Lasagne alle Verdure – Vegetable Lasagna

Few Italian dishes have seen more variations than Lasagna, each one is delicious, each one has a distinct character.

From The Big Book of Pasta, published by Parragon Books Ltd in 2007:

Detail from photo on page 258

Serves 4

Ingredients

• olive oil, for brushing
• 2 eggplants sliced
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 4 zucchini, sliced
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh marjoram
• 8 ounces grated mozzarella cheese
• 2 1/2 cups strained tomatoes
• 6 ounces dried no-precook lasagna sheets
• 2 1/2 cups Béchamel Sauce *
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmegiano cheese
• salt and pepper

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Brush a large ovenproof dish with olive oil.. Brush a large grill pan with olive oil and heat until smoking. Add half the eggplants and cook over medium heat for 8 minutes, or until golden brown all over. Remove from the grill pan and drain on paper towels. Add the remaining eggplant slices and extra oil, if necessary, and cook for 8 minutes, or until golden brown.
2. Melt the butter in a skillet and add the garlic, zuchini, parsley and marjoram. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, or until the zucchini are golden brown. remove from the skillet and let drain on paper towels.
3. Layer the eggplants, zuchini, grated mozzarella, strained tomatoes, and lasagna sheets in the dish; season with salt and pepper as you finish with a layer of lasagna. Pour over the Béchamel Sauce, making sure all the pasta is covered. Sprinkle with the grated Parmesan cheese and bake in the preheated oven 30-40 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve immediately

* Béchamel Sauce

Makes about 1 quart

Ingredients

• 5 tablespoons butter (or margarine for a pareve version)
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 quart milk
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper (for a more Italian flavor, add ground nutmeg instead)

Directions

1. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, stir in the flour until smooth. Continue stirring as the flour cooks to a light, golden, sandy color, about 7 minutes.
2. Increase heat to medium-high and slowly whisk in milk until thickened by the roux. Bring to a gentle simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low and continue simmering until the flour has softened and not longer tastes gritty, 10 to 20 minutes, then season with salt and pepper (or nutmeg).

Enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy!

CS

Rice Stuffed Tomatoes

One of my favorite summer appetizers, though I could make it at any time:

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 4 large tomatoes
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1/2 cup Arborio rice
• 6 fresh basil leaves, torn
• 2 tbsp extra virgin oil, plus extra for oiling and drizzling
• salt and pepper

Directions

1. Cut a slice of the stalk end of each tomato and set aside to use as lids. Scoop the pulp out of the tomatoes and chop.
2. Transfer to a large bowl, carefully so as to minimize any loss of tomato juices; add the garlic, rice and basil. Season with salt and pepper and stir in 1 tbsp of the oil. Cover and let stand – at room temperature – for one hour, for the rice to absorb the juices.
3. Stuff the tomatoes with the rice mixture and transfer to an oiled baking pan. Top each tomato with the reserved lids and drizzle with remaining oil. Bake in a preheated 350 F. oven for 35 minutes, until the tomatoes are soft and the rice is cooked through. Serve warm or at room temperature.

If available (usually in gourmet fruit and vegetable stores, use Brandywine tomatoes which have a perfect balance of acidity and sweetness, for more sweetness use Spanish Montserrat tomatoes which have low acidity, but any large tomato will do. Arborio rice kernels are high in starch, shorter and fatter than any other short grown rice. They are great for risotto because the extra starch lends the dish a perfect creamy texture.

Enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy

CS

Moroccan Carrot Salad

Reader Kochava Amar, from Tel Aviv, emailed us the following recipe and photo; it’s her family’s favorite salad, she writes.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 pound carrots, peeled
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red chilli flakes
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro or parsley plus a few leaves to garnish
• Freshly squeezed juice of 1 orange
• 4 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Directions

1. Using a hand grater or food processor (fitted with a grater blade), grate the carrots and turn into a large bowl.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a small skillet over medium heat, add the garlic and fry for two minutes, or until the garlic starts to color. Add the salt, cumin, chilli flakes and sugar; stir to blend. Remove from heat and let it cool slightly.
3. Stir in the remaining oil, chopped cilantro, orange juice, lemon juice, and ground cloves. Pour over the carrots and toss well.
4. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight, Spoon into a serving bowl and garnish with some cilantro leaves.

