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Beans, Recipes, Salad, Side Dishes, Vegetarian, Veggies

Arugula Salad with Fava Beans & Beets

April 4, 2013

Like most people, I look forward to weekends. There’s no pesky alarm clock to turn off and once I get out of bed a leisurely breakfast is in store which always includes crispy bacon, poached eggs and homemade toasted bread. After breakfast I head out to my favorite grocery store, Mana Foods. Although it’s not anywhere near my home (and some friends think I’m a bit loony for driving so far for groceries) all I can say is “it’s worth the drive.” They carry items no one else has on Maui.

You just can’t find fava beans at Safeway, Foodland or even Whole Foods (here on Maui). I don’t recall which restaurant it was in San Francisco that I first had fava beans, but I clearly remember how delicious they were in the salad I ordered.

Fava beans have thick, spongy pods and the ones I bought had just four or five beans in each large pod except for the one above which had six.After cooking the beans briefly, you’ll need to remove the outer skin which is quite thick (left). Once you remove the skin you end up with a lovely green bean.

Arugula Salad with Fava Beans & Beets

Serves 2

Ingredients

Dressing

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 garlic clove, crushed

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Salad

2 oz arugula

1/2 cup cooked, shelled fava beans

1/2 cup roasted beets (to save time, buy prepared beets at your local supermarket or health food store salad bar or, alternatively, you can easily roast or steam them)

shaved Parmigiano Reggiano to taste

Preparation

In a small bowl whisk lemon juice, olive oil, mustard, salt and pepper until well combined.

Remove the fava beans from their pods. In a medium saucepan bring water to a boil (add salt to the water) and cook fava beans for about 3 minutes. Drain and submerge beans in an ice water bath to stop the cooking. Drain again and place beans on a kitchen towel.

Place arugula and fava beans in a low, wide salad bowl and toss with 1 1/2 tablespoons of dressing. Scatter beets and shaved Parmigiano Reggiano over the greens and drizzle with more dressing. Season with more salt and pepper to taste. Serving suggestions: crusty sourdough bread, salumi, cheese, avocado, and pepperoncini.

Bread, Breakfast, Dinner, Recipes, Side Dishes

Betty’s Cornbread

March 29, 2013

My mom was a fabulous cook. Everything she made was delicious and in particular her brownies and lemon meringue pie. I kept a few of her old cookbooks and every now and then I’ll come across a page where she had made some notes about the recipe. Some are hysterical, for instance the recipe for Blended Almond Paste: “Burned out blender doing this. Don’t make this!” And Griddle Cakes: “terrible!” And then there are a couple of recipes with a big X over the entire page which I assume was because they were just so bad that there would be no repeat effort. She was a big fan of Julia Child and James Beard and needless to say, these notes did not appear in either of these chef’s cookbooks.

I wrote down this recipe of hers many years ago and continue to make it, first because it is delicious and second because it is ready in just 30 minutes. This is a hearty cornbread and doesn’t have a fine cakey texture like some other cornbreads I’ve tried. It has a bit of flour in the recipe however it is mostly cornmeal which is why I love it.

Once the cornbread has cooled in the pan for 10 minutes or so, I cut it into 16 pieces. My favorite way to eat cornbread is to slice a piece in half and toast it in my toaster oven until it is nicely browned and the edges are extra crispy. A pat of butter is all it needs. Don’t you agree?

Betty’s Cornbread

16 pieces

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups cornmeal

1/2 cup flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup sugar

1 1/4 cups milk

2 large eggs

2/3 stick butter, melted

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Butter a 9 x 9 inch pan.

In a large bowl combine cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt and suger. Stir to combine.

Pour 1 1/4 cup milk into a 2-cup measuring cup. Add eggs and whisk until just combined. Melt butter and add to the milk and eggs.

Pour wet ingredients into the dry ingredients in 3 stages. Stir to combine then pour batter into your pan.

Bake for 25 minutes. Using a toothpick check the bread after 20 minutes to see if it is done (some ovens run hotter than others).

Cool cornbread in the pan for 10 minutes then slice and serve. The cornbread freezes beautifully.

***For lactose free version use lactose free milk and Earth Balance buttery sticks.

Dinner, Pasta, Recipes, Side Dishes

Simple Macaroni Salad

March 10, 2013

Here in Hawaii macaroni salad is a staple found in almost every “plate lunch” in town (the classic noon time island meal). Most versions are very simple: elbow macaroni cooked quite soft (never al dente) mixed with lots of mayonnaise, seasoned with salt and a bit of pepper and occasionally with thin shreds of carrot or minced onion. That’s it. I like to include green peas, chopped eggs and a little minced parsley to give the salad a refreshing taste and some color.

Macaroni Salad

Serves 6 as a side dish

Ingredients

3 cups uncooked elbow macaroni

mayonnaise (Best Foods or Hellmans)

salt and pepper

2 tablespoons minced carrot

2 tablespoons finely chopped celery

2 teaspoons finely minced onion

2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh parsley

1/2 cup green peas

3 boiled eggs, finely chopped

Preparation

Boil the pasta until fully cooked. Drain in a colander and rinse under cold water. Drain again and spread pasta on paper towels to absorb excess water. Place in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Remove pasta from refrigerator and mix in mayonnaise. Season with salt and pepper.

Stir in carrot, celery, onion and parsley. Fold in green peas and chopped eggs. Check seasoning adding more salt and pepper to taste before serving.

