Turmeric-Spiced Whole Roasted Cauliflower

From Love and Lemons Everyday Cookbook (p. 187)

I bought a really large cauliflower, and after using just half of it in another dish, I was looking for a recipe different from the usual roasted florets - which are delicious, but I needed something new.   I really like the combination of spices in this one, and it’s easy to mix up while the cauliflower is roasting.  Also nice looking presentation.

INGREDIENTS:

1 medium cauliflower (2 pounds)

3 Tbsp EVOO, plus more for drizzling

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice, plus more to taste

4 cups mixed spring greens

1/2 cup chopped mixed fresh herbs (cilantro, mint, parsley)

1/4 cup toasted pine nuts or slivered almonds

SPICED TURMERIC SAUCE:

1/2 cup Greek yogurt (use Greek-style Kite Hill almond yogurt to make it vegan)

2 Tbsp EVOO

2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 garlic clove, minced

1/4 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp (or more) ground coriander

1/4 tsp ground turmeric

1/4 tsp maple syrup or honey

1/2 tsp sea salt

Pinch of cayenne pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1) Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and loosely line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.

2)Slice the bottom of the core off the cauliflower so that it sits evenly on the baking sheet.  Drizzle 1.5 Tbsp of the OO over it and use your hands to coat evenly.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper and roast for 45 minutes.

3) Make the sauce: in a small bowl, combine all the ingredients.

4)Remove the cauliflower from the oven and use a fork to gently start to pull apart its crevices.  Pour another 1.5 Tbsp OO and the lemon juice over the cauliflower, especially into the crevices and roast for another 15 minutes (you may need to cover with foil at this point to avoid burning)

5) Remove the cauliflower from the oven and spread 1/4 of the yogurt sauce all over.  Roast for another 15 minutes. 

6) In a large bowl, toss the spring greens with a drizzle of olive oil, a squeeze of lemon and a pinch of salt.

7) Remove the cauliflower from the oven.  It should be tender outside and fork-tender inside.  Top the cauliflower with more sauce and sprinkle with the herbs and nuts.  Slice into quarters and serve with the salad and the remaining sauce on the side. 

Eggplant Parmigiana by Chef Tony in Sorrento

See recipe for Marinara Sauce.

For the very light simple eggplant parmigiana, here is Chef Tony's recipe.  Since I didn't want to use a whole bottle of oil, as he did, I tried preparing the eggplant slices in the air fryer.  That wasn't the greatest regarding texture, so I'll try baking them next time.  And there WILL be a next time soon!  This is so different than the heavy, solid eggplant dish we're used to here. 

He noted that in summer, eggplant is sweet.  In winter, you may need to soak it in water and sea salt to make it sweeter, using 2-3 large pinches of salt.  

INGREDIENTS:

Marinara sauce on this blog

1 small eggplant per person, peel only 2 vertical slices on opposite sides

Mozzarella - there it was buffalo mozzarella, the best; here, I found that Galvani mozzarella in small balls, sold at Giant was quite good.  Label says 'it's #1 in Italy' 

Sea salt

Few basil leaves

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Cut eggplant in vertical slices, ~ 2-3 mm thick, so there is only a thin layer of peel on each side

Chef Tony then heated a large pan of oil, cooked the slices til they were slightly browned, removed them and set them on paper towels.  He said that this was the healthy way to prepare it; that if the slices stuck to the bottom, they would then absorb the oil.  This way, they don't.  The oil can be re-used but only for eggplant.  

Sprinkle slices with sea salt

In small over-proof dishes, start with a Tbsp of marinara, the eggplant, mozzarella, then one more layer but only with marinara and eggplant.   Top with a basil leaf, which can then be replaced with a fresh one after baking. 

Bake for about 15 minutes.  

It might be ok to use garlic and 2 pinches of red pepper flakes.  NO onion! 

Cauliflower Piccata

Cauliflower Picata from Carol Weil

Good recipe - I'd double the sauce.  I hardly used any butter - maybe that's the problem!  but the lemon taste is very good.   