For those who prefer it less spicy, you may skip the chilli flakes. Try it, your family will love it.

[I tried this last evening, and found it delightful. CS]

Enjoy!

Kochava Amar

Carciofi alla Giudia

I’ve enjoyed Carciofi alla Giudia – Jewish Style Artichokes, the crowning dish (or, at least, the best known one) in the rich repertoire of Roman Jewish cuisine at both, Tevere 84 and its sister dairy restaurant Va Bene. I couldn’t get their recipe though there are superb ones posted on line, including a video link on Alessandra Rovati‘s Dinner in Venice blog. Here is my pareve version of this dish:

Ingredients

• 2 to 3 lemons, cut in half
• 12 small young Italian artichokes
• olive oil
• bunch fresh -leaf parsley finely chopped
• 1 small bunch fresh basil leaves, shreded
• 4 – 5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• pepper
• 2 cups bread crumbs, for coating
• fresh parsley or basil leaves for garnishing

Directions

1. Fill a large bowl halfway with water. Squeeze in the lemon juice from the lemons. Add the lemon halves to the water.
2. Remove any tough or broken outer leaves from the artichokes and trim the tops with a sharp knife. Cut the stems to 2 to 3 inches and peel the remaining stem, if needed. Place each artichoke in the lemon wateras you prepare them this prevents discoloration.
3. Combine 1/2 cup of oil with the parsley, basil, garlic and salt and pepper to taste in a small bowl. Pour the matzo meal into a shallow dish and set aside.
4. Drain the artichokes. Holding each artichoke by the stem, press the top flat against the work surface to spread open the leaves.Spoon in some of the olive oil dressing between, then roll each one in the bread crumbs to coat evenly.
5. Heat about 1/4 inch of oil in large, heavy bottom pan over medium heat. Arrange the artichokes in the pan in a single layer and cook covered,  for 25 minutes, or until tender and golden brown, turning 3-4 times to brown evenly. Transfer to a serving plate and spoon over any pan juices or drizzle with fresh oil and leave to cool to room temperature before serving. Garnish with basil or parsley.

I strongly recommend using small, long purplish artichokes carried by most Italian specialty stores. If you use large artichokes you must remember to trim them carefully, remove the outer leaves and hairy choke.

Enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy!

CS

Italian Vegetable Stew

One of favorite dairy dishes, just perfect for the 9 Days!

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 small acorn squash peeled and seeded
• 1 red onion, sliced
• 2 leeks, sliced
• 1 eggplant, sliced
• 1 small celery root, sliced
• 2 turnips, sliced
• 1 small celery root, diced
• 2 turnips sliced
• 2 plum tomatoes, chopped
• 1 carrot sliced
• 1 zucchini sliced
• 2 red bell peppers, seeded and sliced
• 1 fennel bulb, sliced
• 6 oz Swiss chard
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
• 1/2 tsp chilli powder
• pinch each of dried thyme, dried oregano, and sugar
• 1 cup from fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup vegetable stock *
• 4 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• salt and pepper
• 2 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese to serve

Directions

1. Finely chop the garlic and dice the squash. Put them in a large, heavy-bottom pan with all the other vegetable, the bay leaves, fennel seeds, chilli powder, thyme, oregano, sugar, and half the basil. Pour in the oil and vegetable stock.
2. Reduce the heat, then cover and simmer for 30 minutes, or until all the vegetables are tender.
3. Sprinkle in the remaining basil and the parsley , season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately sprinkled with cheese.

