Portobello Eggplant Sandwich

With the vegetarian and/or me working virtually every night this month, my mission has been to find quick, easy and satisfying dinners that will neither require too much prep nor leaving us feeling so full afterwards that we can't go to sleep at a reasonable hour. Last night, that led me down the path of sandwiches. With so much wonderful produce from the greenmarket, I've definitely been on a vegetable kick and I started thinking about grills and, not for the first time, wishing we had one. And what are my three favorite vegetables to cook on a grill? Portobello mushrooms, onions and eggplant. Even though I don't often eat eggplant these days, when I find it fresh and local and organic at the greenmarket, I make an exception.

Alas, we have no grill. But, if you can stand heating up the apartment for fifteen minutes, mushrooms, onions and eggplant are just as (if not more) delicious roasted. And, bonus, you don't have to worry about the bits of onion falling through the cracks of the grill!

I wanted to elevate these from a "typical" sandwich so, while the veggies were roasting, I whipped up a quick tahini spread with fresh basil (better and more nutritious than a more traditional mayonnaise or, worse, ketchup). We also served these with some big arugula leaves on sprouted sesame bread and had a salad on the side. Bon appetit!



 Portobello Eggplant Sandwich

Sandwich

• 4 large portobello mushrooms, stems removed
• 1/2 large red onion, thinly sliced
• 8 slices bread
• 1 bunch large arugula leaves
• 1 American eggplant, sliced

Spread

• 1/2 cup sesame paste
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon salad seasoning blend
• 1 teaspoon tamari
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves
• 1 small clove garlic, chopped

Preheat oven to 375. Arrange mushrooms, onion and eggplant on a foil-covered baking sheet (or two). Roast 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the spread by blending together all ingredients in a food processor until creamy.

When vegetables are cooked, remove from oven and let cool slightly. Toast bread. Generously spread spread onto half of bread slices and top with 1-2 leaves arugula, 1 mushroom, some red onion and 1 slice eggplant. Cover with second slice of bread. Enjoy!

Links:

• Grilled Eggplant & Portobello Sandwich from Eating Well
• Crispy Eggplant and Portobello Mushroom and Cheese Sandwiches from Food Network
• Grilled Portobello Sandwich with Roasted Red Pepper and Mozzarella from AllRecipes.com
• Eggplant and Portobello Mushroom Melt from Wine and a Spoon
• Grilled Eggplant and Portobello Mushroom Sandwich from Roman Meal

Pickled Daikon Radish with Onions

Like many Jewish New Yorkers, I grew up eating pickles. I only liked the sour ones and I would refuse any half-sour or (G-d forbid) raw cucumbers. As I put it, I only liked them when they were all grown up! And the only pickles I liked were pickled cucumbers. While my parents got excited about gourmet blends including dill tomatoes, I scoffed and picked out the pickled cucumbers (or "real pickles" as I haughtily called them).

Well, tastes change over time and now I eat cucumbers at all stages of their lives. I also got introduced to other pickled vegetables, first at Korean restaurants and then, as I explored Body Ecology Diet's recommendations of cultured vegetables. I discovered that lots of vegetables were delicious pickled -- greens, carrots and even beets. (I still think pickled tomatoes are a waste of good tomatoes, though.) And, as my tastes became more refined, I found that I liked a little kick in my pickles, be it from garlic, ginger or, as in this recipe, onions.

So when I stumbled across a recipe in Nourishing Traditions for pickled daikon radish, I was intrigued. Radishes often have a bite all their own (although daikon is much more mild). And, while I had never made pickles myself, this way I could control everything that went into them. And we all know how much I enjoy doing that! I ended up adapting this from a recipe from Vegetarian Times. The original called for jalapenos but, since I'm avoiding peppers, I used onions instead for my "kick". These are sweet and fairly mild -- a great addition to a salad or sandwich or, as I did for lunch today, served alongside some fish and fresh tomatoes. Bon appetit!

