Roasted Mushrooms and Tomatoes

My Seder menu has been more or less stable for the past few years. I change a recipe occasionally, add a new one now and then, but for the most part it's been mostly the same.

Until this year.

I changed quite a bit this Passover. I was bored with some of the old stuff.

Chicken soup with matzo balls? NEVER BORING! Of course I served that!

Also, I served turkey (like my grandma and mother before me) as well as brisket. I also made my old favorite, spinach pie with matzo crust.

But, there was a new haroset (nut-free).

And lots of new vegetable dishes. Like this one, which was incredibly easy and I set it all up in advance and just popped it into the oven minutes before it was needed.

Of course, this dish is a year 'round thing. And it was so well-loved that I know it will be on my menu throughout the year.

 

Roasted Mushrooms and Tomatoes

• 12-14 medium-large mushrooms, cut into chunks
• 16 grape, cherry or mini-Kumato tomatoes
• 3 scallions, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Place the mushrooms, tomatoes, scallions and garlic in a bowl, pour the olive oil over the vegetables and toss to coat all the pieces. Spoon the vegetables onto the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for about 20 minutes, turning the vegetables once or twice during baking, or until tender. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Makes 4-6 servings

Zucchini Bayildi

Every year, at every Passover Seder, I serve a side dish called Imam Bayildi, which is basically stewed eggplant, leeks and tomatoes, though sometimes I've made it with onions instead of leeks.

Somehow the occasion wouldn't seem right without this traditional dish.

And yet, last year my kids said that maybe it was getting a little boring. One of them doesn't care for eggplant, so -- there was no Imam Bayildi this year. 

But during the week I will serve a kind of "bayildi" (which means "fainted" -- because it tastes so good that the Imam who first tasted it fainted).

This new dish is colorful and chock full of vegetables. It's spring-like and refreshing, so it is perfect for Passover's sometimes heavy meals. But it's also an all-year round dish that goes with any meat, poultry or fish you might serve. Or serve it as part of a vegetarian dinner.

It also takes much less time than the original recipe.

ZUCCHINI “BAYILDI”

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 medium leeks, cleaned and sliced
• 2 large cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 large zucchini, cut into bite size pieces
• 3 large tomatoes, chopped (or 10-12 campari tomatoes)
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons water

Heat the olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add the leeks and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes. Add the zucchini and cook for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, parsley, sugar, salt, lemon juice and water. Cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently, or until all the vegetables are tender. Serve hot, warm or at room temperature.

Makes 6-8 servings

Tagged: vegetables, vegetarian, side dish, Passover, Pesach, zucchini bayildi, bayildi, Seder

Zucchini Bayildi

Every year, at every Passover Seder, I serve a side dish called Imam Bayildi, which is basically stewed eggplant, leeks and tomatoes, though sometimes I've made it with onions instead of leeks.

Somehow the occasion wouldn't seem right without this traditional dish.

And yet, last year my kids said that maybe it was getting a little boring. One of them doesn't care for eggplant, so -- there was no Imam Bayildi this year. 

But during the week I will serve a kind of "bayildi" (which means "fainted" -- because it tastes so good that the Imam who first tasted it fainted).

This new dish is colorful and chock full of vegetables. It's spring-like and refreshing, so it is perfect for Passover's sometimes heavy meals. But it's also an all-year round dish that goes with any meat, poultry or fish you might serve. Or serve it as part of a vegetarian dinner.

It also takes much less time than the original recipe.

Zucchini “BayIldi”

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 medium leeks, cleaned and sliced
• 2 large cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 large zucchini, cut into bite size pieces
• 3 large tomatoes, chopped (or 10-12 campari tomatoes)
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons water

Heat the olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add the leeks and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes. Add the zucchini and cook for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, parsley, sugar, salt, lemon juice and water. Cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently, or until all the vegetables are tender. Serve hot, warm or at room temperature.

Makes 6-8 servings

Carrots with Pomegranate Jam Glaze

There are several ingredients in my life that I cook over and over.

Salmon. I make it so often for Ed and me that we are turning into fish.

Except that I also cook a lot of turkey, so maybe instead of growing fins and swimming up river we will grow feathers and start saying "gobble gobble."

And carrots. They're my go-to vegetable because most people like them and even people who say they hate vegetables usually say carrots are okay. 

