Category: Vegetable-related

Grains · Vegetable sides · Vegetable-related

Faro and Cauliflower Parmesan

Belinda

This dish has all of the crispy-melty-tomatoey appeal of a chicken or eggplant Parmesan, but it uses only one pot. Olive oil provides richness, and broiling lends a cheesy crunch without the mess of breading and frying. The pizza-like flavors and mellow cauliflower make it a (potentially) kid-friendly meal. Feel free to omit the olives if that makes more sense for your family. In fact, this dish is highly customizable: Add more or less red-pepper flakes, throw in some capers or use broccoli rabe instead of cauliflower. Any salty, hard aged cheese will work in place of Parmesan, like asiago or pecorino. Leftovers are great crisped in the oven.
Recipe from the New York Times

Serves 8

FOR THE FARRO AND CAULIFLOWER:
1 ½ lbs cauliflower (about 1 small cauliflower head or 1/2 large cauliflower head), florets and tender stems cut into large bite-sized pieces
1 ¾ cups semi-pearled or pearled faro (about 12 ounces)
1 (32-oz) jar good-quality marinara sauce
¼ cup olive oil
½ cup pitted kalamata or black olives, roughly chopped (optional)
8 garlic cloves, smashed and chopped
3 oz grated Parmesan (about 3/4 cup finely grated)
1 ½ tsp granulated sugar
1 ½ tsp onion powder
1 ½ tsp dried oregano
1 tsp balsamic or sherry vinegar
½ tsp red-pepper flakes, or to taste (optional)
1 ½ tsp kosher salt
Black pepper

FOR THE TOPPING:
1 cup panko
2 oz grated Parmesan (about 1/2 cup finely grated)
1 tbsp olive oil
8 oz fresh mozzarella, sliced into rounds

Heat the oven to 425 F.
In a 9-by-13-inch pan, combine the cauliflower, faro, marinara sauce, olive oil, olives (if using), garlic, Parmesan, sugar, onion powder, oregano, vinegar and red-pepper flakes.
Season with the salt and a generous amount of black pepper. Pour in 1 2/3 cups water (or chicken broth for added flavor) and stir well to combine. Cover the pan tightly with foil and bake in the oven for 40 minutes.
Uncover the pan, stir, and continue baking uncovered until the faro is tender-chewy and the sauce is thick, about 15 minutes more. (If the faro has already soaked up all the sauce and the pan is looking dry, stir in 1/2 to 3/4 cup water/broth, just to make sure the faro has enough liquid to become tender and saucy.)

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, make the topping: Stir together the panko, Parmesan and olive oil.
Turn on the broiler. Evenly cover the top of the faro with the panko topping. Top with the sliced mozzarella. Broil on the top rack, about 6 inches from the heat source, for 2 minutes, rotating the pan once and watching carefully for burning, until the panko topping is deeply browned and the mozzarella has melted.

Egg based · Holiday Food · Vegetable sides · Vegetable-related

Caramelized Onion and Butternut Squash Tart

Belinda


This decadent tart is packed with caramelized onions, roasted butternut squash, Gruyère and crème fraîche. It makes an excellent vegetarian main or a rich, savory side. recipe by Vanessa Larson

1 recipe pastry dough (see below)
1 large butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed
1 tbsp olive oil
2 large yellow onions, halved and sliced
3 tbsp unsalted butter
2 large eggs
8 oz crème fraîche
4 oz Gruyère, grated
2 oz Parmesan, grated
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
4 sprigs thyme

Pastry Dough
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 stick butter
4 tbsp ice water

Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onions, thyme sprigs, and 1/2 teaspoon salt, stirring to mix. Cover and reduce heat to low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until dark golden brown, about 45 minutes. Remove thyme stems.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 450° F.
Toss butternut squash with olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt and spread out on baking sheet. Bake until browned and very soft, stirring once, about 40 minutes.
Reduce oven heat to 350° F.
Roll dough out until thin and press into a well-greased 10-inch tart pan. Prick all over with a fork and bake in oven 10 minutes.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine eggs, crème fraîche, gruyère, Parmesan, and black pepper.
Spread caramelized onions in bottom of tart and top with butternut squash. Pour gruyère mixture over the squash, making sure to spread it evenly throughout the tart.
Bake until golden brown and cooked through, about 30 to 40 minutes.

Pastry Dough

Cut butter into 1-tablespoon pieces and freeze for 10 minutes.
Mix flour and salt in food processor or large bowl.
If using food processor, add butter and mix until mixture resembles small pea-sized balls. If mixing by hand, work quickly, mixing the butter in with your hands until it forms small pea-sized balls.
Add in ice water and mix just until dough forms and comes together. Form into disk, wrap in plastic, and place in fridge for 20 minutes.

