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

Pan-Roasted Asparagus with Lemon and Garlic

Spring has sprung! Today was the first warm, sunny days in months that actually made me want to spend as much time as possible outside, soaking up the magnificent (and all-but forgotten) warm sunshine.

What do you crave in spring? I often think in terms of colors and I crave light green foods, especially asparagus. The first heralds of spring (often appearing in markets, as they did this year, when the month at the top of each calendar page is at odds with the weather outside), they help pull me out of my annual winter doldrums and remind me that this, too, shall pass and there will be wonderful warm days again when I can once more revel in our beautiful terrace, our personal oasis in the upper extremities of Manhattan that almost makes our commutes worthwhile.

But back to asparagus. While most people grew up blanching or boiling them, my family always roasted them in a hot oven until they became slightly caramelized. Delicious! But what about those days when your oven is otherwise occupied or you just don't feel like turning it on? That, my friends, is when you turn to pan-roasting.

I served these four times in the past three weeks: at our monthly cooking adventure, alongside Iranian Shrimp with Turmeric, Saffron, and Lemon Juice and Persian Dill and Lima Bean Rice; at both Passover seders (without the Parmesan cheese) and at an impromptu Game of Thrones gathering we hosted last weekend. And, while the vegetarian doesn't like asparagus, everyone else gobbled them up. They're wonderful warm or at room temperature and equally tasty with and without the parmesan cheese. Bon appetit!

Pan-Roasted Asparagus with Lemon and Garlic

• 1 pound asparagus, tough ends snapped off
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon water
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
• 4 shavings Parmesan cheese (I used a vegetable peeler)

Cook asparagus, olive oil, water and garlic in a large lidded pan over high heat, uncovered, for 2 minutes. Toss asparagus (tongs are the best for this), cover, and cook 1 minute. Remove lid, toss again, return lid and cook 5 minutes. Add lemon juice, toss again, season with salt and pepper and shave parmesan on top. Enjoy!

Links:

• Pan-Roasted Asparagus with Lemon and Garlic from American Food
• Pan-Grilled Asparagus, Garlic and Parsley from Elegantly Gluten-Free
• Pan-Fried Asparagus from Allrecipes.com

BED: Trout (or White Beans) with South Indian Spices

Is it March already? Doesn't February always disappear just when you've gotten comfortable with it? Or is that just me?

Anyway, I have a wonderful recipe to share with you today (complete with a vegetarian adaptation that uses the same spices) and, if you're making the trout component, an even more exciting cooking technique!

Back when I regularly cooked omnivore food, fish was one of my specialties. Fast and easy to cook, I could always adjust my seasonings to suit my mood. I realized this month, as I planned the menu for our monthly cooking adventure that I hadn't made fish in quite a while. So I resolved that it was time that changed. Wanting to combat the winter doldrums I've been in, I decided I wanted this fish to have a bite ... and lots of garlic. Interesting spices always make me think of Indian food so I went back to The 4-Hour Chef and adapted his recipe for Trout with South Indian Spices, including a wonderful Ginger-Garlic Paste made from scratch. (There's still more of the paste in our fridge -- any suggestions on how else we should use it?)



As for the vegetarian, he loves these flavorings as well, so, while I made the fish, I tossed a couple of cans of white beans with the same marinade ingredients and baked them in the same oven for the same amount of time. Formal directions are below. We also served this with basmati rice and gremolata and had an amazing whiskey butterscotch pudding for dessert. A Falanghina was a delicious accompaniment. மகிழ்ந்து உண்ணுங்கள் [bon appetit]!

Trout (or White Beans) with South Indian Spices
inspired by The 4-Hour Chef

• 1 head garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 hand ginger root, chopped
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 1/2 tablespoons beer vinegar (can substitute rice vinegar)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon garlic parsley salt
• 2 small whole trout, butterflied and gutted (if making the omnivore version)
• 2 cans navy beans, drained and rinsed (if making the vegetarian version)
• juice from 1/2 lime

Combine garlic, ginger and water in a cup or mixing bowl. Using your immersion blender, process until they've all combined into a smooth paste.

Combine 1 1/2 tablespoons ginger-garlic paste, vinegar, turmeric and salt in a bowl.

If making the fish, place it in a heavy ziploc plastic bag and add the marinade, massaging it well into the flesh. Marinate at least 8 hours.

If making the beans, add them to the bowl of seasonings, stir well and let sit for at least 15 minutes so marinade can permeate.

Preheat oven to 400F.

If making the fish: Remove it from the bag and place on a plate, flesh-side up. Now comes the fun part (I made the vegetarian stay in the other room while I did this): insert a skewer through the fish's mouth and rest its length along the fish's body. Balance 3 skewers along the width of a baking pan. Gently flip the fish over and rest its skewer on the other 3. Repeat with the second fish (and any others that you want to make; you may need to use more than one pan, depending on the size of your fish and your pans).

If making the beans: Place beans and marinade in a baking dish and stir well. I used a loaf pan.

Place beans and/or fish in the oven and bake 12 minutes. Serve with the lime juice drizzled on top. Enjoy!

