Roasted Pepper Soup

Please don’t think I’m crazy but this year, instead of serving chicken soup for Rosh Hashanah, I’m making this Roasted Red Pepper soup.

First, it’s easy and I can make it a few days in advance. Also, it’s pretty enough for a festive holiday table and the colors match those of autumn, don’t you think?

Most of all, I’ve made this many times and always, always everyone wants seconds. It’s a taste winner.

ROASTED PEPPER SOUP

• 4 large bell peppers (red, orange and/or yellow)

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 5-6 scallions, chopped

• 1 large clove garlic, chopped

• 1 teaspoon chopped jalapeno, serrano or habanero chili pepper

• 2 carrots or parsnips, chopped

• 1 large all-purpose potato, peeled and chopped

• 4 cups vegetable stock

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

• 1 teaspoon salt or to taste

Preheat the broiler. Place the peppers under the broiler, about 4-6" away from the heat. Broil for 2-3 minutes, until the skin has blistered. Turn the peppers and repeat this process until the entire surface is blistered and lightly charred. Remove the peppers and wrap them in foil or place them in a paper bag. Let rest at least 10 minutes. Remove the peppers, peel off the skin and discard the stem and the seeds. Cut the peppers into pieces and set aside. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the scallion, garlic and chili pepper and cook briefly. Add the carrot and potato and cook, stirring occasionally for 3-4 minutes. Add the peppers, stock and basil. Season to taste with salt. Bring the mixture to a boil, lower the heat and cook at a simmer for 30 minutes. Puree in a food processor or blender.

Makes 6 servings

Mushroom Pot Pie

If you’re looking for a fabulously delicious meatless meal, it doesn’t get better than Mushroom Pot Pie.

No more needs be said. Try it and see for yourself.

Mushroom Pot Pie

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 tablespoon butter

• 1/2 cup chopped shallots

• 2 medium garlic cloves, chopped

• 1 pound mixed fresh wild mushrooms, chopped

• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt or dairy sour cream

• 1 cup vegetable stock

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

• 1 sheet puff pastry

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Heat the olive oil and butter in a sauté pan over medium heat. When the butter has melted and looks foamy, add the shallots and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until softened. Add the garlic and cook briefly. Add the mushrooms, salt and pepper and cook for 4-6 minutes or until the mushrooms are tender and all the liquid has evaporated. Add the flour and stir it to dissolve it completely. Add the yogurt and stir it into the mushrooms until completely incorporated as a sauce. Pour in the stock and lemon juice and mix the ingredients thoroughly. Add the parsley and thyme. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10-12 minutes or until the sauce has reduced has thickened. Stir in the Parmesan cheese, cook for another 1-2 minutes and remove the pan from the heat. Spoon the mixture into a 6-cup casserole dish. Roll the puff pastry slightly thinner and cut it to the shape of the casserole used. Place the puff pastry over the mushroom mixture. Bake for about 25 minutes or until the dough is puffed and golden brown.

Makes 4 servings

 

Corn, Avocado and Tomato Salad

Vegetable salads are a big deal at my house during the summer. I make them at least 3-4 times a week. They go with everything: meat, fish, poultry, vegetarian dinner. They’re colorful. They can be made ahead. They’re dairy-free, (although you can certainly add some crumbled cheese to most of them, including in the recipe below).

I’ve made this particular salad dozens of times, adding ingredients here and there if I have them — cucumber, canned chick peas, celery, crumbled feta or goat cheese (and once I made it with blue cheese), etc.

All good. This dish is a good pick for a July 4th weekend barbecue. We eat it at room temperature, when the flavors are at their best.

Corn, Avocado and Tomato Salad

• 2 ears of corn (about 1 to 1-1/2 cups kernels)

• 1 small red bell pepper, deseeded and chopped

• 3-4 scallions, chopped

• 1 avocado, cut into bite size chunks

• 2 cups cut up grape or cherry tomatoes

• 2 tablespoons olive or avocado oil

• 2-3 tablespoons white wine vinegar

• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves

• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Steam, poach or grill the corn, let cool and scrape the kernels into a bowl. Add the bell pepper, scallions, avocado and tomatoes. Pour in the olive oil and toss the ingredients to distribute them evenly and coat them with the oil. Add 2 tablespoons of the white wine vinegar, the thyme and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Taste and add more vinegar if desired. Let rest for about 10 minutes before serving.

