South-Indian Savoy Cabbage and Tuscan Kale Saute' with Cherries

After preparing my Tuscan soup, I had some left over cabbages, and so using them for a South Indian saute' was a no-brainer. The basic ingredients and techniques are the same as many South Indian dishes, including the Poriyal I had published a few weeks ago, with the usual players that I always have in my pantry: urad dahl, black mustard seeds, cumin seeds, asafoetidia, turmeric, curry leaves, and green chilies.

The added sweetness from the cherries in this dish contrast nicely with the bitterness of the cabbage. The asafoetidia, curry leaves and cumin seeds confer that extra layer of flavor that is distinctive of South Indian cooking.

Because I am Italian, I cannot get away from using olive oil, so while most Indian dishes use some other vegetable oils, I always go back to my roots, and use some good EVOO, which is healthier than many vegetable oils. But one use the cooking oil that one feels more comfortable with.

This dish is so addictive that bite after bite,  before you know it you will be staring at an empty bowl. But the good news is that you don't have to feel guilty about it, because cabbages are low-calorie nutrition powerhouses. 

Ingredients

• 1/2 savoy cabbage, rinsed and shredded
• about 4 stalks of black Italian cabbage (also referred to as Tuscan kale), stems removed, and leaves chopped horizontally
• shallots, about 5, sliced relatively thinly
• green chilies – ½ or 1, for those who desire more heat
• curry leaves – about 6
• olive oil – enough to coat the bottom of a pan
• black mustard seeds – 1/2 teaspoon
• urad dhal – 1 teaspoon
• cumin seeds- 1 teaspoon
• asafoetedia- a healthy pinch
• turmeric powder- a small pinch
• dried cherries-a handful
• salt (and optional black pepper) to taste

for pictured instructions on how to slice/shred the cabbages, visit my previous post

http://kitchening-with-francesca.blogspot.com/2014/12/ribollita-tuscan-bean-and-cabbage-soup.html

Method

1. Cover the bottom of a pan with the oil, then heat the oil on low. Add the mustard seeds and urad dahl.

2. Continue to fry on low heat till the mustard seeds make a popping sound and the urad dahl turns golden, making sure it does not brown.

3. Add the cumin seeds.

4. Add the green chilies, curry leaves, asafoetida (and turmeric). Fry for 10 to 12 seconds.

5. Add the shallots, and sauté until translucent.

6. Add the shredded savoy and Tuscan cabbages and saute’ on medium heat while stirring occasionally, several minutes.

7. Turn up the heat, and  add about ¼ cup of water, allow some to evaporate, stir again and then cook, covered, until soft, scraping the bottom with a wooden spoon (but don’t allow the sautee’ to burn).

8.Taste for doneness, and if necessary, add more water and repeat step 7 above.

10..Before the cabbage is fully done, add the dried cherries and cook uncovered for a few more minutes.

11. Drizzle with a small amount of extra virgin olive oil

12. Add salt and pepper to taste.

13. Serve with rice or couscous, or enjoy as is.

Roasted Tofu in Zimino

“In zimino”  is a  type of sauce preparation that uses tomatoes and Swiss chard or spinach. It is typically found in Tuscany, but I have also seen it in neighboring Liguria.  Different types of fish, like baccala’, or cephalopods like cuttlefish, and squid, can be made “in zimino”. In fact, I recently prepared baby squid "in zimino" for a dinner party which was so incredibly delicious, that before I had a chance to take a picture for my blog, it was all gone. So I thought I had to make this dish again and share this tasty recipe. Unfortunately, the availability of tender baby squid at the Japanese supermarket where I typically shop was short-lived. So I had to come up with a plan B. I had some tofu in the fridge, and thought, why not try a vegan alternative? And voila’, I came up with this equally tantalizing nutritious and delicious option.

Also, differently from the original version, my sauce has a hint of ginger, which confers an additional layer of flavor. Ginger can be optional, but I highly recommend it.

Ingredients:

A bag of power greens from either Trader Joe’s or Simple Truth Brand (A mix of baby chard,      baby kales, baby spinach) or Trader Joe’s Kaleidoscope Chard

1 carrot

1 onion

1/2 celery stalk

a few sprigs of parsley

about 1 cup of of grape tomatoes (finely chopped), or a ladle-full of pureed tomatoes

1-2 cloves of garlic

1 tablespoon of freshly grated ginger (can also be finely chopped or pressed through a garlic press)-for grating, a long cheese grater works great.

½ red chili pepper (peperoncino)-fresh or dry- or a whole chile pepper, for extra pungency

olive oil- enough to coat the bottom of a medium size pan, plus about 1 tablespoon to drizzle the tofu

good quality tofu (½ block)

Method:

Preheat oven to 350F.

Remove the tofu from the package and pat dry with paper towels. Line a plate with a paper towel and place the tofu on top. Then set  a plate on top of the tofu and weigh it down with something heavy, like a can of vegetables that you may have in your cupboard.  Allow the liquid to train into the paper towel for about 15-30 minutes. Remove the weight,  and drain off the excess liquid. Slice the pressed tofu into cubes or thin slices.

Drizzle the olive oil on a baking sheet,  add the cut tofu and gently toss it around the  baking sheet so that all sides are coated.  Bake tofu until the outside of the tofu is golden and the pieces look slightly puffed, about 30 minutes, depending on the size and shape of the tofu. If baking slices, the baking time should be reduced.  Toss  occasionally so the pieces bake evenly.

While the tofu is baking, finely chop the carrot, onion, celery and parsley  on a cutting board, or pulse  in a food processor until fine. This is what we refer to in Italian as “battuto di odori”

Blanch the greens for a couple of  minutes in salted boiling water, strain in a colander and  allow to cool.  Once cooled, squeeze as much water out as possible either with your hands, or by pressing a small bowl against the greens that are still resting inside the colander .

Once the greens are no longer dripping water, place them  on a cutting board and chop them coarsely. Set aside.

In a medium size pan, heat the olive oil, add the chopped “odori” and cook until softened (about 10 minutes), being careful not to burn them. Add the garlic,  the chopped greens,  and cook down for a few minutes. Remove the garlic, unless you don’t mind garlic pieces in your sauce. Add the tomatoes(or puree) and the ginger, and cook down for another 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with  peperoncino, and salt and pepper to taste.

Add the roasted tofu cubes directly to the sauce or,  if  roasting thin slices, make bite-size sandwiches as I did.

Alternatively,  you can use fried tofu or polenta. Enjoy!