Sweet-N-Tangy Cruciferous Crunch Salad

For an effortless,  quick,  flavorful salad option that will not go limp before your eyes, try using Cruciferous Crunch Collection from Trader Joe's,  an assortment of chopped kale, Brussel sprouts, green and red cabbage, and broccoli.  This tossed ensemble of raw vegetables, dried fruit and seeds has a most taste-bud tantalizing flavor balance and layers of palate pleasing textures, and will be a perfect starter to your next party. 

Ingredients:

1. 1 tbsp good quality yellow mustard
2. 2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
3. 2-3 tbsp of white balsamic vinegar
4. the juice of 1 lemon
5. a few drizzles of honey
6. ½ bag Cruciferous crunch from Trader Joe's
7. a handful of pepitas (pumpkin seeds), roasted
8. a few roasted coconut chips (also available at Trader Joe's)
9. a handful of dried cherries or dried cranberries
10. 2-3 shallots or half red onion sliced veil-thin
11. a few drizzles of balsamic vinegar glaze
12. sea salt (and optional black or white pepper) to taste

Directions:
The beauty of this salad is that it doesn’t have to be consumed right away due to wilting of the greens, but rather, it maintains the crunch  and can be prepared ahead of time, and even be refrigerated, covered, and enjoyed the next day.

In a small bowl, whisk together the first 5 ingredients,  plus the salt,  until smooth.

Place the cruciferous veggies, shallots and dried fruit in a large bowl, pour over the prepared dressing and toss until well coated. Taste and adjust for salt/acidity/sweetness by adding more salt, vinegar and/or honey.

Toss in the pepitas and coconut chips. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar glaze.

Serve and enjoy.

The beauty of this salad is that it doesn’t have to be consumed right away due to wilting of the greens, but rather, it maintains the crunch  and can be prepared ahead of time, and even be refrigerated, covered, and enjoyed the next day.

Vegan "Thai-talian" Volcano Rice Risotto with Crispy Carrots

This "Thaitalian" vegan risotto made with volcano rice is packed with minerals, antioxidants, nutrition, aroma and flavor. Absolutely delicious.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of organic volcano rice (http://www.lotusfoods.com/index.php/products/organic-products/organic-volcano-rice/)
• 3/4 cup finely chopped leeks (white and pale green parts only)
• ½ glass white dry wine
• 3 cups  homemade Thai vegetable stock (see recipe below)
• about ¼ cup of coconut milk
• 1 orange carrot
• 1 purple carrot
• Salt as needed

Directions:

For the Thai vegetable stock:

• 1 carrot, peeled
• ½ celery stalk
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 small potato, peeled
• 1 shallot or other small onion, peeled
• ½ zucchini (optional)
• 1 inch piece of ginger, peeled
• 1 stalk of lemongrass
• 2-3 grape tomatoes, halved
• a few sprigs of cilantro
• 2-3 leaves of basil or Thai basil
• 2-3 few kaffir lime leaves (if not available fresh, substitute with dry one)
• about 6 cups of water
• olive oil (a few tablespoons)
• salt and pepper to taste

Rinse the vegetables, and cut into 1-inch chunks.

Roughly chop the ginger and the garlic.

Remove the hard outer layer of the lemongrass and cut the remaining soft inner core into 1 inch long pieces.
Heat oil in a medium stockpot. Add all the vegetables and herbs (except the tomatoes).

Cook over high heat for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add salt, black pepper,  and water and bring to a boil. Lower heat, add the tomatoes, then simmer until stock is reduced by half (30-60  minutes). Strain. Discard vegetables. 

Pour the strained stock back in the stockpot and keep warm over low heat until ready to use.

Prepare the carrots:

Peel and shred the carrots, toss with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt, then arrange in single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Bake at 375F for about 30 minutes turning a couple of times.

Once baked to desired texture, remove from oven and set aside.

Make the risotto:

Add enough olive oil to a medium saucepan to cover the bottom of the pan. Heat the oil, then add the leeks cook down on low to medium heat until translucent, stirring occasionally (about 5 minutes). Add the rice, and stir to coat the grains with the oil.  Turn up the heat, being careful not to burn the rice, add the wine, allow to evaporate while continuing to stir the rice, about  2 minutes. Add about 1/3 cup of  stock to the rice, stir, then cover, and simmer until the stock is absorbed, 5 to 10 minutes. Add more stock,  a few ladles at time, each time the mixture seems a bit dry, and stir. Cook, covered, checking occasionally to make sure the rice mixture has not dried out, for about 25-30 minutes. Add the coconut milk stir, cover, taste for salt, and add more if necessary, turn the heat off, and let sit for a few minutes until ready to serve. You want your rice to be somewhat soft, but not mushy, and the mixture creamy, not dry.

