Kristen's Recipes

Gratineed Mustard Creamed Onions

1 pound frozen pearl onions, defrosted & drained of any liquid

1/4 cup unsalted butter

2 tablespoons flour

1-1/2 cups milk

3 tablespoons cream Sherry

1 tablespoon grainy mustard

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Salt & pepper as required

1/2 cup grated or shaved parmesan cheese

Spray a shallow casserole or gratin dish with cooking spray. Preheat oven to 400. In a small pot melt butter and when hot whisk in flour. Cook whisking constantly for 2 minutes. Heat milk in microwave until hot but not boiling. Whisk into flour mixture and cook, stirring constantly until mixture comes to a boil and thickens. Add pearl onions, sherry, mustards and nutmeg. Taste for seasoning, adding salt and pepper as required. Return mixture to a boil, and then transfer to prepared gratin dish. Top with parmesan cheese. Bake at 400 for 30 to 40 minutes or until onions are cooked through and top is golden brown and bubbling. Serves 4 to 6.

Brussels Sprouts Salad with Pancetta and Cranberries

2 lbs baby Brussels sprouts

extra-virgin olive oil

6 ounces pancetta, cut into small dice (1 1/2 cups)

1/4 cup dried cranberries

3 Tbsp shallots, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, peeled and minced

2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup chicken broth

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Pick all of the Brussels sprouts apart so you have one big pile of leaves. In a large saute pan, heat a 2-count of olive oil (about 2 Tbsp) over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook for 2-3 minutes, until the fat renders and the pancetta is crispy. Add the separated Brussels sprouts leaves, cranberries, shallots, and garlic. Toss well to combine all the ingredients. Add the balsamic vinegar and chicken broth and continue to cook for 3-4 minutes, until the Brussels sprouts leaves have just wilted. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve warm.

Melting Onions with Berry Compote

2 Spanish (or yellow) onions

3–4 T. olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

1 C. frozen blueberries*

¼ C. water

½ tsp. cornstarch

Pinch of salt

Optional: maple syrup

Preheat oven to 375°F. Slightly trim the top and bottom of the onions, careful to leave the skin attached. (This serves as insulation.)  From the top of the onion, make a cross cut slicing almost through to the bottom (nearly halving the onion).  Place the whole onions in a small baking dish (a loaf pan also works well). Drizzle the olive oil over the onions, then season with salt and pepper.  Cover with aluminum foil and roast for 75 minutes. Occasionally uncover and baste the onions with the oil mixture that will collect at the bottom of the dish.  Then uncover and roast for another 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, carefully remove skins, and plate with berry compote. In a small saucepan over low heat, simmer berries and water. Once the berries start to break down, smash with potato masher. After 2–3 minutes, slowly whisk in the cornstarch to thicken the sauce. Add maple syrup for additional sweetness, if desired. Remove from heat and serve atop onions. *Fresh blueberries may also be used; adjust the amount of water and cornstarch as needed.

Cold Sesame Beets

4–5 large beets

1 T. sesame oil

1 T. rice wine vinegar

1 T. toasted black and/or white sesame seeds

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Steam or roast beets until just tender; let cool and remove skin. Slice, dice, or matchstick-cut them to your liking. In a bowl, toss beets with remaining ingredients, season to taste, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving cold.

Roasted Radishes with Honey Butter & Thyme

1 lb. fresh radishes

1/4 C. butter

1 T. honey

A few sprigs fresh thyme

Sea salt to taste

Preheat oven to 425ºF. Wash radishes and radish greens and trim the ends to remove the greens and the long root. Reserve the radish greens. Slice the radishes in half lengthwise and set aside in a bowl. Rough chop the greens and add them to the bowl with the radishes. (This is optional but highly recommended!) Add a few sprigs of fresh thyme, or about 1/4 tsp. dried thyme. Add the honey and the butter to a glass bowl or measuring C. and heat in the microwave or in a double boiler until completely melted. Mix well and then pour the honey butter mixture over the radishes and toss to coat. Spread the honey-butter coated radishes, herbs and greens on a baking sheet and place in preheated oven. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until soft and slightly browned around the edges. Sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt and enjoy hot. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days and sauté with little bit of butter or a dollop of olive oil to reheat.

