Curried Sweet Potato Latkes

These sweet potato pancakes are a staple in my little home. They are quick to put together (especially if you use a food processor to grate the spuds) and they're just plain old good. Not to mention versatile.. Serve on top of black beans + rice for supper or over greens splashed with sherry vinegar for a nice lunch. Add a dollop of sour cream or eat them straight up. Whatever you do, make a batch! They keep in the fridge and are ready for round two after only a few minutes under the broiler. I'm thinking - as I write - that I might top them with some applesauce for a sweet and savory dessert tonight. Perfect!











Curried Sweet Potato Pancakes
Adapted from Jewish Cooking in America
makes about 20 small pancakes

1 lb. sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
1/2 cup flour
2 t. sugar
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. cayenne
2 t. curry powder
1 t. cumin
Salt and black pepper to taste
2 large eggs, beaten
1/4 - 1/2 cup milk
Canola oil, for frying

• Grate the sweet potatoes coarsely.
• In a medium bowl, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, cayenne pepper, curry powder, cumin, and salt and pepper.
• Add the eggs and just enough milk to the dry ingredients to make a stiff batter. Add the potatoes and mix thoroughly. Batter should be moist but not runny. Add more milk if necessary.
• Heat a couple of Tablespoons oil in either a non-stick or cast iron skillet over high heat until almost smoking. Drop ¼ cup batter into oil and flatten. Fry over medium-high heat 4-ish minutes on each side until golden. Drain on paper towels, sprinkle with a touch of salt and serve hot.
• Enjoy!

Spicy Beet and Carrot Slaw

This carrot and beet slaw is raw and spicy. RAW AND SPICY. And it'll make you feel like a million bucks. It packs heat from paprika and cayenne, has a touch of warming cinnamon and a slight tang from cumin. The sweet, earthy vegetables are bright and fresh and don't get lost behind the flavorful dressing. Beet-Carrot, it's like a one-two nutritional punch. Be a man, eat your uber-vegetables.














Spicy Beet and Carrot Slaw
serves 2

2 large or 4 small beets, peeled
2 large carrots, washed
1/2 t. cumin
1/2 t. paprika
1/4 t. cinnamon
1/4 t cayenne
1/4 t. salt
juice of half a lemon
1/8 cup olive oil

• Grate the beets and carrots using a food processor with grater attachment or the coarse side of a box grater. Transfer to a medium bowl and set aside.
• In a small bowl, combine the cumin, paprika, cinnamon, cayenne, salt and lemon juice. Stir until well blended. Add olive oil in a slow stream, whisking to combine, using more or less depending on your taste.
• Add vinaigrette to shredded beets and carrots; mix well. Season to taste.
• Enjoy!

Lentil Soup

This soup is restorative. It makes me feel healthy and strong; ready for another long work week and these short, dark January days. But don't, for one moment, think that eating this lively lentil soup is like taking your medicine. There will be no need to hold your nose to get it down just because it's good for you. You'll want to slurp with abandon. Chances are you'll go back for more. Good! Fiberific, iron rich, and shamelessly full of vitamins and minerals - that lentil is one mighty legume!













Lentil Soup

olive oil
1 bunch celery
4 or 5 carrots, chopped
2 or 3, onions, diced
1/2 -3/4 t. red pepper flakes
1 lb. lentils
hot water (vegetable or chicken stock are great too)
2 bay leaves
3 sprigs fresh thyme
cider vinegar to taste
salt and black pepper to taste

• Leaving the bunch celery in tact, cut it (leaves and all) crosswise about 1/4 inch thick.
• Over a moderate flame, heat a large stock pot and coat with oil. Add the celery, carrot and onions and cook until softened, 15-20 minutes. Add red pepper, and salt to taste.
• Add lentils, stir to coat with oil. Add hot water to cover by about two inches (your pinkie is a good measuring stick). Increase heat to high and, stirring occasionally, bring to a boil. Add bay leaves, thyme and a pinch salt.
• Once bubbling, lower heat to medium-low, and cook until the lentils are soft and the soup has thickened, 25-30 minutes. Remove bay leaves and thyme sprigs.
• Add a few good grinds of black pepper and enough vinegar to brighten soup. Salt, if necessary.
• Enjoy!