–0o0o0–

* Vegetable Stock (follow the link)

Enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy!

CS

Gazpacho Soup

In this hot weather what could be better than an easy to make absolutely refreshing soup? We featured a very different recipe for Gazpacho (by Chef Laura Frankel), about two years ago, and I felt it was time to revisit it.

Gazpacho

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 9 ounces white bread slices, crusts removed
• 1 pound 9 ounces tomatoes peeled and chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
• 2 red bell peppers, seeded and chopped
• 1 cucumber, peeled, seeced and chopped
• 5 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
• 5 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 9 1/2 cups water
• salt and pepper
• 4 ice cubes, to serve

Directions

1. Tear the bread into pieces and place in a blender. Process briefly to make breadcrumbs and transfer to a large bowl. Add the tomatoes, garlic, bell peppers, cucumbers, olive oil, vinegar, and tomato paste. Mix well.
2. Working in batches, place the tomato mixture with about the same amount of measured water in the food processor or blender and process to a puree. Transfer to another bowl. When all the tomato mixture and water have been blended together, stir well and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, but noi more than 12.
3. When ready to serve, pour the soup into chilled serving bowls and float an ice cube in each bowl.

Enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy!

CS

Chard, Mushrooms and Swiss Cheese Fritatta

Swiss chard is one of the most popular Mediterranean vegetables, while every vegetable has its own unique qualities, this one is rich in antioxidants and more. It is considered one of the most nutritious vegetables around, second only to spinach. Having said that, let’s face it we all remember the healthy food that tasted horrible, the foods that mom had to preface with: “Eat it, it’s good for you!” Well, surprise, surprise, Swiss chard actually enhances the flavor of any dish it’s used in!

This morning, for breakfast, I made frittata from a recipe I found in Sara Jay‘s Knives Cooks Love:

knives cooks Love, detail from photo on page 130

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 1 pound Swiss chard
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 8 ounces white mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus extra for sprinkling
• 1/2 cup cup minced shallots
• 8 large eggs
• 1/4 cup half and half
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 2/3 cups (5 ounces) grated Gruyère cheese

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
2. trim the stems from the chard leaves. discard the stems. immerse the leaves in water to rid them of grit. Lift them out and drain. Crop the leaves coarsely.
3. Heat 3 teaspoons of oil in a 10 inch ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms, sprinkle lightly with salt and sauté, stirring frequently, until golden brown, for 5 to 7 minutes. Lower the heat to medium, add the shallots, and cook until the shallots are softened but not browned, about 30 seconds. Add the chard a few handfuls at a time and cook, tossing with tongs, until soft and wilted, about 4 minutes.’ Add 1/4 spoon of the salt and continue cooking and tossing until all the liquid in the pan evaporates, about 3 more minutes. Turn off the heat.
4. Whisk the eggs, half and half, mustard, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and several grinds of pepper together in a medium bowl. Stir in the cheese. add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to the skillet and heat over medium heat. spread the out the vegetables evenly and, when the pan is hot, pour in the egg mixture. cook until the bottom is set, about 3 minutes, and then transfer the skillet to the oven.Bake in until the eggs are set on top, about 15 minutes.
5. Place the  frittata under a broiler a few inches from the heat source until the top is golden, 2 to 3 minutes. remove from from the heat and let rest for a few minutes; the fritatta will pull away from the sides of the pan. Slice in the pan or else flip the frittata onto a plate and serve.

Enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy; I did!

CS

Recipes We’ve Enjoyed During the Holy Days – Part 1

I cooked up a storm this season since we’ve had lots of guests at meals meal during the Holy Days. These can, however, be made and enjoyed at any time and they’ll be perfect no matter what the occasion!