Links:

• Best Spicy Masala Fish from Bland is Boring
• Cajun Rainbow Trout from Whole Foods Market
• The Best Salsa from Bland is Boring
• Ginger-Garlic Eggplant from Chicago Tribune
• South Indian Style Green Bean "Stir Fry" from The Mistress of Spices
• Spicy Sun-Dried Tomato Soup with White Beans & Swiss Chard from Vegetarian Times
• Kidney Beans Curry from Easy Indian Cooking
• Slow Cooker Vegan Spicy Pinto Bean Chili with Corn and Kale from The Perfect Pantry

Garlic Aioli

I've been going back and forth with myself as to whether or not I wanted to post this recipe. Usually when I'm conflicted about a recipe, it's because, while it tasted delicious, the meatballs fell apart or it just wasn't very photogenic. In this case, however, the technique was brilliant but the taste wasn't quite what I wanted it to be.

That said, in the spirit of total honesty (and because this really was the best aioli-making technique I've ever used), I'm sharing it with you and am open to any suggestions from you, dear readers, as to how to make the taste as good as the technique.

So what's the trick, you ask? Using an Immersion Blender. I learned this from The 4-Hour Chef, a new "how-to cook" book that borders on the gimmicky but actually offers several excellent tips for "fancy chef tricks" that I'm more than happy to make use of. So enjoy! We had friends over for dinner and served it alongside far-more successful dishes: Roast Chicken, Roasted Potatoes and Chickpeas, Broccoli and Squash Medley and Steamed Artichokes. And white wine, of course, to wash it all down.

Garlic Aioli
adapted from The 4-Hour Chef

• 1 egg yolk
• Juice from 1/2 lemon
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic parsley salt
• 1/2 cup grapeseed oil
• 1/4 cup safflower oil
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Place egg yolk, lemon, mustard, garlic and salt in a cup or mixing bowl (which you find easiest to use an immersion blender with). Mix well then, with the blender still on, pour in oils. That's it! The texture is amazingly creamy.

Links:

• Garlic Aioli from Food Network
• Gluten-Free Aioli from Ultimate Gluten Free
• Vegan Garlic Aioli from SparkRecipes.com
• Slow Cooker Tortilla with Lime-Garlic Aioli from Churros con Chocolate

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

Rustic Citrus Jicama Scramble

When the vegetarian and I first started this blog, I realized I needed to change my reading materials. I first discovered the world of food blogs back in 2005 when I was a student living in Paris and stumbled upon Chocolate and Zucchini. So I'm certainly no stranger to food blogs. But vegetarian food blogs? I had always found them too limiting. Of course, now that I (almost exclusively) cook vegetarian food, they don't seem quite so limiting anymore. And since I do sometimes get tired of adapting omnivore recipes for our kitchen, it's a welcome change to find a recipe that "needs" no tweaking. Plus, I get to learn about new (to me) ingredients that are often found in vegetarian kitchens. What's not to like?

One of the first vegetarian (actually vegan) food blogs I started following was Kathy's Healthy. Happy. Life. At that time (four months ago), I bookmarked this Rustic Citrus Carrot Scramble. Well, life got in the way (as it always does) and now it's May and I've finally found the time to start making some of the recipes saved in my "Blogworthy" folder. Of course, I tweaked the recipe to make it more springlike, most notably substituting jicama, a sweet root vegetable, for the carrots. I sauteed the jicama and tofu in some neutral canola oil along with some sesame oil, a sour-sweet orange, some white vinegar, salty soy sauce, sour lemon zest and kosher salt. I even used nutritional yeast for the first time; it took some getting used to but I'll definitely experiment with it more in the future! Kathy recommends this for breakfast but we had it for dinner, over kaniwa (a grain very similar to quinoa) and accompanied by Pinot Gris, with Kasseri cheese for dessert (for me). Bon appetit!

Rustic Citrus Jicama Scramble
inspired by Healthy. Happy. Life

• 1 pound firm tofu
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 red onion, sliced
• 2 cups jicama, chopped
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 1 orange, peeled and sectioned
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
• 2 pinches black pepper
• 2 teaspoons white vinegar
• pinch kosher salt

Wrap tofu in a clean kitchen towel and place on a plate. Put another plate on top and weight it down with cans and/or jars. Allow to sit and drain for 1 hour (or as long as possible).

Heat a large skillet over high heat. Swirl in canola oil. Add onion and saute 2 minutes.

Toss in jicama, sesame oil, orange and soy sauce. Unwrap tofu and crumble it in as well. Stir in nutritional yeast, lemon zest and pepper. Cook for another 4 minutes, mixing well and lowering heat and adding more oil if necessary. If pan seems dry, you can also break up orange and distribute its juices.

Turn off heat and add vinegar and salt. Let sit 2 minutes to cool and thicken. Serve at room temperature. Enjoy!

Inspirational Links:

• Rustic Citrus Carrot Scramble from Healthy. Happy. Life.

Monthly Cooking Adventure: Stuffed Artichoke Bottoms

"Remind me to tell you about the time I looked into the heart of an artichoke." -- All About Eve.

