Shaved Asparagus with Parmigiano-Reggiano

Did you know you can eat asparagus raw?  I don't know if that necessarily means you'll want to grab a stalk and start gnawing on it, but when you shave it thinly with a vegetable peeler and toss it with a simple lemon vinaigrette, it's pretty divine.  Add parmigiano to the mix, and a bit of sea salt, and you're in business.

This recipe comes from Mario Batali's latest book, and it is a great example of the beauty of simplicity.  When you have excellent produce, you shouldn't mess with it too much.  If you can find a way to eat it raw, all the better. 

Mario includes this in the antipasti section of Molto Gusto, but I think it works great as a salad or a side dish, too.  Try it out and see what you think.  I'll bet you've never had anything quite like it.

Shaved Asparagus with Parmigiano-Reggiano

adapted from Mario Batali's Multo Gusto

serves 2-3

INGREDIENTS:

1 bunch medium asparagus, tough ends snapped off

1/4 cup coarsely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

juice of 1/2 lemon

1 tablespoon warm water

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

coarse sea salt and coarsely ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Using a vegetable peeler, shave the asparagus into long diagonal shavings.  It doesn't have to be perfect, it just has to be thin.

2.  Put the cheese in a large bowl and whisk in the lemon juice and warm water.  Whisking constantly, drizzle in the oil slowly to create a loose emulsion.  Add the asparagus and toss everything together.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Enjoy!

Steamed Baby Artichokes

I love artichokes.  They have such an indescribably magical flavor - a combination of earthiness, sweetness, and springiness.  The big globe artichokes can sometimes seem like an awful lot of effort for not a lot of food, and that is when it's a great idea to pick up a bunch of baby artichokes.

The baby artichoke is almost entirely edible.  There are a few tough outer leaves that need to be stripped away, but otherwise they are ready to get in your belly.  There is no choke to avoid, so you can treat it basically as one big artichoke heart.  And the heart is what it's all about, after all.

This dish would be great as an appetizer, or as part of a tapas ensemble.  It also works as a side dish.  You could cut up the artichokes smaller and put them in a pasta dish, if you like.  But I think they are best alone, drizzled with the simple chive vinaigrette, and savored.

For prep purposes, just trim the stem and pull off the toughest outer leaves.  Then your baby artichokes are ready for their steam bath.

Steamed Baby Artichokes

serves 2-3 as a side dish or small plate

INGREDIENTS:

8 or 9 baby artichokes, trimmed

kosher salt

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

juice of 1/2 small lemon

1 teaspoon finely chopped chives

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Bring a couple of inches of water to a boil in a pot.  Place a steamer insert into the pot (the bottom of the insert should not be touching water) and place the artichokes in the insert.  Sprinkle lightly with salt.  Cover and steam for 15-20 minutes, or until the artichokes are tender.  You should easily be able to insert a fork into the artichokes and pull it out again.  Remove from heat.

2.  Cut the baby artichokes in half and lay them on a platter, cut side up.  In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, lemon, chives, and a pinch of salt.  Drizzle the vinaigrette over the baby artichokes.  Serve.

Enjoy!

Roasted Beet Salad with Maple-Glazed Walnuts

I often get beets in my CSA bag, and I'll admit, I'm not always thrilled about it.  This salad has that magical something, though, that makes the beets much more appealing.  And that magical something comes in the form of home made maple-glazed walnuts.  Yum.

These nuts have a gorgeous sticky coating that tastes of rich maple syrup, with just a hint of salt to balance out the sweetness.  They compliment the naturally sweet beets very well.  The final component is a flavorful dressing studded with chives and freshly grated ginger.  Delicious.

This would make an elegant first course without any greens, or a great side salad with them.  If you're not a walnut fan, try it with pecans or hazelnuts. 