Let me start with an appetizer that went over very well:

Sesame Chicken Toasts

Serves 12

Photo from: Simply Southern - With a Dash of Kosher Soul

Ingredients

• 4 boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 1 boneless skinless chicken breast half
• 1 egg, beaten
• 3 green onions, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
• 1/4 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 12-15 slices white sandwich bread, crust removed and cut into 8 triangles
• 1/2 cup sesame seeds
• Vegetable oil

Directions

1. Process chicken in food processor until finely chopped. Add egg, green onion, garlic, cilantro, broth, pepper, and salt. Pulse a few times to mix well.
2. Scatter sesame seeds onto a plate. Sread a thick layer of chicken mixture over bread pieces. Press spread side into seeds making an even covering.
3. Heat 1/2 oil in a skillet until hot. Quickly fry triangles for 2-3 minutes on both sides. turning once until golden browned. Drain toasts on paper towels.

Toast may be prepared in advance. Store in refrigerator for 3 days or frozen up to a month. Thaw overninght in refrigerator. Reheat in hot oven for 5 minutes.

Roasted Summer Vegetables

(Adapted from The Big Book of One Pot)

Serves 4

Photo from: The Big Book of One Pot

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 fennel bulb, cut into wedges
• 2 red onions, cut into wedges
• 2 beefsteak tomatoes, cut into wedges
• 1 eggplant, thickly sliced
• 2 zucchini, thickly sliced
• 1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into chunks
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into chunks
• 1 orange bell pepper, seeded and cut into chunks
• 4 garlic cloves
• 4 fresh rosemary sprigs
• ground black pepper
• crusty bread, to serve

Directions

1. Brush an ovenproof dish with a little oil. Arrange the fennel, onions, tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini and bell peppers in the dish and tuck the garlic cloves and rosemary sprigs among them.Drizzle with the remaining oil and season to taste with pepper.
2. Roast the vegetables in a preheated oven at 400 F, for 10 minutes. Turn the vegetables over, return the dish to the oven and roast for another 10-15 minutes or until the vegetables are tender and beginning to turn golden brown.
3. Serve the vegetables straight from the dish or transfer to a warm serving platter. Serve immediately, with crusty bread to soak up the juices.

(Adapted from: The Big Book of One Pot. When I made this dish I tripled it, as we had 11 people at the particular meal).

My guests were very pleased with the above dishes, I hope you will enjoy as well.

SYR

A Cookbook For All Seasons

When I’m doing some serious cooking for a group of family or friends, with a limited amount of time to get the job done, I take a pass on my more fluff-and-glitz cookbooks and gravitate towards the ones that I can rely on to provide me with clear concise foolproof instructions, guaranteed reliable delicious results delivered with relative ease.

And that’s precisely what you can expect from Lévana Kirschenbaum’s new cookbook The Whole Foods Kosher Kitchen – Glorious Meals Pure and Simple.

Though aesthetically the book’s layout is rather ordinary looking, the content is superb. It’s jam-packed with healthy mains, soups, salads, pastas, beads and desserts; aside from the general index, the cookbook includes a Passover index and a gluten-free index, with recipe notations indicating gluten free or gluten free adaptable. The recipes and text reflect a seasoned master chef who poured her culinary heart and soul into this cookbook. All content is meticulously organized and the format though visually lackluster nonetheless delivers the author’s usual witty humor and éclat in a most lively entertaining way.

Truly a hitchhiker’s guide to all things good-for-you and delicious, you’ll get never-ending use out of this comprehensive culinary work. The variations that accompany the recipes are awesome as are the tips and running commentary that weave through the pages. It’s like having a master chef or super balabusta mom right there with you preparing your best. Meir Pliskin’s photographs are tastefully done though the publisher’s cropping and cheap printing is somewhat disappointing. Lisa Young’s nutritional info though not revolutionary in content, serves as a useful reminder of healthy choices.