Makes 4-6 servings

Roasted Sweet Potato Salad with Blueberries

I’ve been buying lots of blueberries lately — for muffins, cake, pie, soup —- and also this roasted sweet potato-baby arugula salad, among others. My family loved the combo of sweet and earthy. I added some red onion for crunch but you can also throw in some pepitas if you want more.

Sweet Potato Salad with Baby Arugula and Blueberries

• 3 medium-large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into bite size chunks

• 5 tablespoons avocado or olive oil

• salt to taste

• 2 cups packed baby arugula

• 1 cup blueberries

• 1 avocado, chopped in chunks

• 1/2 cup red onion, chopped

• 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar

• 1/2 cup crumbled feta or goat cheese, optional

• freshly ground black pepper, to taste

• pepitas if desired

Preheat oven to 450° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the potato chunks on the parchment and pour 2 tablespoons of the avocado or olive oil over them. Toss to coat all the chunks. Sprinkle with salt. Roast for 22-25 minutes or until the potatoes are tender and crispy, turning them once or twice during cooking time. Remove the potatoes from the oven and let them cool, then place them in a bowl. Add the baby arugula, blueberries, avocado and red onion. Pour in the remaining avocado oil and toss the ingredients. Pour in the white wine vinegar and toss again. Add the cheese, if desired. Season with freshly ground black pepper. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving. scatter pepitas on top if desired.

Makes 6 servings

Pashtida

If you haven’t tried Pashtida, you’re missing out. This dish — so popular in Israel — is kind of like a cross between a quiche, a frittata and a kugel. Sometimes it’s made with meat, sometimes dairy and sometimes just vegetables. Any way at all — this is one delicious treat!

Pashtida is filling and hearty enough for dinner (add a side salad) but light enough for lunch. It’s also the kind of dish that’s made for weekend brunch. Leftovers are good too — easily reheated for weekday breakfast.

If you’re looking for a new dairy dish for Shavuot (and, thinking ahead, during the Nine Days or for your Break-the-fast) I encourage you to try this one. My recipe is a melange of eggs, cheese and veggies that you spoon into a casserole and bake until the eggs are set and the top is crispy.

This dish is also amazingly versatile, so I’ve listed a variety of options for substitution.

Vegetable Pashtida

• 1 large Yukon Gold potato, peeled and diced

• 1 tablespoon butter

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1 medium onion, chopped (3 scallions; 2 shallots)

• 1 cup chopped fresh: spinach; kale; (diced) zucchini; or chopped cooked veggies (such as green beans, carrots, bell pepper, asparagus; eggplant); or thawed frozen peas or corn

• Halved mini-tomatoes (such as grape or cherry; about 7-8); chopped sun-dried tomatoes, optional

• 4 tablespoons cream cheese, cut into small pieces (or 1/3 cup dairy sour cream or 1/2 cup cottage cheese)

• 5 large eggs

• 1 cup whole milk or half and half

• 1/2 cup shredded meltable cheese such as Swiss, cheddar, Havarti or mozzarella

• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (dill, basil)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a casserole dish (such as approximately 8”x 6” or a 6-cup round) and set aside. Cook the potatoes in lightly salted boiling water for about 3 minutes or until barely tender. Drain and set aside. Heat the butter and olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. When the butter has melted and looks foamy, add the onion and cook for a minute. Add the potato and cook for 5-6 minutes or until the pieces are lightly crispy, stirring occasionally. Add the vegetables and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they have softened. Add the tomatoes, if used, and cook for another minute. Add the cream cheese and continue to cook and stir until the cheese has melted into the vegetables. Remove the pan from the heat and let the ingredients cool slightly. Beat the eggs and milk together and pour over the vegetable-cream cheese mixture. Add the shredded cheese and stir gently until the ingredients are evenly distributed. Sprinkle to taste with salt, pepper and parsley. Spoon the ingredients into the prepared casserole dish. Bake for about 45 minutes or until the eggs are set and the top is crispy.

Makes 4-6 servings

Grilled Carrots

I always think of Memorial Day Weekend as the start of the official grilling season where I live. Silly, maybe. Lots of people I know grill year round. But I don’t like being outside cooking chicken breasts or hamburgers when the weather is what the weather is in Connecticut during the winter.

