desserts

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Posted under Desserts, Non- Dairy Desserts

April 1, 2011 Stuffed Eggplant w. Tomato Sauce, Bitter Greens & Cashew Cheese

We need to talk about Cashew Cheese. Let’s get something out of the way. I am not a vegan. In fact, I probably would be vegan were it not for the existence of cheese on planet earth. I quit smoking cigarettes five years ago today. I don’t think I could ever quit cheese. That being said, Cashew Cheese is outrageously delicious. While it is not “cheese” in the technical sense (unless you know of a cashew producing cow, in which case, please introduce me to her), when made properly, it does take on many of the flavor attributes of cheese. And in many ways, that is sort of the beauty of it. You can infuse whatever flavors you want into it, thus creating your own cheesy Frankenstein. Presumably without any of the horror. But I digress..

I made a decidedly un-vegan version of this for a client last week – stuffed with fresh ricotta and mozzarella cheeses. It too was delicious. But for a truly unique take on what is already essentially a deconstructed dish (think Eggplant Parmesan rolled up and turned inside out), this version was my favorite of the two. The preparation is relatively simple, but allowing yourself enough time to make the cheese will definitely yield better results. This is a rich and savory entrée, pairing the inimitable flavor of roasted eggplant with a sweet and spicy fresh tomato sauce, wilted garlicky bitter greens (I used mustard greens and kale, but you could really use whatever you have on hand) and the creamy, tangy deliciousness of the cashew cheese. You could also make an eggplant lasagna with all the same ingredients, layering the eggplant slices instead of rolling them. You will have plenty of leftover Cashew Cheese to do whatever you want with. A bath might be a good idea. Just saying. Recipe below:

Stuffed Eggplant w. Tomato Sauce, Bitter Greens & Cashew Cheese
Makes 4 Servings
Ingredients

For the Cashew Cheese:
1 1/2 Cups of raw Cashews, soaked in 1/4 cup of cold water for at least two hours
2 Tablespoons dry White Wine
1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
2 Cloves Garlic, finely minced
2 Teaspoons White Miso Paste
1 Teaspoon White Balsamic Vinegar (or whatever good vinegar you have on hand)
Sea Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper to taste

For the Eggplant:
2 Medium Eggplants, peeled and sliced 1/4″ thick
2 Cups whole grain Bread Crumbs (mixed with a Pinch of Dry Oregano, Pinch of Fresh Thyme, Pinch of Sea Salt and Fresh Ground Black Pepper)
1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil

For the Sauce:
1/4 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 medium Onion, 1/4″ dice
2-4 Cloves Garlic, minced
1 Carrot, 1/4″ dice
1 Dried Chili, stem removed, sliced in half
1 Can whole peeled San Marzano Tomatoes (crushed by hand in a medium-sized bowl)
1 Sprig Fresh Thyme, finely chopped
1 Tablespoon Tomato Paste
Pinch of Sugar
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper to taste

For the Greens:
1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Bunch Mustard Greens, rinsed well and finely chopped
1 Bunch Kale, rinsed well and finely chopped
1 clove Garlic, finely minced
1/4 cup Vegetable Stock
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper to taste

Procedure
1. Strain cashews and place in the bowl of a food processor or blender with a 1/4 cup of fresh cold water.
2. Add remaining ingredients and pulse until desired consistency is reached.
3. Season to taste.
4. Pour into a bowl and store in a cool place, covered for a few hours. It will then keep in the fridge for a week or so.
5. Place eggplant slices on a baking sheet and cover liberally with salt. Cover with another sheet pan so that the slices are pressed and let sit for about 30 minutes.
6. Pre-heat oven to 400F.
7. Begin working on the sauce. In a medium saucepan, add oil and sweat onions until translucent. Season.
8. Add carrots and season again.
9. Add garlic, sauteing until fragrant.
10. Add can of tomatoes, dry chili, fresh thyme, tomato paste and pinch of sugar. Stir well and simmer for 20 minutes or so. Then remove from heat. If you want a smoother sauce, blend until smooth (be sure to remove the dry chili).
11. Meanwhile, pat dry the eggplant slices, brush them with olive oil and dredge them in breadcrumbs. Drizzle each slice with a bit more oil. If you have olive oil spray – you can spray each slice.
12. Place them on a sheet pan and bake in the oven for 15 minutes or until golden brown (you may want to turn them over and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes).
13. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
14. Meanwhile, in a medium saute pan over medium heat, add olive oil and garlic. Saute until fragrant.
15. Add greens and saute until they’re just wilted. Add stock and season with salt and pepper. Simmer briefly and then remove from pan.
16. Cover the bottom of a medium baking dish with tomato sauce.
17. Lay out each eggplant slice and place 1 tablespoon of sauce, 1 tablespoon of greens and 1 tablespoon of cheese in the center.
18. Roll the slices tightly and place them in the baking dish.
19. Place more sauce on top of each roll and bake for 5-10 minutes.
20. Garnish with another dollop of cheese and some finely chopped fresh thyme.
21. Serve and Enjoy.

