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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Main Dishes, Salads & Sides | 2 Comments »

I’m so glad it’s finally Spring…eating is starting to feel much more effortless now. No recipe is needed for a spring salad like this one, of baby arugula, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and some pecorino cheese flavored with saffron and black pepper. The greens are at their most tender and delicious, so only a little enhancement is needed. Although I do love my winter stews, it’s such a lovely, easy feeling to just let the food speak for itself. And did you know a local farmer’s market starts on Saturday? You better believe I’ll be there!

Salads & Sides | 1 Comment »

I’m such a nasty hypocrite - just the other day I was singing the praises of locally-grown food, and here I am eating mangos that were flown in from Chile or some other distant land. What can I say? It’s too early for much produce here in the Northeast, and I looooove love love mangos. Trust me, if there was a way to grow them fresh here, I’d have transformed my entire rooftop into a small mango forest.

Quinoa is a super-healthy but slightly obscure grain that many people seem to be on the fence about, if they’ve heard of it at all. Truth be told, the first time I tried it, I dismissed it pretty quickly. The flavor was okay, and although it was quick and easy to cook up, I couldn’t really find a place for it among all the pasta, rice, couscous, bread, bulghur, and other carbs I usually eat. Did I really need to make room in my life for another grain? Even one with an impressive amino acid profile, a surprising source of protein, and a rich mineral content?

Well, quinoa and I got back together recently, and I’m really glad to have given it another chance. While we’re not exactly inseparable (hey, all those other grains need my attention, too!), it does have a regular place in a jar on my pantry shelf. I like it best as an ingredient in salads or stuffings, since it adds an intriguing, couscous-like texture and is able to pair up with many different flavors. It can also be used in place of bulghur in dishes like tabbouleh or even as a hot breakfast cereal.

I really like the textural play in this salad with the firm beans, crunchy quinoa, and silky slivers of mango in a tart and slightly spicy dressing. It’s great by itself for a healthy lunch or as quick dish to whip together for a picnic or potluck. Note that the measurements for the salad are approximate, since I usually taste as I go along, so feel free to adjust to your own preferences!

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Grains & Pasta, Salads & Sides | 5 Comments »

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 »

When all else fails, roast some vegetables. I’m only halfway joking. Since this past week has been so busy with work, not to mention preparation for holidays and visitors, the thought of dirtying up a bunch of pans to make myself dinner is the last thing I want to do. At least it’s easy to throw some vegetables in the oven, ignore them for a while, and come back to something pretty darn tasty.

As I’m staring at this photo of those selfsame vegetables, though, it seems to me that the parsnips look a little like bananas due to the color they acquired after being roasted. I now kind of want to make something that involves roasted sweet potatoes, bananas, with maybe some cream and crunchy demerara sugar. I can’t seem to do anything without thinking of sweets, can I? This dish is decidedly healthy, though, and although the title is a bit long-winded, it’s a fine thing to put together when you’re short on patience (who, me? never!). It also doubles as a dish that’s as worthy of serving to guests as it is for lazy cooking nights. The bright flavor of orange pairs so well with rosemary, and also highlights the subtle sweetness of the parsnips. Toasted hazelnuts on top add a lovely crunch for some textural interest. For any last-minute planners, this would even make a nice addition to a holiday spread; just double the quantities for a large group. As is, the recipe will feed 3 to 4 people as a side dish.

Orange and Rosemary-Roasted Parsnips and Sweet Potatoes

1 lb parsnips, peeled and sliced into rounds
1 lb sweet potatoes (aka yams, e.g. jewel yams), peeled and chopped into cubes
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, chopped
grated zest of 1 small orange
1/4 to 1/3 cup fresh orange juice
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small pieces
1/4 cup chopped blanched hazelnuts
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 450ºF.
Spread chopped hazelnuts in a pan and toast for 5 minutes or until fragrant and a shade darker in color. Set aside.
Toss parsnips, yams, orange juice, orange zest, olive oil, rosemary, salt, and peppper together in a bowl, then spoon into a small baking dish. Dot butter pieces evenly over vegetable mixture. Cover loosely with foil and roast for 10-15 minutes minutes or until vegetables are slightly tender. Remove foil and roast until completely tender, about 15 minutes more. Remove from oven and sprinkle with toasted hazelnuts.

Salads & Sides | 2 Comments »

This is without a doubt my favorite tomato salad…something about the combination of lemon and cumin with the sweet tomatoes just makes me go insane with delight. I first tasted it from a friend and former roommate who made this often for our dinner parties (let me tell you how lucky it was to have a roommate who was not only a great cook but whose tastes in food were very compatible with my own).

What about this salad is Moroccan? I don’t think this dish is especially traditional to Moroccan cooking, but the original recipe called for harissa - a spicy, garlicky paste common to North African cooking. If you happen to have harissa on hand, you can use a few tablespoons of it in place of the garlic, cumin, and crushed red pepper. Otherwise, this version is pretty much identical in flavor and also faster if you aren’t up for making a batch of harissa (I personally need to psych myself up a bit before seeding all those red peppers that are required).

I make this tomato salad very frequently in the summer, and it doesn’t last more than a day or two as I can hardly stop myself from wolfing it down and drinking the spicy liquid that remains. It’s also a nice way to get some tomato action in non-summery months when the supermarket specimens are less than inviting. A package of grape tomatoes are usually sweet enough even when not in season, and the dressing is zippy enough to disguise the mediocre and enhance those in their prime (i’ll let you choose your own metaphor there ;). The salad is a perfect complement to grilled meats such as lamb or with rice and other grain dishes (like the Uppama from last week - I ate a whole batch that night and made another for this week). Quantities are approximate, so feel free to use less or more of an ingredient if you are sensitive (I like lots of cayenne, but some may not like it so spicy-hot).

Moroccan Tomato Salad

1 pint package of red grape or small cherry tomatoes, halved
1 garlic clove, minced
3 tablespoons onion, minced
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon whole cumin seed
1/4 teaspoon cayenne, or more to taste
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper, or to taste
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
salt

Roast the cumin seeds in a dry skillet until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Grind in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle.
Toss cumin and all other ingredients except cilantro together and taste for balance of flavors. Add more salt, pepper, or cayenne as needed. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve. This salad is good either cold or room temperature. If you have time, let it sit for a while to develop a bit and it will be even better.

Salads & Sides | No Comments »