Photo 11/22/21

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cauliflower, cut into large 2-inch florets
•  Extra-virgin olive oil
•  Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
• 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained (optional)
• 1 shallot, finely diced
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 cup vegetable stock
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons capers, drained
•  Zest of 1 lemon
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
•  Parsley, chopped, for garnish
• 1 lemon, sliced, for serving

PREPARATION

1. Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Place the cauliflower florets onto a sheet pan and drizzle with 2 to 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Season with kosher salt and black pepper, and roast for 20 to 25 minutes, until the cauliflower is golden and tender. Remove from the oven, add the chickpeas, if using, and toss to combine.
2. Heat a medium skillet to medium-high. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the shallot, and sauté until soft and fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute longer, stirring constantly to keep from scorching. Pour the stock into the pan and simmer until reduced by half, about 4 to 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low, then stir in the butter, capers, lemon zest and juice. Season with 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt and a few turns of black pepper.
3. To serve, place the cauliflower and chickpeas, if using, on serving plates. Top with the lemon caper sauce. Top with parsley and serve with lemon slices.

Butternut Squash Soup - Afghan Style - with the Hashimi

This was prepared on October 11, 2021, as part of KindSoups efforts to deliver food to those in need.  Each week for the past year, we've been cooking together, making enough soup for our own family’s dinner, plus enough to freeze and deliver meals for 6 families affected by COVID19 and the resulting economic stress. More recently we've been sharing with those who have been relocated to our area from Afghanistan, so that they too can enjoy a delicious and nutritious meal!

Dr. Nadia Hashimi is a pediatrician, novelist, and a former Democratic congressional candidate for the United States House of Representatives for Maryland’s 6th congressional district!  Hashimi is the author of three international bestselling novels, The Pearl that Broke Its Shell, When the Moon Is Low, and A House Without Windows.  She and her dad, Said Hashimi, led us in conversation and instruction, for a delightful session this week.

 

Said Hashimi left Kabul, Afghanistan in 1971 and landed in New York City to begin his American Dream. He has built his American dream around food, and spent the last three decades of his official working career as the co-owner of an Italian Deli in Warwick, NY. He built bridges with people in the community and the Afghan cuisine he introduced into the weekly lunch special rotation quickly became a hit. Among his kitchen specialities were a rotation of soups for the fall and winter seasons. These days, he spends his time being a best friend, chaperone, and chef to his 6 grandchildren and volunteering with newly arrived Afghans.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP –  AFGHAN STYLE

INGREDIENTS: 

• 3 Large Butternut Squash peeled and cut in small cubes (I cheat and buy it pre-cut)
• 4 Large Carrots Pealed and cut in small cubes (add or sub sweet potato)
• 2 Large Onion cut in small cubes
• 6 Cloves of Garlic peeled and chopped
• 1 Bunch of Cilantro washed and chopped
• 2 Teaspoons of salt
• 2 Teaspoons of white pepper
• 1 Tablespoon of Curry powder or Ground Turmeric
• 2 Tablespoon of powdered Vegetable Base or 1 bouillon cube dissolved in a small amount of water (I use vegetarian Better Than Bouillion)
• 3/4 Cup of Vegetable oil
• 2 Quart of boiling Water
• One small spoon of sour cream for each serving of the soup

DIRECTIONS:

1- Heat oil in a 10 Quart Pot.

2- Add onions to hot oil and stir until they are almost brown.

3 – Add garlic and stir for one minute at medium temperature.

4- Add the salt and stir for one minute.

5- Add the cubed butternut squash and carrots in the pot and stir for around 5 minutes. Add Curry powder (or Turmeric), Vegetable Base, white pepper, and most of the chopped cilantro. Stir for few more minutes.

6- Add two quarts of boiling water to the pot or enough to just cover all the vegetables. Stir it and cover the pot. Cook on medium heat and stir once in a while until the squash and carrots are soft enough to be cut by a fork or spoon,  then turn off the heat.

7- Now it is time to pour it in the blender in batches, pouring the blended portions into a separate pot. Repeat until the full pot has been blended.  Some blenders don't tolerate hot liquids, so you may need to let it cool.  Leave plenty of room at the top of your blender container, and you can remove the center part of the lid and cover with a clean dish cloth. 

8 – It’s ready to serve in a bowl. Consider adding a small spoon of sour cream mixed with mashed garlic and garnish with touch of cilantro. Enjoy! 

Easy Pickled Beets

https://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/easy-pickled-beets

This is simple and very tasty.  Can go for more vinegar or less sugar if you want more zing, but it was good the way it was.  I probably put more than one pound of beets.  Had only golden beets at the time.  One recipe also showed 1/4 teaspoon of dry mustard.  Might be worth a try! 