Hash browns

I like to bake the potatoes the night before (as I am NOT a morning person). With this step taken care of, the hash browns will take all of 15 minutes. Order up!

Hash browns
serves 2

2 baking potatoes, scrubbed and dried
butter or oil
1 medium onion, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

• Preheat heat oven to 350. Prick spuds a few times with a fork and brush lightly with oil and bake for about an hour, or until soft to the touch. Allow to cool enough to handle, cut in half and scrap insides into a small bowl. Set skins aside for another use.
• In a small saute pan over moderate heat, cook until soft, about 7-8 minutes. Increase heat to high and add potatoes and season well with salt and pepper. Cook until golden brown, 5-6 minutes, flip and cook for another 5ish minutes. Serve hot.
• Enjoy!

Use the leftover potato skins to make Baked Potato Skins with Black Beans and Three Cheeses

Roasted Carrot Soup

This warm weather is for the birds. It is December after all. It's soup season. Soup season! So, I'm gonna soup and stew and roast and braise and thumb my nose at this weather by mashing my pretty purple carrots into a soothing soup. You heard me. I need to be soothed during this hustlin' and bustlin' time of year.

Roasting the carrots and onions until they are caramelized and slightly blackened brings out their sweet earthiness. The lemon juice brightens and balances. I feel better already.














Roasted Carrot Soup

8 medium carrots (about 1 1/2 lb), cut into 1 inch pieces
2 red onions, quartered
8 garlic cloves
olive oil
salt and pepper
3 1/2 cups water or vegetable stock
juice of 1/2 a lemon

• Preheat the oven to 400.
• Place carrots on one baking sheet (lined with parchment for easier clean up, if you like) and the onions and garlic on another. Toss vegetables with olive oil, season liberally with salt and pepper and roast until they are soft and slightly blackened, about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a large pot, boil the water or stock. Add the cooked vegetables and puree with a hand blender until smooth, adding more hot liquid for a thinner soup. Alternatively, puree in batches in a blender or food processor.
• Stir in the lemon juice, add salt to taste and simmer for 10-15 minutes.
• Enjoy!

Roasted Eggplant Dip

I implore you to double, triple or quadruple this recipe. Seriously, so that no one gets hurt in the rush to scoop up every last bit of dip. It's THAT tasty! The roasted eggplant is silky smooth after a whiz in the food processor. And with loads of parsley and a touch of lemon, it's herbaceous and bright. The perfect antidote for a blustery fall day.














Roasted Eggplant Dip
serves 2

3 small eggplants
2 garlic cloves
juice of half a lemon
1/2 cup parsley, roughly chopped
1/3 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

• Preheat oven to 400.
• Pierce each eggplant with a fork several times. Roast until tender, 25-30 minutes. Allow to cool slightly and remove the pulp from the skin.
• In the bowl of a food processor, combine the eggplant, garlic, lemon juice and parsley. Pulse until combined.
• With the processor running, slowly add the oil. Combine until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Serve with toast, pita, bread sticks, vegetables...
• Enjoy!

Creamed corn

I've noticed a bunch of food bloggers workin' the "Wordless Wednesday"; I'm adopting the quietude today because this straight-forward and delish side dish requires no introduction. Just eat it!

Creamed corn
serves 12

16 ears corn, shucked and brake in half (I find braking the cobs easier than cutting them)
2 cups water
2 T butter
1 T flour
1 cup heavy cream
4 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

• Cut corn from cobs.

