Category : main dishes

Fresh Tomato Sauce

Posted August 29th 2011 under: main dishes, recipes, vegetarian
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This is a nice tomato sauce from fresh tomatoes that can be used for pasta, eggplant Parmesan, gnochi, etc.  David’s father made if for us last week and served it on eggplant parmesan – delicious!

2 lbs fresh ripe tomatoes
5 TBS  butter
1 medium onion, cut up
Salt and black pepper, as needed

1. Blanch tomatoes in boiling water for minute, remove, and slide of skins. Coarsely chop.

2. Meanwhile, saute onions in butter until translucent. Add tomatoes, and cook at a simmer until soft and 1/2 of liquid has boiled off. Add salt and black pepper as needed.

Spaghetti with Arugula, Walnuts, and Ricotta salata

Posted July 11th 2011 under: appetizers & snacks, main dishes, recipes, vegetarian
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This recipe is from the cookbook “Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone” by Deborah Madison.

1 lb spaghetti, preferably whole wheat
Salt
4 TBS olive oil, plus extra virgin to finish
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 small dried red chiles, broken in half, or several pinches red pepper flakes
1 or 2 cups chopped mature (i.e., large) arugula leaves, coarsely chopped
3 TBS chopped parsley
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Ricotta salata (salted and pressed ricotta – it is dense and can be thinly sliced) – or instead, use crumbled feta or grated Parmesan

1. Drop the pasta into plenty of salted boiling water and cook until al dente.

2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet, add the garlic and chile, and cook over medium heat until the garlic turns golden.  Add the arugula, season with a few pinches salt, and saute until wilted.  Stir in the parsley and turn off the heat. When the pasta is done, scoop it out and add it directly to the pan.  Add walnuts and thin shavings of the ricotta salata, and toss well.

Chiles Rellenos

Posted September 7th 2010 under: main dishes, recipes
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Chiles Rellenos serves 6

This recipe is modified from “Classic Mexican Cooking” by Sally and Martin Stone (1985, Simon and Schuster).

6 fresh Anaheim peppers
Picadillo (see recipe below)
1 pound fresh ripe processing tomatoes
1 medium onion
3 cloves garlic
Peanut, corn, safflower or canola oil
1 cup stock (chicken or vegetable)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 eggs, separated
½ cup all-purpose flour

Heat the skin of each pepper over gas flame or electric burner until the skin blackens and blisters.  Place chilies in a paper bag; close the bag and let chilies cool 30 minutes.  Peel the chilies; the thin skin should come off easily.

When skinned, using a small knife, make a slit in the side of each pepper from stem to point – don’t cut off the stem end.  Now, with your fingers, carefully scrape out all the seeds that are clinging to the seed pod and attached to the veins.

Stuff chilies with Picadillo (see recipe below) and set aside.

Combine the tomatoes, onion, and garlic in a workbowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and purée.  Cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes.  Mix in the stock and season with salt, pepper and thyme.  Simmer for a few minutes and set aside.

Beat the egg yolks well.  Beat the whites until they are glossy and hold stiff peaks.  Fold the whites into the yolks.

Heat the oil in a deep fryer or deep frypan to between 360° and 375°F on a deep-fry thermometer.

Dip the chilies in flour, coating them well, then dip them in the egg.  Fry in the hot oil until golden brown.  Drain on paper toweling for a few minutes.

Reheat the tomato sauce and arrange the chilies in the hot sauce.  Cook for only 2 or 3 minutes on medium heat.  Transfer the chilies to a warm serving dish and spoon the sauce over and around them.

Picadillo (stuffing for Chilies Rellenos) serves 6

This is the stuffing for the preceding Chilies Rellenos recipe.  The meat can be omitted, adding instead cooked rice or other vegetarian ‘filler.’  This is a rather complicated stuffing and can be simplified, as long as it remains relatively ‘solid’ so that it can be stuffed into the peppers.

2 TBS cooking oil
2 onions, coarsely cut
3 cloves garlic, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 pound chopped very lean beef or ½ pound chopped beef plus ½ pound chopped pork
½ pound processing tomatoes, chopped
several jalapeño peppers (optional)
1 tsp grated orange rind
¼ cup raisins
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground cloves
¼ tsp ground allspice
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
1 large tart apple, cored, pared, and cubed
1/8 cup pitted green olives, sliced

Heat 2 TBS of oil in a large frypan; add the onions, garlic, salt, and pepper and fry until the onions are lightly golden.  Add the meat and stir until all the bits are browned.  Stir in the tomatoes, peppers, orange zest, raisins, and all spices.  Simmer uncovered for 25 minutes.

