Category: Vegetable-related

Vegan · Vegetable sides · Vegetable-related · Whole30 compliant

Grilled zucchini, Amalfi-style

Belinda

Light, fresh, simple and stunning flavors. Lovely to serve alongside some marinated fish as a starter. Thank you Marcella Hazan.

Serves 4

2 lbs zucchini, as young and firm as possible, thoroughly cleaned, ends removed
Salt
4 garlic cloves; peeled and slightly mashed
2 tbsp fresh mint leaves, torn into bits
Light olive oil; or vegetable oil, for frying
3 tbsp white wine vinegar
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Black pepper

Cut the zucchini into rounds or slices lengthwise and place in a colander. Sprinkle with salt and mix gently. Let stand for 30 minutes to allow the water to come off the zucchini.

Put the mashed garlic and mint into a large bowl.

Remove the zucchini from the colander and pat dry. Heat the oil in a large skillet until very hot, then place the zucchini in a single layer in the skillet. Cook on both sides until golden brown, then transfer to the bowl with the mint and garlic.

Sprinkle the zucchini with a little vinegar, then continue cooking any remaining zucchini. Sprinkle with more vinegar when done.

When all the zucchini are done, add olive oil and season to taste with freshly ground black pepper.
Serve immediately or the next day

Do-ahead · Holiday Food · Nuts · Vegetable-related

Butternut squash, Brussels sprout and apple stuffing

Belinda

A lovely stuffing filled with vegetables. This can go Gluten Free if you use a GF bread like millet.

Serves 6

1lb butternut squash, cut into 1/2 “cubes
1lb Brussel sprouts, halved
1 Gala apple, cut into 1/2 inch dice
2 shallots, thinly sliced
4 tbsp olive oil, divided into 2 tbsp and 2 tbsp
1 cup onion, diced
1 cup celery, diced
10 thick slices of a bread of your choice: crusty sourdough dry cornbread, whole grain, GF….
*Prior to preparing the recipe, leave the bread out for a day to become slightly dry, then cut into cubes
1 1/2 cups vegetable,chicken or turkey broth (plus extra as needed)
1 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
1 tsp fresh sage, chopped
1 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup pecan or walnut halves, halved again
Sea salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 400 F

Toss the squash, Brussel sprouts, apples and shallots in 2 tbsp oil and season well with salt and pepper.
Roast till the vegetables are very tender, even until the Brussel sprouts are a little burnt at the edges and remove from the oven.

Reduce the heat to 350 F

Heat the other 2 tbsp oil in a large deep pan. Saute the onion and celery till translucent, abut 5 to 8 minutes.
Add the bread cubes and allow them to get golden brown with the veggies in the oil. Add a dash of salt and pepper.
Add the roasted vegetables, broth, cranberries, pecan or walnut halves and seasonings.
Stir the mix till the broth has almost entirely absorbed into the toasted bread.
Transfer to a baking dish or sheet and bake at 350 F for about 30 minutes.
Serve hot.

Do-ahead · Vegetable sides · Vegetable-related

Wild mushroom bread and butter pudding with truffle oil and Madeira

Belinda

I will not apologize for the richness of this dish!

Serves 2

olive oil for frying
2 large shallots, finely diced
2 good sized cloves garlic, crushed
1 heaped tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
1 heaped tbsp fresh thyme leave, chopped
1 really generous splash of Madeira
10 fl oz cream
11 oz mixed wild mushrooms, each sliced in half
truffle oil
3/4 cup grated Gruyere cheese
2 extra large egg yolks, beaten with a fork
8 slices brioche, crusts removed

Preheat the oven to 350 F

In a heavy based saucepan, add a splash of olive oil and warm gently. Add the shallots, rosemary, thyme and garlic and cook gently for 5 minutes.

Add a good splash of the Madeira and reduce for 5 minutes.
Add the cream, bring to the boil then turn off the heat and set aside to steep.

Heat a frying pan, add a drizzle of olive oil and fry the mushrooms for around 2 minutes. Add the cooked mushrooms to the cream base you set aside, season with salt and pepper and add the truffle oil to taste, a very little at a time, stirring in between to check on the flavor.
Once cooled slightly, add the egg yolks and stir in.

To build the puddings, take two individual pie dishes and lay a slice of the brioche on the bottom then add a generous tbsp of the mushroom mixture.
Repeat until all the brioche and mushroom mix is used up.
Sprinkle the tops of the puddings with the grated Gruyere cheese

Bake in the oven for 12 minutes or until golden on top.
Let stand for a few minutes before serving.

