Capona(Tina)

When I go to Otto and I'm not in the pizza mood, I'll order a bunch of antipasti. My faves are the caponata, cauliflower, and lentils. Somehow I managed to make them look and taste quite similar to the restaurant version...at home! Truth be told, I made these all weeks ago, but the Breaking Bad finale clearly threw me off my blogging game. Or that's the convenient excuse I'm going with.

Caponata is a Sicilian cooked eggplant salad with a distinct sweet and sour flavor profile called agrodolce. Typically the agro (sour) part comes from vinegar and the dolce (sweet) part from sugar. There are also several variations that may or may not include celery, capers, olives, pine nuts, raisins, or currants. I like a variety of textures so threw in most of the options except for the raisins. Because they are gross. I used Mario Batali's recipe as a base and was surprised to find a touch of cocoa powder. The balsamic vinegar also adds a bit more richness than a red wine vinegar, which is often called for in recipes. I was super happy with the way mine turned out. 

The cauliflower here is simply roasted with some distinctive flavors added in at the end. Mario torches his under the broiler, 4-inches from the flame, but I have a crappy rental apartment oven so...yeah. Roasting seemed like a better idea. This a great way to try cauliflower especially if you are not a fan, possibly because you grew up on plain frozen florets or plain raw florets dunked into ranch dressing on a veggie tray. Not that I know anything about that.

Eggplant Caponata

1⁄3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 large Spanish onion, diced

2 celery ribs, diced
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons pine nuts
1⁄2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes, or to taste 

2 medium eggplants, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 1 1⁄4 pounds each)
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1⁄2 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder

1 (14-1/2 ounce) can diced tomatoes

3 tablespoons tomato paste

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup chopped green olives

2 tablespoons capers, drained

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Heat the oil in a heavy large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, garlic, pine nuts, and red pepper flakes, and cook for 5 minutes over medium heat until the onion is translucent. 

2. Add the eggplant, sugar, cinnamon, and cocoa powder, and cook for 5 minutes more, stirring often. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, vinegar, olives, and capers and bring to a boil. 

3. Lower the heat, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the lid and continue to simmer for 5 minutes more, or until the mixture has thickened. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Let cool and serve at room temperature. It's best made one day ahead to let the flavors develop. Will keep up to 5 days in the refrigerator. Serves 8.

Cauliflower with Olives and Capers

1 medium head cauliflower (about 2 pounds), trimmed, cored, and cut into bite-sized pieces
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Maldon or other flaky sea salt and coarsely ground black pepper
½ cup pitted Kalamata olives (or other favorite olive)
3 tablespoons capers, rinsed and drained
1½ teaspoons hot red pepper flakes, or to taste
3 tablespoons lemon agrumato oil, or 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil plus ½ teaspoon grated lemon zest

1. Preheat the oven to 425˚F. Toss the cauliflower with the olive oil in a large bowl and season with the salt and pepper. Spread out in a single layer on a large baking sheet and roast, stirring occasionally, for 30 - 40 minutes, or until lightly charred in spots and just tender.

2. Return the cauliflower to the bowl, add the olives, capers, red pepper flakes, if using, and lemon oil, and toss to mix well. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper if desired. Serve, or let stand at room temperature for up to 1 hour to bring out the flavors. Serves 6.

Lighten Up

As promised, I have a lighter way to serve leeks that is not completely drenched in fat. Only drizzled. And no, I did not cheat by substituting celery. These are leeks, people. Get familiar.

Leeks with Mustard-Shallot Vinaigrette
Adapted from Food & Wine

2 large leeks, cut into 2-by-1/2-inch strips (dark green tops removed)
1 small shallot, minced
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon chopped parsley (or thyme)

1. In a saucepan fitted with a steamer basket, bring 1-inch of water to a boil. Add the leeks, cover and steam until just tender, about 5 minutes. Drain the leeks, pat dry and refrigerate until chilled, 10 minutes. 

2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the shallot with the mustard and the red wine and balsamic vinegars. Whisk in the olive oil and season with salt and black pepper. 

3. Mound the steamed leeks on plates. Drizzle with the vinaigrette, sprinkle with the parsley and serve. Serves 4.

I declare!

The holidays are over and I have a declaration: It's leek week (in my apartment)! Did you know that there are tons of ways to prepare leeks that are really tasty? Do you even know what leeks are? Do you care?

Botanically, leeks are part of the Allium genus along with onions, shallots and garlic, though they are much milder in taste. They are the source of many health benefits much like their vegetable cousins. Leeks contain an important concentration of B vitamin folate, which aids in supporting our cardiovascular system. They are also also are a good source of calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and vitamin K, and are a very good source of vitamin A. Forget your Wheaties, kids. Eat your leeks!

Since it's winter and peeps are more inclined to roast meats, make comfort food, and sit in front of a fireplace, I suggest making a leek gratin as the perfect side dish. Yes, you might be burying the health benefits under a blanket of cholesterol, but this is a super delicious way to serve them to anyone who has never tried them. Cheese and cream? Trust. (My next recipe will be lo-cal. I promise.)

