Green Beans with Lemon, Garlic, and Parmigiano Gremolata

This is another LRK recipe. I made a half-batch, as the original recipe is written as a side dish for a Thanksgiving meal. If you make the whole batch, use two pans. Slowly steaming the green beans lets them soften without getting mushy. These are fabulous at room temperature, so they are a great make-ahead dish. I stupidly forgot to by a nice block of Parmigiano-Reggiano to grate, so I punted with grated stuff from a can; frankly, I don't think the taste suffered.

Ingredients

Beans:

• Good tasting extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 pounds green beans, stem ends trimmed
• Salt and fresh-ground black pepper
• 1 cup water

Gremolata:

• 5 large garlic cloves, crushed
• 1/3 cup water
• Shredded zest of 2 large lemons (organic preferred; after all, you are eating the entire rind)
• 1 tight-packed cup Italian parsley leaves
• Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
• 1-1/2 cups coarsely-grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Instructions

1. Lightly film the bottom of 2 straight-sided 12-inch sauté pans with oil. Heat them over medium-high heat. Add the beans and generous sprinklings of salt and pepper, and sauté for 2 minutes, or until the beans begin to brown. Add 1/2 cup of water to each pan and immediately cover it. Turn the heat to medium-low. Cook the beans for 15 to 20 minutes, checking them often for burning and adding a little water if necessary. You want the beans very tender.

2. As the beans cook, make the gremolata. Put the garlic and 1/3 cup water in a coffee mug and microwave 1 minute, or simmer in a small saucepan to 1 to 2 minutes (this mellows the garlic just a little). Then, in a food processor, mince together the garlic (with its liquid), lemon zest, and parsley. Salt and pepper the mixture to taste.

3. When the beans are tender, uncover them, cook off any liquid in the pan, and turn them into a serving bowl. Toss the beans with the gremolata and the grated cheese.

Serves 10-14 as part of a large meal.

Penne with Butternut Squash and Goat Cheese

I saw Giada making this and she said she could eat the whole thing. I've made it twice now and both times were a hit. If use whole wheat pasta, check out the size of the box, as it's usually less than a pound (talk about charging more for less!). anyway, I basically kept the ratios the same, but this recipe could be easily doubled.

The other good things abou this recipe is that it can be served, warm, room temp or cold.

I've been lazy the past few times I've needed butternut squash and have just paid more to use the pre-cut container at Trader Joes. It doesn't take long to make their chuncks smaller.

When you first mix the goat cheese and water you may think it's too runny, but once it cools the cheese becomes creamy and sticks onto the pasta. the butternut just falls apart as well.

Ingredients
Vegetable oil cooking spray
1 (2-pound) butternut or kombucha squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
1 onion, diced into 1/2-inch pieces
Olive oil, for drizzling
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound penne pasta
1 cup (8 ounces) goat cheese, crumbled
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, toasted (see Cook's Note)
1 packed cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan

Directions
Put an oven rack in the upper third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Spray a baking sheet, liberally, with vegetable oil cooking spray. Set aside.
Mix the squash and onion together and arrange in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Bake for to 40 to 45 minutes until the vegetables are golden and cooked through. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool slightly.
While the squash mixture is cooling, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and reserve about 2 cups of the pasta water. Put the pasta, goat cheese and 1 cup of pasta water in a large serving bowl. Toss until the cheese has melted and forms a creamy sauce. Add the squash and onion mixture, the walnuts and the basil. Toss well and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Garnish with Parmesan and serve.

Cook's Note:
To toast the walnuts, arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 350 degree F oven until lightly toasted, about 6 to 8 minutes Cool completely before using.

Mashed Eggplant with Garlic and Mint

This recipe comes from Mark Bittman's cooking bible How to Cook Everything.

Ingredients:

• 2 medium or 1 large eggplant (1-1/2 to 2 pounds total)
• Salt
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic (about 4 large cloves)
• 1/2 cup minced fresh parsley leaves, plus more for garnish
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• pinch of red pepper flakes
• 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves

Directions:

1. Peel the eggplant if the skin is thick or the eggplant is less than perfectly firm; cut it into 1-inch-thick slices and salt if time allows.
2. Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Smear a baking sheet with half the oil. Cut several slits on one side of each of the eggplant slices and lay them on the baking sheet. Mix together the remaining oil, the garlic, and the 1/2 cup of minced parsley and sprinkle with salt (if you did not salt the eggplant) and pepper. Spread this mixture on the eggplant slices, pushing it into the slits.
3. Bake without turning until the eggplant is soft, 40 minutes or more. Garnish with parsley and allow to cool slightly.
4. Put the slices in a large bowl and mash with a fork or potato masher. (It's fine to leave the skin on; it will break into small bits.) Stir in lemon juice, red pepper, and mint. Taste and adjust the seasoning and serve drizzled with additional olive oil if you like.
   