I will definitely serve carrots for Rosh Hashanah. Why?

Tradition!

Pomegranates are also traditional for the holiday, so a while ago I cooked carrots and pomegranates (in the form of pomegranate molasses) together once and the result was really delicious.

But recently I decided to rework my old recipe using pomegranate jam that I bought from Crafted Kosher. 

It's a keeper.

Also, you can make the recipe up to the point of actually roasting them, so it's one of those wonderful dishes you can make ahead during this crazily busy holiday time.

Carrots with Pomegranate Jam

• 1/4 cup pomegranate jam
• 2 tablespoons orange juice
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon grated fresh orange peel
• pinch cayenne pepper
• salt to taste
• 1 pound carrots
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the pomegranate jam, orange juice, vegetable oil, orange peel, cayenne pepper and salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring to blend the ingredients, and cook for one minute, making sure the jam has melted. Peel the carrots and cut them lengthwise in half or quarters, depending on thickness. Place the carrots on the parchment lined baking sheet and pour the jam mixture over them. Roast the carrots, stirring occasionally, for 18-20 minutes or until they are tender and well glazed. Sprinkle with mint and serve. 

Makes 4 servings

Asparagus Salad with Toasted Almonds and Goat Cheese

Mother’s Day plans got me thinking about some of the so-called “liberating” trends for women.

Like canned foods, which were, and did, make it easier for housewives to get dinner on the table. They no longer had to clean and cook veggies, for example. All they had to do was open the can and heat the stuff in a pot. (I knew someone who cooked canned food in the can to save on pot cleaning.)

Unfortunately, although canned vegetables did save work and time, they weren’t very tasty. They were also mushy and salty and lacked the nutritional value of fresh produce.

It doesn’t take much time to clean and cook fresh asparagus. Just a matter of rinsing them and cutting off the woody bottom, then either steaming, poaching, grilling or roasting them for a few minutes.

In fact asparagus is one of the quickest and easiest vegetables to cook. We eat them regularly, sprinkled with a little lemon juice.

When I have more time I use asparagus for salad. Like this one:

Asparagus Salad with Toasted Almonds and Goat Cheese 

1/4 cup chopped almonds

1 pound slim or medium asparagus spears

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar or sherry vinegar

2 tablespoons chopped shallot

1-1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh mint

1-1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill

2 ounces crumbled goat cheese

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the almonds on a cookie sheet and bake them for 10-12 minutes or until lightly toasted. Remove from the oven and let cool. While the nuts are baking, wash the asparagus and cut off the tough, woody ends. Place the asparagus in a skillet, add one cup of water, cover the pan, bring the water to a boil and cook over high heat for 4-6 minutes or until tender, but still crispy. Drain under cold water, wipe dry and place on a serving platter. In a bowl, combine the olive oil, vinegar, shallot, mint and dill. Mix well and pour the dressing over the asparagus. Add the nuts and cheese and toss the ingredients to coat the asparagus completely. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  

Makes 4-6 servings

Roasted Whole Cauliflower

Cauliflower is the next big thing.

That’s what I’ve been reading.

Of course, there’s nothing new about cauliflower at all. This cabbage cousin, a native of Asia, has been cultivated for centuries (and in the United States for about 100 years). 

But the prediction is it will have a new resurgence in 2014. Like kale in 2013. Kale was also “old hat” but rose in the ranks of popularity like a geyser gushing oil.

I don’t know if cauliflower will ever be as popular as kale, but it is fairly certain you’re bound to see new ways to cook it. Like roasted cauliflower with crispy crusts and cauliflower steaks and most likely, whole cauliflower, which makes a beautiful presentation. You can carve it like it’s a roast turkey or prime rib you’re serving for dinner.

Looks grand. Tastes grand.

Roasted Whole Cauliflower

1 small cauliflower

1 cup white wine

water

salt to taste

6-8 whole peppercorns

3-4 sprigs parsley

1 small onion, peeled and halved

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

 pinch or two of cayenne pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Remove the green leaves at the bottom of the cauliflower and trim most of the fibrous stem attached to the head. Rinse the cauliflower and set it aside. Pour the wine and 8 cups of water into a soup pot. Add salt, peppercorns, parsley and onion and bring the liquid to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer the liquid for 15 minutes. Add the cauliflower and cook, turning the head occasionally, for about 10 minutes or until almost tender. Remove the cauliflower using a large strainer, let drain and place on the cookie sheet. Combine the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic powder and cayenne pepper in a large bowl. Brush this over the cauliflower. Sprinkle with salt to taste. Roast for 25-30 minutes or until tender and crispy.