Leek Gratin

4 medium leeks, white and light-green parts only, roots trimmed
1 cup heavy cream
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1/3 cup grated Gruyere cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 375˚F. Halve the leeks lengthwise, leaving halves attached at root, and rinse well, shaking off excess water. (See photo below.)

2. In a large skillet, combine the cream and leeks and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat then reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 5 minutes. Transfer the leeks and sauce to a shallow 2-quart baking dish.

3. Sprinkle with the cheese and bake until golden and bubbling, about 20 minutes. Let gratin rest 10 minutes before serving. Serves 4.

 (And here is a handy guide to properly clean leeks.)

Super Salad

Every other day there's a new super food that we're supposed to be eating so that we can become more powerful than a locomotive and able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. Those aren't quite my life goals, but I figured that I'd give forbidden rice (black rice) a try anyway. This ancient grain was supposedly once eaten exclusively by the Emperors of China. I think I qualify! Forbidden rice is chock full o' good stuff like anthocyanins (an antioxidant also found in blueberries) iron, 18 amino acids and a bunch of other nutrients. It also tastes great and looks pretty cool too. Check out my before and after pictures below.


Forbidden Rice - Dry


Forbidden Rice - Cooked

Since summer is officially approaching with Memorial Day weekend bearing down on us, I thought a cold rice salad might be a good way to sample this super rice (and is an excellent grill-and-chill side dish). Sticking with my Emperors of China theme, I made a toasted sesame oil and tamari (soy sauce) dressing, added in some extra color with snow peas and mango and finished with cashews for crunch. Delish. I may not exactly feel like donning a cape, but I will be making this again.



Emperors of China Forbidden Rice Salad

1 cup Forbidden Rice®
1 3/4 cups water
Salt
8 ounces snow peas
1 mango, diced (see photos below)
1 1/2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon tamari
2 scallions, chopped
3/4 cup chopped roasted and salted cashews

1. Cook the rice: Bring the rice, water and a pinch of salt to a boil in a medium saucepan. Cover and reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes, until the rice is tender and the water is absorbed. Remove to a large bowl to cool to room temperature.

2. Prepare the snow peas: In a medium saucepan, bring 4 cups of water to a boil with a pinch of salt. Add the snow peas and cook (blanch) for one minute. Drain into a colander and rinse under cold water until the snow peas are cool. Remove to a cutting board and roughly chop.

3. Prepare the mango: Stand the mango on a cutting board stem end down. Cut through the mango just off center down one side of the pit. Repeat on the other side. Take one half and use a knife to make a cross hatch pattern, without cutting through the skin.



Turn the mango piece inside out and, using a pairing knife, run it along to skin to remove the pieces.



4. Make the salad: In a small bowl whisk together the sesame oil and tamari. Add to the rice followed by the snow peas, mango and scallions. Add the cashews only if serving immediately. Toss thoroughly. (For make ahead salads, do not add the cashews until just before serving to avoid softening.) Serves 4 as a side dish or appetizer. (Recipe can easily be doubled to serve more.)

Winning!

It's Super Bowl Sunday and peeps are obsessed. Especially in New York. Who's going to win? Will Madonna's performance be memorable? Are there any commercials left that haven't already been promoted to death all week on TV? What should we eat?? I think its kind of funny that food magazines put a lot of effort into inventing extra special Super Bowl menus and that the morning TV programs are riddled with the latest decorating ideas for your Super Bowl party. Ummm...when it comes to sporting events shouldn't you just order some pizzas and call it a day? Why get themey and make it more difficult than it has to be? (Save that effort for Cinco de Mayo.) Either you're into football and want to watch the game, or it's just another excuse to hang with your friends and to eat some nachos.

Since it's just another day to me, I'm making yet another lentil concoction. (You might be more interested tomorrow after your hefty beer and mozzarella stick intake tonight.) And it's covered in bacon! I know. Delish. Since I eat a lot of lentils, I'm always looking for a new twist in my preparation. Bacon made my quinoa taste better, so I knew it had to add that special something to my lentils as well. And it does. Hope your teams wins.

Warm Lentil and Smoked Pork Belly Salad

Adapted from The New York Times

3/4 pound smoked pork belly, or good-quality slab bacon, cut 1 1/2 to 2 inches thick

1 large onion, halved

4 thyme branches

1 small carrot, peeled

1 cup small green French lentils, cleaned and rinsed

1 small bay leaf

Salt and pepper

1 pound fingerling potatoes

1 large shallot, finely diced

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 garlic cloves, smashed to a paste

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/4 cup fruity olive oil

2 teaspoons capers, rinsed and roughly chopped

2 tablespoons cornichons or other sour gherkins, roughly chopped

1/4 cup chopped scallions, plus 1 tablespoon for garnish

1/2 cup chopped flat leaf parsley, plus 1 tablespoon for garnish

1. Put the pork belly or bacon in a pot with one of the onion halves, 2 small thyme branches and the carrot. Cover with a quart of water and simmer gently until tender, 30 to 40 minutes. Turn off the heat and keep warm in liquid.