Roasted Beet Salad with Maple-Glazed Walnuts

adapted from Stonewall Kitchen Harvest

serves 3-4 as a first course

INGREDIENTS:

2 medium yellow and/or red beets

1 teaspoon plus 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon butter

1/2 cup walnut halves

1 tablespoon real maple syrup

salt to taste

1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger

2 teaspoons minced fresh chives

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Preheat toaster oven (or oven) to 400.  Wrap the beets in a piece of foil and roast in the center of the oven for 45-55 minutes, or until knife-tender.  Set aside to cool for a few minutes while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

2.  Heat 1 teaspoon oil and the butter in a small skillet over medium heat.  When it's melted, add the walnut halves and cook, stirring, for two minutes.  Add the maple syrup and salt to taste, and continue cooking and stirring for 3-4 minutes, until the walnuts are glazed.  Remove from heat.

3.  Whisk together the ginger, chives, vinegar, and remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a small bowl.

4.  Peel the cooled beets with a paring knife.  Cut into thin slices.  Serve garnished with the walnuts and drizzled with the chive dressing.

Enjoy!

Potato Cilantro Wontons

Imagine a cross between a pierogi and a wonton, and that's pretty much what these are.  They are hearty and delicious, yet come in a small enough package that you could serve them as appetizers if you so choose.  We had ours as a main course, along with a spicy salad. 

The wontons get crispy around the edges, but stay tender in the middle.  The potato filling is piping hot and filled with delicious flavor.  These are probably unlike anything you've had before, and yet the flavor is familiar and delightful.  These also make me realize I definitely need to experiment with wonton wrappers more - they are so easy to use, and make something as mundane as a potato very exciting!

If you want to live on the edge, put a little Sriracha on the side for dunking.  Yum.

Potato Cilantro Wontons

adapted from Cooking Light magazine

makes 16

INGREDIENTS:

1 medium-large baking potato, peeled and chopped

2 scallions, finely chopped

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

16 wonton wrappers

cooking spray

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Cook potato in boiling water for 8-10 minutes, or until tender.  Drain.  Mash the potato and stir in the scallions, cilantro, oil, paprika, salt and pepper.

2.  Preheat oven to 375 and lightly spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray.

3.  One by one, spoon about 1 tablespoon of potato filling into the center of each wonton wrapper.  Moisten the edges of the wonton wrapper with water, and fold it into a triangle shape (one corner across to another).  Press the edges to seal into a triangle.

4.  Place the wontons on the prepared cookie sheet and lightly spray the tops with cooking spray.  Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until crispy around the edges and golden on top.  

Enjoy!

White Bean & Sage Hummus

White beans are one of those ingredients that I've grown to love more and more as I experiment with them.  They have a mild flavor, but a fantastic texture that lends itself so well to soups and dips.  Here is an elegant variation on hummus, featuring white beans and my very favorite herb, sage. 

I made this recipe up as I went along, tasting here and there and adjusting accordingly.  It came out pretty fantastic.  It's healthy, hearty and delicious.  You could easily make a meal out of it with some veggies, or spread it on a tortilla and make a wrap with some veggies and/or meat of choice.   We had company today, and the general consensus definitely seemed to be favorable!

White Bean & Sage Hummus

makes about 2 1/2 cups

INGREDIENTS:

1 15 oz. can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

juice of 1 lemon

1 tablespoon tahini

4 or 5 leaves of fresh sage

pinch of cayenne pepper

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

salt to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Place the beans, lemon juice, tahini, sage, and cayenne in a food processor and puree until mostly smooth.   With the processor running, stream in the EVOO until desired consistency is reached.  It should be smooth, but still nice and thick, like hummus.

2.  Season to taste with salt and serve immediately, or cover and store in the refrigerator for a day or two.

Enjoy!

Fig Spread

Fig season is still in full swing, and I brought home a beautiful basket of them from my CSA to prove it. The fresh fig is a bit of an oddball, and while it goes beautifully with certain ingredients (arugula, goat cheese, honey, to name a few), I was starting to run out of ideas of what to do with them. I love their flavor, but I don't particularly love eating them straight up. I need them to be an ingredient, not the whole dish.

