Tag Archives: vegetarian

Rice Pilaf with Toasted Orzo

I don’t care how easy they say that they are to make, those rice blends at the supermarket are overrated.  Dehydrated herbs and chicken flavor make up the taste profile, and you can’t be sure how long it’s all been sitting on the shelf.  You can totally take control of your own destiny – make your own rice pilaf in the same amount of time with no fillers or preservatives.

This pilaf takes ordinary converted rice and boosts it with a bit of toasted orzo.  The little pasta grains impart texture, nuttiness and a lovely color to the dish – you get depth of flavor with really no additional work.  This recipe is a great, quick side for a weeknight dinner – while you prepare your main dish, you can have a pot of this simmering away on the back burner.  Best of all, when it’s done, you can fluff with a fork and recover until the rest of the meal is finished.  It’ll wait for you until you’re ready to go.  Rice that’s patient?  Who woulda thunk it?

Rice Pilaf with Toasted Orzo

Ingredients
2 c. of converted, parboiled rice (like Uncle Ben’s)
1/2 c. of orzo
1 tsp. of fresh oregano, chopped
1/4 tsp. of black pepper
2 tbs. of olive oil
2 tbs. of butter
4 c. of vegetable (or chicken stock)

In a medium pot, heat the olive oil to shimmering.  Add the butter and the orzo to the hot pan, continuously stirring to brown the orzo but not burn it.  Once the orzo is toasty brown, add the rice, pepper and oregano.  Stir to combine and add the chicken broth.  Let the mixture come to a boil, then cover the pot and lower the heat to low.

Cook pilaf until all water is absorbed, about 20 minutes.  Uncover rice and fluff with a fork.  Serve.

Herbed Pilaf

Although I don’t have access to a plot of land to cultivate my green thumb, I make do with every inch of real estate available to me in my apartment with my itty-bitty home garden.  It saves me quick dashes to the store to buy expensive fresh herbs, and I’m further encouraged to include them in dishes as opposed to dried herbs.  It’s an absolute boon, and truly, a window garden is very little work.  Not to mention the fact that with a little sun and water, basil, dill, parsley and mint are practically unstoppable.

This simple rice pilaf is a celebration of the goodness of fresh herbs – if you are not inclined to grow your own, pick up the prettiest, leafiest bunches from the store or farmer’s market and go to town.  This is one of those “make-it-your-own” kind of deals, so absolutely be creative.  I like a combination of dill, mint, basil, thyme and parsley, but sage, savory, rosemary and fennel also work well.

I use chicken broth in lieu of all water in this recipe, but if you’d like to keep things vegetarian, replace the chicken broth with veggie stock to make things meat-free.  Scrap the butter for a little more olive oil, and you’ve got a vegan delight on your hands.  Yup, that easy.  And speaking of easy, these shots feature Marx Foods Palm Plates – biodegradeable gems that are as lovely to look at as they are sturdy and good for the environment.  Check ’em out!

Recipe for

Herbed Pilaf

Ingredients
2 c. of long grain rice
2 tbs. of butter
1 tbs. of olive oil
2 c. of chicken broth
scant 2 c. of water
1/2 tsp. of salt
pinch of black pepper
1/4 c. of mixed herbs, loosely packed

Begin by roughly chopping the herbs.  Heat the butter and olive oil in a medium pot.  Add the rice, broth, water, salt and pepper and bring mixture to a boil.  Once boiling, toss the herbs on top and cover.  Turn heat to low and cook until all water has been absorbed, about 15 minutes.  Fluff rice with a fork and serve.

Açai Blueberry Frozen Yogurt

Only my second foray into the fabulous world of fro-yo (the first being the currently unpublished recipe for Strawberry Fro-Yo that was consumed before the photo shoot could happen) and it’s some serious stuff.  I love this recipe because it’s such a short list of ingredients that begets something so wholesome and lovely – not to mention that you could absolutely, positively never get this in the store.