Pickled Daikon Radish with Onions

• 1 daikon, cubed
• 8 baby carrots, chopped
• 1/2 sweet onion, thinly sliced
• 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 2 teaspoons sea salt
• 1 cup cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup lucuma powder

Place daikon, carrots, onions and sea salt in a large bowl. Toss well and let sit 1 hour to draw out excess moisture. Drain well, then transfer to jar(s), packing down well. In a small saucepan over high heat, bring vinegar and lucuma to a boil. Whisk until lucuma is completely dissolved (it has a tendency to clump so whisk or stir to dissolve). Pour liquid over vegetable mixture in jar(s). Refrigerate at least 3 hours. You can store these in the refrigerator for quite a while. Enjoy!

Links:

• Pickled Radishes from David Lebovitz
• Vietnamese Daikon and Carrot Pickles from Simply Recipes
• Vietnamese Pickled Carrot and Daikon from Pham Fatale
• Vietnamese Pickled Carrots and Daikon Radish from Closet Cooking
• Korean Chicken Lettuce Wraps with Pickled Daikon Radish & Cellophane Noodles from Blue Apron

Potato and Celeriac Puree

Nutritionists often tell us to eat as many different colors as we can. And on a good day, I can probably get three or four onto my plate -- white, green, pink and red. But there are some colors that we almost never get such as my favorite, purple.

That all changed the other night with this delectable puree. Yes, it's another celeriac (white) recipe but this time I mixed the celeriac with purple potatoes. The celeriac blended right in with the potatoes and we wound up with this exquisite meal, served alongside baked eggplant (for the vegetarian) and chicken (for the omnivore). Leftovers we reheated in a 350F oven for 20 minutes and served under buffalo steak (for the omnivore) and portobello mushrooms (for the vegetarian). A great take on a more traditional (and less colorful) meal!

A note about dairy: as many of you know, I have been avoiding dairy (to the best of my cheese-addicted abilities) for almost a year. I recently re-introduced clarified butter (ghee) into my diet and I love it. It brought an especially rich quality to the puree and mixed perfectly with the rice milk. If you're avoiding dairy of all sorts, feel free to substitute coconut oil instead.

This puree ended up a little chunky (which I love -- anything too silky smooth bores me about halfway through). If, however, you prefer a smoother puree, mash the potatoes and celeriac in the food processor instead of by hand. Bon appetit!

Potato and Celeriac Puree

• 1.5 lbs purple potatoes, cubed
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 celeriac, peeled and cubed
• 1 cup rice milk
• 2-4 tablespoons clarified butter
• 1/2 teaspoon French sea salt

Put potatoes into a large pot and cover with cold water (make sure the pot is big enough to fit the celeriac too and that you put in enough water to cover both). Add kosher salt. Bring pot to a boil over high heat, covered, and cook 10 minutes. Add celeriac and boil another 10 minutes. Drain and return to pot.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, bring rice milk to a boil. Using a potato masher, mash potatoes and celeriac as smoothly as desired (you could also do this in a food processor). Add 1/4 cup milk and stir (and mash) vigorously until absorbed by the vegetables. Add 1/2-1 tablespoon butter and stir (and mash) until absorbed. Continue adding 1/4 cup milk and 1/2-1 tablespoon butter until puree is a cohesive texture and as rich and decadent as you desire. Sprinkle with sea salt and serve.

Links:

• Celery Root and Potato Mash from Bon Appetit
• Puree of Potato and Celeriac with Garlic from Delia Online
• Celeriac Mash from Epicurious.com
• Celeriac Mash from Allrecipes.com
• Celery Root and Potato Puree from For Love of the Table

Fennel, Celeriac, Parsley and Red Onion Salad

I'm spoiled. I live in New York City, surrounded by wonderful supermarkets (I have three to choose from everyday, not to mention the two that I choose not to frequent because there are better options) and one to two Greenmarkets within walking distance as well as countless others a short subway ride away. I can get fresh vegetables (in and out of season) and, while I try to eat seasonally to keep costs down and quality up, I don't fret about it too much if one of us has a hankering for eggplant or tomatoes in the middle of February.

