Cuisine: Veggie

Silver Palate Wild Rice Salad

My friend Kim brought this over for Friendsgiving Dinner and it was a huge hit! She told me that she got the recipe from The Silver Palate cookbook and I felt a wave of nostalgia. I used that cookbook so much in the 80s and 90s and I loved it! Somehow, I lost that book an my moves around, so I’m grateful to Kim for reminding me. The recipe feels fresh and filling, and is a great dish to serve at home or at a pot luck.

Ingredients

1 cup Wild Rice
4 cups Vegetable or Chicken Stock
2 tsp Kosher Salt
2 tsp Black Pepper
1 Orange, Zest and Juice
⅓ cup Olive Oil
¼ cup Mint, choppedThis is essential. It brightens the whole dish!
1 bunch, green onions, chopped
1 cup Pecans, chopped or halves
1 cup Dried Fruit, Raisins, Cherries, Apricots, or CranberriesCherries and Apricots open eyes and palates more than raisins and cranberries.

Directions

Cook rice in the broth, 30-45 minutes, until done. Don’t overcook!

Add all ingredients. Serve within 2 hours if you can. If refrigerating, let come back to room temp before serving.

Risotto

Risotto is one of those dishes that you don’t make ahead of time. You make it while you are talking to your guests and it’s part of the entertainment.  You have all of your ingredients ready, and there you are, cool, collected, creative and all you’re doing is making a delicious dish right in front of your guests eyes. It’s dinner and a show!

Ingredients

4 cups Vegetable Broth
1 cup Arborio Rice
2 cups Broccoli or other vegetables, chopped into smallish piecesYou can add more veggies if you like, up to 3 cups
½ cup Wine – white is better but either will red or white work.
1 tsp Kosher Salt
1 tsp Black Pepper
1 tsp Italian Seasoning
2 tbsp Olive Oil
½ Onion, finely chopped

Directions

Prepare veggies. Chop them into small pieces. You want a piece or two to fit on a fork with the rice. My friend Nancy Pallathena, who sadly passed away a few years back, is the one who taught me how to make this dish. She would cut the broccoli into the tiniest of pieces, so her son Alex would unknowingly eat vegetables. I remember her every time I do that.

Sauté onion in olive oil for 5 minutes. Add garlic for 1 minute.

Add rice.

Heat broth and set aside.

Sauté rice for 5-7 minutes, until browned.

Add 1 cup warm broth and wine. Stir occasionally until moisture is mostly absorbed. This is your routine. You are going to slowly add liquid, talking to your guests while you cook, until it is absorbed, then casually add more.

Add seasonings, then continue to gradually add broth, until rice is ready and there is some thick broth remaining. Have several clean forks/spoons handy to keep on tasting it. These are one-use utensils, since it is a group dish. Take a taste, feel if the rice is ready yet (a little al denté is perfect), see if if needs more salt/pepper/seasonings, and declare it ready when it is!

Add Parmesan cheese and sautéd veggies, mix in, and serve immediately, topped with fresh ground pepper and Parmesan cheese.

Quiche – So Hot Right Now – Quiche

Why don’t I make quiche more often? That’s what I always say after I make this quiche! There was a funny book published in 1982, Real Mean Don’t Eat Quiche, by Bruce Feirstein, that nearly destroyed the American Quiche industry. The whole point of his humor was that such thinking is male lunacy! Dudes! It’s OK! A slice of quiche and a side salad is a spectacular lunch or dinner. The problem is, two slices make it even better.

Ingredients

1 Pie Crusts, Refrigerated, or use Martha Stewart’s awesome recipe .
5 Eggs, beaten
¼ cup Milk (Whatever you’ve got – we are whole milk people) – The creamier the better.
½ tsp Salt
1 tsp Pepper
1 tbsp Italian Seasonings (or your favorite – herbes de Provence, parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme)
2 tbsp White Flour
Egg Mixture
Pick Your Cheese!
¾ cup Cheese mixture. Cheddar with a little parmesan is nice. Swiss or Gruyere works. Shredded Mexican blend is excellent. Whatever is in your fridge!)
One Cup of Any of the Following Fillings . . .
1 cup Sausage and Grilled Onions
1 cup Sautéed Broccoli
1 cup Sautéed Spinach and Mushroom
1 cup Sautéed Asparagus
1 cup Bacon and Anything

Directions

Prepare the Crust

Preheat the oven to 350.

