Moveable Feasts: Vegetable

Showing posts with label Vegetable. Show all posts

5.08.2017

Vegetable Tian and a Farewell from Moveable Feasts

It's been almost 9 years since I began blogging and while I love all the friends I've made and the recipes we've shared, it's time to retire. I won't disappear from your lives as I'll still visit all of you from time to time and if I make something irresistible, I'll post it here. And you can still find me on Facebook and follow me on Instagram (as bsmithw).
My love and thanks to all of you who encouraged, supported and followed me all these years. It's been a wonderful experience!

I leave you with one final recipe...for your summer veggies!

Vegetable Tian
From The Blonde Cook

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1-1/2 cups diced sweet onion
1-1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 medium zucchini, thinly sliced
1 medium yellow squash, thinly sliced
1 medium baking potato, thinly sliced
3 medium tomatoes, thinly sliced
1 cup shredded Italian cheese blend
Italian seasoning, to taste
Salt and pepper, to taste

Method:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Sauté onions and garlic in olive oil in a skillet. Spread this mixture over the bottom of a casserole dish sprayed with cooking spray.
Evenly arrange the vegetable slices vertically in the casserole dish, alternating vegetables. Sprinkle with desired amount of salt, pepper and Italian seasoning.
Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.
Remove aluminum foil. Sprinkle with Italian cheese blend. Return to oven and bake an additional 15 minutes (uncovered), or until cheese is browned.

9.26.2016

Roasted Cauliflower Steaks

When I first saw this idea on Pinterest, I thought how much fun it would be to try. Of course, we've always loved roasted vegetables anyway...so much more flavor....so I knew it would be delicious, although do try to get a very large head of cauliflower as we only got three decent steaks out of ours. Not that we didn't use it all, we did. Just add the extra florets to the pan and oven and they'll be every bit as delicious as the steaks.

Roasted Cauliflower Steaks

Ingredients:
1 large head cauliflower
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil

Method:
Preheat oven to 400.
Slice the cauliflower through the center, keeping as much intact as possible. Season the “steaks” with salt and freshly ground pepper. Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and place cauliflower carefully in the pan. Sear the cauliflower for 3 to 4 minutes per side, until deeply golden.
Remove from skillet and place on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Place in the oven for 15 minutes or until nicely caramelized. Serve immediately.

9.06.2016

Layered Vegetable Torte

Thought all you gardeners would love a terrific early fall veggie dish. I don't have a garden anymore, but I remember wanting to find recipes for using up the last of my veggies each fall. I gave my zucchini and yellow squash to anyone and everyone back in my gardening days!
With this recipe, you grill your vegetables so they have that lovely smokey flavor and then add a delish garlicky crumble on top. Don't you love crumbles? Sweet or savory, doesn't matter to me. But you just can't beat this savory one for flavor. Perfect with the vegetables.

Layered Vegetable Torte
From The New York Times

Ingredients:
1 large eggplant, cut into 1/4-inch slices
4 medium zucchini or yellow squash, cut into 1/4-inch slices
2 portobello mushrooms, cut into 1/4-inch slices
½ cup extra virgin olive oil, or more as needed
Salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 plum tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch slices
2 tablespoons minced garlic
¼ cup chopped fresh basil leaves
¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan
½ cup bread crumbs, preferably fresh

Method:
Heat oven to 400 degrees.
Put a grill pan over medium-high heat, or prepare a grill; the heat should be medium-high, and the rack about 4 inches from flame. Brush eggplant, zucchini and mushrooms lightly with half the oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper; if roasting, grease 2 baking sheets with oil. Roast or grill vegetables on both sides until soft.

Coat bottom and sides of 8-inch springform pan with oil. Layer a third of the eggplant slices into bottom of the pan, then layer in half the zucchini, mushrooms, tomato, garlic and basil, sprinkling each layer with a bit of salt and pepper. Repeat layers until all vegetables are used.