White Asparagus

White Asparagus

Spring has sprung which means asparagus is in season.

Okay, I sense that you’re thinking — “asparagus is always in season!”

And of course, it is. From somewhere. But there are two kinds that aren’t. First, the kind you can buy from local farms and farmer’s markets. And two, white asparagus.

Elegant-looking, white asparagus. It has a limited season. Like now.

I had a friend once, she has since passed away, and was quite a bit older than me (in fact, she was older than my parents). Her name was Ro Dekker and she was one remarkable woman. She and her Dutch-Jewish family escaped the Nazis in 1939 on the last ship that sailed to New York from Holland.

There is so much more I could say about her.

But I will simply relate this little story and maybe some other time tell you more about her.

Ro, who made dinner for us even when she was over 90 years old, told me that when she first came to this country she bought a bunch of green asparagus and purposely chose the spears that had large, white bottoms, which she cut off and cooked, thinking that this part was the edible part, like the white asparagus she had always cooked for her meals back home in Europe. She was upset that so much of the asparagus was green, and had to be discarded.

Of course she discovered that the white part was not at all like the white asparagus she was used to. And for the rest of her life she knew to buy all-green asparagus or at least to cut off and throw away that woody, inedible white part of green asparagus.

She also learned that for a few precious weeks a year she could get European white asparagus. Elegant, delicate white asparagus. And so she did.

Folks, white asparagus is very expensive. It’s a treat. An occasional treat for most of us. So treat it right.

Susur Lee, a chef with restaurants in New York, Toronto and Singapore says that white asparagus is his favorite ingredient because it is so gloriously sweet and tender. He says that treating it right means: peel the skin, which can be chewy, and don’t overcook. You can read the article here.

If you’re lucky enough to be able to buy white asparagus, keep the preparation simple. You can eat the spears uncooked, sprinkled with lemon juice or dipped in some flavored mayonnaise or vinaigrette.

Or steam or poach them quickly and add a sprinkle of butter or coconut oil.

Eat these hot or cold.

In memory of my friend Ro Dekker: 

White Asparagus

1 pound fresh white asparagus

butter or coconut oil

lemon juice

chopped fresh tarragon, chives, thyme, parsley or dill

Trim about 1/2-inch from the bottom of each asparagus spear. Peel the skin (use a vegetable peeler) starting from about 1-1/2 inches down from the tip all the way to the bottom. Rinse the spears and place them in a saute pan. Cover with water. Bring the water to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat, cover the pan and simmer for 3-5 minutes, depending on the thickness of the spears, or until the spears are tender. Remove the spears and drain them. Place the spears in a serving dish. Top with a bit of butter or coconut oil. Sprinkle with lemon juice. Sprinkle with chopped fresh tarragon, chives, thyme, parsley or dill if desired. Makes 4 servings

Lemon-Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower

The cauliflowers have been so beautiful lately that …

Oh wait. Am I really raving over how a vegetable looks?

It sounds funny, even as I am writing this, to talk about cauliflower and beauty in the same sentence. But there it is. When a cauliflower is fresh and the head is creamy white (unless it’s a green or purple cauliflower and then of course I would be saying green or purple) and the florets are compact and tight and the green leaves are crisp and moist looking, then yes. A cauliflower is beautiful.

I’ve bought a few in recent days.

They are as delicious as they are tasty. There is something wonderful about food that’s fresh, isn’t there? And fresh cauliflower is so easy to cook.

So I’ve been cooking with it. 

My kids have been roasting vegetables at their house, so I roasted some cauliflower in mine. This dish was especially tasty because of the extra cheese added near the end; the cheese gives the vegetable a nice tang and some extra crispiness. But of course you can skip the cheese and just leave the lemony-roasted part and that’s good too.