As for how this affects my cooking, unless we're having company over, I try not to buy too many ingredients for any one meal (another side of keeping costs and waste down). So I take for granted that I'll have flavorful ingredients that don't need much to make them vibrant and tasty.

But this salad brought all these facts starkly into relief. A simple winter salad, it's a delightful mix of fennel, celeriac and parsley, all tied together with a simple olive oil and lemon juice dressing and sprinkled with toasted pumpkin seeds. Sounds perfect, no? Well, it was good but neither my celeriac nor my fennel was anywhere near as flavorful as it should have been. So, while it was tasty, it wasn't fantastic. As the vegetarian put it, "The flavors are all good but they're so quiet!"

So why, you might ask, am I even sharing this with you? Because it is good. And it's a winter salad (which is exceedingly rare. And, if you make it with exceptionally fresh ingredients (like from a garden if you're lucky enough to have one), it will be phenomenal.

I'm entering this in Raw Foods Thursday on Gluten-Free Cat. Join us!

Fennel, Celery Root, Parsley and Red Onion Salad
adapted from the Washington Post

• 2 tablespoons raw (preferably sprouted), unsalted pumpkin seeds
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 bulb celeriac, peeled and cut into long thin strips
• 1 bulb fennel, thinly sliced
• 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
• leaves from 1 bunch Italian parsley, chopped
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper, freshly ground
• 1 avocado, cubed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toss pumpkin seeds with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Roast 6 minutes. Set aside and let cool.

In a large bowl, toss together celeriac, fennel, onion and parsley. Add oil, lemon juice, sea salt and pepper and mix well. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.

Serve, sprinkling each portion with pumpkin seeds and avocado. Bon appetit!

Additions? If you want to add some protein, a can of tuna is a delicious addition. This also works nicely on a sandwich with some sliced turkey.

Drink? A glass of Riesling.

Links:

• Fennel, Celery Root, Parsley and Red Onion Salad from Washington Post
• Fennel, Celery Root, Parsley & Red Onion Salad from My Haus
• Fennel, Celeriac, Parsley and More from Delicious Dialogues
• Fennel, Celery Root, Parsley & Red Onion Salad with Lemon & Olive Oil from Svelte Gourmand
• Fennel, Celery Root, Parsley and Red Onion Salad from ZipList.com

Green Beans with Heirloom Tomatoes, Shallots and Olives

Hello, Upper East Side! Believe it or not, the vegetarian and I have moved again -- this time to the Upper East Side. This is my first time living on the Upper East Side and, trepidatious as I first was, I'm now settling into my routines here and really enjoying myself. For the vegetarian, this is a homecoming of sorts -- his first apartment in NYC was only four blocks away from our current home. While a lot in the neighborhood has changed, much is also still the same and we've been having lots of fun discovering new places and rediscovering old ones.

My favorite new discovery thus far (surprise, surprise) has been the 82nd Street Greenmarket. Having grown up with the Union Square Greenmarket (and then spent time getting to know the various markets in Paris when I lived there), it's always been comforting for me to be able to walk to a market, talk to farmers and base my purchases on what's actually fresh and tasty and seasonal rather than whatever the supermarket managers decided to put on sale that week.

This Greenmarket is one of the best I've been to. It's mostly in a church courtyard but also spills out onto the surrounding sidewalk. Nowhere near as big as Union Square, I actually find it more manageable. There's fruit, vegetables, fish, goat (I got some goat merguez), baked goods (including some that are sugar-free and gluten-free!) and eggs. I went with a list and came home with two bulging bags -- including lots of surprises I wasn't planning on getting. Two things I was thrilled to get were green beans and heirloom tomatoes. This time of year, I can have tomatoes three times a day (and I often do) and they went wonderfully with the green beans. Alongside Mustard Greens with (Anchovy)-Garlic Dressing they were the stars of our Housewarming party. Bon appetit!