• In a large saucepan, combine corn, water, 1 1/2 t. salt and 1/2 t. pepper. Simmer over medium heat, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until tender, 6 to 7 minutes.
• In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the butter and stir in the flour. Increase the heat to medium and whisk in the cream. Bring to a boil, whisking constantly, and continue to whisk 1 minute after thickened mixture boils.
• Transfer cream and 2 cups cooked corn to a blender or food processor; puree until smooth-ish.
• Stir cream mixture into corn and simmer for 5 minutes.
• Stir in chives and season with salt and pepper.
• Enjoy!

Stove top roasted peppers

These peppers are super versatile. Use them as part of an antipasto platter with meat and cheese, in pasta, on sandwiches or in the DELISH gazpacho below!!



























stove top roasted peppers

bell peppers
oil
salt

• Wash and dry peppers, then rub them thoroughly with oil.
  
• Turn front burners to medium-high and place one pepper directly over each flame.
• Using tongs, turn the peppers occasionally, to ensure even roasting, until peppers are blackened all over.
  
• Transfer peppers to a work bowl and cover with plastic. Let steam for about 20 minutes, or until they reach room temperature.
  
• Remove the roasted peppers from the bowl and, using your fingers or the back of a pairing knife, rub off all of the black skin.
  
• Remove stems, pepper vertically in half and remove the seeds. Slice peppers into strips and season with salt.
  

Gazpacho

Hooray, it's tomato season! For the next month or so I can think outside of the can and use fresh tomatoes to my heart's content (literally). The irresistible sweet and acidic fruit never comes cheap and this summer the prices have been inflated due to devastating "late blight", a fungal disease that has knocked out a huge number of the tomatoes in the Northeast. Our cold and wet spring made for unhappy tomatoes. And, in turn, unhappy farmers, who often rely on tomatoes to turn a profit. So, all the more reason to get out there and buy what's left of this years not-so-bumper crop. Make some gazpacho...no cooking required!

Gazpacho

6 ripe tomatoes, cut into chunks
1/2 large cucumber--peeled, halved, seeded and cut into chunks
1 green bell pepper, coarsely chopped or, for added flavor, roasted and cut into strips
2 garlic cloves, smashed
1 cup water
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons sherry or red wine vinegar
salt to taste

optional garnish:
diced cucumber
sliced onion
hot sauce

• In a blender or food processor, combine the tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, garlic, water, oil and vinegar and process until coarsely pureed. Season with salt and adjust amount of vinegar if needed. Refrigerate until chilled.
  
• Serve in chilled bowls with garnish.
• Enjoy!

Lamb burgers tonight!

Summertime means burger time. I don't have a grill and that doesn't stop me, nohow! Lamb might be my favorite medium and this recipe is superlative. I tried it because I had beets in my CSA share this week. And the olives were a draw, as well. Sweet and salty with a touch of smoke from the cumin in the lamb; this combo is packed with freshness and flavor.

If you don't like lamb, use beef. If you don't like burgers, skip them altogether and make the salsa to serve with fish or all by its lovely lonesome. That said, I highly recommend this meal as is, but don't skip it all together if you're not into one of it's parts. I said, ...

Moroccan-spiced lamb burger with beet, red onion and orange salsa
adapted from The Gourmet Burger
serves 4














Salsa

2 beets
2 T olive oil
1 T honey
1/2 orange
1 medium red onion, chopped
1/4 cup green olives, chopped

• Roast beets or boil as follows: Cut off greens about 1 inch above roots and wash beets. Place in a small sauce pan and cover with cold water. Bring water to boil, lower heat and gently boil beets, covered, for about 30 minutes. Test doneness by piercing with a pairing knife. If it easily cuts through the beets, they're done. Rinse beets with cold water and, when cool enough to handle, peel beets and cut into 1/3 inch cubes.
• Meanwhile, whisk the olive oil and honey in a medium work bowl.
• Cut the top and bottom off of the orange and rest on either side. Using the curve of the fruit, cut off the skin and pith (the white part) from top to bottom. Over the work bowl with oil and honey, hold the orange in your hand and use a pairing knife to cut along the white membranes into the middle of the fruit in order to remove the segments. Once you've segmented half the orange, set it aside to eat or use later. Use a whisk to slightly break up the orange in the oil and whisk until combined. Pictures below.
  