 

Appetizers · Do-ahead · Holiday Food · Meat · Pasta · Vegetable-related

Pumpkin stuffed with Fontina, Italian sausage and macaroni cheese

Belinda

This is a recipe from a book I purchased recently called ‘Melt” based around different macaroni and cheese recipes. It’s terrific and this is a real winner.

Serves 4

1 sugar pumpkin or other sweet variety (not a carving pumpkin), about 5 lbs
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 lb mild Italian pork sausage, skins removed
4 oz elbow macaroni
5 oz fontina cheese, cut into 1/4 inch cubes
2 oz gruyere cheese, cut into 1/4 inch  cubes
4 scallions, diced
1 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
1 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
1 tsp fresh sage, chopped
1 cup heavy cream

Preheat the oven to 350F

Cut out a circle from the top of the pumpkin – the way you would to make a jack-o’-lantern  and set aside.
Scoop out the seeds and strings as best as you can. Generously salt and pepper the inside of the pumpkin, pop the top back on it, place it on a rimmed baking dish (since the pumpkin may leak or weep) and bake for 45 minutes.
 
Meanwhile, warm the olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat.
Crumble the sausage into small chunks and cook until lightly browned.
Remove the sausage from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside to cool.
Discard the drippings or save for the gravy.
 
Also while the pumpkin bakes, cook the pasta in a large pot of salted, boiling water until al dente.
Drain through a colander and rinse with cool water to stop the cooking process.
 
In a bowl, toss together the fontina, gruyere, sausage, pasta, scallions and herbs.
When the pumpkin is done baking, take it out of the oven and fill it with the macaroni and cheese mixture.
Pour the cream over the filling.
Place the top back on the pumpkin and bake for 1 hour, taking the top off for the last 15 minutes of cooking so the cheese on top of the filling can get properly brown.
If the top cream still seems a bit too wobbly, give it another 10 mins in the oven.
The cream may bubble over a bit, which is fine. If the pumpkin splits while baking, as occasionally happens, be thankful you set it in a rimmed baking dish and continue to bake!
Allow the pumpkin to rest for 10 minutes before serving. Be careful moving the dish, as the pumpkin may be fragile. 
You can serve this dish two ways;
Cut it into individual servings or just scoop out the insides, including some of the
pumpkin flesh for each serving. 
Season to taste and enjoy!

Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Grains · Vegetable-related

Mejadra (A middle Eastern comfort food)

Belinda

This is a spectacular, spicy, sweet, comforting dish from the book “Jerusalem” by Yotam Ottolenghi. This is delicious served with a dollop of minted Greek plain yoghurt.

Serves 4

1 1/4 cups green or brown lentils
4 medium onions (1 1/2 lb)
3 tbsp all-purpose flour
About 1 cup sunflower oil
2 tsp cumin seeds
1 1/2 tbsp coriander seeds
1 cup basmati rice
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1 1/2 tsp ground allspice
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp sugar
1 1/2 cups water or chicken stock
salt and ground pepper

Place the lentils in a small saucepan, cover with plenty of water, bring to a boil, and cook for 12 to 15 minutes, until the lentils have softened but still have a little bite. Drain and set aside

Peel the onions and slice thinly. Place on a large flat plate, sprinkle with the flour and 1 tsp salt, and mix well with your hands.
Heat the sunflower oil in a medium heavy bottomed saucepan placed over a high heat. Make sure the oil is hot by throwing in a small piece of onion; it should sizzle vigorously.
Reduce the heat to medium high and carefully (it may spit!) add one-third of the sliced onion.
Fry for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally with a slotted spoon. until the onion takes on a nice golden brown color and turns crispy. (adjust the temperature so the onion doesn’t fry too quickly and burn)
Use the spoon to transfer the onion to a colander lined with paper towels and sprinkle with a little more salt.
Do the same with the other two batches of onion; add a little extra if needed.

Wipe the saucepan in which you fried the onion clean and put in the cumin and coriander seeds.
Place over medium heat and toast the seeds for a minute or two. Add the rice, olive oil, turmeric, allspice, cinnamon, sugar, 1/2 tsp salt, and plenty of ground black pepper.
Stir to coat the rice with the oil and then add the cooked lentils and the water/chicken stock.
Bring to a boil, cover with a lid and simmer over a very low heat for 15 minutes.

Remove from the heat, lift off the lid and quickly cover the pan with a clean tea towel. Seal tightly with the lid and set aside for 10 minutes.

