Let me teach you guys a magic trick. How’d you like to learn how to take some old cans in your pantry and elevate the contents to heavenly bites of goodness? This white bean bruschetta is downright dirty in its simplicity – crack open a can of white beans, toss with a fresh vinaigrette of lemon, rosemary and garlic, and slather the deliciousness on toasted crostini. Continue reading White Bean Bruschetta with Rosemary and Lemon
This salad is too cool for school – it just stares you down like it’s the reason that your life is spectacular and you should adore it as such. The recipe is wicked simple – just a little chopping and a light vinaigrette of olive oil and lemon juice to hold it all together. It’s versatility, though, is the selling point – meaning that you can serve it with any and all things grilled or top it with feta or mix in some orzo and BAM BOOM, you’ve got yourself a new dish and a new recipe to save for the treasure trove. Don’t thank me – thank the Olive Tree Cafe for the inspiration. They hooked me on the stuff and I had to craft a similar recipe for myself. Continue reading Israeli Cucumber Salad
Despite my undying love for New York City and all of its glories, I hate that sunshine there is at a premium. With much of the year swathed in gray, there’s something endlessly appealing about the 364 days of sunshine that Phoenix has to offer. I’ll probably never truly fit in here on the left coast (I’m an out-and-out East coast ex-pat, who bleeds 100% DC love when cut), but lemme just say that when Cali kids speak of their junkie-esque need for light on the regular, I kind of get it. My move out here to the lawless desert has provided me with blissful sunshine and true blue skies that could cure the seasonally depressed in an instant, and I’m totally hooked.
Nothing speaks more to my adjustment to the bright perfection out here in AZ than my urges to whip up all sorts of cold salads. From chilled pastas and crisp veggies sopping up vinaigrettes, to a simple toss of fresh berries, splashes of liquer and a chiffonade of mint, these chilled dishes keep my kitchen cool and my mood light. Tabbouleh is a favorite of mine – this herby salad is a quick accompaniment to grilled meats, a homey companion on a mezze platter of hummus and olives, or a throw together potluck favorite that pairs up with any and everything on the buffet line. Best of all, it’s a throw-together dish that is forgiving in terms of time – you can prep it ahead or even serve it right away. Arabic for “little spicy,” tabbouleh is the marriage of tart, spicy, savory and sweet – all that you want for a cool summer supper. Continue reading Simple Tabbouleh
This salad is the perfect tribute to summer, giving traditional mayo-laden potato salad a run for the money. Tender potatoes soak in a vibrant dressing full of basil and garlic, imparting mounds of flavor. Give this one a twirl at your next barbecue – it’s the perfect partner to grilled meats.
1 lb of purple creamer potatoes, halved
4 tbs. of pesto, homemade or jarred (here’s a recipe for Watercress Pesto)
2 tbs. of red wine vinegar
1/3 c. of olive oil
1 cl. of garlic, minced
salt and pepper (to taste)
3 plum tomatoes, diced
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Drop in potatoes and then cook until fork tender. Drain the potatoes well and toss into the fridge to cool.
Whisk the pesto, vinegar, olive oil and garlic. Toss potatoes with tomatoes and dressing. Taste for salt and pepper. Serve.
I love this recipe for a multitude of reasons – in true Shakespearean style, let me count the ways…
Make this as a side dish for a dumpling feast, or as an appetizer for your next FU to Chinese takeout, whereby you prepare a fresh meal without all the MSG, overcooked veggies, oversauced meat and stale fortune cookies (fortune and all). Your tummy will thank you.
Ingredients
1 english cucumber (called seedless or hothouse)
2 tbs. of sesame oil
4 tbs. of rice wine vinegar
4 tbs. of water
1 tsp. of salt
2 tsp. of sugar
1 tsp. black sesame seeds
1 tsp. white sesame seeds
dash of chili oil (optional)
Slice your cucumber into thin, 1/4 in. rounds and place in a bowl. Add all other ingredients and stir gently. Let sit in the fridge for 15-20 minutes and then serve.
There’s something to be a said for a good recipe passed on from trusted cook to trusted cook. Finding one of these gems is truly like finding a hidden treasure – the question is whether you’ll share once you do. Given that I’m not at all proprietary, and I love the fact that these posts get you guys cooking, eating and sharing in turn, how could I not pass it on!