Green Beans with Heirloom Tomatoes, Shallots and Olives
adapted from Vegetable Literacy

• 3/4 pound green beans
• 1 shallot, sliced crosswise
• 4 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
• 10 dried black olives
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 heirloom slicing tomato
• 1 tablespoon + 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper, freshly ground
• 1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• handful basil leaves, torn into strips

Fill a large pot with water and bring it to a boil. While the water's boiling, prep your other ingredients: trim the tails (and tips, if necessary) from the beans. Stir the shallot together with the vinegar in a small bowl. Chop the olives and garlic together. Chop the tomato into small chunks.

Once the water comes to a boil, add 1 tablespoon salt along with the beans. Cook for 5 minutes. Drain and dry in a dish towel.

Put the beans into a large bowl and toss with olives and garlic. Add salt and pepper to taste. Drain shallots from vinegar, reserving both separately. Whisk olive oil into vinegar and pour over beans. Strew shallots on top, along with tomatoes and basil. Gently toss everything together. Serve room temperature. Enjoy!

Links:

• Green Beans with Onions and Heirloom Tomatoes from My Chic Life
• Sauteed Green Beans with Heirloom Tomato Marinara Sauce from With Food + Love
• Green Bean and Cherry Tomato Salad from smitten kitchen
• Sauteed String Beans with Heirloom Tomato Marinara Sauce from Groundworks Farm
• Heirloom Tomato and Green Beans with Ginger Vinaigrette from Parade

Braised Pinto Beans and Onions

I guess this was really my month to do all those foodie things I never do! I made pasta, two different tomato sauces and dried beans, all from scratch! For those of you thinking, dried beans? But I get really good canned ones; what's the big deal? Until I made a big batch of my own beans, I felt the same way you do. But, really, this was incredibly easy (not to mention cheap!) and these beans are far superior to even the best canned beans. Also, you can control how al dente they are (which is a big plus for me since the last time I used canned beans they were too soft), what seasonings you cook them with and what additives there are -- especially helpful for those of us with dietary restrictions.

And, because you have a "mess of beans" as I've been affectionately calling them, you can use them in anything! I'd recommend our Pinto Bean Picadillo -- they really elevate every dish we've put them in. I cooked these in the slow cooker, which means the hardest part was carrying the groceries home. If possible, soak the beans first (for anywhere from 1-8 hours) with a piece of kombu. This will make them easier to digest (and sneak some sea vegetables into your diet). And when we got in that night, the house smelled amazing (thanks to all those onions). So, really, make these. They freeze beautifully as well. You can use them in hundreds of ways but I must recommend having them over steamed potatoes, as we did the first night. Noodles would make a nice bed as well.

Braised Pinto Beans and Onions

• 2 pounds pinto beans, picked over
• 1 4-inch strip kombu
• 6-8 cups water (plus more if necessary)
• 2 teaspoons allspice, ground
• 7 yellow onions, thinly sliced lengthwise
• 8 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons Italian parsley, finely chopped

Soak beans and kombu overnight (or as long as possible) with enough water to cover them by 2 inches.

Drain beans and kombu, discarding soaking water. Chop kombu finely. Create a bed in slow cooker with onions. Place beans and kombu on top, followed by garlic. Add water to cover beans by 1/2-inch. Cook on low for 6 hours. Sprinkle with parsley. Bon appetit!

Links:

• Braised Beef and Onions from Epicurious.com
• Bacon Braised Green Beans from Food Network
• Braised Green Beans & Summer Vegetables from Eating Well
• Turkish-Style Braised Green Beans from Epicurious.com
• Braised Pork with White Beans and Pickled Red Onion from Logan's Kitchen

Cranberry Bean Meatballs with Garlic and Allspice

When I was stuck at the airport in Burbank, trying to get home to the vegetarian after Hurricane Sandy,  I stopped into a 24-hour bar to get some dinner before my red-eye. It was the only place still open at the airport and I figured I could get a salad. But once I looked at the menu, the one thing that kept jumping out at me was spaghetti with meatballs. It wasn't gluten-free and it was overly rich and not very good but it was comforting, warming and perfect.