• Add beets, onions and olives to vinaigrette, season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside. Can be prepared 8 hours ahead. Cover and chill.

Burgers

1 T olive oil
1 shallot, minced
1 jalapeno, minced
2 T fresh cilantro, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
3/4 t salt
1/2 t pepper
1/2 t cumin
1/2 t paprika
1 1/4 lb ground lamb

4 buns or nutty bread (I used Eli's Health Loaf and it was super tasty, but required a knife and fork. A bun is probably easier.)
mayonnaise, if there is excess liquid from the salsa, add it to the mayo for added flavor
mixed greens

• In a small saute pan, heat oil over medium-low and cook shallot and jalapeno until just soft, 5 minutes.
• In a large bowl, combine the shallots and jalapeno mixture with garlic, cilantro and spices. Add lamb, mix gently and shape into 4 patties. Can be prepared 8 hours ahead. Cover and chill.
• When ready to cook, heat medium saute pan (with 2 T olive oil) or grill to medium-high and cook burgers for 4 minutes on each side, turning only once, for medium.
• While burgers are cooking, grill or toast bread.
• Top burger with mayo, greens and a spoonful of salsa. Serve remaining salsa on the side.
• Enjoy!

Pretty in Pink

This is a super simple side dish. Just make sure to leave yourself enough time to roast the beets. Or, better yet, roast them the day before and this dish will come together in five minutes. The honey in the yogurt brings out the natural sweetness of the beets and the scallions add a nice savory crunch. Use in place of tzatziki, next to a grilled steak or, if you're like me, as lunch.

Roasted beets in honeyed yogurt

1 bunch beets
1/4 cup plain yogurt, I use low fat, but any will work
2 T honey
3 scallions, thinly sliced

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
  
• Wash beets and cut off and discard stems. Wrap each beet in foil, place on baking sheet and roast until tender when pierced with fork, about 1 hour 30 minutes. Cool until you are able to handle. Peel beets and slice or cut each into 8 wedges. Place in medium bowl.
• In small bowl, combine yogurt and honey. Mix well. Add to beets and combine.
• Sprinkle scallion over beets.
  
• Enjoy!

On a budget? Chickpeas do the trick.

Ever since I listened to NPR's "How Low Can You Go" with chef Jose Andres, I've wanted to make this dish. I love chickpeas, am always looking for new and satisfying vegetarian meals and, woohoo , this one is as cheap as chips. In fact, the premise of the show is to feed a family of four for under $10. Taking that even further, I increased the amount of chickpeas from 9 oz to 1 lb. (I left the remaining ingredients alone and the flavors were plenty strong.) The additional chickpeas stretch this, making it even more wallet-friendly, but when reheated the spinach became rather slimy and unappealing. I would recommend making a big pot and adding a handful or two of spinach to each individual bowl you dish out. One last note, the original recipe called for a pinch of saffron, but I didn't add it because I didn't have any...that's the way it goes in these here parts. Don't know what I missed and I'm okay with that; this was delish nevertheless!

Moorish-style chickpea and spinach stew

1 lb dried chickpeas
Pinch baking soda
6 garlic cloves, peeled and left whole
1/4 cup olive oil
2 oz white sliced bread, with the crusts removed
2 T Spanish sweet paprika
1 t ground cumin
2 T sherry vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 pound spinach, washed and cleaned

• The day before you cook, soak the chickpeas in cold water with a pinch of baking soda.
  
• Drain and rinse the chickpeas.
• In a large saucepan, add rinsed chickpeas and add cold water to cover by about 1 inch. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer for two hours, until the chickpeas are tender. Every 10 minutes or so, add 1/2 cup of cold water to slow down the simmering. By the end, the water should have reduced so it is barely covering the chickpeas. (I cooked the chickpeas a day ahead and cooled in the refrigerator over night. Before resuming the recipe, I warmed the chickpeas over low heat until just simmering.)
  
