Rainbow Chard. Say these two words to anyone who loves leafy greens and you’ll find yourself listening to praise in the sort of excited tones usually reserved for arguably more deserving foods, like ice cream. But if you’ve seen the beautiful chard sauntering around the CSA boxes and farmer’s markets recently, you’d be smitten, too. With its striking red, orange, and yellow-hued stems dipping into deep-green ruffled skirts, this is one good-looking vegetable that deserves to be treated well.

It seems like I just can’t get enough of chard these days, and as I searched for different ways to prepare it, paused on this recipe for a chard-filled yeasted tart. It looked quite appealing, with an inner texture reminiscent of a frittata or Spanish tortilla: a silky mixture of egg and chard, with herbs and cheese to suit your fancy. The presence of a yeasted crust, much lower in fat than a typical tart dough made of buttery pâte brisée, was the real clincher for me. I suppose I could have made a crustless quiche, but I really do love a nice crust…it’s just the richness of pure-butter ones seems a bit much for everyday eating.

I was pretty pleased with the recipe overall, although I tried to make it in a 9-inch tart pan and the filling did overflow a bit - an 11-inch pan is definitely the way to go (if you only have a smaller one, it might work to cut the milk by perhaps half to avoid wateriness). Actually, I might cut the milk anyway, as one friend found it slightly “wet” for his taste. The yeasted crust is pleasantly chewy and rather pizzalike. Do make sure to spray or grease your pan well, though, as it tends to stick a bit otherwise. This tart would make a lovely brunch item or light lunch (with some salad greens on the side if you’re a greens fiend, too). Although it’s good both warm and room temperature, I preferred it warm.

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I just love kofta, that marvelous Middle Eastern meatball that can be flavored and cooked in so many different ways (and is variously spelled köfte, kufte, كفته, among others). I definitely prefer the flavor of lamb over any other filling, but given that I often cook vegetarian at home, I’m intrigued by meatless interpretations of it. Two recipes in particular have been swimming around in my to-make queue for ages now, and this past month I finally managed to try both of them.

The first recipe is from Moroccan cookbook author Kitty Morse’s volume North Africa: The Vegetarian Table. The main ingredient in these is finely chopped breadcrumbs, which are flavored similarly to an Arab meat kofta, with parsley, cilantro, and cumin seed. They’re first fried in oil, then baked in an aromatic cinnamon and parsley-scented tomato sauce. My expectations were high for these to be fantastic. But, alas, we all know what happens when expectations run too high! While I didn’t exactly dislike them, I don’t think I’ll make them again, at least not without some major changes. The flavors were on the right mark, but the end impression was of an oily ball of slightly bouncy, spongelike bread in sauce. Nicely flavored bread, mind you, but not worth all the work of chopping herbs and the various steps involved. I’m not including the recipe here for that reason. They were also very difficult to fashion as the dough was very wet (too many eggs, I’d wager). Here’s what they looked like:

The second recipe was as different from the Moroccan version as can be. These Turkish koftas, found on Yogurt Land, were a bit simpler to make and formed from a mixture of soft red lentils and bulgur wheat. They’re not fried and are meant to be served at room temperature, accompanied by a tangy, sumac-laced onion salad. I enjoyed these and will make them again, both for the healthy properties of the lentils and cracked wheat and also because I’d like to experiment with adding different herbs, such as dill or cilantro. In Turkey I think they’re served as finger food, but I made a tasty lunchtime sandwich with a few koftas, a squeeze of lemon, and some onion salad stuffed into a warm piece of lavash bread.

Although I’m not quite prepared to give up my lamb koftas, making these was a neat learning experience and has opened my mind to some new possibilities in vegetarian cooking. Perhaps I can try modifying Kitty Morse’s recipe by substituting bulgur or some other more texturally interesting ingredient (tempeh?) for the breadcrumbs. I also know there are also some fantastic Indian vegetarian koftas that I need to try making, too. Meanwhile, these Red Lentil Koftas are a tasty and adaptable keeper (they seemed to get even better the next day, too). I think they’d be equally good as a finger food appetizer, stuffed into bread as a sandwich, or as a light dinner in warm weather. Don’t skip the onion salad, by the way…the mild flavor of the koftas really benefits from this pungent accompaniment.