Since then, I've been thinking about how I can recreate spaghetti and meatballs for our gluten-free and vegetarian kitchen. The spaghetti part is the easiest -- we've become big fans of quinoa spaghetti and I'm (almost) starting to prefer it to some "regular" spaghetti. But meatballs? Neither of us likes using fake meat (although the idea of crumbled veggie burgers is one we still may try) and, anyway, I wanted these to be just as good (or better) than their meat counterparts -- not merely a substitute.


I made these with 2 cans of cranberry beans that I drained well and ground in the food processor. Unfortunately, they were softer than I had hoped and the food processor reduced them to more of a puree than a crumble. So next time I would use a harder bean (perhaps cannellini). So, even though these didn't stay together as well as we would have liked, the flavors were delicious. Serve over pasta with the Nero d'Avola you used in the sauce. Enjoy!

Cranberry Bean Meatballs with Garlic and Allspice
inspired by MyRecipes.com

"Meatballs"

• 4 carrots, shredded
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 cup cornflake crumbs
• 1 rice cake, crushed
• 1 tablespoon Italian parsley, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon basil, finely chopped
• zest of 1 lemon, grated
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice, ground
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
• 2 14-oz cans cranberry beans, drained and ground in a food processor
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Sauce:

• 1 28-ounce can fire roasted whole tomatoes
• 3 yellow onions, chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 2 ribs celery, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup Nero d'Avola
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
• 1 tablespoon basil, chopped
• 1 tablespoon Italian parsley, finely chopped

In a large bowl, mix together carrots, salt, cornflake crumbs, crushed rice cake, parsley, basil, lemon zest, allspice, chili powder, black pepper, cranberry beans and garlic. Using your hands, mix until very well combined. Shape into ping-pong sized "meatballs", packing them tightly together.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and heat until it moves like water in the pan. Add "meatballs" and cook 1-2 minutes each side, until browned.

Add tomatoes, onions and garlic and cook 2 minutes. Add carrot, celery, red pepper flakes, Nero d'Avola, kosher salt and black pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, 6 minutes. Remove from heat and serve, garnished with basil and Italian parsley. Bon appetit!

Links:

• Pork Meatballs with Garlic and Allspice from MyRecipes.com
• Garlic Meatballs with Red Potatoes & Yellow Wax Beans from The Realistic Nutritionist
• Black Bean "Meatball" Hoagie from Beard and Bonnet
• Quick Italian Sausage for Soups, Meatballs, and Sauces from Netplaces
• Two Bean Veggie "Meatballs" from Jinxy Knows Best
• Slow-Cooker Spaghetti and Meatballs from CooksRecipes.com

Roasted Allspice Potatoes

Happy almost-Thanksgiving! I'm sure you're all thinking about sweet potatoes. But what about the humble regular potato? I may be alone in this, but I actually prefer white potatoes to sweet. And since switching to a (modified) version of the body ecology diet, I'm happy to get my starches (and carbs) wherever I can. Not to mention that potatoes are very high on the list of the vegetarian's favorite foods.

All that said, I've been debating whether or not to even post this recipe. There are very few ingredients and it's terribly easy. Because I've declared November to be allspice month, that was my main flavor, and I adapted a recipe from The (modern) Busy Girls' Cookbook. But there are endless variations -- just toss the potatoes with whatever spices and flavorings you want, then roast them. It's so hard to go wrong with roast potatoes.

But that's exactly why I want you to have this recipe: partly to show you that we don't eat like kings every night and to remind us all that sometimes the simplest foods are the best. This would be a perfect vegetarian side dish for your Thanksgiving feast. How do you season your roast potatoes?