1 large or 2 small (2-3 lb in total) delicata squash

1/4 cup salted butter

2 T. pure maple syrup

2 T. orange juice

2 T. chopped rosemary leaves

Using a sharp knife, slice the squash in half lengthwise. Using a teaspoon, scrape out and discard the seeds. Lay the squash cut side down and cut it into 1 -inch-thick slices. Spread the slices in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the butter, and then whisk in the maple syrup and orange juice until fully emulsified. Brush this mixture over the squash slices, then flip them over and brush the other side, ensuring they are well coated. Drizzle any remaining butter mixture overtop. Sprinkle with the rosemary. Roast for 35 minutes, until fork-tender and caramelized on the outside. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before serving. The cooked squash will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.

Sauteed Zucchini with Herbed Dressing

A lovely side dish, this zucchini also makes a delicious omelet or vegetarian taco filling. Top with some avocado for extra green. For this meal, serve the zucchini warm or at room temperature. It’s great either way and the latter means you can make it a few hours ahead of time.

1/4 cup [60 g] plain full-fat Greek yogurt

A large handful of fresh Italian parsley leaves (a little bit of stem is fine!), roughly chopped

A large handful of minced fresh chives

1 garlic clove, minced

1 T. white wine vinegar

1/4 cup [60 ml] olive oil, plus 2 T., plus more as needed

Kosher salt

1 12 lb [680 g] zucchini (about 3 large), ends trimmed

In a food processor, combine the yogurt, parsley, chives, garlic, vinegar, and 1/4 cup [60 ml] of the olive oil and puree until smooth. You might need to scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula once or twice to make sure everything is evenly combined. Season the dressing to taste with salt and reserve it. Cut each zucchini in half lengthwise. Then, working with one zucchini half at a time, lay it on its flat side so it’s stable and cut into half-moons 1/2 in [12 mm] thick. You can do this on the diagonal if you’d like. In a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, warm the remaining 2 T. olive oil. Add as much of the zucchini to the pan as will fit in a single layer without crowding. You may need to work in batches, depending on the size of your skillet; you’re looking for sauteed zucchini, not steamed zucchini. Sprinkle with a generous pinch of salt and cook, stirring now and then, until just softened and browned in spots, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer the zucchini to a serving platter. If working in batches, keep the first batch warm and repeat with the remaining zucchini, adding more oil to the skillet if needed. Drizzle the zucchini with the reserved dressing. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Leftovers: Place leftover zucchini, dressing and all, into a food processor with a drained and rinsed can of chickpeas. Puree until smooth and season to taste with tahini, lemon juice, and salt. Serve with warm pita bread (or crispy pita chips) or crunchy vegetables for dipping. It’s also good as a neighbor to roasted chicken, grilled shrimp, or even scrambled eggs.

Blistered Cabbage and Apples with Walnut-Anchovy Caper Sauce

¼ cup walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped

1 T. capers, rinsed if salt-packed

2—3 anchovy fillets, rinsed if salt-packed (or ½ tsp. anchovy paste)

1 garlic clove, minced

⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus 2—3 T. for searing

2 T. lemon juice

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

2 tsp. honey

½ tsp. red pepper flakes, or other chile (optional)

2 T. chopped flat-leaf parsley

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 medium head Napa or Savoy cabbage, outer leaves removed, quartered, leaving core intact

2 small apples, halved around the middle, seeds and cores intact

In a small food processor or with a mortar and pestle, roughly grind walnuts, capers, anchovies and garlic. Remove to a separate bowl. Whisk in ⅓ cup olive oil, lemon juice, mustard, honey, pepper flakes if using and parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set the sauce aside. Rub the exposed edges of the cabbage and apples with remaining olive oil; season liberally with salt and pepper, forcing some seasoning between cabbage leaves. Place a cast-iron or other heavy-bottomed skillet over high heat for several minutes to preheat. When the pan is ripping hot, add the cabbage wedges, flat side down. Press weight on top with another skillet. Cook until well charred, about 3 minutes. Flip to another flat side and add the apples. Press with weight and cook another 3 minutes. Flip the cabbage to the third side and flip the apples. Add weight and cook another 3 minutes. Remove pan from heat, leaving the weight atop, and let rest for 4 minutes or until the cabbage is mostly tender but still crisp in the center. Transfer the cabbage and apples to a serving plate and adorn with the sauce.

Peas with Fried Onions & Lemon

¼ C. Olive Oil

1 Yellow Onion, thinly sliced

10 oz. frozen Peas, thawed

½ Lemon, seeded and finely chopped (peel and all)

1 tsp. kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until dark brown (really dark brown in some spots), 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the peas and cook until heated through, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat, stir in the lemon, and season with the salt and a few grinds of black pepper.