Mix in the apples and olives and heat through.

Eggplant Parmesan

Posted August 26th 2010 under: main dishes, recipes, vegetarian
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This is a nice, really fresh tasting Eggplant Parmesan recipe adapted from a recipe at epicurious.com that we tried the other night.  We thought it was excellent!  You can use any of your share tomatoes for this recipe and I used fresh hot peppers instead of the dried called for.  The panko gives the eggplant a really nice breading.  This recipe serves 6-8.  You can cut it down and use 2 medium eggplants or one large and a couple asian to serve 4 instead.

ingredients

2  1/2 lb medium eggplants (about 3), cut crosswise into 1/3-inch-thick rounds
3 1/4 teaspoons salt
5 lb plum tomatoes
1 1/2 cups plus 3 tablespoons olive oil
2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
20 fresh basil leaves, torn in half
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes, or 1/2 teaspoon fresh chile
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 large eggs
3 cups panko (Japanese bread crumbs — found at most grocery stores and co-ops)
2 oz finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (2/3 cup)
1 lb chilled fresh mozzarella (not unsalted), thinly sliced

method

Toss eggplant with 2 teaspoons salt in a colander set over a bowl, then let drain 30 minutes.

While eggplant drains,  blanch tomatoes 1 minute. Cool immediatly in cold water, then peel and chop. Coarsely  purée in a blender or food processor. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a 5-quart heavy pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then add garlic and sauté, stirring, until golden, about 30 seconds. Add tomato purée, basil, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and red pepper  and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, 25 to 30 minutes.

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375°F.

Stir together flour, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a shallow bowl. Lightly beat eggs in a second shallow bowl, then stir together panko and 1/3 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano in a third shallow bowl.

Working with 1 slice at a time, dredge eggplant in flour, shaking off excess, then dip in egg, letting excess drip off, and dredge in panko until evenly coated. Transfer eggplant to sheets of wax paper.

Heat remaining 1 1/2 cups oil in a deep 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then fry eggplant 4 slices at a time, turning over once, until golden brown, 5 to 6 minutes per batch. Transfer with tongs to paper towels to drain.

Spread 1 cup tomato sauce in bottom of a rectangular 3 1/2-quart (13- by 11- by 2-inch) baking dish. Arrange about one third of eggplant slices in 1 layer over sauce, overlapping slightly if necessary. Cover eggplant with about one third of remaining sauce (about 11/4 cups) and one third of mozzarella. Continue layering with remaining eggplant, sauce, and mozzarella– two to three layers. Sprinkle top with remaining 1/3 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Bake, uncovered, until cheese is melted and golden and sauce is bubbling, 35 to 40 minutes.

Grilled Cheese and Broccoli Sandwich

Posted July 18th 2010 under: kid-approved, main dishes, recipes, vegetarian
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4 big servings

This recipe is from the cookbook “Honest Pretzels (and 64 other amazing recipes for cooks ages 8 and up)” by Mollie Katzen. The author notes that other vegetables such as zucchini can be substituted for the broccoli.

⅓ cup plus 2 TBS olive oil
½ cup minced onion
2 cups chopped broccoli
½ tsp salt
½ tsp dried thyme
8 slices bread (sourdough, rye, or wheat)
2 cups grated cheddar cheese

Measure 2 TBS olive oil and add to a frying pan. Put the pan on the stove on medium heat. Wait for 30 seconds and then add the onions. Stir and cook for about 2 minutes, then add the broccoli, and sprinkle on the salt and thyme. Stir and cook for another 8 minutes, or until the broccoli is bright green and a little soft. Put frypan contents into a bowl and set aside.

Put ⅓ cup of olive oil in a small bowl. Dip a brush in the oil and paint each slice of bread on both sides with olive oil.
Put the frying pan back on the stove on medium heat.