This one comes from my grandmother, Vo, who was given this recipe by a friend, who in turn received it from her grandmother – the same recipe that she used back in Mexico. Something as seemingly pedestrian as salsa becomes a celebration of the sweetness of ripe tomatoes and the piquant flavor of jalapeno. I was surprised to learn that there’s nary the lime or bit of oil in this one – just veggies and goodness. Continue reading Fresh Tomato Salsa
The quest for the fall back side has one more contender in the running – this simple preparation of asparagus with a delicious italian condiment of the brightest flavor and texture is an absolute gem. Even better than how it tastes is the work involved, or should I say lack thereof. This is probably the simplest and most elegant side that you can put together, and should absolutely become a go-to recipe in your kitchen.
Gremolata is a lovely mixture of finely chopped parley, garlic and lemon. It is most commonly used as a topping for osso buco (braised veal shanks) and other slow-cooked meat dishes that benefit from a lightening of flavor to round things out. The key to gremolata is prepping it as you need it and using the freshest ingredients. A simple toss with some asparagus and olive oil, this gremolata will bring the tender spears to a whole new level.
Gremolata is absolutely versatile – if you’re not a fan of asparagus, try it atop simple roasted string beans or tomatoes. It also serves as a simple stir-in for minestrone and other savory soups. Be creative and definitely take advantage of the fact that gremolata will give your one-note dishes a huge kick in the pants. In a good way.
Ingredients
1 lb. of asparagus, rinsed and trimmed of tough ends
1 cl. of garlic, minced
zest of 1 lemon
1 c. of loosely packed flat-leaf parsley leaves
1/8 tsp. of freshly cracked pepper
2 tbs. of olive oil
kosher salt
Place asparagus in a shallow pan and fill with water to barely cover asparagus. Heavily salt the water and bring water to a boil. When the water comes to a boil and the asparagus spears turn a bright green, remove them from the water and place them in a serving dish.
In a small bowl, mix the parsley, lemon zest, pepper, a small pinch of kosher salt and olive oil. Pour over the hot asparagus spears and toss. Serve.
While the French slurp raw oysters and sip champagne for good luck on New Years’ Day, our family would tuck into heaps of black eyed peas, fluffy rice, and collard greens. It’s amazing – I always considered it a southern tradition, what with black-eyed peas grown in Virginia all the way back to the 1600s. But apparently the New Year’s tradition dates back to Rosh Hashana (the Jewish New Year), where in the Talmud it’s recorded that the humble black-eyed pea is a good luck symbol. Apparently, people have been enjoying these little babies for a while.
This recipe is a spin on Hoppin’ John, a popular dish of rice and peas served not only in the south but in the Caribbean as well. The dish is sometimes made without the collard greens and often includes a bit of salt pork. I like the collards because they remind me of my own New Year’s traditions, so I always include them when I can. This version is absolutely vegan and so very flavorful, you won’t miss the pork one bit. It’s good as a standalone dish, but if you are jonesing for some protein, try it with a little sliced andouille sausage or kielbasa. Any way you eat, you’ll be a lucky ducky (if but for having the opportunity to tuck into such a tasty dish!)
1 stalk of celery, chopped
1/2 a green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 red onion (white is ok), chopped
5 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 tsp of fresh thyme
2 tbs. of olive oil
1 tbs. of hot sauce
1/2 tsp of salt
1/4 tsp. of white pepper
1 cup of cooked collard greens (see note below)
1 c. of enriched long grain rice
1 can of blackeyed peas
water
Start with a heavy pot with a lid that is suitable for cooking rice (this is one pot cooking, kids!) and heat your two tbs. of olive oil. Add the celery, onion and bell pepper and saute until translucent. While that is cooking away, drain your black-eyed peas, reserving the liquid in a measuring cup. Add water to make a little less than two cups of liquid. Set both the peas and the liquid aside, separately.
Add the garlic, thyme, hot sauce, salt, white pepper and stir. Add your rice and greens and stir the mixture. Allow to cook for a minute and then add the peas. Stir, making sure not to break up the peas and then add the liquid. Bring to a boil, pop on the lid and turn the heat to low. Cook until all of the liquid is absorbed, about 20-25 minutes. Pull off the lid and fluff with a fork. Return lid and let sit for 5 minutes. Fluff again and serve.