Press the top with a spatula or spoon to make the torte as compact as possible. Sprinkle top with Parmesan and bread crumbs, and drizzle with about 1 tablespoon oil.

Bake torte in oven about 30 minutes. Let sit for 5 minutes before removing outer ring of pan, then let cool for another 10 minutes before cutting into wedges.

8.15.2016

Summer Tarts with Vegetable Spirals

From what I understand, a photo of these vegetable-swirled tarts was posted on the internet a couple years ago and went viral. Dina from Olive Oil and Lemons decided to replicate the recipe...I think I may have seen it on Pinterest and it caught my eye.

To begin with..these were delicious! Well worth the patience it took to make them. We only made four little tarts and wish we had made 12! My daughter and I have been splitting them and eating them for lunch every day.
Dina's instructions look lengthy...don't let that frighten you from making these. You'll get the hang of it in no time. I lined the 4 1/2 inch pastry tins in advance and froze them; the cheese filling is simple, you just have to make certain the cheeses are room temperature. It's the slicing and swirling the vegetables that takes patience. The slices need to be very thin so they twirl nicely..you could use your mandolin or your vegetable peeler (press down hard if you use the peeler) and you'll need to trim your veggies to make them all the same height. Press them down into the cheese a little, it will hold the twirls in place. It's simpler than it looks. Patience!

Summer Tarts with Vegetable Spirals
From Olive Oil and Lemons

Ingredients for pastry:
2 cups flour
pinch of salt
pinch of sugar
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, cold, cut into small cubes
1/3 cup ice water

Method for pastry:
Place flour, salt and sugar in a food processor and pulse to mix. Add the cold butter and pulse with on/off until the butter pieces are coated with the flour.
Begin adding the water in a thin and steady stream while continuing to pulse on and off. The dough may not yet come together but no loose flour remains.
Scrape the dough onto the work surface and shape the dough into a disk, handling it as little as possible. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour.

When ready to proceed remove the dough from the refrigerator and cut in half. Working with one half at a time roll the dough out into a circle large enough for one 8 tart or 4 individual tarts.
To fit the dough into the tart pans I cut it into circles large enough to fit into the pans and pressed them into place individually.
Gently press the dough into the tart pans and then roll the rolling pin over pressing it gently onto the edges. This will cut the dough into each individual tart pan.
Refrigerate until cold before filling. (I froze my tarts)

Filling:
1/2 cup cream cheese
1/2 cup goat cheese
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Combine the cheeses in a bowl and bring to room temperature. When they are soft, mash them together with a spoon until blended.

Ingredients for the vegetables:
2 green zucchini
2 yellow zucchini
3 carrots
1/4 cup melted butter for brushing over the spirals before baking
salt (for sprinkling over the spiral before baking)

Method for assembling:
Cut off the ends of the zucchini and carrots, then slice into vertical ribbons with a mandolin or a vegetable peeler.
Stack the ribbons and cut them by half vertically so they are all approximately of equal width. Depending on their size, you may not need to cut the carrots.

Remove tart shells from the refrigerator and spread with some of the cheese filling.
Begin rolling the vegetables into a spiral form. Start with a ribbon of carrot and roll it onto itself tightly. You can press the veggies into the cheese to hold them in place. Now add another ribbon of green or yellow zucchini and wrap it around the carrot. Keep the skin side of the ribbons up for better visual. Continue wrapping the ribbons around, alternating the colors and making the spiral larger until you nearly reach the the edges of the tart shell.

Place the tarts on a baking sheet, brush melted butter over the vegetables and bake at 400°F for 30-40 minutes until the pastry is crisp and just beginning to turn golden. Do not let the vegetables brown.

Remove from oven, let cool a little and then remove from the tart pan.