Acai Blueberry Frozen Yogurt © Spice or Die

Brazileira that I am, of course I have a love for açai, a potent little superfruit found in the Amazon rainforest.  Known for its energy jolt and wild blueberry flavor, it has gained quite a bit of a following here in the states as of late.  It has also gained a slew of folks pronouncing the name incorrectly – as the daughter of a language teacher, I have to take this opportunity to give you a mini lesson.  Say it after me, stressing every single syllable…AH-SIGH-EE.  Not “ah-KAI” like some people would have you say.  It’s AH-SIGH-EE.  There, that wasn’t so hard.

I get my açai from Whole Foods or online at Fresh Direct, but you can also get it at health food stores and sometimes even in the plain old supermarket in the frozen fruit section.  If you have a choice, try to get the pure puree (say that 10 times fast) so that you can fully control the excellence of the ingredients that you are using.

Açai Blueberry Frozen Yogurt

1 c. of frozen blueberries
7 oz. (200g) of pure açai puree (Sambazon-brand, frozen pouches)
1/2 c. of honey
32 oz. of fat-free plain yogurt
1 vanilla bean
zest of 1 lemon

Begin by tossing the frozen blueberries with the açai puree, honey and lemon zest.  Slice the vanilla bean in half with a paring knife and scrape all the black paste in the middle of the bean.  Save the beans to flavor coffee grinds or sugar.  Place the blueberries in the fridge to hang out while you prep the yogurt.

Line a sieve with paper towels and place over a bowl.  Add the yogurt to the sieve right on top of the paper towels and place in the fridge.  Let the liquid from the yogurt drain off, about 2-3 hours or overnight.

Dump the thickened yogurt into a bowl and discard the liquid that has drained off.  Drain the liquid from the blueberry bowl right into the thickened yogurt and set the blueberries aside.  Whisk the yogurt/blueberry liquid mixture until smooth. Pour the ice cream base into your ice cream maker and follow your manufacturer’s instructions. In the last two minutes of mixing, pour in the blueberries.  When finished, remove to a tupperware and freeze for a little bit to allow the ice cream to solidify a bit more. Serve.

Southern-Style Mac and Cheese

I grew up below the Mason-Dixon line, which often manifests itself in my love of good, Southern cooking and a tendency to say “y’all” when I get angry or excited.  As such, on occasion you can find me whipping up dishes that get a low brow reputation, but are truly high in deliciousity.  And/or high in calories, but whatever to that.  The hardest decision one should have to make when tucking into comfort food is whether the Country Fried Steak should come with scrambled eggs and grits or mashed potatoes and corn.

Southern-Style Mac and Cheese © Spice or Die

Down south mac and cheese is all about the simple ingredients – no artisan cheese blends here.  Just straight cheddar, jack and velveeta to round things out.  The recipe is similar in preparation to my classic (more upscale) baked mac and cheese, with the exception of the velveeta to round out the sauce.  The pasta softens right up in the bubbly, creamy goodness and comes out so gorgeous, Aretha Franklin herself would sing bars of joy over a bite or two.  And I don’t just say that because we used to share the same last name…

Southern-Style Mac and Cheese

1 lb. of elbow macaroni
4 tbs. of butter
4 tbs. of flour
1 grated shallot, juices and all
4 c. of whole milk
2 tsp. of salt
1/8 tsp. of paprika
1/4 tsp. of black pepper
1/8 tsp. of white pepper
2 tsp. of worchestershire sauce
1 tsp. of deli mustard
pinch of cayenne pepper
10 oz. of velveeta, cubed
2 c. of sharp cheddar, shredded
2 c. of colby jack, shredded
1/2 c. of plain bread crumbs
1/4 tsp. of paprika
1/4 tsp. of black pepper
1/4 tsp. of garlic powder

Preheat oven to 400°. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until al dente and drain.

While pasta is boiling, make your sauce. In a large sized pot, melt your butter on medium-low heat. Add the grated shallot and stir. Whisk the flour into the butter to form a smooth paste.  Add the cubes of velveeta and allow to melt.  Slowly add the milk in a steady stream, whisking the whole time to prevent lumps. Add the salt, paprika, black pepper, white pepper, worchestershire sauce, mustard and cayenne. Turn up heat and continue whisking until sauce thickens. Turn off the heat and add the 2 c. of cheese and whisk until melted.