• In a small saute pan over medium to low heat, brown the garlic in oil, about 3 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside. Add the bread and brown on both sides, about one minute per side. Remove the bread and set aside.
• Turn of burner and allow oil to cool for a few minutes. Add the paprika, cumin and vinegar to the oil and whisk to incorporate.
  
• In a mortar, smash the reserved garlic and the browned bread to make a very thick paste.
• Add the spice mixture along with the garlic and bread paste, to create a thick, stew-like sauce. Simmer for another 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Ladle into bowls and top each with a big handful of spinach. (It's also great ladled onto prepared couscous.)
  
• Enjoy!

Here's the radio show with the original recipe and great tips from chef Andres (like serving a fired egg on top of the beans and spinach!). In the interview, Michele Norris is a little skeptical about "talking" to the chickpeas, as Andres recommends, because she's not "fluent in chickpea". Good thing touching and tasting them works as well!
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=102854605

Farmers Market Lunch

Pleasure on a plate!

Frittata with Asiago cheese and caramelized onions +
Roasted Adirondack Blue potatoes and asparagus






























Roasted Adirondack Blue potatoes and asparagus
serves 2 with enough leftovers for a satisfying snack

4 medium potatoes (any will work)
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 bunch asparagus

• Preheat oven to 350
  
• Slice washed potatoes lengthwise a little less than 1/2 inch thick. Slice each cross section into 1/2 inch "sticks". Finally, cut into cubes.
  
• Place cubed potatoes on a baking sheet and coat with olive oil and salt and pepper liberally.
• Roast for 30 minutes, tossing occasionally.
• Get caramelized onions started for the frittata NOW!!
  
• While potatoes (and onions) are cooking, place asparagus on a baking sheet (tin foil if you don't have another) toss with olive oil, salt and pepper.
  
• Turn heat up to 400 and continue to cook potatoes for 15 minutes. With 1o minutes cooking time left, put asparagus into oven. Test for done-ness; potatoes should be soft and asparagus should have some bite.

Frittata with Asiago cheese and caramelized onions
serves 2

1 medium onion, diced
1 T (plus more if necessary) olive oil
4 eggs
splash milk
salt and pepper to taste
2/3 cup grated asiago cheese

• In a small nonstick saute pan over medium-low heat, heat oil and add onions. Cook until almost soft, 20ish minutes. Turn heat up to medium-high and cook for another 10 minutes or until dark golden brown. Throughout cooking time, stir occasionally and add the occasional tablespoon water, if necessary, to continue softening onions and to prevent sticking or burning. Drain on paper towel and salt to taste.
  
• While onions are cooking, combine eggs, milk, salt and pepper. Whisk well.
• Preheat broiler
  
• Add egg mixture to same nonstick pan over medium-low heat. Cook slowly, without stirring, for about 4 minutes, or until the bottom has set. Sprinkle the cheese onto the eggs (will sink into the liquid eggs) and continue to cook for another minute.
  
• Place saute pan with eggs under the broiler until the cheese is melted and bubbling, 2 minutes. Remove from broiler and top with freshly cracked pepper and caramelized onions.
• Enjoy!
  
  
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You take such darn good care of me, Quinoa.

The basics, yo.

Quinoa is the seed of a dark leafy plant related to Swiss chard and spinach, but because of its texture, it is usually grouped with the grains. It is light and fluffy, has a nutty flavor and is easily substituted for rice and couscous. It cooks quickly, is easy to digest and is a bona fide nutrient powerhouse. Need I say more? Not really, but I will...

-Quinoa is packed with protein. In fact, it's the only grain that is a complete protein, making it especially good for vegetarians and vegans.

-It's wheat and gluten free making it ideal for restricted diets and people with food allergies.

-It's low on the Glycemic Index and won't spike blood sugar levels. Great for diabetics.

-Full o' fiber. 'nuf said.

-Aaand, it's uber-packed with vitamins and minerals like potassium, magnesium and iron.
Woo hoo!