6.18.2016

Heidi's Roasted Cauliflower Rice

While I'd certainly heard of it, cauliflower rice sounded like a strange idea, but I loved the ingredient list in Heidi's recipe so gave this a try. So glad I did! Who'd have thought to add orange to this combo? It added just the right touch of citrus to an already marvelous recipe. I made it for lunch and ended up having it for supper as well. I don't normally fuss this much for lunch, but sometimes I get in a salad rut and need a refreshing change. Frankly, I think it would be a super side dish for grilling...salad plus veggie all in one.

Roasted Cauliflower Rice

From Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients:

1 medium-large head of cauliflower

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

one orange, zest and juice

1 teaspoon caraway seeds, lightly crushed

2 medium cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt, plus more to taste

2/3 cup toasted hazelnuts, chopped

2 big handfuls pea sprouts or micro greens

1/4 cup thinly sliced radishes

3 tablespoons fresh marjoram

1/3 cup crumbled goat cheese

Method:

Heat oven to 375F with a rack in the top third. Cut the stems and florets from the head of cauliflower and chop them into small pieces resembling rice. You should end up with about 5 cups. Put the cauliflower in a large bowl and toss with the olive oil, zest of the orange, caraway, garlic, and sea salt. Arrange in a single layer on a large baking sheet and place in the oven for about 35 minutes, tossing once along the way (after 20 minutes), or until the cauliflower is tender and golden-edged.

Put the roasted cauliflower into a large bowl and toss with 1 tablespoon of freshly squeezed juice from the orange. Add the hazelnuts, pea sprouts, radishes, and marjoram. Toss well, taste and add more salt and orange juice if needed. Turn out into a bowl or platter, and finish with the goat cheese.

5.16.2016

Roasted Vegetable Clafoutis

Usually, a clafoutis is a fruit and custard dessert. Here we have a savory version...with roasted vegetables and Parmesan. I was able to find nearly all the unusual ingredients at Whole Foods, but if not available in your area, substitute anything reasonably close. We thought there was too much potato, but small purple sweet potatoes were not available and I found one large and cut it in half before roasting....it turned out to be too much, even after quartering. Fingerlings were not available either and I substituted small Yukon Golds, which no doubt added even more potato than needed. We both wanted more veggies and less potato, but this was not a problem with the recipe, just my not adjusting the recipe properly.

Because time was an issue, I roasted the vegetables the day before and refrigerated them, then made the custard right before baking the next day. Worked out fine. We loved the dish and I would make it again.

Roasted Vegetable Clafoutis
From Food and Wine

Ingredients for the vegetables:

8 medium carrots of varying colors (3/4 pound)

6 baby beets of varying colors (about 4 ounces), scrubbed

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for rubbing

6 fingerling potatoes

2 small purple sweet potatoes (3/4 pound total)

2 heads baby orange cauliflower (about 4 ounces), cut into 3/4-inch florets

1/2 small head Romanesco broccoli, cut into 3/4-inch florets (3 cups)

Kosher salt

Freshly ground pepper

Ingredients for the batter:

1 3/4 cups half-and-half

4 large eggs

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for sprinkling

Kosher salt

Softened butter, for greasing

Method:

Preheat your oven to 400°. Spread the carrots and beets on 2 separate sheets of foil and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Fold up the edges of the foil sheets to make two sealed packets.

On a small baking sheet, rub the fingerling and sweet potatoes with olive oil and prick them all over with a fork.

In a medium baking dish, toss the cauliflower and broccoli florets with the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil.

Roast the broccoli and cauliflower for about 15 minutes, the potatoes for about 30 minutes and the carrots and beets for about 35 minutes, until all of the vegetables are tender and the broccoli and cauliflower are browned in spots.

Let cool slightly. Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into quarters lengthwise; peel the fingerling potatoes and cut them in half lengthwise. Season the roasted vegetables lightly with salt and pepper.

In a blender, combine the half-and-half with the eggs, flour, 1/2 cup of the cheese and 2 teaspoons salt and blend until smooth.