Dump macaroni into a buttered 13x9x2 inch pan, pour the sauce over the pasta and stir.  Bake in the oven for 15 minutes. In a small bowl, mix the 2 cups of colby jack, panko, paprika, black pepper and garlic powder. Top the macaroni with the cheese mixture. Turn the oven up to 500° and bake for another 5 minutes or until the top is bubbly and golden. Let sit for 4-5 minutes and then serve.

Sweet Tomato Tart

Tomato lovers rejoice, for now you can celebrate these delicious orbs of sweet majesty at all meals.  This is truly the ultimate tomato dessert given that a) there aren’t too many others in competition and b) it is as simple as it is wondrous.  “Tomatoes for dessert?!?” you scoff.  What better way to enjoy the sweetness of a tomato than in a simple tart brushed with currant jam until a rich, garnet color and then baked just enough to release the natural juices and crisp up the delicious tart crust?  You’re welcome.

Sweet Tomato Tart © Spice or Die

I first had this dessert with my mom at the restaurant Tosca in DC, and after the first bite, we totally understood how commonsensical it was to use tomatoes for dessert, particularly heirlooms.  For those that don’t know – there are two main types of tomatoes: heirlooms and hybrids.  Hybrids are the most common – they grown all year round and produce several crops of tomatoes throughout the growing season.  The tomatoes (and sorry if I am getting dorky here) are created through self-pollination, meaning that a farmer/scientist/botanist/whatever can control what specific traits that the tomato’s offspring will harbor.  This has resulted in hardy, disease-fighting tomatoes that can be enjoyed whenever and wherever.

The rarer heirloom tomato is created through open-pollination, as occurs in nature – bees and other pollinators pass on genetic traits from various types of tomatoes, resulting in wild cross breeds that are hard to genetically track and control.  The tomatoes come in wild arrays of colors, shapes and sizes, and typically only give off a single crop per growing season.  They can be bumpy, even ugly on the outside (some grocery stores actually call them “ugly tomatoes”, but cut into one and you’ll find the juiciest, sweetest flesh that you could possibly imagine.  These are the tomatoes that make people fall in love with them.  They are our oldest tomatoes as well – many of the strains were grown by the indigenous peoples of not only the continent of North America, but also around the world.

For this recipe, I encourage you to go out and find some heirloom tomatoes that look special to you – pick a fun color like the dark purple of a Black Krim, or the sunshine bright Brandywine Yellow.  You could even try one of the striped varieties for a best-of-both-worlds situation.  They’re really worth a trip to the Farmer’s Market just to check them out.  Of course, if you can’t find heirlooms, you can absolutely make this tart with a juicy, meaty hybrid tomato – just find the best ones available and treat them lovingly when assembling the tart.  It’s all good at the end of the day!

 

Sweet Tomato Tart

1 pie crust (can also use puff pastry)
2 medium-sized heirloom tomatoes (any color, can also use hybrid)
5 tbs. of red currant jam
4 tbs. of raw sugar (can substitute light brown sugar)

Preheat your oven to 400°.

Slice tomatoes as paper-thin as possible (thick tomatoes won’t cook properly) and carefully lay them on a paper towel to dry them a bit.  You’ll want enough slices to cover the pie crust in one even, semi-overlapping layer.

In a small saucepan over medium low heat, melt the currant jam.  If the jam has pieces of currants in it, strain them out.  You can actually save these little currant pieces as a topping for ice cream or a sweet treat.  I actually use them like caviar (ha!) on top of a cracker spread with my mock boursin cheese recipe for a little taste of sweet and savory combined.

Roll your pie crust out into a 9″ tart pan, making sure not to tear any holes.  Lay your tomatoes out on the crust in overlapping concentric circles, making sure that the whole thing is pretty and even.  Using a pastry brush, apply a generous layer of the melted currant jam over the tomatoes.  Sprinkle the sugar on top.

Place the tart in the oven and bake until the crust is golden and the tomatoes are bubbly and a lovely red, about 15-20 minutes.  Let rest until warm and serve with ice cream – maybe a lovely scoop of basil gelato?