If ever there was a dish that served as a celebration of my heritage, it’d be collard greens. Marrying the southern roots of my paternal family from Durham, North Carolina, and my south-of-the-equator family on my mother’s side from Belem, Brazil, I get my love of collards fair and square. In my house growing up, we oft ate the Brazilian national dish, feijoada completa. This stew of various meats and black beans had to have a specific list of accompaniments in order for it to be correct – one of these primary components was collard greens. While Mom and I were usually in charge of the black beans and rice, Dad was always in charge of the greens. He had a special method of sauteeing the collards until tender, with his secret blend of onion, garlic, olive oil and ground pepper. The whole process usually involved him breaking into an impromptu blues song about “greasy greens” that I’m sure he made up on the spot. Never a dull moment in the house where I grew up.
My version of the greens is closer to the traditional Brazilian preparation the first day that I eat them, but as leftovers, they are so much like my Dad’s version. It’s wild – almost as if both sides of my heritage come out in the recipe in some way or another. A lot of recipes have you simply slice ans sauté the greens, but this is a mistake. You absolutely must blanch and shock them first – this cleans any grit from the greens and takes away a lot of the bitterness. Right is right. Also, by blanching the greens, you’ll reduce the cooking time for the sauteeing portion of the cooking. Also, if you have a friend with impeccable knife skills, get them to chiffonade (thinly slice) these greens for you. I get my friend Kate to do it when she is over, because the greens are wispy and perfect when she does it. There’s something to be said for a skillful chop, and kids, she’s got it.
Although these are typically served with black beans and rice in Brazil, they are equally delicious with fresh fish, grilled chicken or steak. Work them into your repertoire of side dishes for some serious garlicky goodness. And speaking of garlic, if you use that prechopped garlic garbage in this recipe (or any of my recipes for that matter), just pick up your pan of greens and throw them in the garbage. Fresh garlic is key, and if you don’t believe me, I want to punch you in the stomach. Not really, but seriously, use fresh garlic. Happy eating!
2 large bunches of collard greens
5 fat cloves of fresh garlic, minced
1/4 c. of olive oil
1/4 tsp. of salt
1/8 tsp. of black pepper
Put a large pot of heavily salted water on to boil.
Begin by rinsing the greens. Place each green on a cutting board and cut out the middle, woody stem. Stack the leaves and continue to prep the greens. When you’ve got about 5-7 leaves prepped, roll the leaves into a fat cigar and thinly slice as finely as you can, forming skinny strands like confetti. Put the collard confetti in a bowl and continue to cut.
When the greens are cut and the water is boiling, dump the greens into the water and push them down so that they wilt and turn bright green. You’ll only want them in the hot water for a minute or two. Working quickly, drain the greens and then shock them by running cold water over them. If you don’t shock them with the cold water, they will continue to cook and become to soft. Drain greens well and set aside.
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil until shimmering. Add the collards, garlic, salt and pepper and toss in the olive oil. Do not overcook – you basically want to coat the greens in the garlicky oil and then take them off the heat. Your garlic will still be sharp and fragrant, and your collards bright green. Serve immediately.
We always think of braising meats to bring out lovely, slow-cooked flavors, but what about veggies? Just as vegetables are delicious barely cooked and raw, so too do they gain character from slow cooking. Think of the beauty of caramelized onions, roasted eggplant or smoky greens. This recipe takes advantage of the ability of fresh string beans to absorb savory, saucy goodness when slowly braised in the oven. The Greeks often cook their green beans in tomato sauce until tender – this recipe is a spicy variation on that tradition.
These green beans are great because there’s no work in making them – just throw them in the oven and let them do their thing. I like to make them with Pastitsio as a spicy side dish. You can start these green beans in the oven and then prep your pastitsio. By the time you put the pastitsio in the oven, both dishes will finish at the same time.
1 lb. of fresh green beans, snipped of stems
3 small potatoes, sliced into thin half moons
4 cl. of garlic
1/2 onion, diced
1 c. of tomato sauce
1/3 c. of vegetable oil
1 c. of vegetable stock (can substitute chicken stock)
1 tsp. of oregano
1/4 tsp. of crushed red pepper
juice of 1 lemon
Preheat the oven to 375°. Place all ingredients into a dutch oven or oven-safe pot with a lid. Stir. Bake covered for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until the veggies are tender and sauce is bubbly.