Makes 4 servings.

To salt the eggplant: If the eggplant isn't fresh and firm, to remove bitterness sprinkle it liberally with salt and let it rest in a colander for up to an hour or so; then rinse, pat dry, and proceed with the recipe.

Asparagus Orange Salad

The original recipe presents the asparagus in whole spears elegantly on a platter. Lacking such a platter, I chopped the asparagus and served this as a tossed salad.

Ingredients:

• 10 oz. / 1 bunch thin asparagus spears
• 1-1/3 cups watercress sprigs (I couldn't find watercress, so used baby arugula instead.)
• 1 small red onion, very thinly sliced
• 1 orange, cut into 12 segments
• 1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest
• 1 tablespoon orange juice
  
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons poppy seeds
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste
  

Directions:

1. Cook the asparagus in boiling water for 1-2 minutes, or until just tender. Refresh under cold running water and drain well.
2. Arrange the asparagus on a platter with the watercress, onion, and orange segments.
3. Put the orange zest, orange juice, sugar, vinegar, and poppy seeds in a small bowl. Whisk in the olive oil with a fork until well combined, add salt and pepper to taste, then drizzle over salad.
4. Scatter the goat cheese over the salad and serve.
   

Cauliflower Gratin

Jake and I celebrated Thanksgiving with our neighbors, and we brought a few side dishes. In addition to the favorites that are absolutely required for T-day (mashed potatoes and broccoli rice casserole), I was hoping to try a new vegetarian recipe. Originally I was going to tackle Emily's delicious white beans, but I chickened out. Instead I tried this cauliflower gratin, and we really liked it!

Recipe from Barefoot Contessa

Ingredients:
1 (3-pound) head cauliflower, cut into large florets (I used 2 smallish heads)
Kosher salt
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, divided
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups hot milk
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
3/4 cup freshly grated Gruyere, divided
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1/4 cup fresh bread crumbs

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Cook the cauliflower florets in a large pot of boiling salted water for 5 to 6 minutes, until tender but still firm. Drain.

Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Add the flour, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon for 2 minutes. Pour the hot milk into the butter-flour mixture and stir until it comes to a boil. Boil, whisking constantly, for 1 minute, or until thickened. Off the heat, add 1 teaspoon of salt, the pepper, nutmeg, 1/2 cup of the Gruyere, and the Parmesan.

Pour 1/3 of the sauce on the bottom of an 8 by 11 by 2-inch baking dish. Place the drained cauliflower on top and then spread the rest of the sauce evenly on top. Combine the bread crumbs with the remaining 1/4 cup of Gruyere and sprinkle on top. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and drizzle over the gratin. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the top is browned. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Rice and Peas

This recipe does not use green peas, but rather pigeon peas or red kidney beans. You can find canned pigeon peas in Caribbean specialty stores, and sometimes in the Hispanic food section of larger grocery stores.

Recipe courtesy of eatjamaican.com

Serves: 4-5

1 medium sized can red kidney beans (or dry pigeon peas, if you can find them, to be extra authentic)
1 can coconut milk
2 cups of rice
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 table spoon oil
1 scotch bonnet pepper (whole, do not chop up... though you can prick with a fork for extra spice)
water

1. Drain the liquid from the can of beans into a measuring cup and add the can of coconut milk and enough water to make four cups of liquid.

2. Place liquids in a pot with beans, onions, garlic, thyme and oil, bring to a boil. Add rice and stir for a minute. Reduce heat to Medium-Low.

3. Place scotch bonnet pepper on top of liquid and cover tightly for 30 minutes or until rice is cooked. Remove scotch bonnet pepper before serving.

Jamaican-Style Greens

I've got to give a shout out to the Caribbean Market in Takoma Park, MD for this recipe in particular. It is an island escape in a strip mall with a dizzying array of produce, spices, and teas... plus a butcher, a food counter, and various and sundry other crazy crap. Need chocho? Cow cod? Soca CDs? No problem, mon! Anyway, it is where I got honest-to-Jah fresh callaloo to make this dish, plus a can of ackee to throw in for good measure.