Roasted Allspice Potatoes
(adapted from The (modern) Busy Birls' Cookbook)

• 30 red-skinned potatoes, cleaned
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon allspice
• 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 cup Italian parsley, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Cut potatoes into quarters. In a bowl, combine potatoes, olive oil, allspice, caraway seeds and salt. Toss well until potatoes are completely covered in spice mixture. Spread out in 1 layer on aluminum foil-lined sheet pan. Roast 45 minutes. Remove pan from oven and shake well. (You can also flip potatoes with a spatula but I find this is easier.) Return to oven and cook an additional 15 minutes until browned and crispy.

Remove from oven, toss with parsley and serve hot. Enjoy!

Links:

• Roasted Allspice Potatoes from The (modern) Busy Girls' Cookbook
• Garlic Roasted Potatoes from Food Network
• Gluten Free Oven Roasted Potatoes from All Gluten Free Recipes
• Roasted Potato Salad with Avocado Dressing from Diet, Dessert and Dogs
• Roasted Rosemary Potatoes from Vegetarian Food
• Robyn's Crock Pot Herb Roasted Potatoes from Food.com

Monthly Cooking Adventure: Stuffed Potatoes

We have too many cookbooks. Which shouldn't be that surprising, considering my mom's a trained librarian (and cookbook author) and the vegetarian's parents are bibliophiles. Some might say that, really, it was inevitable. But when you live in an apartment and have resorted to piling books up next to the bookcase and have completely given up on arranging them in alphabetical order (I told you my mom's a librarian), it's time to admit you have a problem.

So I've made a rule -- I have to use my cookbooks more. And I'm not allowed to buy any more unless I'm planning on using that one within the week. Which brings us to this month's Monthly Cooking Adventure, affectionately titled "We survived Hurricane Sandy."

Now, really, what better way to celebrate surviving a natural disaster than with comfort food? And, to me, comfort food means Jewish food. I wanted something really celebratory but not tied to any particular holiday. So I bought a new cookbook, Jerusalem: A Cookbook, filled with Palestinian and Jewish recipes from that mythical city. Beautiful photography and evocative spices -- this is one of the most taste-inspiring cookbooks I've ever seen.

So for our Monthly Cooking Adventure, we made two dishes: Stuffed Potatoes and Latkes. Ottolenghi and Tammi stuffed their potatoes with beef but I vegetarianized ours with chickpeas (half I still stuffed with beef). We had some stuffing left over which was delicious fried up as mini veggie (and beef) sliders. Serve over couscous, rice or rustic white bread with a spicy Cabernet Sauvignon.

I'm submitting these to Slightly Indulgent Tuesday and Gluten Free Fridays.

Stuffed Potatoes in Tomato Sauce
adapted from Jerusalem: A Cookbook

Tomato Sauce:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 5 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
• 2 stalks celery, finely chopped
• 1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 chile colorado, finely chopped (optional)
• 2 1/2 teaspoons caraway seeds, ground in a coffee grinder
• 1 teaspoon allspice, ground
• pinch smoked paprika
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Hungarian paprika
• 1 28-ounce can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
• 1/2 tablespoon lime juice
• 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Stuffed Potatoes:

• 1 pound ground beef (or 1 can chickpeas, blitzed in a food processor until crumbly)
• 2 cups cracker crumbs (blitz crackers in a food processor)
• 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1/2 cup Italian parsley, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, ground
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 13 Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and halved lengthwise
• 1 1/4 cups water
• 2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped

Start with the tomato sauce. Heat olive oil in a large, lidded frying pan (if you're doing two batches, do two pans) over low heat. Add garlic, onion, celery, carrot and chile (if using) and saute 10 minutes. Add caraway seeds, allspice and paprika and cook another 2 minutes, until very fragrant. Add tomatoes, lime juice, lemon juice, salt and pepper and bring to a boil then remove from heat and set aside while you make the potatoes.