Creamy Feta Spread

Looking back on my cooking proclivities, I realize that many of my best recipes were created in that tender moment when you curse the heavens at your lack of preparation and guests on the way.  What the hell are you gonna make?  A couple of weeks ago, our good buddy Chris came over to pre-game before he and Dennis went to the Yankee game.  I don’t know what it is, but I feel strange having people in my house without at least a nibble or a treat to offer them.  Tough stuff when there is pretty much nothing awesome in the fridge.  This was born of a surplus of cream cheese (after buying double by accident for a batch of cupcakes) and a pack of feta cheese.  I decided to whip the two together with garlic and herbs and serve the whole mess on Triscuits.  Majesty.

Creamy Feta Spread © Spice or Die

Similar to my fake-me-out Boursin recipe, this dip is a lot more impressive in taste than it’s humble ingredients.  Lemon zest and garlic and depth of flavor and brightness, and olive oil smooths everything into a spreadable delight.  Serve this with crackers, toast points or crudité.  Or slice grilled chicken breasts in half and slather a bit in the middle for a yummy dinner.  Whatever you do, don’t fuss too much because I certainly didn’t when I put it together the first time.

Creamy Feta Spread

1 pkg. of cream cheese (or neufchatel)
4 oz. of feta
1 clove of garlic
1 tsp of black pepper
1 tsp of white pepper
1/2 tbs. of herbes des provence
1 tsp of lemon zest
1 tbs. of olive oil

Put garlic, pepper, herbs, zest and olive oil in the food processor and blend until finely chopped.  Add feta and blend until crumbled.  Add cream cheese and blend until smooth.  Transfer to a bowl and chill in the fridge.  Serve.

Arancini (Sicilian Fried Rice Balls or Supplí)

I get a kick out of dishes that manage to both impress folks and meet their requirement for comfort-food status.  Let’s face it, gooey mac and cheese or creamy mounds of mashed potatoes are not loved for their looks.  In fact, the massive piles of goodness only make the foodie centerfolds because they bring back atavistic longing of the food of our childhood.  Which is exactly what comfort food does  – it nourishes us and brings us to a place just like home.  But if you really think about the taste profile of comfort food in an of itself, it’s typically simple in nature, and oftentimes mild in flavor.  Color-wise, it’s oftentimes blah as well – fried chicken, mac and cheese, mashed potatoes and meat loaf all hang out in the beige to brown arena.  Now, I’m not saying that this is a bad thing, or even that it’s the rule across the board – I just think it’s worth noting that the requirements of comfort food need only be that it’s tasty for the soul and consumable in huge quantities.  So, what if we celebrated the kinds of comfort food that not only felt good to eat, but also looked just as lovely.

Arancini © Spice or Die

Arancini are gorgeous – the name itself means “little orange” in Italian and is an homage to the glorious golden color of these tangerine-sized delights as they are removed from the fryer.  Crunchy and light on the outside, and creamy and luxe in the inside, these little babies are comfort food at its best.  Probably my favorite part about this recipe is that you start with leftovers – the base of the arancini is risotto, left to coagulate and thicken to a point that you can form it into mini balls.  For those of you that make risotto from scratch, you know that it’s not so good as leftovers – the distinct grains of arborio rice turn into a porridge of sorts that’s a far cry from the glory that is served fresh out of the pot.  So what better way to resurrect it than to wrap it around bits of mozzarella, bread them and fry until lovely.  I say ye.

In a lot of these recipes that call for frying “until golden” I don’t ever mention the need for a thermometer – it’s silly given that a) I always use one and b) you should too.  A lot of the fear of frying comes from not getting the temperature just right – if the oil’s too hot, your food will burn on the outside before it cooks in the inside; cook too low and your food will come out greasy.  Remove the guessing game from the equation – buy a frying/candy thermometer and be precise.  You really don’t have an excuse as they are cheap and readily available (mine came from Bed, Bath and Beyond for like $7).  Besides, you are all about kitchen perfection. I know this for a fact.

I think that what sends this comfort food over the top is the brightness of presentation – beige is lightened up by bright, zesty marinara and basil.  It’s like a little Italian flag in every bite – a whole lot sexier than a mess of elbow macaroni.  Feel free to experiement with fillings and sauces – go decadent and dip them in a fontina funduta, or zesty with a nice basil pesto.  Stir spinach, peas or mushrooms into the risotto.  One of my favorite places in the whole wide world, La Fontanella, serves their supplíwith a savory meat ragu – they come as an appetizer but are just so filling, you could make a meal of them.  In the proverbial words of Humpty, “Dowhatchulike” and I am sure that you will be relishing in comfort-food majesty.