Tags: Bitter Greens, Cashew Cheese, Eggplant, Tomato Sauce, Vegan Entrees

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Posted under Entrees, Vegan, Vegetarian

February 21, 2011 Farro Penne w/ Chickpeas, Wild Mushrooms & Broccoli Rabe in White Wine and Porcini Sauce

Mushrooms. For us vegetarian folk, these are the fillet mignon of our dietary world. Unless of course you’re my wife, who can take them or leave them. Or, fortunately for me, take them or leave them on my plate for me to eat. Cooking with mushrooms is one of the great ways to enhance a dish. They have the ability to impart incredible amounts of flavor, thus giving more depth to whatever it is you’re cooking. Used sparingly and prepared properly, mushrooms really do amplify and bolden and their versatility is seemingly endless.

With that in mind, I put together a dish last week for a client who is looking to lose weight and optimize his overall health. He told me he loved Italian food, so I designed a meal for him incorporating some classic Italian flavors while cutting back on some of the calories. Firstly, a word about whole grain pasta. It has come a long way. If you haven’t tried some of the higher end, “artisan” varieties, give them a shot. You should be able to find them at good grocery stores. I found some great tagliatelle at Court Street Grocers and some pretty delicious penne at Union Market. I used the penne for this dish as it had to travel and I felt it would stand up better than the noodles. The mushrooms, as mentioned above, really were the kicker. A combination of fresh black trumpet, chanterelle and oyster mushrooms in combination with dried porcini elevated the flavors of the pasta and chickpeas and tied the whole thing together beautifully. The chickpeas, cooked in some flavorful vegetable stock with some aromatics and fresh herbs produced a really tasty broth that was the base for the sauce. The recipe is below:

Farro Penne w/ Chickpeas, Wild Mushrooms & Broccoli Rabe in White Wine and Porcini Sauce
Serves 4

Ingredients:
3/4 Cup dried chickpeas (soaked overnight)
2 Cups fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup dried porcini mushrooms, soaked in warm water for 30 minutes (reserving soaking liquid)
2 Cups vegetable stock
1/2 Cup dry white wine
1 medium onion, small dice
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 clove of garlic, peeled
1/2 bunch of broccoli rabe, trimmed and roughly chopped
8 oz of Farro pasta (penne)
2 Tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 sprig of fresh thyme
1/4 cup fresh basil, finely chopped
1/2 tablespoon of Grana Padano cheese, finely grated
Salt and Pepper to taste

Procedure:
In a medium sauce pot, combine the chickpeas with the vegetable stock, whole garlic clove and sprig of fresh thyme. Bring to a boil, lower heat, cover and let simmer until the beans are well cooked (about 30 minutes). Add a good pinch or two of salt and then strain. Reserve the liquid.

Pour the olive oil into a large skillet over medium high heat. When the oil begins to shimmer add the mushrooms allowing them to brown. Cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally. When desired color is achieved, add pinch of salt and pepper.

Add the onions, season with salt and pepper and allow to sweat for a few minutes.

Add the garlic and when it becomes fragrant deglaze with the white wine.

Stir in the chickpeas, season to taste.

Meanwhile, pour cold water into a medium sauce pot, salt generously and bring to a boil.

Add the broccoli rabe and blanch for a minute until it turns a deep green. Remove immediately and place in ice cold water to prevent further cooking. Add to the skillet and sautee for a few minutes allowing all of the flavors to develop.

Add a cup of the chickpea broth and a 1/2 cup of the porcini soaking liquid, raise the heat and allow to reduce. Season to taste.

Next, pour pasta into the boiling water. Cook for five minutes or until Al Dente.

When the pasta is ready, add to the skillet, along with the fresh basil and toss together with the rest of the dish.

Serve immediately and garnish with Grana Padano, grated finely with a microplane.

Season to taste.