Grains · Holiday Food · Vegetable sides · Vegetable-related

Farro With Mushrooms

Belinda

Farro is chewier than Italian rice and doesn’t release starch when it’s cooked, so there’s no need to stir it the way you’d stir a risotto. This hearty dish has a rich, earthy flavor. Although it takes about twice as long as a risotto to cook, it doesn’t require tending.
Recipe by Martha Rose Shulman for the New York Times

Serves 6

½ oz (1/2 cup, approximately) dried porcini mushrooms
1 quart chicken stock or vegetable stock
1 ½ cups farro
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
½ cup finely chopped onion
1 lb cremini mushrooms or wild mushrooms (or a mixture of the two), cleaned, trimmed and sliced
Salt to taste
2 large garlic cloves, green shoots removed, minced
2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
½ cup dry white wine
Freshly ground pepper to taste
2 oz Parmesan cheese, grated (1/2 cup)
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

Place the farro in a bowl, and pour on enough hot water to cover by an inch. Let soak while you prepare the remaining ingredients. Drain.
Place the dried mushrooms in a large Pyrex measuring cup or bowl, and pour in 2 cups boiling water. Let sit 30 minutes.
Drain the mushrooms through a strainer set over a bowl and lined with cheesecloth or a paper towel. Squeeze the mushrooms over the strainer, then rinse in several changes of water to remove grit. Chop coarsely if the pieces are large and set aside. Add the broth from the mushrooms to the stock. You should have 6 cups (add water if necessary). Place in a saucepan, and bring to a simmer. Season with salt to taste.

Heat the oil over medium heat in a large, heavy nonstick skillet. Add the onion. Cook, stirring, until it begins to soften, about three minutes. Add the fresh mushrooms. Cook, stirring, until they begin to soften and sweat. Add salt to taste, the garlic and rosemary.
Continue to cook, stirring often, until the mushrooms are tender, about five minutes. Add the farro and reconstituted dried mushrooms. Cook, stirring, until the grains of farro are separate and beginning to crackle, about two minutes. Stir in the wine and cook, stirring until the wine has been absorbed. Add all but about 1 cup of the stock, and bring to a simmer.

Cover and simmer 50 minutes or until the farro is tender; some of the grains will be beginning to splay. Remove the lid, and stir vigorously from time to time. Taste and adjust seasoning. There should be some liquid remaining in the pot but not too much. If the farro is submerged in stock, raise the heat and cook until there is just enough to moisten the grains, like a sauce. If there is not, stir in the remaining stock.
If not serving right away, cover and let stand. Just before serving, bring back to a simmer, add the Parmesan, parsley and pepper, and stir together. Remove from the heat and serve.

Dairy-free · Gluten Free · Holiday Food · Vegetable sides · Vegetable-related · Whole30 compliant

Roasted Greek lemon potatoes

Belinda

These roasted Greek lemon potatoes are full of amazing lemon flavors, crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside.
Easy to make with simple ingredients, delicious and perfect for lunch, dinner, or parties. Naturally vegan.

Serves 4

3 lbs good-sized potatoes
3/4 cup olive oil
5 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
2 lemons, juiced
3/4 cup vegetable broth (you can use chicken broth if you’re not vegetarian)
2 heaped tsp oregano, dried
1 heaped tsp poultry seasoning
1/3 cup fresh parsley for garnish
salt, pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375°F.

First of all, peel the potatoes and cut them into thick wedges.
Next combine the lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, poultry seasoning, broth and oregano.
Season with salt and pepper and mix everything with a wire whisk.

Now add potatoes to a shallow baking dish and pour the liquid broth mixture over them.
Mix well so that the potatoes are all coated. Bake for around 40 minutes.
Take the dish from the oven and flip the potatoes around. Bake for another 40+ minutes, until browned and cooked then serve on a platter with fresh parsley on top.

* With this recipe, I ended up transferring the potatoes after 1 hr of cooking to a shallow baking tray, sprinkling about 3/4 cup of the juices over them, (leaving the rest behind) so they had a better chance to crisp up more but still have that lovely lemony flavor.
I returned them to the oven for 30+ minutes. The broth evaporates and the juices become rich and sumptuous.

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

Michel Roux Jr’s Lyonnais potato cake

Belinda

Michel Roux Jr’s Lyonnais potato cake is made with slowly cooked onions and potatoes baked with crème fraîche and a sprinkling of nutmeg. The side dish recipe can be made ahead of serving.