Put 1 or 2 slices of the oiled bread in the pan and cook until the break is golden brown underneath – This will take a few minutes. Flip the bread over and turn heat to low. Us a spoon to put some of the broccoli mixture in the center of each piece of break in the frying pan. Sprinkle some cheese over the broccoli mixture. Cover the pan to help the cheese melt sooner. Wait for about 3 minutes. Serve when the cheese has melted.

California Rolls (Sushi)

Posted July 18th 2010 under: main dishes, recipes
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These are recommended by Northfield members Mar Valdencantos and Al Montero. The recipe is one that we use at our house, and you can use any fresh vegetable as a filling, including cucumber, summer squash, green beans (blanch first), sweet peppers, etc. You can also add a protein source such as smoked salmon, imitation crab strips (made out of fish), smoked tofu, or cream cheese. You can find directions and videos on how to make sushi by doing an internet search for “California roll.”

1 cucumber, peeled and cut into thin, ¼-inch thick strips
1 medium avocado, peeled, pitted and sliced into ¼-inch thick strips
4 or 6 sheets nori (dried seaweed sheets)
Several crab strips
toasted sesame seeds (black seeds add a nice touch)
Pickled ginger, for serving
Wasabi, for serving
Soy sauce, for serving

Also: need 1 bamboo rolling mat for sushi, wrapped in plastic wrap.

Cut Nori sheets in half, crosswise. Make sure your bamboo rolling mat is wrapped with plastic wrap. Lay 1 sheet of nori, shiny side down, on the bamboo rolling mat. Wet your hands with water (so the rice doesn’t stick) and grab a tennis-ball amount of rice. Distribute the rice on the nori sheet by pressing and spreading, covering the entire sheet except for a ½-inch strip at the top. Sprinkle on some sesame seeds. Turn the seaweed sheet over, so the rice side is on the bamboo rolling mat. Place strips of cucumber, crab, and avocado across the lower center of the nori sheet, pressing them together into a tight wall. Grab the edge of the rolling mat nearest you and roll the nori sheet over the top of the filling ingredients, press firmly, then roll the mat further so that the nori, rice, and fillings make a tight cylinder. Press tightly on the mat, then open and place sushi roll on a cutting board and cut crossways into 6 or 8 pieces. Serve with soy sauce, wasabi (wasabi and soy sauce can by mixed together on your plate), pickled ginger.

Sushi Rice
2 cups sushi or short grain rice
2 cups water
2 TBS rice vinegar
2 TBS sugar
1 tsp salt

Place rice in a bowl and cover with cool water. Swirl the rice in the water, rinse again with clean water. Place the rice and 2 cups of water in a rice cooker or medium saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil uncovered, and then reduce heat, cover pan, and simmer for about 15 minutes, until the rice is tender and the water is absorbed. Remove from heat and let sit, covered, for 10 minutes. Combine vinegar, sugar and salt. Heat slightly and stir until the salt and sugar are dissolved. Add to rice and mix. Allow to cool to room temperature before using to make sushi.

(makes approximately 36-40 sushi pieces)

Glass Noodles with Spinach

Posted July 6th 2010 under: main dishes, recipes
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Serves 3-4

This Chinese dish is great for young, tender spinach.  The recipe is adapted from “Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone” by Deborah Madison.

2 bunches young spinach
Salt
2 ounces bean-thread or cellophane noodles
1 cup vegetable or chicken stock
1½ TBS peanut oil
½ tsp sugar
2 tsp dark sesame oil

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil.  Meanwhile, separate the clumps of spinach, remove the leaves, and trim the root ends (the ‘crowns’) to about 1½ inches in length.  Flush out the roots under running water.  Add salt to the water and blanch the crowns until the colors glow, then scoop them out.  Blanch the leaves until wilted and bright green.  Drain and rinse along with the crowns under cold water.  Gently press out the excess liquid.

Soak the noodles in hot water until softened, about 3 minutes, then drain and snip them into 5-inch lengths.  Simmer the noodles in the stock until tender and silky, 3 to 5 minutes.  They will have absorbed most of the stock.

Warm a wok (or large frypan), then add the peanut oil and heat until almost smoking.  Add the spinach leaves and crowns and stir-fry for 30 seconds.  Add ½ tsp salt and the sugar and continue to stir-fry until the leaves are hot.  Add the noodles and sesame oil, stir a few more times, taste for salt, and serve.

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