Now, get a hold of your excited self and make some quinoa!

Quinoa with black beans and tomatoes

2 t lime zest
2 T fresh lime juice
3 T olive oil (or whatever kind you like)
1 cup quinoa
15 oz. black beans, canned or soaked, rinsed
2 medium tomatoes (cherry or plum is fine too), diced and tossed with a pinch of sugar if needed
4 scallions, chopped
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

• Whisk together lime zest and juice, oil, 1/2 t salt, and 1/4 t pepper in a large bowl.
• Rinse quinoa VERY well in a sieve and drain.
• To cook quinoa, remember, 2 to 1. 2 parts water to 1 part quinoa. Combine water, rinsed quinoa and a good pinch salt and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 10-15 minutes. You will know when the quinoa is cooked when: the water is absorbed, it's translucent and the germ of the seed shows a little white ring around the outside.
  
• Add quinoa to dressing and toss until dressing is absorbed, stir in remaining ingredients and salt and pepper to taste.
• Enjoy!
  

Corn Souffle

Here's that corn souffle I mentioned yesterday. Light and fluffy to taste, but surprisingly rebounding in it's rise...it still had height when I went back for seconds. I will definitely make it again; maybe for guests because it looks pretty fancy and it's soo delicious!

Corn Souffle

3 T unsalted butter, additional for greasing

3 T all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cup milk (I used 2%, but I think any would be fine)

1 lb package frozen corn, pureed

1 cup coarsely grated colby-jack cheese (again, any would work)

1 t. sugar

3/4 t salt or to taste

1/4 t cayenne

3 large egg yolks

4 large egg whites

• Preheat oven to 425. Using the additional butter, generously butter a 2 quart shallow ceramic or glass baking dish and set aside.
• Melt 3 T butter over moderate heat in a heavy saucepan until foam subsides, add flour and cook roux for 2 minutes, whisking constantly making sure to get into edges of saucepan. Add milk in a slow stream, whisking, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 3 minutes. Stir in corn, cheese, sugar, salt and cayenne until fully incorporate (will be lumpy). Transfer to large bowl and whisk in egg yolks.
• Beat egg whites with a pinch of salt until they just hold peaks. Fold one forth of the whites into the corn mixture to lighten and then gently fold in remaining whites. Spoon into prepared baking dish.
• Bake, uncovered, 15 minutes. Rotate baking dish and cover top loosely with foil and continue to bake until puffed, golden brown and just set, 20-25 minutes longer. Serve immediately with freshly ground pepper.
• Enjoy!

I cooked my souffle for about 5 minutes too long. As you can see, it's a little bit dark. I was worried that it would be a bit dry and grainy, but it wasn't at all. This is one resilient souffle! A great start for beginners.

When I want to eat NOW

I am by no means a vegetarian, but on any old week night, I tend to lean that way. Last night I got home late and wanted something to eat that was good and satisfying, but above all else, quick and easy to prepare. This farro salad is just that. It takes all of 20-25 minutes to make and that's only because the farro takes that long to cook. If you are hungry (like I was) don't bother to cool the farro to room temp before dressing...all the better to soak up the balsamic vinaigrette. The firm and chewy farro makes this salad hearty enough to be a main dish for me, but for those of you who need a bit more, a grilled sausage rounds out the meal perfectly.

















Farro with Cherry Tomatoes and Arugula

1 cup farro
1/4 cup olive oil
1/8 cup balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper
1/3 lb. cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered if large and tossed with a pinch of salt
1/2 lb. arugula
lemon wedge

• Cook farro in amply salted water until al dente, 20-25 minutes, drain. Cool slightly before dressing with vinaigrette.
• Emulsify (combine) oil and vinegar. I like to use an old jam jar to shake to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste. Pour over farro and mix well.
  
• Add tomatoes. (Salad can be prepared up until this point a few hours in advance.)
  
• When ready to serve, toss farro and tomatoes with arugula. Add a squeeze of lemon and freshly ground pepper, if you like.
• Enjoy!