Sprinkle with the crispy carrots and serve.

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.

Ribollita- Tuscan Bean and Cabbage Soup

Being from Tuscany, "ribollita", which literally means "boiled again", was a frequent and welcome protagonist at our table. A satisfying, wholesome, flavorful and nutritious soup, completed with a drizzle of estate cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil, was without a doubt one of my favorite dishes growing up. In its simplicity lied its strength, and consequently its increasing popularity over the years, which is also in part attributable to many celebrity chefs and bloggers offering up variations of this Tuscan classic. My version, which is the one I grew up with, is most simple, where the stars are the beans and the cabbage. I have seen variations with carrots, zucchini or potatoes, which, in my opinion, transform this basic soup into almost a minestrone.  

Although some recipes call for addition of chicken stock, I strongly advise against it, as it completely alters the intended flavor. We are not making chicken soup here, we are making a soup of beans and cabbage, so chicken stock really does not belong. Rather, the flavor is enhanced the classic "battuto di odori", a combination of chopped onions, carrots, celery and fresh parsley, sauteed to perfection, and which serve as the base for many Italian recipes.

From a true Tuscan with love....

savoy and black cabbage

Ingredients:

1 carrot

1 onion

1/2 celery stalk

a few sprigs of parsley

1 15-oz can of diced or pureed tomatoes (or the equivalent in freshly chopped or pureed tomatoes)

1 15-oz can of cannellini beans (or the equivalent in cooked dry or fresh cannellini beans)

1/2 savoy cabbage, rinsed and thinly sliced

about 4 stalks of black Italian cabbage (also referred to as Tuscan kale), stems removed, and leaves chopped horizontally

about 2 cups of vegetable stock or water

extra virgin olive oil- enough to coat the bottom of a medium size pan, plus about 1 tablespoon to drizzle the soup at the end
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

several slices of oven-dried or a few days old rustic bread or baguette

showing the black cabbage with the stems removed

showing the chopped cabbages

Method:

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”.

In a medium size cooking pot, heat the olive oil, add the chopped “odori” and cook until softened (about 10 minutes), being careful not to burn them. Add the beans along with the liquid, and cook for another 10 minutes. Add the savoy and black cabbage, the stock, the tomatoes(or puree) and cook, semi covered, for about 1 hour, until reduced and everything is soft. With a ladle, remove about 1 cup of the soup (beans, cabbage and all), blend it in a blender until smooth, then pour back in the pot and cook down some more (about 10-20 minutes). Blending a portion of the soup confers a more velvety texture.

Add salt and freshly grated black pepper to taste.

Allow to cool and rest, preferably overnight. Before serving, bring to a boil (hence the name ribollita), and serve in a bowl over toasted bread. Drizzle with some good quality extra virgin olive oil.

Free-form Butternut Squash and Sautéed Onion Tart

I prepared  this tart on the fly, since I had some butternut squash and onions which were already sautéed.  I was actually in between chauffeuring my son to soccer practice, so I had very little time to put this together. Thankfully, I  usually have puff pastry sheets in my freezer (for these types of food emergencies) which, at the drop of a hat, can be thawed, unfolded and topped it with some kind of filling, whether be sautéed onions and cheese, or various combinations of pureed vegetables in a cream and egg mixture.  This time I made a simple free form tart with thin slices of the squash, topped with the onions, and then the cheese.

Ingredients:

1 sheet of frozen puff pastry (I used Trader Joe’s)

½ butternut squash, peeled  

1 small red onion and 1 small sweet onion

about 1 cup of freshly shredded fontina cheese and fresh mozzarella cheese,  or another melting cheese, or combination of your choice

olive oil-enough to coat the bottom of a pan

sea salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Peel the onions, and cut into thin slices. Add  the olive oil to a medium pan, heat on medium, then add the sliced onion.  Cook until translucent, stirring occasionally (about 10-15 minutes), covered about ⅔ of the cooking time. If necessary, add about ⅓ cup of water and allow to evaporate. Once cooked, sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.

If using the bulb section of the squash, then you must seed it before slicing. In this recipe, I used the solid neck section, because that is what I had handy.  So I cut the squash neck into

⅕  inch-thick round slices with slicer (you can also use a very sharp knife).