Roll out the crust into a pie dish – not too deep of a pie dish, this is not a deep dish apple pie! (Although, that would be really good too!) Try to have the crust go over the edge of the dish. This helps.

Bake the crusts for 10 minutes at 350 degrees.

Prepare the Egg Mixture

Mix all the ingredients together with a whisk. Set aside.

Prepare the fillings

You get to decide! Either go with what you want, or what’s in your fridge.

I like to sauté veggies until they are almost done. They can finish in the oven.

Putting it all together – It’s so easy

Take the crusts out of the oven.

Add your chosen filling, sprinkle the cheese over that, then pour the egg mixture over everything.

Smooth it all out so that no filling is sticking out of the mixture.

Bake at 350 for 40 minutes. Take it out when a knife comes out clean. Enjoy!

“Put Some Mustard On That!” Warm (or cold!) Potato Salad

My friend Michelle is an amazing cook. She’s also a fantastic teacher and principal, but cooking has remained a big part of her life, and she has been a wonderful source of information and inspiration for me over the years. This is based on one of her PUBLISHED RECIPES! The only reason my recipes are published is that I make this website! She’s the real deal and you can find the original recipe here . I love this recipe. It’s a fantastic go-to potato salad for dinner or a picnic/bbq lunch. My friend Maggie, who is both a great artist and fantastic cook, took the picture below when she made this for a lunch she was hosting. Thanks Maggie!

Ingredients

2 lbs Small Red Potatoes
⅔ cup Mayo
⅓ cup Mustard (I use a mix of grain and dijon)
¾ cup Chopped Red Onion
5 Garlic Cloves, Crushed or Chopped
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Course ground black pepper)
½ Lime, freshly juiced
3 tbsp Freshly chopped dill or parsley or some fresh herbThe original recipe calls for dill, but I prefer the parsley.
3 Green Onions (chopped, for garnish)

Directions

Boil potatoes for 25 minutes – test as they get close. Drain and rinse. If you are a food temperature fanatic (Thermapen fans, unite!) – somewhere between 200 and 210 degrees.

While the potatoes are cooking, prepare the mixture.

Mix all ingredients together except for green onions. This is a mustard heavy version of the recipe. If you’re not a huge mustard fan (I won’t judge), you can replace some of the mustard with Mayo. The original recipe had a 1 cup of mayo and 1/4 cup of mustard.

Cut potatoes into the size you want them. Don’t go too small – the texture is great. I tend to quarter them.

Mix together, add green onions for garnish, and serve warm, or cool down and serve cold. It’s great either way!

Irish Soda Bread

When I was 16, my family ventured to Ireland for a 3-week bike trip.  It was not a tour, but just my adventurous dad leading us around the country.  We camped half the time.  We were always hungry after a big ride, and we would love anything our parents would make at camp.  This is where my dad uttered his wisdom that I repeat often: “There’s nothing like food when you’re hungry!”  Truer words have never been spoken.

When we stayed in bed and breakfasts, which was a nice break from camping, we loved the breakfasts we were served, at least at first. Eggs, bacon (kind of soft, but very tasty), two sausages, a small glass of orange juice, and brown soda bread. After a while, the lack of variety got a little old (definitely a first world problem), but the brown Irish soda bread was something I looked forward to every day.  It filled me up and gave me energy for the day, and I absolutely loved it with good creamy butter.  40+ years later, I still do!

I found this recipe many years ago at recipeland.com.  I have not changed it, and it is a super easy bread to have in the house any time.It makes spectacular toast in the morning, and goes well with any soup or salad.