So — the grill is open now, thanks to warmth and sunshine.

This recipe for grilled carrots is my official start to the official start of grilling season. We’ve eaten the carrots hot, with the cold sauce. We’ve eaten the leftovers at room temp, with the cold sauce. Winner, either way.

Also - you can cut the carrots into smaller pieces and use them with the sauce, for crudites.

Grilled Carrots with Yogurt Sauce

• 1 dozen medium carrots

• 1-1/2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 cup plain Greek style yogurt

• 1-1/2 tablespoons lemon juice

• 1 teaspoon grated fresh lemon peel

• 1/4 teaspoon Aleppo pepper (or use crushed red pepper)

• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

Preheat an outdoor grill to medium heat. Peel the carrots and coat them with the olive oil. Grill the carrots, turning them occasionally, for 12-15 minutes, or until browned and tender. While the carrots are cooking, mix the yogurt with the lemon juice, lemon peel, Aleppo pepper and 2 tablespoons of the mint. Serve the carrots with the yogurt sauce. Sprinkle with fresh mint.

Makes 4-6 servings

Vegetable Croquettes (Passover)

I was once in a pub in the west of England and ordered a dish called Bubble & Squeak. It’s simple, unfancy food, tasty and nourishing, consisting of mashed potatoes and cabbage fried to a crispy brown and topped with an egg.

It was magical.

So I made it many times at home, and, me being me, and this recipe being the kind that allows for endless variation, I added this and that to the potatoes, depending on what leftover vegetables I had. I used Brussels sprouts instead of cabbage (as do many restaurants in England); I’ve added corn, peas, carrots, spinach, broccoli and such. Once or twice I included cheese (feta, Parmesan) but I prefer the all-vegetable version best.

I don’t call it Bubble & Squeak (so named for the sounds it supposedly makes while being cooked), so I’ll just say: Vegetable Croquettes. We’ve eaten them as a side dish with meat but most of the time they are dinner, topped with a fried egg.

This is my Passover version. At other times of the year you can add beans/peas and coat the patties with bread crumbs.

Vegetable Croquettes

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil, approximately

• 1 medium onion, finely chopped

•  1 cup chopped cooked cabbage

•  2 chopped, cooked carrots

• 10 ounce package frozen spinach, thawed

• 3 cups mashed potatoes

• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

• 1/2 cup matzo meal, approximately

Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 3-4 minutes or until softened. Spoon the onions into a bowl. Add the cabbage, carrots, spinach, mashed potatoes and some salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly and shape the mixture into 1/2-inch patties. Place the matzo meal on a plate. Press both sides of each patty into the crumbs. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Heat 2-3 tablespoons vegetable oil in the sauté pan over medium heat. Fry the patties a few at a time (leave plenty of space between each) for 3-4 minutes per side or until crispy and golden brown, adding more vegetable oil to the pan as needed.

Makes 8-10

Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie

Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie

During the run-up to Purim, the media is loaded with recipes for hamantashen. (Of course!)

But, because historians have speculated that the heroine of this holiday, Queen Esther, was a vegetarian, meatless meals are also traditional.

A vegetarian version of classic Shepherd’s Pie is hearty and filling enough to convince even a hardcore meat eater. And it’s also a festive dish worthy of a celebratory meal.

Note to self: this dish also makes a splendid choice for Break-the-Fast after Yom Kippur.

Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie*

•  6 medium all-purpose potatoes such as Yukon Gold

• 1/3 cup vegetable stock

• 4 tablespoons olive oil

• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

• 1 cup lentils, preferably French green

• 1 medium onion, chopped

• 3 carrots, chopped

• 12-14 ounces mushrooms, chopped

• 2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped

• 1 medium zucchini, cut into bite sized pieces

• 2 cups vegetable stock

• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

• 2 tablespoons soy sauce

• 2 tablespoons cornstarch

• 1 cup frozen peas or cut up cooked green beans

• paprika 

Peel the potatoes, cut them into chunks and cook them in lightly salted water for about 15 minutes, or until they are fork tender. Drain the potatoes and mash them with a ricer or potato masher until the lumps have disappeared. Stir in the stock, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste.  