Butter a 9-inch-square glass or ceramic baking dish and sprinkle all over with cheese. Arrange the vegetables in the baking dish in 2 stacked layers, lining them up in the same direction. Pour the batter on top. Sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of cheese and bake in the center of the oven for about 45 minutes, until puffed, golden and set; cover the dish with foil halfway through to prevent over-browning. Let the clafoutis cool slightly, then cut into squares and serve.

4.17.2016

Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings' Okra with Hollandaise

This month, our book group read Cross Creek, by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings. I'm sure you know her name as not only was there a movie made of this particular book, but she is most famous for her 1939 Pulitzer Prize winner, The Yearling, which I'm sure you've all read; it also was made into a movie.

I'd never been to this part of Florida so here's a map: (so you're not lost, notice Gainesville a bit north of it)

I added Micanopy to the map, as that's where we stayed (at the Herlong Inn, photo below), practically the only place in the area to spend the night. Cross Creek is about 10 or 15 minutes away. (Micanopy is a Florida town with an interesting history. That history includes Chief Micanopy who was the chief of the Seminole Nation during the 2nd Seminole War from 1835-1842.) They have some nice antique stores and one other gem of a shop, a small bakery, a general store where you can eat a snack during the day, but not much else.

We ate one meal at the famous Yearling restaurant, definitely a Florida cracker type restaurant featuring gator meat, frog legs, catfish, fried green tomatoes, etc. Great fun and we got to hear Willie "Big Toe" Green, who appears to be the entertainer here. He specializes in blues music on the guitar and harmonica, and is quite good. I took a short video with my iPhone, but found this on utube....much better.

When you visit Rawlings' Cross Creek homestead you can walk back in time and experience Florida farm life as it existed during the 1930s. Her cracker-style home and farm, where she lived for 25 years and wrote the Pulitzer Prize-winning The Yearling, has been restored and is preserved as it was when she lived there. In 2007, the house and farm yard were designated as a National Historic Landmark and is a Florida State Park.

She moved to Cross Creek in 1928. (Her first husband was not fond of the isolation and left her soon after. She did remarry....hotelier Norton Sanford Baskin, happily, although she died in her 50's.) She was a graduate of the University of Wisconsin, and had been living in New York. She immediately fell in love with the isolation of Cross Creek. She felt like she was home for the first time in her life. The Florida Crackers who lived in the area became not just her friends, but the subjects of her books. And also a 5 year long lawsuit....which you can read more about HERE if you're interested.

Some photos of the area; the house and living room are of the Rawlings homestead.

As we toured the home, there was a young woman in the kitchen cooking, on the original wood stove, a recipe from Marjorie's Cookbook, Cross Creek Cookery. (Marjorie was famous for her cooking.) The young woman informed us she did something different each day and today we were having okra and broccoli with hollandaise from the cookbook. The next day she was going to make jelly.
Below is a photo of the original kitchen, laid out with ingredients ready to make for us, and below that, a photo of the recipe in the cookbook, which was outside on the serving table. The hollandaise had a more distinct lemon flavor than mine, which is why I chose to make it for you.

Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings' Okra with Hollandaise
From her cookbook, Cross Creek Cookery

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
juice of 1 lemon
2 egg yolks
dash salt

Method:
Divide butter into 3 pieces. Put one piece of butter along with the egg yolk and lemon juice in the top of a double boiler over boiling water. Whisk rapidly and constantly. As the butter melts, add another piece of butter. When it begins to thicken, add the third piece of butter and the salt. When thickened, remove from stove immediately and serve.

Cooking okra:

Have some boiling, salted water going on the stove. Choose fresh okra pods, wash, but do not cut the tops off. Drop into the water and boil exactly 7 minutes, no longer. Drain quickly and serve with hollandaise.
Cooks notes: Choose okra all the same size so they cook evenly. And I dumped them in ice water after the 7 minutes to stop the cooking.