Enjoy.

 

Ingredients

3 cups Whole Wheat Flour
1 cup All Purpose Flour
1.50 tsp Salt
1.50 tsp Baking Soda
1 cup Oats (Old Fashioned is best!)
2 tbsp Dark Molasses
2 cups Buttermilk (or milk with 2 Tbsp lemon or white vinegar that sits for 10 minutes)

Directions

Mix whole wheat flour, white flour, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.

Stir in oats, make a indentation in the middle

Mix buttermilk and molasses together

Pour buttermilk/molasses into middle of dry ingredients. Mix well with sturdy spoon or even your hands.

Knead 4-5 times on a floured surface.

Shape into round loaf, cut the classic cross on top of the bread with a sharp knife – about one inch deep.

Bake at 425 for 15 minutes. We like to bake it on a pizza stone.

Reduce heat to 350 for 30 minutes

Take it out of the oven and let cool. It’s excellent served with butter or reheated as toast.

Pasta with Garlic and Oil (Aglio e Olio)

This is such a great classic dish, and you almost always have the ingredients for it right in your pantry. We always have peeled garlic in our fridge, and we have a few fresh or frozen veggies. That’s all you need. And the secret ingredient is the pasta water. Adding that at the end has a crazy amazing impact on the consistency of the dish. Don’t forget to save some!

Ingredients

1 lb Dried pasta of your choice
½ cup Olive Oil
1 Head of Garlic – Minced. At least 12 cloves. (It’s a lot, but look at the title of this dish and stop complaining!)It's a lot, but look at the title of this dish and stop complaining!
½ tsp Salt
3 tbsp Fresh Basil (Or 3 tsp dried Italian Seasoning)
2 tsp Lemon Juice
½ tsp Red Pepper FlakesMore to taste
1 tsp Black Pepper
½ cup Parmesan Cheese (For the Table)
1 Fresh tomato, or some cherry TomatoesThese are optional, but them in a bowl on the table and they make a great topper

Directions

Preparing the Oil/Garlic/Herb Mixture

In a small skillet or saucepan, heat 3 Tbsp olive oil (not too hot!). Add salt and 2/3 of garlic, then gently saute for 7-8 minutes. Turn off the heat when it gets nice and gold, but not yet brown.

WITH THE HEAT OFF, add the remaining olive oil, the remaining garlic, pepper, red pepper flakes, lemon juice, and herbs. Set aside.

Preparing the Pasta.

Boil enough salted water (2 tsp salt) for 1 pound of pasta.

Cook pasta according to directions.

Just before your drain the pasta, take out 1 to 2 cups of the water and set aside.

Drain pasta, then return to pot.

Making It All Happen!

Add every last drop of the Garlic/Oil/Herb mixture to the pasta and stir to coat.

Add 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water. It will create a looser dish with a nice saucy consistency. Add a little more if you like.

Serve onto plates or bowls. Parmesan cheese, fresh ground black pepper, red pepper flakes, fresh chopped tomatoes, and/or freshly chopped basil all make nice toppings here.

Skillet Cornbread

I love cornbread. Always have. I’ve gone through phrases in how I made it. My recipe for years was the Marie Calender’s mix, which was a little sweet, but so easy, and really, really good. Then, my mom made this recipe for me a few years ago. It is a non-sweet cornbread with a super crispy kissed-by-butter exterior. And on top of being the best-tasting cornbread I’ve had, it’s yet one more opportunity to utilize your cast iron skillet. Bring this to a pot luck or your own table and once again, you are a hero for the day!

Ingredients

1 cup Yellow CornmealI used Bob's Red Mill Brand Medium Grind Corn Meal
½ cup All Purpose Flour
1 tsp Salt
1 cup ButtermilkIf you don't have buttermilk, you can use milk with 1 lemon squeezed and set aside for 10 minutes, or 1/2 cup sour cream & 1/2 cup milk
½ cup Whole MilkLowfat is OK too. We're a whole milk family.
1 Egg
1 tbsp Baking Powder
½ tsp Baking Soda
1 tbsp Canola Oil
3 tbsp Butter

Directions

Mix Cornmeal, Flour, and Salt in a large bowl.