Cook the lentils according to package directions. When the lentils are tender, drain them and set them aside.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrots, mushrooms and garlic and cook for about 3-4 minutes or until the vegetables have softened slightly. Add the zucchini and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Add the cooked lentils, vegetable stock, thyme and soy sauce. Bring to a boil. Mix the cornstarch with enough water to make a smooth paste. Add to the vegetable mixture. Stir and cook for 2-4 minutes or until the pan liquid has thickened. Stir in the peas. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat.

Place the vegetables in a lightly oiled baking dish. Cover the top with the mashed potatoes. Garnish with a sprinkle of paprika (can be cooked ahead up to this point).

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the pie is hot and bubbling around the edges and the crust has browned lightly (if you make this ahead and refrigerate the dish, it may take 25-30 minutes to reheat).

Makes 8 servings

*a version of this dish appeared in The Jewish Week Food&Wine.

Portobello Mushroom Paprikash

Anyone who tells you that a vegetarian dinner isn’t as hearty, filling, nourishing or satisfying as a meat dinner, hasn’t tasted Portobello Mushroom Paprikash.

I’ve tasted Chicken Paprikash, a most delicious Hungarian dish, and I can say honestly — this is better. This version includes the real thing — thick, tangy, dairy sour cream for extra goodness.

That’s all I have to say.

Portobello Mushroom Paprikash

• 4 tablespoons olive oil

• 8 large Portobello mushroom caps

• 1 large onion, peeled and chopped

• 3 cloves garlic, chopped

• 4 teaspoons sweet and/or hot paprika

• 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour

• 3 medium tomatoes, chopped

• 1-1/2 cups vegetable stock

• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

• 1 cup dairy sour cream

• 12 ounces cooked egg noodles

• chopped fresh parsley for garnish

Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the caps (you will have to do this in batches) and cook (topside down) for about 2 minutes, or until they are crispy. Remove the caps and set them aside. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in the pan and add the onion. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 2 minutes or until slightly softened. Add the garlic and cook briefly. Add the paprika and flour, stirring to blend them in thoroughly. Stir in the tomatoes and cook for 1-2 minutes. Pour in the stock. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook for about 25 minutes or until the sauce is thick. Stir in 1/2 cup of the sour cream and blend it in thoroughly. Place the cooked noodles in each of 4 plates. Top the noodles with 2 mushroom caps per plate. Spoon the sauce over the mushrooms. Place small dollops of the remaining sour cream on top. Garnish with chopped parsley.

Makes 4 servings

Fried Barley

Tu B’shevat, which starts at sundown on January 16th, reminded me that I have to make more barley, which is one of the traditional foods for this not particularly well-known Jewish holiday, otherwise known as New Year of the Trees.

We don’t eat barley often enough. Sure, I add it to soup, but it’s so good on its own — for salad and casseroles in particular — that it should be more of a standby.

I decided to make it like I do fried rice, except I added mushrooms, which I think overwhelms fried rice but pairs perfectly with whole grains.

So, this is actually a two-fer. I can make this for Tu B’shevat and also for Lunar New Year (February1st)(Year of the Tiger), because why not celebrate even if it’s not part of my heritage? Delicious food is appropriate any time.

Fried Barley

• 1 cup pearled barley

• 2-1/2 cups water

• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil

• 3 large eggs, beaten

• 4-6 scallions, chopped

• 10-12 medium mushrooms (about 8 ounces), coarsely chopped

• 1 cup thawed frozen peas

• optional: chopped water chestnuts, cooked carrots, corn kernels

• kosher salt

Place the barley and the water in a saucepan, bring to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat, cover the pan and cook for about 45 minutes or until all the liquid has been absorbed. Let cool. Heat one tablespoon vegetable oil in a wok or stirfry pan over medium-high heat. Add the eggs and let set, then scramble the eggs slightly and turn them over to cook both sides completely. Remove the fried eggs from the pan and chop into bite size pieces. Set aside. Heat the remaining vegetable oil in the pan. Add the scallions and mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently, for about 3 minutes, or until the mushrooms are soft and all the liquid has evaporated. Add the barley, breaking it up into separate kernels with a spatula or wooden spoon, and stir to incorporate the vegetables. Add the peas and optional ingredients, sprinkle with salt and cook, stirring often to distribute the ingredietns evenly, for 3-4 minutes or until the ingredients are hot.

Makes 4-6 servings