 This month's recipe actually features artichoke bottoms, not hearts, and let me tell you -- it took some effort to find them! I know I should have just butchered my own, but I was feeling quite lazy yesterday, especially knowing that I'd be cooking a full meal for three guests later on! So I used canned artichoke bottoms. Lazy, yes. And delicious? Oh, yes yes yes! So I recommend laziness if that's where you are. And, if so, this recipe comes together so quickly it's just delightful.

Because the vegetarian isn't crazy about artichokes, and therefore wouldn't be eating them, I treated myself to the addition of an omnivore ingredient -- anchovies. In my opinion, anchovies get a totally undeserved bad reputation. As our friend Hill put it last night -- they're like delicious additions of salt. And, really, how bad can that be? (For a vegetarian version, add 1 tablespoon soya sauce.) Along with some garlic and sour lemon juice and zest, they were the perfect accompaniment to our Arugula and Fava-Bean Crostini and Smoky Fried Rice. To drink I recommend an Espiral vinho verde. Enjoy!

Stuffed Artichoke Bottoms
Adapted from The Book of Jewish Food

• 2 ounces anchovies, finely chopped (or 1 tablespoon soya sauce)
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• bunch Italian parsley, finely choppped
• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• zest from 1/2 lemon
• 1 can (14 ounces) artichoke bottoms
• 1-2 cups water

Preheat oven to 350F. Mix anchovies (or soya sauce), garlic, parsley, breadcrumbs, oil and lemon juice and zest together in a medium-sized bowl. Place artichoke bottoms in a baking dish and fill with stuffing. Pour water around artichokes, making sure it doesn't reach the filling. Bake 25 minutes. Serve at room temperature. Bon appetit!

Edible Inspirations:

• Carciofi Ripieni from Food.com
• Stuffed Artichoke Hearts from Allrecipes.com
• Vegetarian substitute for anchovies? from Chowhound
• Stuffed Artichoke Bottoms from Gourmet Kosher Cooking

White Bean, Sage and Roasted Garlic Spread

When the vegetarian and I first moved in together, I (like most omnivores adapting to a more vegetarian diet) worried that I'd never have enough protein in my diet. So I turned to legumes. Previously, I had only really cooked with lentils, which don't require soaking or too much advance preparation (in our lives, I often don't have time to plan dinner until it's 7pm and I've just gotten home and am suddenly very hungry). But lately I've been expanding my repertoire and have started cooking with other beans, including those that require soaking.

There seem to be two schools of thoughts on whether or not to soak beans. Basically, if you soak them they require a shorter cooking time. But if you factor in the 8-hours of soaking, well, then the total preparation time isn't actually shorter. For me, it depends on the day and whether or not I remembered to soak my beans when I got up in the morning. Yesterday, I didn't. So I soaked the beans for about three hours when I came home in the afternoon (while we enjoyed the new BBC Sherlock), then cooked them for 1h45. The puree was simple (it's a long cooking time but you can do other things while you wait) and, served with Parmesan Crostini, a perfectly simple meal to enjoy in front of television.

A note about garlic: the vegetarian and I both like very flavorful food, so I cook with a LOT of garlic. If you don't like it, feel free to limit the quantities. I will say, though, that white beans (especially Great Northerns) leave a pretty blank canvas so you can get away with rather strong flavors. And roasted garlic has a delightful sweetness. Try it -- you might be pleasantly surprised. Bon Appetit!

White Bean, Sage and Roasted Garlic Spread
(adapted from Chef Marcus Samuelsson)

• 1.5 cups great Northern beans, soaked 8 hours or as long as you can
• 7 cups water + 1/3 cup water
• 2 cloves garlic
• Leaves from 1 stalk sage (about 10 leaves)
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 heads garlic
• 1 drizzle olive oil
• 1 tablespoon garlic-lemon olive oil (or your favorite flavored olive oil)
• 2 pinches kosher salt
• 1/4-1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• juice from 1 lemon
• Parmesan Crostini

Place beans, 7 cups water, garlic cloves, sage and bay leaves in a large pot. Cover and simmer, over low heat, for 1 hour and 45 minutes (or until beans are cooked to your liking). Remove bay leaves and drain, reserving about 1/2 cup of bean-cooking water.

While beans are simmering, preheat oven to 350F. Peel off outermost layers of garlic heads, then cut off tops just to expose cloves. Place in an oven-safe earthenware roaster. Drizzle with olive oil and add 1/3 cup water. Cover and bake 45 minutes.

In a food processor, puree together bean/sage/garlic mixture, cloves from roasted garlic and 1 tablespoon garlic-lemon olive oil. Add as much of the bean-cooking water as necessary to achieve the consistency of a spread. Stir in salt, black pepper and lemon juice. Serve with Parmesan Crostini.

Links to other white bean and garlic delicacies:

• Garlic Lover's White Bean Soup from Farmgirl Fare
• Shrimp with White Beans and Garlic Toast from The Kitchn
• White Bean and Garlic Soup from food52
• White Bean and Garlic Scape Hummus from Brown Eyed Baker
• White Beans and Garlic Onion Confit from The Ethicurean