Finally, add half the fried onion to the rice and lentils and stir gently with a fork.
Pile the mixture in a shallow bowl and top with the remaining onion

 

Appetizers · Holiday Food · Vegetable-related

Roasted butternut squash, spinach and feta tartlets topped with pine nuts.

Belinda

Once the cooler weather arrives, I just love cooking with pumpkins and squashes.  This is a twist on the Greek dish, Spanakopita but has the addition of roasted butternut squash and pine nuts to add sweetness, along with the spinach and feta cheese. So good!!
You can also add sweet potato instead of the squash and replace the dill with other chopped herbs, like parsley or basil or use sun dried tomatoes, or some diced bacon with the onion. If you don’t like feta cheese, try parmesan or mozzarella or even a blue cheese.

6 sheets filo (phyllo) pastry, thawed
2 cups peeled, diced small butternut squash
5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 bunch fresh spinach (around 8 oz) stems removed, chopped
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh dill
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
4 oz feta cheese, crumbled
1 tbsp melted butter
2 tbsp raw pine nuts

Preheat the oven to 350 F
Toss the diced squash with 1 tbsp of olive oil, place in a single layer on a baking tray and cook for 15 minutes.
While the squash bakes, heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat.
Cook the onion for 6 minutes, then add the spinach and cook for 4 minutes, stirring regularly.
Stir in the dill, salt and pepper and remove from the heat.
Stir in the crumbled feta and baked squash (keep the oven heated to 350 F) and set aside.
Combine the remaining 2 tbsp olive oil with the melted butter in a small bowl.
Place 2 filo sheets side by side on a work surface and brush each sheet evenly with the butter-oil mixture.
Place 2 more sheets on top and brush with butter-oil, then repeat once more.
Cut each stack into six 5 inch squares, for a total of 12 stacks with 3 sheets each.
Lightly grease a standard 12 cup muffin pan with butter-oil mixture.
Place each square filo stack into a muffin cup, pressing gently to mould the pastry into the bottom.
Spoon 1/4 cup of the spinach-pumpkin filling into each and fold the extra pastry back over the filling, roughly crumpling around the edges so that the filling is still exposed.
Brush the edges with the remaining butter-oil mix.
Sprinkle pine nuts in the middle of each tart.
Bake for 18 minutes, then remove from the oven and transfer the tarts from the muffin pan to a cooling rack.
Let cool slightly then serve.

Variation ; Instead of making 12 muffin-size tarts, you can make four individual pie-sized tarts or one larger pie

Appetizer Vegetarian · Appetizers · Do-ahead · Vegetable-related

Roasted butternut squash and ginger hummus

Belinda

This is a really gorgeous hummus from Gordon Ramsey. Ras del hannout is well worth making and adds such an exotic flavor to the roasted butternut squash. With the fresh ginger and garlic added, it’s truly a winner.

 

2014-09-08 17.18.34

Serves 8 to 10

1 butternut squash, (about 1 3/4lbs to 2lbs), peeled, seeded and cubed
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 inch piece of fresh root ginger, peeled and finely chopped
Olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp tahini
1 15 oz can of chick peas (Garbanzo beans)
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Warmed or griddled pitta bread or flat bread to serve

For the ras del hannout
1 cinnamon stick
1 tsp whole cloves
1 tbsp coriander seeds
1/2 tbsp fenugreek seeds
1/2 tbsp fennel seeds
1 tbsp mustard seeds
1/2 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tsp paprika

First make the Ras del hannout spice blend.
Break the cinnamon stick into pieces. Place in a dry pan with the cloves and all the seeds and toast over medium heat for about 1 minutes, until aromatic and the seeds are popping. (shake the spices in the pan as you heat them to prevent burning)
Once heated, remove from the heat and add the paprika.
Place in a spice grinder, blender or pestle and mortar and grind until the mixture is a powder – sift it if necessary.
The spice blend will keep for up to three months if stored in an airtight container.

Preheat the oven to 350 F

Make the hummus. 
In a large bowl, mix the cubed squash, garlic cloves and ginger with 2 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp of the spice mix.
Season with salt and pepper and scatter in a single layer in a roasting tray.
Place in a preheated oven and cook for 30 minutes until tender all the way through.

Once the squash is soft, add the contents of the tray to a blender or processor, discarding the garlic skins first.
Add the tahini, chickpeas and a squeeze of lemon juice along with 2 tbsp olive oil.
Blend until smooth.
Taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary – you might need more lemon juice.