Unfold the thawed pastry gently, and if you see any tears or holes, use your fingers—and a little water if necessary—to gently squeeze the pastry back together.  If the dough appears to stick together, put it back in the refrigerator to cool, before attempting to roll it out again.

Lay the unfolded pastry square on a floured surface, and rub some flour on a rolling pin, which you will use to roll out the square to the desired thinness (but not too thin).  Roll the dough out with gentle outward motions.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and carefully lay the thinned pastry dough on it, and with a fork  prick the surface of the dough (like you would a regular pie crust).

Cover the pastry sheet with  overlapping  squash slices, leaving about 1 to 1 ½ inch of area on each side and sprinkle with sea salt.

Spoon the sauteed onions (after draining off any of sautéeing liquid) evenly over the squash

Sprinkle with the shredded cheese, and fold the edges of the dough over to cover about 1 inch of the filling. You may also drizzle your filling with a tiny amount of extra virgin olive oil.

Bake at 350F until golden brown (about 30 minutes).

Slightly cool and serve.

May be refrigerated for up to 3 days,  and reheated.

For a vegan option, use vegan puff pastry and omit the cheese, or use a vegan cheese of your choice.

South Indian Carrot Sautee’ (Poriyal)

This flavorful South Indian dish that I learned from my mother-in-law is a simple use of carrots that I often resort to whenever I need to prepare a side or snack without too much thought.

Given that I have been cooking Tamil inspired dishes for years, my pantry is always stocked up with South Indian staple ingredients, including urad dahl, black mustard seeds, cumin seeds, asafoetidia, curry leaves, and green chilies.

You can find my recipe in this article I wrote for Now It's Dark Magazine. Whether you are one who likes to indulge a little, or a health nut,  you will enjoy and benefit from this tasty carrot poriyal. 

http://nowitsdark.net/2014/10/carrotsyourhangoverandyou/

RED THAI CURRY SOUP

It is my pleasure to be a contributor for Now It's Dark Magazine, where I will be sharing recipes and reviewing restaurant experiences. This versatile recipe embodies delectable flavor combinations, spiciness, and nutritional benefits.  For your cooking pleasure, click on the link below.

http://nowitsdark.net/2014/10/red-thai-curry-soup-answer-last-nights-lingering-headache/

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!

EASY ROASTED SPICED OKRA (LADY-FINGERS)

I LOVE OKRA...... There is something about this Malvaceae that I really enjoy and, apparently,  I have also turned my family into okra lovers. So much so, that they ask me to prepare it whenever they visit me in the US.  Curiously, this vegetable, also known as “lady-fingers” in many parts of the world, is not grown in Italy. 

The first time I had okra was in Georgia (fried of course). The second time was in an Indian restaurant in London (masala style). The third time was in Tamilnadu, South East India, and it was prepared by my husband’s grandmother, and it was one my favorite dishes that I tried while visiting there. I enjoyed it so much that I tried to make it again after I returned home. I have since prepared a few variations of Achi’s okra, one being this sliced okra with sauteed onions, ginger, garlic tomatoes and a combination of Indian spices, whose recipe will be featured in my upcoming cookbook. 

But all the cutting and slicing can be time consuming, so  when I am pressed for time, I resort to this effortless alternative, simple seasoning and roasting, which requires hardly any preparation, but is still delicious.

What I have learned is that picking the right okra is key to a texturally pleasant dish. I  also recommend purchasing okra at an Indian grocery store, which has a large turnover of this very popular vegetable, and hence, better quality and price. When picking your okra, you should lightly press it with your fingers, and it should be soft. If the okra is hard, it means that it is fibrous inside and no amount of cooking will redeem the trough texture. But if you pick the slightly soft okra, although not overly ripe to the point that it is turning dark, it will turn out great!

Method:

All you do is rinse the okra, and pat it dry it with a paper towel. Then in a bowl you toss it with olive oil and then add a few pinches of rasam masala powder and/or curry powder. If you do not have rasam masala, you can substitute with any combination of red chili powder, cumin and paprika and a tiny pinch of turmeric powder.   For extra flavor I also toss in a few cumin seeds (and fenugreek seeds, optional). But do not add too many, as this may compromise the flavor balance.

Then  spread the okra on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Preheat oven at 400F and bake for about 20 minutes, or until soft and slightly roasted, tossing the okra around once about mid-way. Then turn the oven to broil and broil for a few minutes,  being careful not to burn your okra.

Remove from oven, sprinkle with sea-salt and optional ground pepper, and serve.

It makes a great side or snack.

If the okra is tender enough, you can consume it whole, including the caps.