Add (without stirring) all remaining ingredients except butter and canola oil.

Hand stir (no mixer) and mix well with a large spoon. A few lumps are good. It’s not as thick as you think it should be – thinner than pancake batter – but that’s OK.

Place 9″ or 10″ cast iron skillet and in 450 degree oven for 5 minutes. It will begin to smoke.

Note: If you are doubling the recipe, a 12″ cast iron skillet is perfect.

Take the skillet out, then add butter and canola oil. Let the butter melt, then pour in the cornbread mixture.

Bake for 15-20 minutes at 450 degrees, until the top is brown and the sides pull away from the edges of the skillet. If you are a Thermapen temperature geek like me, the center should be at least 185 degrees.

Tomato Bread Soup

The first time I had Tomato Bread Soup (Pappa al Pomodoro) was with my friend John at Drago restaurant (it is now closed) in Santa Monica.  I’m a fan of tomato soup (but not a fan of Campbell’s Tomato Soup as a kid), but this was something special.  This is thick and rich, and a perfect lunch on a cool day.  I brought Jill there later and she endorsed the soup and said that we had to learn how to make it.  Well, it took me a few years, but I found and adapted a recipe from Ina Garten (who always gets it right), combined it with what I remembered from Drago, and we love it.

Ingredients

The Soup
2 Sweet Onions, chopped
1 Fennel Bulb, cored, peeled, and chopped
3 Carrots, chopped
6 Garlic Cloves, peeled and minced
2 28-oz cans of tomatoes, crushed*
4 Stock, chicken or vegetable
1 French Baguette, (Rustic is great)
1 cup Fresh Basil Leaves, chopped
½ cup Olive Oil
½ cup Red Wine
The Cauliflower Croutons
1 Head of Cauliflower, broken into small individual pieces
2 tsp Kosher Salt
2 tsp Black Pepper
1 tsp Crushed Red Pepper

Directions

OK, what do you do with Fennel? My friend and chef Antonio says, “You can’t go wrong with Fennel.” He forages for it, then peels and eats it like a carrot all the time. Well, for this recipe, you cut off the furry stalks, then core, peel and chop the bulb.*

Dice the carrots, fennel,and onions, and put it all in olive oil, along with 6 cloves of minced garlic. Let it saute for 10 minutes. Add 3 cups of diced french bread. Saute and let it soak up flavored oil.

Add tomatoes, stock, garlic-onion-fennel-bread mixture, salt, pepper, crushed red pepper (optional), basil, and red wine. Simmer for at least 30 minutes.

The Croutons

We are making Roasted Cauliflower Croutons. Take one or two heads of cauliflower and chop into small pieces. Think about the size of pieces you would want on top of your soup. Coat lightly with olive oil and bake at 450 degrees, for 20-30 minutes, turning over a few times, until brown and a little crispy. Sprinkle some parmesan cheese and the cauliflower pieces on top of the soup when you are ready to serve!

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

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“OK, OK. Quit wrinkling your nose. This is good stuff.” That’s what I wrote when I first published this recipe. Then, restaurants everywhere started serving really awesome brussels sprouts. They saw what I saw. They are a fantastic dish, royalty in fact, worthy of the Thanksgiving table and great for any meal. This is how we make them. We love them!

Ingredients

2 lbs Brussels Sprouts, washed, ends cut off, and split
2 tbsp Olive Oil
½ tsp Salt, Pepper, Herbes de Provence (1/2 tsp of each)Don't be shy with salt. It is underrated.

Directions

Preheat oven to 400. (375 Convection)

Place washed, cut, and split sprouts in large bowl. Add Olive Oil, toss, and coat.

Spread on baking sheet. Sprinkle spices over them.