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Here is another healthy dinner recipe from my alternate, non-baking personality. It’s especially for those of us who are working to fight the forces of Food Blogger’s Butt, which is the name I’ve given this peculiar condition that has recently settled in my pants. I think anyone who has spent much of the winter baking knows all too well what I’m talking about.

Beans and greens are a comforting, homey dish that I just love, especially with rapini (aka broccoli rabe) for its bitter, slightly mustardy flavor. Rapini also happens to be an excellent source of vitamins A, C, and K, as well as calcium. Polenta, former peasant dish that it is, is extremely filling and also fast to make, provided you use the instant kind (which I have no qualms about, personally - who wants to stand at the stove, stirring for hours? If you have kids, on the other hand, what an excellent way to put them to work). I almost feel guilty writing this down as it’s so simple, but it serves as another good reminder that cheap, quick food doesn’t have to be bad for you.

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For once even I am a bit sick of sugar, as there have been a few too many sweets slouching around these days that are going nowhere fast. However, the apartment across from me is waiting to be rented. What does this have to do with sweets? Only that I’m really hoping for someone who likes to eat (or cook) to move in, so I can share baked goods and fatten them up, too. My other neighbors can be annoying with their occasional binge-drinking parties/competitions, so I am not too eager to get chummy with them. Unfortunately, harboring such feelings about my neighbors makes me feel a bit like a crabby old cat lady. Sans cats, because I am allergic, so perhaps I’m the crabby old lady who is slightly bitter but bakes sweets.

Meanwhile, I expect this sugar-sick syndrome is just one of those 48-hour bugs, especially because there is an incredible chocolate tangerine semifreddo in the freezer that would like to be eaten (and written about) soon. Until then, here is a tasty pasta dish that is perfect weeknight fare. The sauce cooks in no time at all, with simple ingredients for a satisfying dinner with no bitterness in sight.

Linguini with Chickpeas, Lemon, and Ricotta

1/2 pound linguini
1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup parsley, chopped
juice from 1/2 a lemon
finely grated zest from one whole lemon
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 cup ricotta cheese

Pecorino or other hard, salty cheese for grating

Set a large pot of salted water boiling for pasta.
In a sauté pan large enough to hold the cooked pasta, heat the olive oil over a medium flame. When hot, toss in the chopped garlic and cook for about a minute. Add chickpeas, parsley, lemon juice and zest, and ricotta cheese. Cook for 2-3 minutes.

Meanwhile, boil pasta for the appropriate time (usually 4 minutes for linguini), drain, then throw into the sauté pan. Fold the sauce ingredients with the pasta, adding a bit more olive oil or salt and pepper if necessary. Top with grated Pecorino and serve.

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This pic was snapped right after I broke one of my tripods and my flash stopped working (yes, I am in fact always this graceful), but I had to share it anyway because the dish it depicts is just so darn delicious! It’s garlicky and green and nutritious and quick. I’m a big fan of kale, and have noticed recently in the supermarket that one can buy large bags of it prewashed and chopped, which means there is no excuse not to eat kale all week long and revel in the joy of American conveniences.

I ate this as a main dish with some pita bread, but it could also be served with rice or couscous, or as a side dish to a stew or tagine. The recipe is similar to one in Madhur Jaffrey’s World Vegetarian, which is easily one of my favorite cookbooks of all time - it has hundreds of interesting, simple, and healthy recipes that are ideal for the home cook. In fact, there is no doubt that the introduction to Madhur Jaffrey’s books when I was 22 or so has completely influenced my preferences for cooking and eating to this day. Thank you, Madhur, wherever you are!

Kale with Chickpeas and Olives
3/4 pound (about 15 cups) kale, rinsed and chopped
4 tablespoons olive oil
5 cloves of garlic, chopped
1/2 cup water
12 kalamata olives, pitted and sliced
3 cups cooked chickpeas (or 1 15-oz can, drained)
2 teaspoons ground cumin seeds
1 teaspoon ground coriander seeds
1 1/2 teaspoons mild paprika
pinch of cayenne
salt and pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add garlic and stir for a few seconds. Add kale and stir, then pour in the 1/2 cup water and cover the pan. Cook on medium-low until kale wilts and is tender, about 5-10 minutes. Add chickpeas, olives, and spices, cover again and cook until mixture is warm, about 5 more minutes. Serve with rice or pita bread.