Just six ingredients go into this easy sweet-and-sour pickled beets side dish. Use a mix of red and golden beets, if you like. Pickled beets can stay in your pantry for months so make extra to have on hand. They add a great tang and color to a fresh cole slaw, bright flavor and color to a cheese board and earthy notes to a spinach salad. The pickling liquid is a great base for other vegetables you will have depending on the season such as cucumbers, carrots and onions. 

Ingredients

• 1 pound small beets (about 7 beets) 
• ½ cup white vinegar 
• ¼ cup sugar 
• ¼ teaspoon salt 
• ½ teaspoon black peppercorns 
• 2 bay leaves 

Directions

• Step 1

  Leave root and 1-inch stem on beets; scrub with a brush. Place in a medium saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 45 minutes or until tender. Drain and rinse with cold water; drain. Cool slightly. Trim off beet roots; rub off skins. Thinly slice beets; place in a large bowl.

• Step 2

  Combine vinegar and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil; cook 5 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in salt, peppercorns, and bay leaves. Pour vinegar mixture over beets; cover and chill. Discard bay leaves.

Nutrition Facts 

Per Serving:

 

81 calories; calories from fat 1%; fat 0.1g; saturated fat 0g; mono fat 0g; poly fat 0.1g; protein 1.2g; carbohydrates 19.8g; fiber 2.1g; cholesterol 0mg; iron 0.6mg; sodium 207mg; calcium 13mg.

Okra with potatoes and onions

From Aruna:

https://www.sanjanafeasts.co.uk/blog/2019/09/gujarati-style-okra-potatoes/

I was inspired to cook okra after seeing how nice the pods were at Oasis farm.  I dutifully picked some then left them in the field by accident.  The store bought ones probably aren't as good, but they'll do until the next trip to the farm.  

This is a recipe that Aruna recommended.  Seems like a good recipe but there are no measurements.  Cant really say what I used, but it tasted good in the end.  Maybe it doesn't matter?

Learned that using lemon juice keeps the okra from getting slimy - which is why I usually avoid it.  We'll have it for dinner tomorrow, but it seems good so far.  And it has potatoes - what more do I need to say?!

Substitute for asafetida is garlic or 1/2 garlic powder and 1/2 onion powder.  I used the latter.  There were several garlic cloves already in the recipe.

Braised red cabbage

From Canyon Ranch Nourish

Excellent with mushroom burgers - I didn't have some of the ingredients last time, so I'll try it again, but it has great potential.  I also cooked it stovetop only, finishing it by covering it and letting it simmer.

Purple cabbage joins the list of vegetables and fruits rich in anthocyanin, the purple and dark red pigments the protect against cancer and heart disease.

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp EVOO
1/2 cup julienned yellow onion
4 cups shredded red cabbage
2 bay leaves
Pinch ground cloves
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp caraway seed
1/4 cup red wine
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1/4 cup water
1 cup julienned Red Delicious apples
2 Tbsp honey

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 350
2. Heat the olive oil in a medium ovenproof sauce pan over medium heat.  Sauce the onions in olive oil until golden.  Add the red cabbage.  Cover and cook for about 2 minutes.  Add the bay leaves, cloves, salt , pepper, caraway seed, wine, vinegar, and water.  Mix well and cover tightly.

3.  Transfer the sauce pan to the oven and braise for 25 minutes, or until the cabbage is wilted.  Add th apples and honey and mix well.  Cover and braise for an additional 10 minutes.  Remove and discard the bay leaves.

Each serving contains
120 calories
21 gm carbs
4 gm fat
0 mg cholesterol
2 g protein
252 mg sodium
3 g fiber

Sesame noodles with cucumbers

From Vegan Everything  by Nadine Horn and Jorg Mayer

The sauce was too minimal for the noodles - Try doubling all the sauce ingredients.  When I put extra sauce on one spoonful of noodles, it seemed perfect.

Or can try adapting/ blending the other recipe noted below.

Ingredients:
1 pound noodles (used whole wheat)

1 Tbsp dark (roasted) sesame oil
1 garlic clove
1/2 medium cucumber
2 scallions
2 tsp black sesame seeds
3 Tbsp Chinese sesame paste or tahini
2 Tbsp natural peanut butter
3 Tbsp rice vinegar
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp salt


Directions:
1) Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Add the noodles, stirring gently.  Lower the heat to a simmer and cook for about 4 minutes, until barely tender (longer for whole wheat)

2) Drain the noodles and transfer to a bowl of cold water to remove excess starch.  Drain again and put the noodles in a medium bowl.  Dress with 1/2 tsp of the sesame oil and set aside.