And here we are on the porch of the Herlong Mansion: (only 8 of us were able to go, we have 14 in our group)

11.20.2015

Susan's Brussels Sprouts Souffle

Are you like me...always on the lookout for new side dishes for the holidays? My family has their favorites and I'm always happy to make those dishes for them, but I really do like to introduce one new veggie dish each year. Their favorite sprout recipe to date is one I first made many years ago and posted it in 2008 HERE. My family still requests it. But when I saw Susan's recipe for the sprout souffle, I just knew I'd have to make it for the holidays this year. I gave it a test run and my guests loved it. I have no doubt this will soon replace my family's old favorite.

Susan's Brussels Sprouts Souffle
From Savoring Time in the Kitchen

Ingredients:
¼ cup butter
¼ cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
4 egg yolks
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 10-oz package frozen Brussels sprouts, cooked, drained, and finely chopped (about 2 cups) May use fresh, cooked Brussels Sprouts, of course - do not overcook (I used fresh)
4 egg whites

Method:
Preheat oven to 350F
In a very large sauce pan melt butter until bubbly and then blend in the flour and salt until well combined. Add the milk all at once and cook quickly till mixture thickens, stirring constantly.

Beat egg yolks till thick and lemon-colored. Blend some of the hot butter mixture into egg yolks to temper them; return the yolk mixture to the pot and stir rapidly to that the eggs do not curdle. Stir in cheese and finely chopped sprouts. Set pan aside.

Beat the egg whites until stiff but not dry and carefully fold into hot mixture. Make certain they are mixed, but do not over-fold.

Turn the mixture into an ungreased 2-quart soufflé dish.

Bake in 350 degree oven for 40-60 minutes or until knife inserted comes out clean.

Susan's notes: May be made the day before and refrigerated after cooling. Allow to come to room temperature and reheat in a 350 oven, covered with aluminum foil until heated through - about 20 minutes.

4.06.2015

Grilled Fennel Tarts

Fennel is one of my favorite vegetables....love it roasted and make it frequently. One thing I don't like much is raw fennel in salads...the anise flavor is more pronounced, which I don't particularly care for. But caramelized, it's divine. We all have our little quirks.

When I saw this tart, I knew I'd love it and, cut into smaller pieces, it would also make a nice appetizer. I made it for lunch, left the puff pastry whole and placed whole fennel slices on it, then sliced it afterwards. You can do it my way or follow the instructions below.

Grilled Fennel Tarts
From Spoon Fork Bacon

Ingredients:
2 medium fennel bulbs (with fronds intact)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 ounces Gruyere cheese, coarsely grated
1 ounce mascarpone, softened
2 teaspoons oregano, minced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 lemon, zested
2 sheets puff pastry, cut into 2 x 5” rectangles
salt and pepper to taste

Method:
Preheat oven to 400°F. Thinly slice fennel heads into 1/2 inch slices (lengthwise) and cut each piece in half. (I left them whole.) Brush each piece of fennel with oil and season with salt and pepper.
Heat a grill or grill pan over high heat and lightly grease. Grill fennel for about 3 minutes on each side or until nicely charred and softened. Remove from heat and allow fennel pieces to cool.
In a small bowl combine Gruyere, mascarpone, oregano, red pepper flakes, and lemon zest. Season with salt and pepper and mash together with the back of a fork until fully combined. Cut your puff pastry into rectangles. (I left my puff pastry whole.) Spread a small amount of the cheese mixture over each piece of puff pastry, leaving the outer 1/4 inch perimeter bare.
Top each rectangle of cheese spread puff pastry with a piece of grilled fennel and gently press down. Place each tart onto a baking sheet, lined with parchment, and lightly season with salt and pepper. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the fennel begins to caramelize and the puff pastry turns golden brown.
Allow to cool for 5 minutes before cutting and serving.

11.21.2014

Cornbread-Stuffed Cornish Game Hens with Corn Maque Choux

If you're not having a huge group at the Thanksgiving table, this recipe might fit the bill. Game hens in place of turkey have always been my answer when cooking for two or three. (Unless you love those turkey leftovers!) Here you have the individual servings everyone loves and even a little stuffing, made with apples, cider and some cheese. The side dish of corn maque choux is divine...please try it even if you don't serve it with the game hens.