Serves 6-8

4 large baking potatoes
2 large onions, sliced
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp butter for greasing
1 free-range egg, beaten
2 tbsp full fat crème fraîche
Good grating nutmeg
Fresh thyme to serve

Heat the oven to 400F/200°C/fan180°C/gas 6.
Bake the potatoes in their skins for 1½ hours or until soft, leave to cool, then spoon out the flesh into a bowl, Mash out any lumps with a potato masher. (see tips). Turn the oven down to 350F/180°C/fan160°C/gas 4.

Meanwhile, put the sliced onions and the oil in a large saucepan over a low heat and fry for 45 minutes, stirring often, until golden.
Grease a non-stick, loose-bottomed round sandwich tin (about 8″/20cm across) with the butter and line with baking paper. Gently mix the beaten egg and crème fraîche into the potato, then gently mix in the onions and season with salt, pepper and a good grating of nutmeg.

Tip the mix into the tin and bake for 45 minutes or until golden.Remove and leave to cool for 5 minutes before turning out. (You may need to run a blunt knife around the edge to release it.) Top with fresh thyme leaves to serve.

Tips
Handle the potatoes with a tea towel if they’re not completely cool. If they’re not entirely soft and still have lumps, mash briefly with a masher.

Cook the potato cake up to 3 days ahead, then keep covered and chilled. Reheat in a 350F/180°C/fan160°C/gas 4 oven for 30-40 minutes to serve.

Do-ahead · Egg based · Holiday Food · Vegetable sides · Vegetable-related

Mushroom Bread Pudding

Belinda

This is my first Fall post, and the beginning of my most favorite season for cooking.
Recipe by Susan Spungen for the New York Times

Wonderful served as a brunch centerpiece or as a holiday side, this rich meatless bake can be assembled in advance, refrigerated overnight, then baked just before serving. You could certainly prepare it day-of and let the bread soak for 15 minutes before baking, but allowing it to sit overnight will make it more tender.
Delicate brioche is the ideal bread for this pudding, and it is available in most supermarkets, often in the form of hamburger rolls, which are a good size and shape for this dish.
Challah is also a good option, but it’s a bit denser, so it may take more than 15 minutes for it to soak up the custard.

Serves 6-8

1 oz dried porcini mushrooms
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp unsalted butter, plus more for greasing the pan
½ pound mixed fresh mushrooms, such as cremini or shiitake, trimmed and sliced 1/4-inch thick
8 fresh sage leaves, thinly sliced, plus more for garnish, if desired
2 small shallots, halved and thinly sliced
2 tbsp cognac (optional)
2 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
Black pepper
3 large leeks, white and pale green parts only, halved lengthwise, thinly sliced and well washed
6 large eggs
1 ½ cups heavy cream
1 ½ cups whole milk
¼ teaspoon ground cayenne
3 oz grated Gruyère (about 1 cup)
12 oz brioche (or 4 to 6 large brioche buns), cut into 1/2-inch thick slices
2 oz finely grated Parmesan (about 3/4 cup)

Boil 1 cup of water in a small saucepan. Add the dried porcini mushrooms and soak until softened, about 15 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the mushrooms to a cutting board and finely chop; set aside. Carefully pour remaining mushroom liquid into a large bowl, leaving any grit behind.

In a large (12-inch) skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter over high. Add fresh mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 8 minutes. Lower heat to medium. Add sage, shallots and chopped porcini, and cook, stirring, until shallot is translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Add cognac, if using, season to taste with salt and pepper and cook, stirring, 1 minute more. Transfer to a plate.

In the same pan, melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat. Add the leeks and a big pinch of salt and cook, stirring, until wilted, 5 to 7 minutes. Return the mushroom mixture to the pan and stir to combine with the leeks. Remove from heat.
Add eggs to the large bowl with the mushroom liquid, and whisk to blend. Add cream, milk, cayenne, 1½ teaspoons salt and plenty of black pepper. Whisk thoroughly to combine, then add the Gruyère.

Grease the bottom and sides of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with butter, then add about 1/4 of the fresh mushroom mixture and arrange in an even layer. Arrange the bread slices on top in an overlapping pattern. Sprinkle the remaining mushroom mixture over top, tucking it in between the bread slices. Ladle the custard mixture over top, evenly distributing the cheese. Refrigerate, covered, overnight (see Tip).

