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Category: Meat Free

Asparagus Risotto with Sorrel Pesto and Preserved Lemon

Asparagus Risotto with Sorrel Pesto and Preserved Lemon

Asparagus Risotto with Sorrel Pesto and Preserved Lemon

 

For the pesto:

2 c. sorrel leaves (some peppery arugula or spinach would be fine, too)

2 c. cilantro or parsley

3 cloves garlic

1/4 c. pine nuts or filberts (aka hazelnuts)

1/2 c. olive oil

1/2 c. grated parmesan

 

For the risotto:

1 lb. asparagus, peeled, trimmed and cut into one-inch-long pieces, tips reserved

2 T. extra virgin olive oil

3 T. butter or margarine

1/2 onion, diced

1 T. garlic, finely chopped

2 c. arborio rice

1 c. white wine

4 c. chicken or vegetable stock

1/2 c. sorrel pesto

1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 c. preserved lemon, chopped (or zest of one lemon)

Salt to taste

 

To make the pesto, place the sorrel, cilantro, garlic and pine nuts in the bowl of a food processor. Begin processing while slowly adding the olive oil until the mixture is a smooth purée, scraping down as necessary with a spatula. Remove to a bowl and stir in the half C. of parmesan. Clean the processor, then put half of the chopped asparagus stalks in the food processor and add just enough water to make a smooth purée; set aside. Put stock in a medium saucepan over very low heat. Then, in a deep skillet or large saucepan, heat oil and butter over medium heat. When it is hot, add onion and garlic, stirring occasionally until it softens, 3 to 5 minutes. Add rice and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is glossy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add white wine, stir, and let liquid absorb into the rice. Add warmed stock, 1/2 C. or so at a time, stirring occasionally. Each time stock has just about absorbed into the rice, add more. When you have used about half the stock, add the puréed asparagus and asparagus tips, then continue to add stock as necessary. In 5 minutes or so, begin tasting rice. You want it to be tender but with a bit of crunch; it could take as long as 30 minutes total to reach this stage. Add a half C. of the pesto, preserved lemon and parmesan and stir briskly, then remove from heat. Taste and adjust salt. (Risotto should be slightly soupy.) Serve immediately.

Jean-Georges’ Ginger Fried Rice

Jean-Georges’ Ginger Fried Rice

Jean-Georges’ Ginger Fried Rice

 

½ C. peanut oil

2 T. minced garlic

2 T. minced ginger

Salt

2 C. thinly sliced leeks, white and light green parts only, rinsed and dried

4 C. day-old cooked rice, preferably jasmine, at room temperature

4 large eggs

2 tsp. sesame oil

4 tsp. soy sauce

 

In a large skillet, heat 1/4 C. oil over medium heat. Add garlic and ginger and cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp and brown. With a slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels and salt lightly. Reduce heat under skillet to medium-low and add 2 T. oil and leeks. Cook about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until very tender but not browned. Season lightly with salt. Raise heat to medium and add rice. Cook, stirring well, until heated through. Season to taste with salt. In a nonstick skillet, fry eggs in remaining oil, sunny-side-up, until edges are set but yolk is still runny. Divide rice among four dishes. Top each with an egg and drizzle with 1/2 tsp. sesame oil and 1 tsp. soy sauce. Sprinkle crisped garlic and ginger over everything and serve.

Spaghetti Pangrattato with Crispy Eggs

Spaghetti Pangrattato with Crispy Eggs

Pantry-Friendly Spaghetti Pangrattato with Crispy Eggs

 

Crumbs

2 T. olive oil

1 large or 2 small garlic cloves, minced

1/2 C. fresh or stale coarse plain breadcrumbs (panko worked great here)

Salt and red pepper flakes, to taste

1 tsp. fresh rosemary, minced

Few fine gratings fresh lemon zest

 

Crispy Egg

1 glug of olive oil per egg

3 eggs

Salt and pepper

 

Pasta and Assembly

8 ounces dried spaghetti

1 T. olive oil

2 tsp. small capers, drained (rinsed if salted), chopped

Handful flat-leaf parsley, chopped

1/3 C. grated Pecorino Romano cheese (optional)

 

Make crispy crumbs (pangrattato): Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add garlic and let sizzle for barely a minute, just until it begins to turn a pale golden color. Add breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, rosemary and lemon zest and reduce heat to low, cooking mixture slowly until all of the crumbs are an even golden color, about 5 minutes. Set aside. Cook pasta: Bring a large pot of well salted water to a generous boil and cook pasta until al dente about 1 to 2 minutes shy of package directions. Reserve 1/2 C. pasta cooking water before draining pasta. Meanwhile, make crispy eggs: Wipe out breadcrumbs skillet. Return to stove over high heat and add a generous glug of olive oil per egg. Once hot enough that the oil begins to smoke, add egg(s). They’re going to hiss and splatter so step back as soon as you do. Spoon some of the cooking oil over the eggs, carefully. Season with salt and pepper. In 1 to 2 minutes, the egg(s) will be brown and very crisp underneath and around the edges. Shimmy a thin spatula underneath the egg(s) (a flexible fish spatula works great here), being careful not to break the yolk. If you’re cooking for someone who shouldn’t be eating runny yolks (ahem), you can flip the egg over and cook it for another 30 seconds or so before removing it. Transfer cooked egg(s) to paper towels to drain. Assemble dish: Once pasta is drained, return it to the empty pot or a large skillet with 1 T. olive oil and a splash or two (or all, if needed to loosen pasta) of reserved cooking water. Over high heat, toss with capers and parsley for 1 minute. Divide among bowls or plates. Sprinkle with Pecorino, if using, then 1/3 of breadcrumb (pangrattato) mixture. Place an egg over each dish, and break up with a fork. Eat immediately.