2. Meanwhile, put the lentils in a medium pot. Add the other 1/2 onion, 2 small thyme branches and the bay leaf. Add 4 cups water and a little salt. Simmer gently over medium heat until firm-tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Drain (discard the onion, thyme and bay leaf) and keep warm.

3. Meanwhile, boil the potatoes in their skins in well-salted water until done, about 15 minutes. Drain and keep warm.

4. Make the vinaigrette: Macerate the shallot in the red wine vinegar for 5 minutes in a small bowl. Add the garlic, Dijon mustard and a pinch of salt and pepper. Whisk in the olive oil to make a thick sauce. Stir in the chopped capers and cornichons. Just before serving, stir in 1/4 cup scallions and 1/2 cup parsley.

5. To serve, dress the lentils with half the vinaigrette, then transfer to a platter or serving bowl. Slice the pork belly crosswise into 1/4-inch slices (save the broth for soup) and arrange over the lentils. Cut the potatoes lengthwise and arrange, cut-side up, around the platter. Spoon the remaining vinaigrette over the sliced meat and potatoes. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon each scallions and parsley. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Buffalo Stance

I have no resolve, so there'll be no resolutions. Just because I'm trying to eat a few vegetables and it coincides with the new year, it doesn't mean anything...except that I'm trying to offset all of the buffalo and bison that I ate while in Aspen over the holidays. I'm just going to take a little time out from big game...and red meat in general. And maybe some carbs while I'm at it. That's my buffalo stance.

I ran across a roasted zucchini recipe in Food & Wine and it sounded like a pretty good place to start. Even though zucchini isn't a winter vegetable it is available year round, so I figured that I'd try treating it like a winter vegetable by roasting it. Even though zucchini can be cooked quickly in a saute pan without turning on the oven, I discovered that roasting helps it to dry out and brown more quickly...and you don't have to hover over it, moving it around the pan to help the liquid evaporate. Throw on a glob of ricotta and call it a day. Or, if that's too side-dishy for you, boil some pasta and toss it all together and serve with some Parm on top. Not everyone is calorie counting in the new year...I finished off my veg fest with a hunk of dark chocolate.



Roasted Zucchini with Ricotta
(Adapted from Food & Wine)

6 medium zucchini (2 pounds), diced
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3 whole garlic cloves, crushed
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Fresh ricotta, for serving
Chopped parsley, for garnish

1. Preheat the oven to 425°. On a rimmed baking sheet, drizzle the diced zucchini with the 2 tablespoons of olive oil, season with salt and black pepper, and toss with the garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Spread out evenly on the baking sheet and roast for about 20 minutes, until the zucchini pieces are browned around the edges.

2. Transfer the cooked zucchini to a bowl. Toss with the lemon juice and season with salt to taste. Serve with the ricotta, a drizzle of olive oil, and garnish with the parsley. Serves 4.

Spring In Style

I have way too many cookbooks for a studio apartment (or any apartment) and almost as many extremely annoying stacks of magazines and random pieces of papers. Occasionally I do consult these stacks because within them are recipes that had once caught my eye, most likely pages ripped out of magazines or printed emails or envelopes with recipes scribbled on the back. Not all of my magazine recipes are from obvious food magazine sources, however. In the case of this orzo recipe, my inspiration came from In Style of all places.

The original recipe featured the orzo with asparagus and it caught my eye because it looked so seasonal, especially after a dearth of green vegetables this past winter. It came in especially handy when brainstorming side dish ideas for our Easter lamb dinner, but we made some slight changes by substituting sugar snap peas for the asparagus, losing the truffle butter, and adding toasted pine nuts. Even with the heavy cream it's still light. I think I may make another batch with extra spring vegetables including white and green asparagus, peas, artichokes, and fava beans...and a nice chianti.



Easter Orzo
(Adapted from Amanda Freitag)

1/2 pound sugar snap peas, washed and ends trimmed
1 1/2 cups orzo
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus additional for garnish
Truffle butter or oil (optional)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts (optional)

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile fill a large bowl with ice water. Place the snap peas in the boiling water for 1 minute, then remove with a strainer or slotted spoon (keeping the water boiling) and place directly in the ice water until cool. Drain the snap peas and slice in half crosswise. Set aside.

2. Add the orzo to the pot of boiling water and cook according to the package directions. Drain and set aside.

3. Place a medium pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the snap peas and orzo and stir to coat.

4. Add the heavy cream and butter, stirring until combined. Turn off the heat and add the cheese, salt, and pepper, and a drizzle of truffle oil, if using. Stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve immediately topped with additional Parmesan and pine nuts if desired.