Parsnip Confit with Pickled Currants

September 8, 2020September 7, 2022 Belinda

Recipe from Bon Appetite magazine

Welcome to root vegetables reinvented. Sturdy parsnips soften in a warm bath of olive oil, then get seared and bejeweled with pickled currants. It’s hard to know if a parsnip will have a woody core, but generally speaking, small ones are tender throughout. Worst case scenario? Trim the tough centers before cooking.

2½ lb. parsnips, peeled, halved lengthwise, quartered if large, woody core removed if large
2 heads of garlic, halved crosswise
1 4″ piece ginger, scrubbed, sliced lengthwise into ⅛”-thick planks
3 large sprigs rosemary, divided, plus 1 Tbsp. rosemary leaves for serving
1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. kosher salt
3 cups extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup dried currants
¼ cup sugar
½ cup plus 1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
2 tsp. Aleppo-style pepper

Preheat oven to 300°. Combine parsnips, garlic, ginger, 2 rosemary sprigs, and 1 Tbsp. salt in a rectangular 3-qt. baking dish; turn garlic cut side down. Pour oil over.

Roast 35 minutes. Remove from oven; turn parsnips over. Return to oven and roast until a knife easily slides through flesh, 30–40 minutes. Let cool slightly.

Meanwhile, bring currants, sugar, ½ cup vinegar, remaining 1 tsp. salt, remaining rosemary sprig, and ¼ cup water to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and simmer, swirling pan occasionally, until reduced by three-quarters. Transfer to a small bowl and stir in Aleppo-style pepper, 1 Tbsp. parsnip confit oil, and remaining 1 Tbsp. vinegar.

Remove parsnips from oil, letting excess drip back into baking dish, and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Pluck out garlic and set aside for serving. Strain oil through a fine-mesh sieve into an airtight container; discard aromatics. Cover and reserve oil for another use.

Heat a large skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium-high. Working in batches, arrange parsnips in skillet in a single layer and cook, turning occasionally, until golden brown and charred in spots, about 4 minutes per batch. (Alternatively, you can broil them, turning halfway through, 10–12 minutes.)

Transfer to a platter and spoon currant sauce over. Top with reserved garlic and rosemary leaves.

Do Ahead: Parsnips can be cooked in oil 1 week ahead. Let cool completely; cover and chill. Reheat in oil in a 300° oven before browning. Currants can be pickled 1 week ahead; cover and chill.

Dairy-free · Gluten Free · Vegan · Vegetable sides

Catalan-style Spinach with Pine Nuts and Raisins

September 5, 2020September 5, 2020 Belinda

This is a lovely recipe from Jose Andres

Serves 4

2 tbsp Spanish extra-virgin olive oil
1 golden delicious apple, peeled, cored, and cut into ¼-inch cubes
4 tbsp pine nuts
4 tbsp seedless dark raisins
10 oz baby spinach, washed and whole
Salt to taste

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over a high flame. When the oil is very hot, add the apple cubes and sauté until slightly browned, about a minute. Add the pine nuts to the skillet and cook another 20 seconds until slightly browned. Keep the pan moving so the ingredients don’t burn.

Add the raisins and sauté another 20 seconds. Add the spinach and sauté briefly until the spinach starts to wilt. Remove from the heat; the spinach will continue to wilt off the flame. Add salt to taste and serve immediately.

Asian flavors · Dairy-free · Gluten Free · Vegan · Vegetable sides

Miso butter onions

August 31, 2020August 31, 2020 Belinda

These onions are a revelation, and the very definition of low effort/high impact.

Two things are vital, though: the roasting tray must be big enough to fit 16 onion halves (if not, roast fewer, decreasing other ingredients proportionally) and these must be basted well, so they remain moist. Serve spooned over toast, mashed potatoes or rice, or with roast chicken.

Serves 6 as a side

8 medium onions, skinned (1.2kg)
4oz (100g) unsalted butter, melted
4oz (100g) white miso paste

Heat the oven to 500F/gas 10. Halve the onions lengthways, trim tops and a little off the bottom (you want the halves held together at the base).

Whisk the butter, miso and 2.1 pints (one litre) of warm water until fully combined.

Space apart the onion halves, cut side down, in a 16″ (40cm) x 11″ (28cm) high-sided baking tray or dish.
Pour over the miso water, cover tightly with foil, bake for 35 minutes, then remove foil and turn onions cut side up.
Baste well and cook, uncovered, for 45 minutes, basting every 10 minutes, until very soft and deep brown.

Carefully transfer to a platter, pouring the sauce over. Serve at once.

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

Light Eggplant Rollantini

August 23, 2020September 7, 2022 Belinda

Recipe by Suzy Karadsheh from the food blog “The Mediterranean Dish”

This is an easy, lighter eggplant rollatini recipe, made with a lighter cheese filling, basil pesto and fresh parsley.

Serves 4-6

2 eggplants (get ones as straight and plump as possible, or get one extra one if they are very curvy)
Salt
Extra virgin olive oil I used Private Reserve Greek EVOO
2 cups Store-bought Marinara sauce Or homemade pasta sauce
For filling
2 eggs beaten
1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1/2 cup part-skim shredded Mozzarella, plus more for later
3 tbsp grated Parmesan
2 tbsp basil pesto homemade or store-bought, more for later
1 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves

Slice eggplants length-wise into 1/4-inch thin slices (it’s easier to do this using a mandolin slicer) You should have about 12 slices of similar size (reserve end pieces that are shorter or odd-shaped for another use).
Sprinkle eggplant slices with salt and set aside on paper towel for 20 minutes. This will help the eggplant sweat out any bitterness. Pat dry. Rinse with water, then dry again.
Heat oven to 375 degrees F.
Brush a large baking sheet with extra virgin olive oil. Arrange eggplant slices in one layer on baking sheet. Brush the tops of the eggplant slices with more extra virgin olive oil. Bake in heated oven for 8 minutes or so until soft enough to fold (do not overcook.) Remove from oven and set aside briefly to cool. (Leave the oven on for the rollatini)
Meanwhile, prepare the filling. In a bowl, add eggs, ricotta, Mozzarella, grated Parmesan, basil pesto, and fresh parsley. Mix until well-combined.
Spread about 3/4 cup marinara sauce on the bottom of a 9 1/2″ x 13″ baking dish.
Spoon about 2 tbsp of the filling onto one end of each eggplant slice, and spread. Starting from the short end, roll up eggplant slices tightly and arranged on prepared baking dish.
Top eggplant rollatini with the remainder of the marinara sauce, more basil pesto, and a sprinkle of mozzarella. Bake in heated oven for 30 minutes or until the eggplant rollatini are fully cooked and tender.
Remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes or so before serving.
NOTES
Prepare-ahead and Freezing Instructions: You can prepare eggplant rollatini in advance and freeze it before baking. Or you can fully bake it and freeze any leftovers. When ready to use, simply reheat frozen rollatini, covered, in the oven at 350 degrees F.
Variation. Add spinach to your cheese mixture for more heft. I did not use spinach in this recipe but I have on occasion, and it does add nutrition and body to the filling. Use 1 package of frozen spinach that has been thawed and very well drained (you do not want added water to the mixture).