3)  Mince the garlic, slice the cucumber into 3 inch strips and thinly slice the scallions.

4) Toast the sesame seeds in a dry pan over medium-high heat for about 4 minutes, stirring constantly until golden brown (how do you know when black seeds are golden brown??).  Set aside to cool.

5) Combine the garlic, sesame paste, peanut butter, vinegar, the remaining 2.5 tsp sesame oil, and the soy sauce in a small bowl.  Mix well, seasoning with the salt.

6) Pour the dressing over the noodles and mix well.  Top with the scallions, cucumbers and sesame seeds.

Peter's 'Steve's Cold Sesame Noodle Sauce'  - for 1.5 pounds of spaghetti, dry weight.

Ingredients:
1.5 cup chunky PB
2 Tbsp sesame paste without added vinegar
2 Tbsp Hoisin sauce
1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro
2-3 medium garlic cloves, crushed
2 Tbsp sugar
1/2 cup dry sherry
5 Tbsp medium dark sesame oil
2 Tbsp peanut oil.

6 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce
3 tsp cider vinegar
10 drops jasmine essence (from a Thai food store)
Szechuan hot oil to taste

Directions: 

1) Mix the first 9 sauce ingredients well to form a thick sauce or paste, then slowly, with stirring, add 1 1/4 cup water for a medium thin sauce, which will thicken over time.

2) After the water, add the soy, cider vinegar, jasmine essence and hot oil.

Sautéed Fennel with Couscous and Lemon

From Vegan Everything - 100 Easy Recipes for Any Craving --from Bagels to Burgers, Tacos to Ramen  2019
by Nadine Horn and Jörg Mayer.

I think the flavor of fennel or anise is very interesting taste.  It pairs well with citrus flavor.  In this dish, the lemon and the chopped greens definitely make the dish!  This is a quick dish to put together. The greens can be prepared while the fennel is cooking.  It smells delish too!  With the beans, it can be a main dish.

Fresh fennel should be bright green with no brown marks on its outer layers.  A tip from this book is that it is delicious raw when thinly sliced or grated.  They also recommend it in a Middle Eastern-inspired salad with lentils.

Ingredients:
1 cup instant couscous
2 fennel bulbs (~ 1 pound each)
5 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup cooked white beans
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 bunch fresh parsley chopped

Directions:
1) Bring 1.5 cups of water to a boil in a small pot.  Add the couscous, cover and remove from the heat.  Let sit for 5 minutes, then uncover and fluff with a fork.

2) Trim the stalks from the fennel.  Chop the fennel fronds and set aside.  Quarter the bulbs and cut out the cores.  Cut into slices 1/2 inch thick.

3) Heat 2 Tbsp of oil in a sauté pan over medium high heat.  Add the sliced fennel and cook for about 8 minutes, turning over the slices after 4 minutes, until golden brown.

4)  Remove from the heat.  Mix in the beans and let sit in the warm pan for about 3 minutes.

5) Transfer the couscous to a serving bowl and top with the fennel and beans.  Drizzle with the lemon juice and the remaining 3 Tbsp oil.

6)  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Garnish with the reserved fennel fronds and the parsley.

Roasted string beans (green beans) with shallots

From epicurious.com

Comments from site: shallots make the dish.  Consider adding garlic as well.  And some people said a capful of lemon juice. 

The beans shrink a lot.  Cooking time should be increased and some cooked the beans with oil and salt for 20 minutes first, then added the shallots and garlic for another 10-20 minutes.  Be careful not to burn the shallots.  Consider adding shiitake mushrooms.

Made it with a head of cauliflower and that was good as well.  Should start the cauliflower first because it takes time to caramelize. 

Made this several times for Thanksgiving with Futrans.  Can use a little less oil, and can roast for only 12 minutes or so.  

YIELDMakes 4 servings
INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 pounds string beans
2 large shallots cut into 1/4-inch slices
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

PREPARATION

Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Toss the beans and shallots with the oil and salt on a baking sheet. Roast, stirring twice during roasting, until the shallots have caramelized and the beans are beginning to brown and wilt, about 25 minutes. (Check after 10-12 minutes, especially if you like the beans al dente.). Sprinkle with pepper and serve hot.
Variation: Roasted Asparagus
Substitute asparagus and roast about 10 minutes.