You can just as easily make this dish with collard or mustard greens, but callaloo will give it authentic island flava.


Jamaican-Style Greens

2 pounds callaloo, collard greens, kale, or mustard greens
1/4 c. water
1-1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup onion, finely chopped
1 small jalapeno pepper, stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons lime juice
freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1. Wash the greens well in several changes of water. Remove the thick rib from the center of the leaves; chop coarsely.

2. Put the greens with 1/4 cup water into a large pot. Place over medium heat, cover and cook until wilted, about 10 minutes. Stir often. Drain.

3. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and jalapeno; sauté 5 minutes. Stir in the greens, allspice, salt and pepper; sauté 5 minutes.

4. Stir in the lime juice and serve.

Baked Beans

I make these in a crock pot and they are always a crowd pleaser! (The extra bonus is that they are super easy!) This is a vegetarian adaption of a recipe from my aunt. The original recipe calls for a pound of sausage (fried and drained) and a can of pork and beans instead of the vegetarian baked beans.

Ingredients:
1 can lima beans (drained)
1 can French-style green beans (drained)
1 can kidney beans (drained and rinsed)
1 can vegetarian baked beans (NOT drained)
1 can chili beans (NOT drained)**
1/2 cup hot BBQ sauce
1 cup brown sugar
1 can of condensed tomato soup

Directions:
Put all of the ingredients in the crock pot and cook for at least a couple of hours.

** I had a hard time tracking down the chili beans the first time I made this. I eventually found them by all the baked beans.

Broiled Zucchini

This is just Emeril's official take on the way I frequently prepare this veggie - sometimes I add peppers and onions too - depends on what i have on hand. I did like the whole garlic in there, that's something I'll add to my rotation.

Ingredients:
2 pounds zucchini
4 garlic cloves
1/4 cup Olive Oil
1 1/2 t salt
1 t fresh ground pepper
4 fresh thyme sprigs

Directions:
1. Position the rack 5 or 6 inches from the broiler and preheat
2. cut zucchini in half lengthwise and then into 6 to 8 pieces each.
3. toss everything together in a bowl to coat well.
4. broil for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally until well caramelized.
5. remove thyme sprigs and serve immediately.

Lemongrass and lime cucumber salad

A simple cucumber salad dressed in vinegar is a common side dish in Sweden. This recipe gives the dish a southeast Asian twist with the addition of lemongrass, lime, and cilantro.

It's a great workout for your mandoline, as the salad is best when the cucumbers are sliced paper thin. If you don't own a mandoline, I strongly suggest investing in one. It doesn't have to be a fancy one that also does crinkle-cuts and juliennes, but it should have an adjustable blade so you can control the thickness of your cuts. It will make your prep work so much easier and give your dishes a professional look. Definitely money well spent!

From The Swedish Table by Helene Henderson

Ingredients:

• 1 cucumber, preferably European seedless, sliced very thin
• 1/4 cup red onion, peeled and sliced thin
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1/2 lime, sliced very thin
• 1 stalk lemongrass, light green center only, sliced thin
• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon red hot peppers

Directions:

• Place cucumber, onion, cilantro, and lime in a medium-size bowl.
  
• Combine lemongrass in a medium-heavy saucepan with vinegar, sugar, and salt. Cook over low heat for 3 minutes. Let cool, stir in red hot peppers, and pour over cucumbers.
• Marinate for a minimum of 1 hour before serving

Serves 4-6

Note: I didn't have white-wine vinegar, so I used white balsamic vinegar and cut back a little on the sugar. That seemed to work just fine.

Dandelion greens with Bosc pears and shallots

Dandelion greens aren't the easiest thing to come by year round, so arugula (which is what I used) works in a pinch. The bite of the greens and the sweetness of the pears and shallots make for a great combination in this easy, anytime side dish. Wilting the greens mellows their bitterness.

From The Swedish Table, by Helene Henderson.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 large Bosc pears, peeled, cored and chopped
• 1 small shallot, peeled and minced
• 4 cups dandelion greens (or other tangy greens), chopped
• salt and pepper
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Directions:

• In a medium skillet, melt butter with olive oil. Add pears and cook until soft, about 2-3 minutes.
• Add shallots and cook 1 minute more.
  
• Stir in dandelion greens and cook 2 minutes more.
• Season lightly with salt and pepper, and sprinkle with vinegar

Serves 4-6