Cornbread-Stuffed Cornish Game Hens with Corn Maque Choux
By Bruce Aidells for Bon Appétit, October 2008

Ingredients:

Stuffing:
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 1/2 cups diced peeled cored Granny Smith or Golden Delicious apples
2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage
1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 cups 1/2-inch cubes purchased cornbread or corn muffins (about 11 ounces)
1 large egg, beaten to blend
1/2 cup (packed) coarsely grated sharp cheddar cheese (about 2 ounces)
6 tablespoons (about) fresh apple cider or fresh apple juice

Game hens:
4 1 1/4- to 1 1/2-pound Cornish game hens, rinsed, patted dry
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 bacon slices, each halved crosswise

Corn Maque Choux recipe below.

Method:
For stuffing:
Melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and celery; sauté until beginning to color, about 5 minutes. Add apples; sauté until beginning to soften, about 3 minutes. Mix in sage, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper; transfer to large bowl. Let stand until almost cool, about 10 minutes.

Mix cornbread into vegetables. Add egg and toss to blend. Mix in cheese, then enough apple cider by tablespoonfuls to form stuffing that is moist but not wet.

Game hens:
Sprinkle cavity of each hen lightly with salt and pepper. Pack 1 cup stuffing into each (place any leftover stuffing into buttered ramekins and cover with foil). Skewer cavities closed with toothpicks or turkey lacers. Tuck wing tips under; tie legs together to hold shape. Mix sage, coarse salt, and pepper in small bowl; sprinkle over hens.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Place 2 hens in skillet. Sauté until brown, turning often with wooden spoons (to prevent tearing skin), about 10 minutes. Transfer to rimmed baking sheet, breast side up. Repeat with remaining hens. Drape 2 bacon strip halves over breast of each hen. Using kitchen string, tie bacon strips in place. (Place any ramekins of stuffing on baking sheet with hens.)

Place hens (and extra stuffing) in oven. Roast hens until cooked through and juices run clear when thigh is pierced, about 45 minutes. (Roast stuffing 30 minutes.) Cut strings off hens. Transfer hens to plates. Spoon maque choux around hens and serve with extra stuffing.

Corn Maque Choux

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
1 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
2 cups fresh corn kernels (cut from 3 medium ears of corn)
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon (or more) hot pepper sauce
1 green onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
Coarse kosher salt

Method:
Melt butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add bell pepper; sauté until beginning to soften, about 3 minutes. Add corn; sauté 2 minutes. Add cream, thyme, and 1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce. Simmer until sauce thickens, about 5 minutes. Mix in green onion, parsley, and basil. Season to taste with coarse salt, pepper, and more hot pepper sauce, if desired.

11.04.2014

Sweet Potato and Corn Fritters

Vegetable fritters are a favorite of mine. Obviously, as I've already posted four (and maybe five by the time I post this): Faith's is my favorite (because I make it all the time) and then Ottolenghi's leek fritters, plus Donna Hay's (the closest to this recipe) ...and lastly, the one I've had an amazing number of hits on: Peter's Tomato Fritters.
What I like about Alicia's recipe is you can use up some things in your veggie bin. Well, that's the fun with most fritters, using up your veggie bits and pieces.
I served these fritters with some sour cream but Alicia served them with a garlicky blue cheese dip of some sort. You can make them in round balls too. Anything goes.

Alicia Foodycat's Sweet Potato and Corn Fritters
From Alicia at Foodycat

Ingredients:
3 sweet potatoes, peeled and coarsely grated
4 cobs of corn, kernels sliced off
1 onion, finely sliced
2 leeks, finely sliced
1 green pepper, chopped
small bunch of coriander, chopped
3 large eggs
2 cups self-raising flour, approx
salt, pepper and smoked paprika

Method:
Mix all the veg in a large bowl with the eggs and season with salt, pepper and a little smoked paprika, then add flour until it forms a pretty thick batter. (I didn't use nearly as much as the ingredient list indicates. Eye it as you're adding.
Heat 2" of oil in a deep saucepan, then press handfuls of the batter into balls and carefully drop into the oil. Cook for about 4 minutes on each side, in batches, draining well on kitchen paper.