From the book, on page 171:

Roasted Vegetables GF P

Everyone likes a plate of grilled veggies, to eat as is or to use as a filling for sandwiches. I have chosen to share the most ridiculously simple way. First of all, my “grilled” vegies are roasted, requiring no turning over and no maintenance. Second, the trick is endives, radishes, brussel sprouts and fennel; but you will roast carrots, sweet potatoes, parsnips, potatoes separately because they have a longer cooking time. Roast beets all by themselves so they don’t bleed into your other veggies, or use the wonderful golden beets now available at all good produce stores. For all roasting, remember, one layer, no piling! Lining the baking sheet with foil reduces, or sometimes eliminates, cleaning.

When the vegetables are roasted, go ahead and get a little fancier, if you wish, toss in a little olive oil, chopped fresh basil, a few drops of balsamic vinegar and a little ground pepper. Most often I add nothing at all!

2 large zucchini, cut in sticks
2 large red onions, sliced thick
3 large red peppers, cut in large sections
1 large eggplant, cut in sticks
2 large portobello mushrooms, cups and stems separated, stems cut in half
Sea salt to taste

Preheat the oven to 450 F. Line a large cookie sheet (you might need 2) with foil. Spray heavily with vegetable spray. Place the vegetables snuggly and in one layer on the cookie sheet.

Spray heavily again with vegetable spray. Sprinkle with sea salt to taste. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the vegetables look slightly charred. The mushrooms (or string beans or asparagus) might be ready first. Slice the mushrooms on a bias when they are cool enough to handle.

The Whole Foods Kosher Kitchen cookbook is all about eating right without missing out on taste or style. The key is using healthy, wholesome, fresh ingredients combining flavors with such mastery your palate will think there is magic at play. It’s really the years of trial and error honing skills that have truly reached their apex of expertise. Lévana epitomizes her own quoting of Antoine de Saint Exupery’s words (at the bottom of page 17): “Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.”

Don’t miss this essential kitchen tool!

SYR

Oyfn Pripetchik… – In the Fireplace…

It snowed overnight, after most of the snow and ice on the ground had just about melted away…

This morning’s view from my apartment window…

Oyfn pripetchik brent a fayerl
Un in shtub is heys.
Un der rebbe lernt kleyne kinderlekh
Dem alef-beys.

A fire is burning in the fireplace
and its warm in the house,
as the Rabbi is teaching little children
the aleph-beys.

Street view…

It’s cold and Shabbos is coming and as we recharge our batteries from the week’s harsh realities, or we contemplate on the week’s successes, there is that special Shabbos food to warm us, to comfort us. Cholent, kugel (whether potato or lokshen – noodles) and more.

As we sing Shabbos zmiros, as we tell over divrey Torah there is a warmth that permeates the heart’s own hearth – the tiny inner pripetchik where the pintele yid is always burning, always reminding one who and what he or she is. Regardless of the weather outside, whether cold, freezing, warm or hot, the heart’s temperature is perfect, as the mind feels uplifted by the niggunim, by the words of ancient wisdom, by the stories that touch one’s soul and the body enjoys those special flavors of the Shabbos food (the same food, prepared the exact same way, just tastes so different during the week).

[..]Gliklekh iz der yid vos lernt toyre,
Vos darfn mir nokh mer?

Happy is the Jew who learns Torah
What more do we need?

(Oyfn Pripetchik – Old Yiddish song)

Talking about the special taste of Shabbos food, I came across this easy recipe, on The Food Network, by Joan Nathan, it is different and very good:

Vegetable and Fruit Kugel Cupcakes

Ingredients

• 2 apples, grated
• 1 large sweet potato, grated
• 4 carrots, grated
• 1 cup matzoh meal
• 1 stick pareve margarine, melted
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 24 paper muffin cups
• 2 (12) cavity muffin tins

Directions

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients.
2. Place the paper muffin cups in the muffin tins.
3. Pour the batter into the cups. They should be two-thirds full.
4. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until done in a preheated 350 degree oven.

A gutten Shabbos – Shabbat shalom umevorach, gentle reader.

CS