When ready to cook, remove the dish from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before baking. Heat the oven to 350 F. Top the pudding with Parmesan and bake for 40 to 45 minutes until set in the center (it may puff a bit). Run it under the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes to brown the top, watching carefully.
Let sit 10 minutes, then serve warm, topped with additional sage if desired.

Tip
If you don’t have time to soak overnight, let sit for at least 15 minutes, pressing down on the bread from time to time to encourage absorption. Before baking, tear into a piece of bread to make sure the custard has fully permeated it — the bread shouldn’t look dry at the center — and let sit another 15 minutes, if needed, to allow the custard to fully soak in. Decrease the cooking time by 10 to 15 minutes.

Dairy-free · Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Sauces · Vegan · Vegetable sides · Vegetable-related

6 ingredient lemon ginger sauce to serve with roasted asparagus

Belinda

This is the perfect side dish to any dinner! It’s ready in 20 minutes and is totally vegan & oil-free!

12 oz asparagus spears, washed and patted dry
salt and pepper
1/4 of a lemon

LEMON GINGER SAUCE (makes 1/2 cup)
1/4 cup (60g) water
2 tbsp (30g) fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup (64g) roasted creamy almond butter
2 tsp (8g) peeled and finely grated fresh ginger
2 tsp (10g) agave or maple syrup
2 medium garlic cloves (5g)
1/4 tsp ground turmeric powder
1/4 tsp fine salt + 1/8 teaspoon pepper

NOTE
Don’t worry about this sauce being spicy. The ginger gives amazing ginger flavor, but it is not spicy at all. The lemon juice, almond butter and agave all balance it out like a dream.
I’d suggest making the sauce early in the day or the day before. While it’s not totally necessary, it does thicken as it sits. But it’s delicious immediately.

Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a pan with parchment paper.

Trim the ends off of each asparagus about 2-3 inches. Place on the pan spread out evenly. Squeeze the juice of 1/4 of a lemon over the asparagus. Season with salt and pepper.
Bake for 8-9 minutes until fork tender, but still firm. You don’t want them overcooked and limp, but not raw either. Depending on the thickness of the spears, time may need adjustment by a minute or so.

While the asparagus is roasting, make the sauce.
Add the water, lemon juice, almond butter, ginger, agave, garlic, turmeric, salt & pepper to a food processor or a Vitamix, if you have one. Either will work fine. For the ginger, you want to make sure you get the right amount, so weigh after peeling. I basically grated a large piece of fresh ginger over a bowl and then measured.

Blend everything on low, slowing increasing speed, until smooth. Scrape the sides down well and blend once more on low. It will be a fairly runny sauce, like a salad dressing. This is so it drizzles easily over the asparagus.
But it does thicken overnight or several hours in the fridge. It also doubles beautifully to toss as a salad dressing in greens. So so good.
Drizzle over the hot asparagus and serve immediately.
You will be tempted to drink the sauce!

Dairy-free · Gluten Free · Vegan · Vegetable sides · Vegetable-related

Provencal potato bake

Belinda

Bring back the rustic flavors of Provence with this gorgeous and easy dish

2 lbs baby potatoes
1/2 cup (100g) salted capers, rinsed, drained
1 cup (120g) pitted black olives
2 tbsp thyme leaves
4 large cloves garlic, chopped
5 good-sized rosemary sprigs, chopped
1/2 cup (125ml) extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
2 tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

Preheat the oven to 400F (220°C) and line a baking tray with baking paper.

Place the potatoes in a pan and cover with cold, salted water. Bring to the boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to medium and simmer for 10-12 minutes until just tender. Drain well and set aside to cool slightly.

Crush the potatoes lightly with a fork, then place in a large bowl with the capers, olives, thyme and rosemary, then season. Add 1/3 cup (80ml) olive oil and toss well to coat the potatoes. Tip onto the baking tray. Whisk the vinegar and remaining 2 tablespoons oil together, then drizzle over the potatoes.
Bake for 45 minutes or until golden and crisp. Scatter with parsley and serve.

Do-ahead · Vegetable sides · Vegetable-related

A little eggplant parm’ a la Alison Roman

Belinda

Recipe from Alison Roman

“Firstly, no, the eggplant does not need to be salted, no we *will not be frying* the eggplant. Yes, it does basically taste like eggplant parmesan but lighter, fresher, tangier and crunchier. If you don’t care for capers, you can skip them, just know you are, in fact, missing out.”
PLEASE NOTE: Unless you are doubling this recipe (which you can easily do), you are only using half the tomato sauce here. Save the rest by freezing it, or just pop it in the fridge to eat over pasta later in the week.