Main Dishes, Salads & Sides | 1 Comment »

For dinner tonight I made this recipe from Fuschia Dunlop’s excellent Revolutionary Chinese Cookbook: Recipes from Hunan Province. It’s similar to a dish I make fairly regularly, but with the addition of pork, Shaoxing wine, stock, and sesame oil. The dish is slightly spicy-hot (and if you like things fiery, it can be made even hotter by adding chili paste or more chilies) and redolent with the unmistakable flavor of fermented black beans, which I absolutely love.

Perhaps you’ve had “home-style bean curd” in a Chinese restaurant, but as far as I’ve seen, most Chinese restaurants in America don’t make it anything like this. The original recipe was from a famous Hunanese chef, Peng Chang-Kuei, and, as Dunlop writes, “its Hunanese roots are plain to see”, with salty, bold, and rich flavors, and its the use of hot chilies (but not as mouth-tingling as Sichuan cuisine). I think it’s a terrific treatment of bean curd: assertive and complex, not to mention completely unlike the flaccid and gluey substance that passes for home-style bean curd in a typical Chinese take-out joint.

As this version does contain pork, it is obviously not vegetarian. However, vegetarians can make it work for them by simply leaving out the pork and replacing it with a little more bean curd and a small splash of Shaoxing wine. For those not familiar with some of the ingredients, the Shaoxing wine and fermented black beans can be found at any Asian grocer. There aren’t really any substitutions, though, so it won’t do at all to try!

Finally, a few words about deep frying the bean curd. I don’t have a wok or deep fryer at home, so I usually fry my bean curd in a large sauté pan with high sides. I find this works very well, and might also add that it’s a bit lower in fat than deep-frying, which frankly gives me a bit of the heebie-jeebies. Assuming you don’t have a complex about deep-frying stuff, by all means go for it - the bean curd will probably stay crisper when added to the sauce. Apart from frying the bean curd in a pan, the only other changes I made were to use cornstarch rather than potato flour (it’s easier to find and has basically the same effect), and the addition of some sliced red pepper at the same time as the black beans to provide a little more color and nutrition. For a full meal, I like to serve it with rice and sautéed Asian greens.

Peng’s Home-Style Bean Curd
Adapted from Revolutionary Chinese Cookbook: Recipes from Hunan Province

3oz boneless lean pork, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon Shaoxing wine
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 block firm bean curd, rinsed and patted dry (about 1 1/4 lbs)
3 scallions, green parts only, chopped
2 fresh red chilies, chopped (remove the seeds for less heat)
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
3 tablespoons fermented black beans, rinsed
1 cup vegetable stock
1//4 teaspoon dark soy sauce
1 teaspoon potato flour or cornstarch, dissolved in 1 tablespoon water
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

peanut oil for frying

Place pork slices in a bowl with the Shaoxing wine and salt, toss to coat.
Cut bean curd into cubes or oblong slices, about 1/2 inch thick.

To deep fry bean curd:
Heat 1 cup peanut oil over a high flame until it reaches 350-400ºF. Add bean curd in 3 or 4 batches and fry until tinged with gold; drain and set aside on a plate covered with a few paper towel to absorb excess oil.

To fry bean curd in a sauté pan:
Heat 1/4 to 1/3 cup peanut oil on highest flame in a sauté pan with 2 inch high sides. Add bean curd in 1 or 2 batches and fry, turning pieces over as they become golden. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside on a plate covered with a few paper towel to absorb excess oil.

In a wok or sauté pan, heat 3 tablespoons oil over a high flame. Add garlic and chilies and stir for a few seconds until fragrant. Add the sliced pork, and when it becomes pale, toss in the black beans, stirring all the while. When hot, pour in the stock, add the bean curd and soy sauce, and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat and simmer for several minutes so the bean curd will become flavored with the sauce. Add the potato flour or cornstarch and stir, then add the chopped scallions. Turn off the heat, stir in the sesame oil, and serve.

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