Lemon-Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower

1 small head cauliflower

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary

1 teaspoon grated fresh lemon peel

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

salt to taste

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Remove the green leaves at the bottom of the cauliflower and trim most of the fibrous stem attached to the head. Slice the head into 1/2-inch slices; rinse and dry the slices on paper towels. Combine the olive oil, lemon juice, rosemary and lemon peel in a large bowl. Add the cauliflower slices and toss to coat them completely. Place the cauliflower slices in a single layer on the parchment. Roast for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese and salt to taste. Roast for another 20 minutes or until tender and crispy. Makes 4 servings

Brussels Sprouts with Tangerine and Hazelnuts

I may have mentioned that long, long ago my husband Ed once told me that if I ever cooked Brussels sprouts he would divorce me. 

Just kidding of course, which is why I felt confident to cook up some of these tiny cabbages once when I had to write an article about them. I made several recipes in one day figuring I would get the aroma and arguments all over with in one swoop, as they say.

But surprise of surprises! He liked them! All of them. Every version I made.

So it just goes to show that sometimes you might actually like something you thought you hated if you try it again.

Maybe.

The thing about Brussels sprouts, like all cabbages, is that they can produce an awful smell, especially if you cook them too long, which is what so many cooks did in the days that Ed’s and my mom cooked vegetables. So we grew up believing vegetables should be mushy, army green and, if in the cabbage family, smelly.

No more of that.

This recipe for Brussels sprouts has a small amount of maple and sweet tangerine to tone down the bitter cabbage. 

Brussels Sprouts with Tangerine and Hazelnuts

• 16-18 Brussels sprouts (about 12 ounces)

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

• 1/2 cup tangerine juice (or use orange juice)

• 2 tablespoons maple syrup

• 2 teaspoons grated tangerine peel (or use orange peel)

• 1/3 cup coarsely chopped toasted hazelnuts

• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the Brussels sprouts in half, rinse them, then drain and dry on paper towels. Place the vegetable oil, tangerine juice, maple syrup and tangerine peel in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until slightly thickened. Place the Brussels sprouts in a roasting pan and pour the tangerine mixture on top. Toss to coat the vegetables evenly.* Place the pan in the oven and cook for about 30 minutes or until tender. Mix once during this time. Remove the Brussels sprouts from the oven, toss with the hazelnuts and sprinkle to taste with salt and pepper.

Makes 4 servings

*Can prepare ahead to here

Kuri Squash with Tangerine

These are Kuri squash and if you see them in a store near you be sure to buy some because — in my opinion — there is no other variety that tastes as good. Also, they’re not around for long, so you have to get them while the getting is good (usually during October and November). 

Look for Kuri near the overflowing acorn and butternut squash bins. There may only be a small basket of them. 

But do look. They’re worth the time and yes, they are more expensive than the others, but it’s a treat, even if you only cook it once a season.

Kuri are hard shelled, which makes them difficult to peel. You’ll do best with roasting. Cut the squash into quarters, scoop the seeds, wrap the halves in aluminum foil and bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 50-60 minutes, or until the flesh is tender. 

Kuri flesh sweet, like all winter squashes, especially when you roast it. The texture is soft and velvety in a way, like chestnut. You don’t need to add any sweetener, but if you must, a tablespoon or two of brown sugar or honey for an entire squash is sufficient.

To make a quick casserole side dish, scoop the flesh from the shell, put it in a bowl and mash it with juice — maybe tangerine or orange juice or apple cider. Add a sprinkle of one spice or another: cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cardamom, allspice, and so on. If you like it richer, whip in a small amount of butter.

I buy several kuri squash when I see them and pack away the cooked flesh in small freezer packages. Then I have what I need to make a vegetable side dish or soup or muffins, quickbread and so on. 

You can freeze the cooked Kuri squash for about 2 months. I froze a few batches yesterday and also made this side dish, which got terrific reviews:

Kuri Squash with Tangerine

1 large Kuri squash

salt to taste

1 large tangerine

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon butter

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the squash into quarters and remove the seeds. Sprinkle the quarters with salt. Wrap them in aluminum foil and close the foil tightly. Roast for 50-60 minutes or until tender. When cool enough to handle, scoop the flesh from the skin and place the flesh in a bowl. Grate the tangerine peel into the bowl. Cut the tangerine in half, scoop the seeds and pour the juice from one half into the bowl. Add the honey, butter, cinnamon and cayenne pepper and stir until well mixed. Taste for seasoning and add salt to taste. Makes 4-6 servings