Roasted Carrots and Thyme

https://www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/roasted-carrots-with-thyme.html

Simple and very tasty! The carrots do shrink.

By Jennifer Segal
Servings: 4
Total Time: 30 Minutes

Ingredients: 

2 pounds fresh carrots, peeled
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (can use a little less)
1/2 (use less) teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons fresh chopped thyme (or 1/2 teaspoon dried) - good with combo of basil, thyme, Herbes de Provence

Directions:

1) Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.

2) Slice the carrots on the diagonal about 1-½” thick. Make sure all pieces are approximately the same size to ensure even cooking.

3) Combine the carrots, olive oil, salt, pepper and thyme in a large bowl and toss well. Transfer the carrots to the prepared baking sheet and roast, stirring once mid-way through, until nicely caramelized and tender, 20-25 minutes (cooking time will depend on thickness of carrots). Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.

Roasted Green Beans with Cranberries and Walnuts

https://www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/roasted-green-beans-with-cranberries-and-walnuts.html

Roasted Green Beans with Cranberries & Walnuts

By Jennifer Segal
Servings: 6-8

Ingredients:

2 pounds fresh green beans, stem ends trimmed
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced into quarters
1-1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon lemon zest, from one lemon
2 teaspoons lemon juice, from one lemon
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup walnuts

Directions: 

1) Preheat the oven to 350°F and set an oven rack in the middle position. Line a rimmed baking sheet with heavy-duty aluminum foil.

2) Place the walnuts on the prepared baking sheet and bake until until fragrant, 5 to 10 minutes. Keep a close eye on the nuts so they don't burn. When cool enough to handle, transfer the nuts to a cutting board and coarsely chop.

3) Place the foil back on the baking sheet (you'll use it for the green beans) and increase the oven temperature to 450°F.

4) Place the cranberries in a small heatproof bowl. Cover the cranberries with boiling water and set aside.

5) Directly on the foil-lined baking sheet, use a rubber spatula to toss the green beans with the olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, and sugar.  Roast the green beans for 15 minutes, then stir with a spatula to promote even cooking. Continue roasting until the beans are tender, slightly browned and just starting to shrivel, about 10 minutes more.

6) Drain the cranberries.

7) Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, drained cranberries, and toasted walnuts to the green beans. Toss well, then taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.

NUTRITION INFORMATION

Powered by Edamam

Per serving (8 servings)
Calories:104
Fat:5 g
Saturated fat:1 g
Carbohydrates:15 g
Sugar:9 g
Fiber:4 g
Protein:2 g
Sodium:301 mg
Cholesterol:0 mg

Roasted Butternut Squash and other squash

It wasn't as difficult as I thought - peeling off the outer layer with a good tool - same set of plastic vegetable peelers I got from William Sonoma 10 years ago.  Still working perfectly! When roasted long enough, these cubes taste as sweet as sweet potatoes!

From The Heart of the Plate:
Can prepare this and serve as an appetizer drizzled with vinaigrette

Choose one that is mostly neck, as the round base is where the seeds are.  Remove the skin so the flesh will be tender.  Mine was fine with being able to see the 'veins' on the softer part of the inside skin.

Then remove the seeds and cut the squash into approximately 3/4" cubes.  Line a baking sheet with foil, oil the foil, and place the cubes on the the sheet and roast on the center rack of a preheated 375 degree oven for 20-30 minutes, maybe longer.  At first it will looked steamed, then chewy crisp.  Check on it every 10 minutes to make sure parts aren't sticking to the foil.  Freezes well.


DELICATA - can cut into rings with the skin on, snip out the seeds and roast on an oiled baking sheet in center of 375 degree oven, for 10-20 minutes until fork-tender and undersides are golden brown.  Can eat peel; serve with roasted side up.

SPAGHETTI SQUASH - don't need to peel.  Bake whole on a foil-lined sheet in 375 degree oven until easily pierced with a fork.  A 4-pound squash usually needs a full hour.  After removing from the oven, carefully cut a few slits to let the steam escape, then rest until comfortable temperature.  Cut in half, then scoop the cooked flesh; OK to include the seeds or not.