Tomato, Camembert & Gruyere Tart

Tomato, Camembert & Gruyere Tart

Tomato, Camembert & Gruyere Tart

 

1 1/2 C. all purpose flour

6 T. cold unsalted butter (3/4 stick), cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. coarsely ground pepper

2–3 T. extra virgin olive oil

1 T. water

1 T. Dijon mustard

1/2 C. Gruyere, grated

4 plum tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch slices and seeds removed

6 ounces Camembert, sliced into 1/8-inch strips

1/3 C. extra virgin olive oil

1/4 C. fresh parsley, chopped

1/4 C. fresh basil, chopped

1 tsp. fresh rosemary, finely chopped

1 T. fresh thyme leaves

1 clove garlic, minced

 

Make the tart dough: Using a pastry blender or 2 knives, combine the flour, butter, salt, and pepper until mixture resembles coarse meal. Using a fork, mix in 2 T. of the oil and the water just until the bottom of the mixture begins to cling together. If necessary, add an additional T. of oil. Gather into a ball, flatten into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Roll out the chilled dough into a 14-inch circle and place it into a tart pan. Spread the mustard over the bottom of the tart shell. Sprinkle the Gruyere evenly over the mustard and alternately place the tomato slices and the Camembert over the Gruyere. In a small bowl, mix the extra virgin olive oil, all of the herbs and the garlic together and brush two-thirds of the mixture over the tart. Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 35 minutes. Remove the tart and brush it with the remaining oil. Serve warm.

Garlic Miso Pasta with Roasted Cauliflower

Garlic Miso Pasta with Roasted Cauliflower

Garlic Miso Pasta with Roasted Cauliflower

 

30 oz cauliflower florets, approximately 1 large head

3 T. sesame oil

2 T. Everything-but-the-Bagel Spice (see notes for substitution)

15 oz long or medium-size pasta noodles (use gluten-free if necessary)

½ cup neutral tasting vegetable oil (e.g. grapeseed, avocado, etc)

6 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups reserved water from cooking the pasta

¼ cup miso paste (I use a lighter miso. Red or brown miso will be saltier and stronger tasting.) (use gluten-free if necessary)

½ cup nutritional yeast

1 T. rice wine vinegar

ground black pepper, to taste

sliced green onion and red chili flakes to garnish, optional

 

Defrost the cauliflower overnight in the fridge or a few hours at room temperature. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Lightly oil a large baking sheet, or line it with parchment paper. Cut up any larger pieces of cauliflower so that the florets are all roughly the same size for even cooking. Drain the cauliflower and dry it on paper towel or a clean tea towel if necessary, and place on the prepared baking sheet. Toss the cauliflower with the sesame oil and Everything-but-the-Bagel spice. Spread the cauliflower out on the prepared baking sheet, ensuring there’s space between each floret so they can crisp on the edges. If they are all together, they will steam and remain soft. Once the oven has preheated completely, place the cauliflower on a middle rack and roast for 25-30 minutes, tossing once half way through. For the Garlic Miso Pasta: Prepare your pasta noodles according to package instructions except reduce the cooking time by 2 minutes. When the time is up, reserve 2 cups of the pasta cooking water. Drain the pasta in a colander. While the pasta drains, place the pot back on the stove over medium heat. Add the oil. When the oil is shimmering, add the garlic and cook it for 30 seconds. Add the water and miso – whisk well until the miso is dissolved. Whisk in the nutritional yeast, rice wine vinegar and black pepper to taste. Add the pasta back to the pot, stirring to coat and bring to a simmer for 1-2 minutes, or until the noodles are al dente. The sauce will look thin at first but it will thicken as the noodles finish cooking. Serve the pasta immediately with roasted cauliflower over the top, and garnish with green onions and chili flakes if desired. Store leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Like any pasta, the noodles will soak up any excess sauce – add a splash of water to leftovers when reheating to loosen them up.

Crabless Crab Cakes

Crabless Crab Cakes

Crabless Crab Cakes

 

Kernels from 4 medium ears of corn (about 2 cups)

¼ cup minced onion

¼ cup minced green bell pepper

¼ cup mayonnaise

1 (15-ounce) can whole hearts of palm or artichoke hearts, drained, diced, and lightly smashed

2 tsp. Old Bay seasoning

2 T. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

2 tsp. Dijon mustard

1/3 cup gluten-free bread crumbs, plus more as needed, or 1/2 cup almond meal

Salt and pepper

 

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. When water flicked onto the skillet sizzles, add the corn, onion, and bell pepper and cook until tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer 1 cup of the mixture to a food processor and pulse until coarse-smooth. Transfer to a medium bowl and add the mayonnaise, hearts of palm, Old Bay, parsley, mustard, and bread crumbs. Season with salt and pepper and stir well. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using your hands, form the mixture into twelve cakes, 2 inches in diameter, and transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Refrigerate for 10 to 15 minutes to bind. Heat 1 T. of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is shimmering, add six cakes and cook for about 2 minutes per side or until golden brown. Transfer to a platter. Wipe down the skillet, add another 1 T. of the olive oil, and cook the remaining cakes.