Bake for 20 minutes or until browned. Turn at least once while baking. Taste for salt to see if you need more. (I treat the sprouts like french fries – they’re pretty darn good with a good dose of salt).

If you want to increase taste while reducing healthiness, take your perfectly cooked brussels sprouts, and sauté them in a butter/garlic/capers sauce. 4 ounces of butter, 4 garlic cloves (crushed), and 1 Tbsp of capers. I recommend it!

Roasted Cauliflower, Broccoli, and/or Onion

This is an alternative to the grilled veggie recipe on this site.  They crisp up and it’s a great side dish.  Tip: The cauliflower is especially good as a low-carb crouton to top a salad or a soup.  Try it!

Ingredients

As much cauliflower, broccoli, and onion as you want.
Olive Oil
Salt, Pepper, Herbes de Provence

Directions

Wash veggies. Chop into pieces, but don’t go too small, since it will reduce during cooking.

In a bowl, add enough Olive Oil to lightly coat all veggies. Spread on a baking sheet.

Preheat oven to 350.

Season with Salt, Pepper, and Herbes de Provence. You can substitute Italian Seasoning for Herbes de Provence.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes, then as much more time as needed until they are perfectly crisp. Turn with a spatula once or twice during that time. It should brown and crisp. You may need one more shake of salt before you serve. 30 Minutes

Pineapple Salsa

This is a fresh and wonderful addition to fish, turkey, or chicken. It’s great with grilled food. Very simple to do, but it’s better if you make it ahead of time and let it marinate in its own juices.

Ingredients

1 tbsp Rice Vinegar or White Wine Vinegar (Rice Vinegar is much cleaner)
½ tsp Salt
½ tsp Cayenne Pepper
1 Pineapple, Cored and Chopped into small pieces.(If you are in a pinch, 2 cans of sliced pineapple will do.)
½ Red Onion, minced
1 cup Cilantro, washed and chopped

Directions

Chop and drain pineapple. Mix all ingredients together and chill for at least one hour.

Pasta Primavera

This is a favorite in our house.  It’s one of Jill’s favorite vegetarian dishes and I love it too.  I was inspired by a favorite restaurant in Santa Monica called Il Forno Trattoria. They key is chopping the vegetables in small chunks where several of them can be on your fork. It’s cheesy, light, fresh, and wonderful!

Ingredients

1 Onion, chopped
⅔ cup Carrots, chopped into pea-sized pieces
⅔ cup Broccoli, chopped into pea-sized pieces
⅔ cup Cauliflower, chopped into pea-sized pieces
⅔ cup Yellow or Green Squash*, chopped into pea-sized pieces
16 oz Penne or other pasta
1 cup Pasta WaterTake from the pasta just before you drain it.
8 Garlic Cloves, chopped or crushedThis won't shock those who know me. I usually double the garlic in this recipe.
Olive Oil
½ cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
3 Roma Tomatoes, chopped (These will be used as a topping after the dish is complete
Optional: Fresh Basil for a tasty garnish topping

Directions

Wash, peel, and chop all vegetables into small pieces.

Start boiiling water for pasta. Add 1 tsp salt.

Add a little Olive Oil to Skillet or Large Pot. Saute all vegetables (except tomatoes and basil) until al dente. Add half of the garlic towards the end of cooking.

Cook pasta to directions. Important: Save 1 cup of the pasta water. Drain.

When you are ready to serve, Add 1/4 cup Olive Oil to pot. Heat, add the rest of the garlic (chopped or crushed), and add pasta. Turn and coat with garlic and oil. Add a few red pepper flakes if you would like some heat!

Lower the heat on the stove. Add the parmesan cheese, and mix in. Then, add 1/2 cup of pasta water, and stir in. This should loosen the pasta, make it not stick together, and create a sauce like consistency. Continue adding pasta water until you like what you see.

Turn off the heat. Add, sauted vegetables and toss.

Serve in bowls, sprinkling chopped tomatoes and basil on top.

Serve with a little black pepper and extra parmesan cheese on top.