In a bowl, combine beef (or chickpeas), cracker crumbs, onion, garlic, parsley, cinnamon, salt, pepper and eggs. Mix them very well, using your hands to make an even paste. The consistency should resemble meatballs or veggie burgers.

Using a teaspoon, hollow out potatoes (this is best done with a friend as it's mindless work but time-consuming), leaving a sturdy enough shell that the stuffing won't escape -- about 2/3-inch thick. Save potato innards for latkes or soup (they're in small enough pieces that you won't have to grate them). Stuff meat (or chickpea) mixture into potatoes, pushing it down so it's packed well and completely fills potato.

Return tomato sauce pan to a low flame and add potatoes, pushing them snugly into the sauce, filling facing upward. You will probably have to squeeze them very close together (or even use two pans). Just make sure they don't overlap. Add water (pour it gently!) to the sauce so that it just reaches the tops of the potatoes but doesn't cover the stuffing. Cover and let cook, simmering, for 1 hour. Remove lid and reduce 5 more minutes. Serve over rice (if desired), garnished with cilantro. Bon appetit!

Links:

• The Ultimate Stuffed Potato from Food Network
• Papas Rellenas Con Chorizo or Chorizo Stuffed Potatoes from Spicie Foodie
• Wonderful Stuffed Potatoes from SparkRecipes.com
• Vegetarian Stuffed Potatoes from Food.com
• Crockpot Cheddar Stuffed Potatoes from Southern Food and Recipes

Allspice Pasta

Sometimes I think I should hand in my "foodie" card. I almost always use tomato sauce from a jar, I buy canned beans and lentils rather than making my own and I've never made fresh pasta. Well, while the MTA was still under-performing as a result of Hurricane Sandy and the vegetarian was still home from work because his office was powerless, I decided to change one of those things. So, even with no pasta maker, the vegetarian and I tried our hands at making gluten-free pasta from scratch.

Before beginning, I did some research on pasta-making, both gluten-free and regular. The regular recipes taught me to use my food processor to make the dough and that, if I didn't mind making my pasta malfatti, I could just cut it with a knife. The gluten-free recipes all seemed terribly daunting, talking about using extra egg yolks and various combinations of flours. Yikes! I wasn't interested in a trip to the grocery store, so I just went with gluten-free all-purpose flour and the two eggs we had in the fridge. I also added some allspice (my current obsession) because, really, what's the point of homemade pasta if you don't add your own flavorings?

So ... how did it turn out? Interesting. It wasn't my favorite thing I've ever cooked, though it wasn't terrible either. For some reason, it tasted "meaty" to me (the vegetarian disagreed) -- possibly as a result of the garbanzo flour in my mix? The vegetarian did find it heavy, a common complaint with gluten-free pastas and pizzas. With some (jarred) tomato sauce, it was dinner. And next time? I guess I'll have to start experimenting with different flours (not to mention spices). Suggestions welcome!


Allspice Pasta

• 1 1/2 cups + additional as necessary gluten-free all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon allspice
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons water

In a food processor, combine flour and allspice. Slowly add in eggs (one at a time), olive oil and water. Pulse until just combined. Remove dough to a lightly-floured cutting board and roll out as thinly as possible. Using a sharp knife, cut dough into strips. Cook into boiling water for a few minutes, until it rises to the top. Bon appetit!

Links: 

• Fresh Pasta from Food Network
• Fresh Gluten-Free Pasta from Epicurious.com
• Healthier Italian Pasta Salad from Sugar-Free Mom
• Tuscan Vegetarian Pasta from Food.com
• Slow Cooker Pasta Meat Sauce with Ground Turkey from The Yummy Life

Green Peas with Allspice and Mushrooms

Happy November! Not sure where you are, but, here in NYC, we've just survived a hurricane -- Hurricane Sandy. Now, don't get excited, the vegetarian and I are fine. Actually, I wasn't even in NYC -- I spent the last 2+ weeks in LA and Japan for work (enjoying some wonderful sashimi in Japan!) and was lucky enough to get one of the first flights into the newly-reopened JFK airport.