Arancini (Sicilian Fried Rice Balls or Supplí)

3 c. of leftover risotto
2 oz. of mozzarella, cut into 16 cubes
1/4 c. of flour
1 egg, beaten
2 tbs. of water
1/4 c. of bread crumbs
oil for frying

While your risotto is still cold, form into 16 small portions – sometimes I take a large bowl and put the risotto inside, and then score it like a pie into 8 slices.  I then take each “slice” and split it into two pieces.  Voilá – sixteen portions!  Wet your hands and form each of the portions into a smooth ball.  Push a cube of mozzarella into the risotto and roll again so that the cheese is completely covered by the risotto.  Place on a cookie sheet lined with a sheet of wax paper.  When you’ve rolled all of the arancini, place in the freezer to allow them to solidify a bit.

While the arancini are cooling, break out 3 shallow dishes.  Add 1/2 c. of flour to one dish.  Scramble the egg and two tbs. of water together in the second dish.  Place the breadcrumbs in the third dish.  Take the arancini out of the freezer and start an assembly line.  First dredge them in the flour, shaking off the excess.  Then, plunk them in the egg to wet them all over.  Lastly, dredge in the breadcrumbs and place on a clean dish or another cookie sheet lined with parchment.

Heat a pot of cooking oil to 320° and gently lower a batch of arancini into the hot oil (5 at a time is good).  Cook until beautifully golden on the outside, about 7 minutes.  If you don’t cook your arancini long enough, they will not be meltey goodness in the inside.  Drain on paper towels and serve with marinara for dipping.

Note

  • Use any risotto recipe you’d like to make these guys – just make sure that it’s good and cool when you start working with it.  My recipe for Rock Shrimp Risotto is a good starting point – just leave out the shrimp and you are in business.
  • After you dredge the shrimp in flour, egg and breadcrumbs, you can freeze the arancini.  They can be fried from frozen at 340° for 9 minutes.

Nyquil-Induced Trishy Lou Brownies

Say, What’s in These Brownies? Um, Deliciousness…

Nyquil brownies…yeah, I said it.  You look a little sick and also a little skinny, so I thought I would do you a favor.  You’re welcome.

This recipe is actually a hack of the clutch recipe of my best friend Kate’s mom’s brownie recipe, combined with the idea of Nyquil Brownies as featured on Bittersweet Blog.  Let me tell you this, if ever there were two recipes that were meant to be combined, it’s these two.  I stumbled upon the Nyquil Brownie recipe on FoodBuzz and laughed my ass off – they were touted as a way to get rid of unwanted house guests, but for me, they proved a way to get rid of the noxious green swill in my medicine cabinet.  I hate that shit with a passion and yet it still ends up next to the Mucinex every winter.  WTF, Nyquil?  Bittersweet has you whip up a lovely cheesecake topping for boxed brownie mix, and spikes the creamy goodness with a shot of the mint Nyquil.  Genius, I thought, and I immediately tucked the recipe away.

Nyquil Brownie © Spice or Die

Though I’m no baker, I recently fell in love with Pat O’Malley’s super fudgy, failproof brownie recipe.  They taste like gourmet, are easier than box brownies and satisfy an addict’s level of chocolate craving.  I don’t know why I just thought of the song Constant Craving, but if K.D. Lang came over, I’d serve these brownies.  But I digress – these brownies deserved some sort of crowning glory, and I decided what-the-hell, how about Bittersweet’s Nyquil topping.

I liken them to Thin Mints in taste.  The hubby said they remind him of Andes Mints.  I didn’t really get a definitive response from my other buddies munching with me other than “mmmmmmmm”.  Best of all, they didn’t make us sleepy so much as blissfully happy that we thought to put all of the goodness together in a pan.  So I’m sorry if you’re looking for a way to kick people out of your house – this doesn’t seem to work as quickly as I had hoped.  But it does seem to work to make some culinary excellence, so I’m fucking fine with it.