Transfer the hummus to a bowl and sprinkle with a little spice mix (I also used some fresh cilantro in the picture).
Drizzle with olive oil and serve with warmed or griddled pitta bread

 

Appetizer Vegetarian · Appetizers · Do-ahead · Nuts · Vegetable-related

Roquefort and walnut terrine with apple salad

Belinda

Another killer appetizer!

8 first-course servings

2 cups walnuts (about 7 ounces)
1 lb Roquefort cheese, at room temperature
1 cup creme fraiche or sour cream
4 medium Granny Smith apples
2 tbsp plus 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup pure olive oil
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp plus 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Crust bread, for serving

Preheat the oven to 350 F
Spread the walnuts on a baking sheet and toast for about 10 minutes, or until lightly browned and fragrant. Let cool.

Line a 7 by 5 inch loaf pan with plastic, leaving 3 inches of overhang all around. In a large bowl, break up the Roquefort with a fork until slightly chunky.

Add the walnuts and creme fraiche and mix thoroughly. Scrape the mixture into the loaf pan and smooth the top.
Cover with the overhanging plastic wrap and refrigerate until very firm, at least 6 hours or overnight.

Peel, core and thinly slice the apples. In a medium bowl, toss the apples with 2 tbsp of the lemon juice.

In a small bowl combine the remaining 2 tsp of lemon juice with the olive oil, mustard and balsamic vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. Pour the vinaigrette over the apples and toss well.

Unmold the Roquefort terrine and discard the plastic wrap.
Run a thin knife under hot water and wipe it off, then cut the terrine into 3/4 inch-thick slices, rinsing and drying the knife after each cut.
Arrange the slices on small plates and serve with the apple salad and bread

 

Appetizer Vegetarian · Appetizers · Do-ahead · Vegetable-related

Warm gorgonzola, mushroom and rosemary dip served in a sourdough boule

Belinda

So earthy and rich. A great cold weather appetizer.

Makes about 2 1/2 cups

4 tbsp butter
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 Spanish onion
8 oz white mushrooms, sliced 1/4 inch thick
8 oz portobello mushrooms, stemmed and sliced 1/4 inch thick
4 sprigs of fresh rosemary, leaves removed and chopped finely
1 tsp Kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp dry white wine
4 oz gorgonzola, crumbled
1 cup heavy cream
1 sourdough bread boule, hollowed out
Fresh rosemary sprigs, for garnish
1 baguette, sliced, for serving

Put the butter and olive oil in a large skillet and set over medium heat.
Slice the onion into thin slivers and add them to the pan.
Reduce the heat to low and cook the onions for 15 minutes until translucent.
Add the mushrooms, rosemary, salt and pepper and raise the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms give up their liquid.
Let the mixture simmer until the mushroom liquid has reduced by 3/4.
Add the white wine and reduce again until the pan is almost dry.

(The recipe can be made the day before up to this point, if necessary. Reheat the mushroom mixture to continue with the recipe)

Add the crumbled gorgonzola and heavy cream.
Bring to a simmer and reduce by half.
Season, to taste, with salt and pepper, and spoon into the hollowed out boule.
Garnish with a few rosemary sprigs and serve immediately with sliced baguettes for dipping.

Asian flavors · Gluten Free · Vegan · Vegetable sides · Vegetable-related · Whole30 compliant

Roasted cauliflower with turmeric, ginger, fenugreek and mustard seeds

Belinda

You can’t have too many recipes for this extremely low calorie vegetable.

Serves 4

1 large cauliflower cut into florets of about 1 1/2 inches each
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp powdered turmeric
1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
1 jalapeno, finely sliced
1/2 tsp black mustard seeds (they look brown to me!)
1/3 tsp fenugreek seeds
3 tbsp water or stock
salt and pepper to taste
3 scallions, sliced thin on the diagonal, for decoration

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Blanch the cauliflower florets for 2 to 3 minutes and immediately remove, drain and put into a large bowl.

In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, turmeric, mustard seeds, fenugreek, salt and pepper, grated fresh ginger,  jalapeno and a dash of stock/water. Mix well.
Pour this mixture over the blanched cauliflower while still steaming and toss to coat everything.

Transfer this to a roasting pan and make sure to have all the cauliflower in a single layer and not crowded.

Cook uncovered until fork tender – about 25 minutes and starting to get golden brown and toasty.

Transfer to a platter and scatter with the scallions.