The vegetarian and our apartment lost cable and internet for a couple of days but it returned shortly after I did. Now we're enjoying a few days off (reduced subways make it quite difficult to get around) and, as I nurse a nasty cold, I'm getting reacquainted with our kitchen!

Tonight's offering is a simple Syrian-Jewish dish, very gently adapted from A Fistful of Lentils. Served over rice (we used a smoked basmati, wild rice and quinoa blend) and lentils, it was a perfect meal. Enjoy!

Green Peas with Allspice and Mushrooms
adapted from A Fistful of Lentils

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, coarsely chopped
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 15 white mushrooms, sliced
• 1/4 cup water
• 20 oz. garden peas, defrosted if frozen
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
• 1 teaspoon allspice, ground

In a large skillet over medium heat, heat olive oil until it moves as easily as water. Add onion and cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden. Add garlic and cook 1 more minute. Add mushrooms and cook 3 minutes. Add water and peas. Cover and cook 8 minutes. Add salt, pepper, and allspice and mix well. Cook another 2 minutes so flavors meld. Adjust seasonings. Serve warm over rice. Bon appetit!

Inspirational Links:

• Peas with Mushrooms from Allrecipes.com
• Mushroom and Green Pea Risotto from She Knows
• Green Peas and Mushrooms from Food.com
• Mushrooms with Peas from Manjula's Kitchen

BED: Baked Bluefish (or Tofu)

Several months ago, I read a review in Tasting Table of a cookbook called The Adaptable Feast which was comprised of recipes for omnivore dishes from which you could create vegetarian servings and vegetarian dishes that you could add some meat to and feed a couple of omnivores. While I never ended up buying the book, this idea of adapting one dish for various diets definitely piqued my curiosity.

And so, when I saw bluefish at the farmer's market one Saturday, the vegetarian and I came up with a way to make just one dish out of it but still have two meals. Originally, I was just going to make a separate pan of tofu (and I'm including instructions for that if it interests you) but the vegetarian wasn't in the mood for tofu so instead I baked the bluefish on top of lots of potatoes and onions. Because I used a big pan, the bluefish was only on half of the vegetables and those, along with a Cucumber Millet Bean Salad with Mozzarella and Blackberry and Mozzarella Salad with Rosemary. (NOTE: If you're a strict vegetarian, you'll probably want to cook the vegetables in a separate pan from the fish so as to avoid any fish juices sneaking in.) If you're drinking wine, I recommend a Chardonnay, preferably local. Bon appetit!

Baked Bluefish (or Tofu)

Adapted from Allrecipes.com

• 1 1/4-2 1/2 pounds bluefish fillets, trimmed (and/or extra-firm tofu, pressed and drained)
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper, freshly ground
• 8 red-skinned potatoes, sliced very thin
• 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 red onion, minced
• 4 sprigs dill leaf, minced

Preheat oven to 500 F. Pat bluefish (and/or tofu) dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper. In a large bowl, toss potatoes with 1/2 cup melted butter.

Line a baking pan with aluminum foil. Spread out potatoes evenly. Place fish (and/or tofu) on top. Brush with 2 tablespoons melted butter. Sprinkle onions and dill over everything.

Cover with another sheet of aluminum foil and bake 10 minutes, then reduce oven to 400 and bake an additional 20-30. (If only doing tofu, only bake for an additional 10 minutes.) Enjoy!

Edible Links:

• Baked Bluefish from Allrecipes.com
• Baked Tofu from The Kitchn
• Baked Bluefish Fillets with Potatoes, Garlic, and Olive Oil, Genoese Style from Shaw's
• Baked Bluefish: Bluefish "in Cartoccio" from Food Network
• Baked Bluefish from Simply Recipes