Tags: Chickpeas, Farro, Mushrooms, Pasta, Recipes

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Posted under Entrees, Pasta, Vegan, Vegetarian

January 26, 2011 A Thai inspired winter soup…

Thai Coconut Winter Soup

There’s something so cathartic about assembling a big pot of soup. Once the weather starts to turn colder I spend a lot of time in the kitchen experimenting with new soup recipes. Last night was no exception. I created a soup inspired by the delicious Thai coconut curries that I love so much but utilizing some seasonal, local ingredients. I used some butternut squash and baby kale that I found at the farmer’s market this past weekend. Along with some crimini mushrooms, fresh red chili, onion, garlic, celery, extra firm tofu, and some finely chopped scallion to garnish with. The result was a hearty, spicy and sweet broth that I really never wanted to end. A quick note – I always make my own vegetable stock. I know it’s easy to buy stocks pre-made in any grocery store, but there is just no comparison to using your own homemade stocks to what you will find in the store. If you have the time (and you really only need an hour), it is definitely worth it to make your own stock. Recipe below.

Thai Coconut Winter Soup
Serves 2-4

Ingredients:

1 quart vegetable stock
16 oz (1 can) of full fat coconut milk
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 cup of crimini mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 onion, small dice
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/8 teaspoon of fresh red chili, minced
1 stalk of celery, small dice
1 medium butternut squash, small dice
½ pound extra-firm tofu, small dice
2 cups baby kale, roughly chopped
¼ cup scallions, finely chopped
¼ teaspoon ground coriander
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon Thai red curry paste
1 teaspoon of tamari
A dash of spicy toasted sesame oil
Sea salt and crushed black pepper to taste

Procedure:

1.    Pour olive oil into a medium sauce pan.
2.    When oil starts to shimmer, add mushrooms, sautéing until they begin to color. Season with generous pinch of salt.
3.    Add onions and a pinch of salt and pepper, sweating until translucent.
4.    Add garlic and chili, sautéing until fragrant.
5.    Next, add the squash, stirring well to absorb all the flavors. Season again. Allow to sautee for a few minutes.
6.    Add half the can of coconut milk along with the dry spices. Stir well.
7.    Pour in the vegetable stock, the remaining coconut milk, tamari and the red curry paste. Bring to a boil on medium high heat. Then reduce heat and allow to simmer gently.
8.    Add the tofu and let marinate in the soup for 20 minutes or so.
9.    Add the kale, stir well and allow to turn a deep green.
10.    Remove the soup from the heat, adjust seasonings to taste, garnish with scallions and dash of sesame oil, serve hot.

Tags: Butternut Squash, Coconut Milk, Non-Dairy, Soup, Spicy, Thai, Tofu, Vegan, Vegetarian, Winter

1 comment
Posted under Soups, Vegan, Vegetarian

January 9, 2011 Who I am. What I do.

My name is David Wallace. I am a chef living and working in Brooklyn, NY. “I love food”. I wonder how many food-centric blogs begin with this proclamation. I think it goes without saying that if one is willing to dedicate his or her entire life to writing about, thinking about, preparing, serving and of course, eating food – then that person probably loves food. We don’t exactly have much choice in the matter. We’re wired to love food. Without it, we die. So, probably a good thing we all love it so much. “Loving” food shouldn’t be in direct conflict with loving oneself, or at the very least, shouldn’t be in direct conflict with the health and safety of ourselves. So many people in this country seem to struggle with this conflict. My decision to go to culinary school was mainly inspired by a desire to help directly address these issues. Today’s chefs have a responsibility not only to create the most delicious dishes but also to keep traditional cuisines alive, to celebrate the indigenous foods and ingredients of their locales and to help bridge the gap between loving food and loving ourselves. What we eat shouldn’t be killing us. It should be sustaining us. It is my goal as a chef to serve delicious, lively, dynamic meals that are as appealing to your taste buds as they are to your digestive system.

I am an advocate of a plant-based diet. That is how I choose to eat and what I feel is best for me personally. But I am of the belief that no one diet is the right diet for everybody. We all have different wants and needs and therefore our diets should be customized to fit our lifestyles. That being said, regardless of whether we are vegans, vegetarians, carnivores, locavores, flexitarians, or whatever we choose to call ourselves, I believe that the more whole foods we eat, the healthier we will all be. Processed foods are killing us. That’s not dogma or hyperbole. That is a sad fact. Incorporating fresh, local, organic (where possible), seasonal produce, meats and dairy into our diets has no downside. Eating balanced meals need not be a compromise. Cooked and prepared properly, these are the most delicious foods on earth.

My training has enabled me to cook a great variety of ingredients in many styles employing a diversity of techniques with the simple goal of creating delicious, balanced and healthy meals for anybody to enjoy. I take great pride in the food that I cook and I would love to bring my passion and training into your kitchen.

For more information, please contact me at deewall@gmail.com

Tags: About Me, Brooklyn Chef, David Wallace, Healthy Eating, Plant Based Diet, Private Chef