The cream cheese topping was thick for me, so rather than bake in a rectangular pan, I cooked mine in a 9 in. round pan (3 in. tall) just like a cake.  This works REALLY well and looks gorgeous when you cut into it – like a giant chocolate mint cheesecake.  If, however, you’d like to go with traditional brownie squares, use a 13×9 pan and cut the cooking time down a bit to keep the brownies moist – about 10 minutes.

Nyquil-Induced Trishy Lou Brownies

Ingredients
1 package cream cheese softened
1/2 c. of sugar
1 egg
1 shot of green Nyquil (or 1 tbs. of creme de menthe, or 1 tsp of peppermint extract plus 4 drops of green food coloring)

1 stick plus 3 tbs. of butter (11 tbs.)
4 oz. of baking chocolate (4 squares)
1 1/3 c. of flour
1 tsp. of baking powder
1/2 tsp. of salt
2 tsp. of vanilla
1 tsp. of peppermint extract
4 eggs
2 c. of sugar

Preheat oven to 350°.

Using a stand mixer (or with a hand mixer and a bowl), cream together the sugar, cream cheese and Nyquil (or mint flavor of choice) until smooth.  Add egg and blend until creamy.  Set aside.

In a large, microwave-safe bowl, add butter and then the chocolate on top.  Microwave until melted (about 1 1/2 minutes) in 30 second intervals, taking mixture out to stir in between.

Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar over the melted chocolate.  Stir.  Add the vanilla, peppermint extract and eggs and stir.  Do not overmix.

Pour brownie batter into a buttered (or cooking sprayed) 9 in. round baking pan.  Pour the cream cheese mixture on top and spread evenly to cover the brownie batter.  Bake for 45 minutes until the edges are cooked through and the middle of the brownies are just set.  When cooled, cut into wedges and serve.

Buttermilk Poppy Seed Dressing

I think that some of the best culinary moments are ones in which your tastebuds get a full dose of action – sweet, salty, savory, even bitter.  When all combined, it’s some absolute majesty.  This dressing is no exception – the allure of the tangy buttermilk combined with the sweet and tart cider vinegar is absolutely unbeatable.  And the poppy seeds give the whole mixture lovely color and added pizzaz.

Buttermilk Poppyseed Dressing © Spice or Die

If you aren’t in the habit of making your own salad dressing, you should definitely start.  Your salads will taste fresher and brighter, and it won’t cost you anything.  Most homemade salad dressings include staples that you already have in your pantry.  You’ll be saving yourself pennies, chemicals, and in many cases calories, by doing it yourself.

I use this dressing in place of warm bacon dressing on the classic Spinach Salad – a combination of baby spinach, red onion and hard boiled eggs.  However, it’s also delicious on arugula and other bitter greens that are livened up by a bit of sweetness.  Be creative and tuck this dressing recipe into your rolodex for something new and special.

 

Recipe for

Spinach Salad with Buttermilk Poppy Seed Dressing

Ingredients
1 tbs. of cider vinegar
1/4 c. of buttermilk
1/2 tsp. of salt
1/4 tsp. of black pepper
1/4 c. of vegetable oil
1/2 tsp. of poppy seeds

Combine all of the ingredients in a jar or plastic tupperware with a tight lid.  Shake and pour over salad of your choice.  Serve.

Greek Pasta Salad

You Feta Believe It!

I’ve always been iffy about potlucks – while you get a lot of really excellent homemade treats from fellow cheffies, you always run the risk of tasting something god awful (or more likely, something that’s passable that you know that you could make better).  As such, I’m always juiced for recipes that are killers at parties – I won’t be subjecting others to questionable dishes, and if all is bad, I can just make a meal out of a little more of what I’ve brought.  It’s also a good trick for those with dietary restrictions – if you can’t trust others to feed you properly, bring food that will fit the bill.

Greek Pasta Salad © Spice or Die

I like this pasta salad because it’s made from simple ingredients that most people love, and the flavors are bright and tasty.  Nothing strange here – just crisp veggies and curly pasta sopping up lemony vinaigrette.  The whole mess gets an added treat from crumbles of feta and salty olives.  It’s so friggin’ simple, you’ll want to have some on hand in the fridge for an easy side dish on days when it’s too hot to turn on the oven. Continue reading Greek Pasta Salad