Serves 2

1 large globe eggplant (about 2 pounds), sliced about ½”-¾” thick
1/2 cup olive oil, divided
Kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper
1 small onion (yellow, white, or red), thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
Crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
4 anchovy fillets (optional, but delicious!!), plus more if you want
1 28 oz. can whole San Marzano tomatoes, crushed
¾ cup panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated parmesan
2–3 tbsp capers, coarsely chopped
2 tbsp chopped fresh oregano or marjoram (you can skip, or use half the amount of dried)
⅓ cup coarsely chopped parsley, divided
8 oz fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced or torn

Preheat oven to 450°.
Drizzle the eggplant with about half the olive oil and season with salt and pepper and roast, turning the eggplant halfway through (I use tongs or a fork), until it’s as tender as custard and both sides are as brown as if they were fried, about 25–30 minutes.
A lot of the flavor in this dish will come from the eggplant being very very browned, so please don’t be scared to “take it there” so to speak. Please take it there. Take it very there.

While that happens, make the sauce.
Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a medium pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic, season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring every now and then until the onions and garlic are tender and starting to brown around the edges, 8–10 minutes. Add crushed red pepper flakes and anchovies, if using, and stir, letting both things melt into the onions.
Pour the juices from the tomatoes into the pot and one by one, crush the tomatoes with your hands into the pot (I like to keep the tomatoes on the chunkier side for more texture in the finished dish).
Season again with salt and pepper and let it simmer gently for 15–30 minutes (you want to evaporate some but not all of the liquid).
Once it tastes very good and feels nicely thickened, remove from heat. Set half aside and freeze or refrigerate the rest.

The last and final thing to do is to toast the bread crumbs.
Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a small to medium skillet over medium heat. Add the bread crumbs and season with salt and pepper. Stir them to coat evenly in the oil and toast, tossing frequently, until all the bread crumbs are the color of your morning toast, 5–7 minutes. Remove from heat.

Okay, it’s time to assemble this thing! How thrilling. There’s not a ton of technique here, but here’s how I do it to most closely mimic the classique eggplant parm.

Spoon about half of the tomato sauce on the bottom of a 1 qt. baking dish or 6” skillet (both hold about 4 cups volume, that’s the size you want. Doesn’t matter the shape, as long as its heatproof).

Top with half the eggplant (a little overlap is fine, so are gaps- don’t fuss!).
Top with half the parmesan, parsley, capers, and oregano.
Scatter half the bread crumbs in a nice even layer on top of all that, followed by half the mozzarella.
Repeat this, ending with the mozzarella.
Add a little more parmesan if you feel like it, maybe some black pepper.
I feel that this is truly perfect as-is, but if you love anchovies as much as my friend Chris, you can use more to layer in (I’d add a few fillets with the capers/herbs).

Now, bake it. Pop it into the oven until the cheese is browned and everything is bubbling around the edges, 15–20 minutes. Remove from the oven, maybe finish with some more parsley if you’ve got it stuck to your cutting board, and let it cool ever so slightly before eating.
I like to just serve it by scooping with a spoon– it’s not really meant to be sliced.

Appetizer Vegetarian · Gluten Free · Vegetable sides · Vegetable-related

Frizzled Chickpeas and Onions with Feta and Oregano

Belinda

Alison Roman’s recipes are truly beautiful and always different.

Serves 4 to 6

½ cup olive oil
1 large red or yellow onion, thinly sliced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 (15-oz) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
4 garlic cloves, smashed
Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
4 sprigs fresh marjoram or oregano, plus more leaves for garnish
2 oz Greek, Bulgarian, or French feta, very thinly sliced or crumbled

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion has softened, and is just starting to brown, 5 to 8 minutes.

Add the chickpeas, garlic, red pepper flakes, and half the marjoram leaves. Season with salt and pepper and toss to coat in the oily business. Continue to cook, shaking the skillet occasionally to make sure nothing is sticking and that the chickpeas are getting equal attention from the oil and heat, until the chickpeas are golden brown and appear fried around the edges and the onion is a deep golden brown and looks somewhere between fried and caramelized, a term we now call “frizzled.”

Taste a chickpea or two and make sure it’s plenty seasoned, adding salt, pepper, and/or a pinch of red pepper flakes, if you like things on the spicier side.

Remove from the heat and transfer to a large serving platter. Top with the feta and remaining marjoram.

DO AHEAD: Chickpeas can be made a few hours ahead, kept covered loosely at room temperature. Feel free to reheat in a skillet over medium-high heat before serving, as they’ll lose a bit of their crispness as they sit.