I found this recipe in Heidi Swanson's beautiful book, Super Natural Cooking, and it seemed like the perfect solution. A jam that is not quite a sweet and not quite a savory, so it can be used in a variety of situations. Perfect for a cheese plate, in a sandwich, or just on toast, this is a sophisticated and delicious spread that you can use in all sorts of ways.

If you haven't experimented much with fresh figs, this might be a good entryway for you. I am already looking forward to using mine up.

Fig Spread
adapted from Heidi Swanson's Super Natural Cooking
makes about 2 cups

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb. fresh black mission figs, stemmed and diced
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup honey
pinch of freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

DIRECTIONS:

1. Toss figs and lemon juice in a bowl, and stir in honey and black pepper. Let sit for 10 minutes. The mixture will get soupy.

2. Put the fig mixture into a heavy pot over medium heat and bring to a slow, gurgling boil. Cook, stirring frequently, until figs start to reduce and thicken, about 10 to 15 minutes. Mash them up gently with a potato masher if desired. Stir in sesame seeds and remove from heat.

3. Let sit 5 minutes, taste, and add more pepper if needed. Serve warm, at room temperature, or cold. Will keep in the fridge for about one week.

Enjoy!

Fresh Fig Toasts

Certain flavors have a natural affinity for one another. Fresh figs are one of those great, unusual fruits that pair nicely with all sorts of sweet, savory, spicy, and salty ingredients to become something completely other than what they start out being. If you haven't experimented with fresh figs before, here are some ideas to get you started.

I made a very simple version for my lunch today, but you can have all sorts of variations on the theme. You could add or subtract as you see fit - a pile of arugula on top would be fantastic, as would some folded up slices of prosciutto.

You could toast it all together so that the figs get warm too, or you could put the toppings on flatbread instead of challah and make a mini pizza. You could put it on puff pastry rounds and serve it as a tray passed appetizer. You could do away with the bread and put the toppings on a bed of greens for an elegant salad. The options are endless.

Fresh figs are in season now, and you can accessorize them as you see fit. Serve any time of day - as breakfast, lunch, at happy hour, or as dessert. It's flexible!

Fresh Fig Toasts
serves one (multiply as you see fit)

INGREDIENTS:

1 thick slice of challah, lightly toasted
3 black mission figs, cut in half
pinch of freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons goat cheese crumbles
2 teaspoons honey

DIRECTIONS:

1. Assemble: top the toast with the figs, cut side up. Sprinkle with pepper, followed by goat cheese crumbles. Drizzle with honey. Serve.

Enjoy!

Beet, Chickpea and Almond Dip

No, this is not a recipe for hot pink play-dough. On the contrary - it's a recipe for a sophisticated, yet simple and healthy dip. This is a great one for parties, as people will scratch their heads trying to figure out what on earth is in that mysterious pink dip.

It's beets, people. Beets. The much-maligned root vegetable that has recently become trendy in upscale restaurants. It's no wonder that beet juice is used to add color and sweetness to other dishes, when you see what happens to it in a food processor.

Even people who think they don't like beets will probably like this dip. It is like a garlicky hummus, only instead of tahini, you have beets and almonds! It's spicy and sweet at once, with a very pleasing smooth texture just waiting to be slathered on a crunchy pita chip.

Beet, Chickpea and Almond Dip
adapted from Bon Appetit's Fast Easy Fresh Cookbook
makes 2 cups

INGREDIENTS:

salt
1 large beet, peeled and chopped into chunks
1 cup rinsed and drained canned chickpeas
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (or more if needed)
1/4 cup slivered almonds
4 small garlic cloves, peeled
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
freshly ground pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil over high heat. Salt it and add the beet chunks. Cook until tender, about 12 minutes. Drain and add beet chunks to food processor.