11.01.2014

Chicken Thighs in Apricot Port Mustard Glaze with Winter Squash Polenta

Yet another of Elle's wonderful recipes. It's a lovely way to remember her talent in the kitchen and if you haven't ever visited her blog, you should.
The flavors in the glaze are delicious; I'll be making this again. I used bone in thighs, just cooked them a bit longer.

Chicken Thighs in Apricot Port Mustard Glaze with Winter Squash Polenta
Adapted From Elle's New England Kitchen

Serves 4.
Ingredients:
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup apricot preserves
1/4 cup ruby port wine
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

Method:
Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken thighs and sear on both sides for about 6–7 minutes per side. Remove the chicken from the skillet, add to a plate, and set aside. Add the remaining oil to the pan and add the garlic. Sauté the garlic on medium heat for 1 minute. Mix together the preserves, port, and mustard and add to the garlic. Lower the heat and simmer for 2 minutes. Add back the chicken, nestle the chicken in the sauce, and cook on low heat for 1–2 minutes.

Winter Squash Polenta
Ingredients:
4 cups water
1 cup coarse polenta
½ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup thawed frozen winter squash puree ( I had some fresh acorn squash and used that)
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
Garnish: ¼ cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Method:
In a medium saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Add the polenta, salt and pepper and whisk on medium-low heat until the polenta is thickened and comes away from the sides of the pan, about 15 minutes. Add in the winter squash and maple syrup. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with the Parmesan cheese.

9.21.2014

Corn, Spring Onion and Ricotta Tart

A lovely meatless dish....and you can serve it hot or cold. The polenta crust has a nice crunch to it and the sweetness of the corn is balanced by the scallions. Each mouthful has a creamy texture from the ricotta. Lots of flavors going on here and not only does it make a pretty presentation, but is simple to make. Your entire family will love it.

Corn, Spring Onion and Ricotta Tart
By Jade Donohoo, Eat This My Friend via Food 52

Ingredients for the tart shell:

1 cup flour, sifted
3/4 cup uncooked polenta

1/2 cup butter, cold, plus extra for greasing

1 egg

pinch sea salt

1 tablespoon ice water

Ingredients for the filling:

3 ears of corn

4 eggs

3 scallions, thinly sliced

Scant 1/2 cup fresh ricotta

1/4 cup heavy cream

few big pinches of salt

Freshly-ground pepper

Method:

Place flour, polenta, butter, and salt into a food processor and pulse until the butter is combined. Add the egg and iced water. Pulse until the mixture comes together. Turn dough out onto a lightly-floured bench and knead for a minute. Form the dough into a ball and cover with cling film. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 395°F.

Remove pastry from fridge and roll out until you have a circular shape thick and wide enough to fit in a large flan tin.

Grease a flan tin with butter and lay the pastry over the top. (It will not hold together very well, that's OK, you can fix it later) Press the pastry in the pan and up the sides in with your fingers. Keep the leftover pastry in case you need to patch up any holes.

Place foil over the top and fill it with dried beans or pastry weights. Place in the oven to bake for about 20 minutes.

While the pastry is baking, remove the kernels from the corn cobs. Place the 4 eggs, cream, salt, and corn kernels into the food processor (no need to wash it after making the pastry!) and pulse briefly until combined. Stir in the thinly sliced spring onions. When the pastry is baked, remove the weights and pour in the corn mixture. Break the ricotta up into small chunks and dot it evenly around the mixture. Place it back into the oven and bake until set, about 20 minutes. Grind over some freshly-cracked pepper before serving.