2. Add chickpeas, olive oil, almonds and garlic to food processor and process until smooth. If it's too thick, stream in a smidge more olive oil. Add red wine vinegar and season with salt and pepper to taste. Process again until smooth. Serve with pita chips or fresh pita bread wedges.

Enjoy!

World Famous Guacamole

The point of this blog is supposed to be for me to share my adventures in trying new recipes that I've never made before. I've cheated a few times, but never quite as badly as I am cheating this evening. I just couldn't help but share. Tonight I present, my friends, my world famous guacamole.

I won't claim that it is unlike any other guacamole recipe. There isn't really a secret ingredient, per se. There is nothing revolutionary about it. But there is something magical about it. I don't always make it the same way, but somehow it always comes out deserving of praise.

For one thing, I am a bit of a snob when it comes to the ingredients in guacamole. I don't believe in buying pre-pureed avocado in a plastic pouch. I don't believe in spice packets. I don't believe in stirring in jar salsa. All of these things might be tasty, but to me the goal of guacamole is something incredibly fresh. So while my recipe may not be literally world-famous, I think if you make it and taste it, you might agree that it ought to be. Just maybe.

A side note: I don't really like raw onion in my guacamole, but it does add an extra zing, so if you're a fan, by all means, add about 1/2 a diced onion.

World Famous Guacamole
makes about 2 cups

INGREDIENTS:

2 ripe medium-sized avocados
juice of 1 lime
salt and pepper to taste
1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 medium tomato, finely chopped
chili powder to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1. Scoop flesh out of avocados into a bowl, and mash with a fork. Do not mash it until completely smooth, you want a few lumps. Stir in lime juice, salt, and pepper.

2. Add jalapeno, cilantro, and tomato, and stir to incorporate. Sprinkle with chili powder and just barely stir it in. Serve cold with chips, bread, or whatever floats your boat.

Enjoy!

Muhamarra

This is not a new recipe for me, but I had to share it. Ever since I discovered this delicious dip, it has become my go-to when I'm asked to bring an appetizer to a party. We're going to an Oscar party tonight, so it was what I immediately thought of as my contribution.

I don't know about you, but when I go to a party I tend to graze at the appetizer table, and before I know it I've eaten more than my fair share of a bowl of some cheesy, creamy, or otherwise gluttonous dip. Dips are my weakness. And not all dips are created equal, but somehow if they're there, I'll eat them anyway. Well this one is the solution to the problem. There is absolutely nothing unhealthy in this recipe. NOTHING. I won't lie and say there are no calories in it, but if you're going to be grazing on dip all night, this is the one to do it with. It's spicy, tart, sweet and savory all at the same time. It has an incredible depth of flavor thanks to the combination of Middle Eastern flavors, and I can promise you that most parties you take it to, people will never have heard of it or eaten it before. But they'll be in love with it by the end of the night.

Muhammara (Roasted Red Pepper and Walnut Dip)
adapted from Ellie Krieger's "The Food You Crave"
Makes about 2 cups of dip

INGREDIENTS:

3/4 cup pomegranate juice OR 4 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
1/2 cup walnuts, toasted in a dry skillet until fragrant
3 tablespoons plain dry bread crumbs, preferably whole wheat
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
one 16-oz jar roasted red peppers, drained and rinsed
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon EVOO
pinch of salt

DIRECTIONS:

1. If you are using pomegranate juice (such as POM wonderful) rather than pomegranate molasses, put it in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until reduced to about 2 tablespoons, about 6 minutes. Set aside to cool and thicken for about 15 minutes. Skip this step if you're using the molasses.

2. Put the toasted walnuts and bread crumbs in a food processor and process until finely ground. Add the reduced pomegranate juice or molasses, lemon juice, red peppers, cayenne and cumin and process until smooth. With the processor running, stream in the EVOO in a thin stream. Season with salt to taste.

Serve with pita chips, endive leaves, or your favorite dipper. It will keep in a covered container for up to three days in the refrigerator. So make this for your next party and just see how many compliments you get! Enjoy.