Appetizers, Dinner, Eggs, Recipes, Side Dishes

Deviled Eggs with Crispy Pancetta

March 5, 2013

Deviled eggs (aka eggs mimosa) are a perennial favorite. I never tire of them. Have you ever wondered about the origin of the name? The term “deviled” refers to a dish that has some kick or spiciness to it. Ingredients such as Dijon mustard and cayenne pepper are added to mayonnaise along with other savory ingredients and that is what makes the dish “deviled.” With so many variations there is no standard way to make them. Some recipes call for jalapeños, pickle relish, smoked salmon, and so on. My favorite topping is crispy pancetta. Truly delicious.

The conventional wisdom advises against buying the freshest eggs when you want to hard boil them because they are difficult to peel. Why in the world would I look for old eggs? I bought these beauties at Costco. They don’t have “old” eggs because people scoop them up so quickly they don’t have time to sit around on the shelves for very long. That being said, the “conventional wisdom” was correct: they were a bit tricky to peel. I lost a couple of whites but they didn’t go to waste and made a good snack while preparing the deviled eggs for my dinner party.

A foolproof way to hard boil eggs is to place them in a sauce pan, cover with water by an inch or two and bring to a boil (don’t walk away from the stove!). As soon as the water boils turn the heat down to medium and set your timer for 10 minutes. When done, drain sauce pan and run cold water over the boiled eggs. They will be perfectly cooked.

Sieved eggs, mayonnaise, Dijon, chives.

Thin cut pancetta.

Crispy pancetta.

Deviled Eggs with Crispy Pancetta

Ingredients

8 large eggs, boiled

4 tablespoons mayonnaise

1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon finely chopped chives

1/4 teaspoon salt

freshly ground black pepper

1 ounce pancetta finely diced and fried until crispy

Preparation

Peel eggs and cut in half lengthwise. Carefully remove yolks and mash in a bowl with a fork. Add mayonnaise and mustard and stir with fork until smooth, then season with salt and pepper. Fold in chives.

Pipe filling into egg whites with a pastry bag or use a Ziploc bag (just snip off a corner for a makeshift piping bag). Top deviled eggs with crispy pancetta and minced chives. You can prepare the deviled eggs in the morning, cover with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Dinner, Recipes, Salad, Side Dishes, Veggies

A Light Caesar Salad Dressing

February 23, 2013

There’s nothing more satisfying than a good Caesar salad. I found a recipe for Caesar dressing in a Cooking Light magazine back in 1998 and have been making it ever since. Though it doesn’t require the usual raw egg, it still has a richness to it and I love the tart flavor of the fresh lemon juice. It’s important to use good cheese, Parmigiano Reggiano. Those pre-grated waxy strands of so-called parmesan just won’t do.

I found a tiny jar of anchovies at Whole Foods. It’s perfect because I don’t eat anchovies other than in Caesar salads. I am not that fond of them as some people are, draping them all over their pizzas and eating them right out of the jar. Here’s an article from NPR for those of us who might want to give anchovies another chance. Also here’s a short video on how to make anchovy paste.

If you have time to make your own croutons, cut some good sourdough bread into cubes and toss them with a bit of extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with a smidgen of garlic salt. Bake for approximately 15 minutes at 325 degrees. Watch them closely so they don’t burn. The baking time will depend upon the size of the cubed bread and as we all know, individual oven temperatures can vary quite a bit.

Light Caesar Salad Dressing

Adapted from Cooking Light

Makes about 1 cup

Ingredients

1/2 cup light mayonnaise

1-2 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/4 teaspoon dry mustard such as Coleman’s

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon anchovy paste

1 large garlic clove, finely minced

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano for the dressing and more for sprinkling on the salad

Preparation

Whisk together mayonnaise, water, lemon juice and vinegar. Add Worcestershire sauce, dry mustard, Dijon and anchovy paste. Whisk until well blended. Mix in garlic and black pepper. Once all ingredients are well combined, gently fold in the cheese.

The dressing can be made one day in advance and will firm up in the refrigerator. Prior to tossing the dressing with your greens, add a few drops of water or extra lemon juice if the dressing seems too thick. If you prefer a less tangy dressing use 1/2 tablespoon of red wine vinegar.

If using large romaine leaves, chop them up and toss with the dressing and croutons. If using only small leaves arrange them on your serving plate and drizzle the dressing over the lettuce leaves and croutons. In either case, sprinkle extra cheese over the entire salad before serving.

Dinner, Recipes, Side Dishes, Veggies

Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Crispy Pancetta

February 18, 2013

I was never fond of Brussel sprouts. I don’t recall eating them when I was growing up and I’ve always passed them by in the grocery store, never giving them a second look. Then suddenly, some years ago they appeared on every menu whether bistro, steak house or four star restaurant. So a few years ago while in San Francisco, we ordered roasted Brussel sprouts and what a revelation. I’ll have to say that anything roasted gets high marks from me. To top it off, the pancetta adds a nice crispy factor to this dish. If you’ve never tried pancetta, get to the store and buy some.

Remove the outer leaves, trim the stem ends and slice the Brussel sprouts in half.

Fried until crispy pancetta is the highlight in any dish you add it to.

Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Crispy Pancetta

Serves 4 as a side dish

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds Brussel sprouts

4 ounces pancetta

Olive oil

salt and pepper

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Remove outer leaves from Brussel sprouts, trim stems and cut into halves.

On a large baking sheet or jelly roll pan, toss Brussel sprout halves with olive oil (just enough to lightly coat) and season with kosher salt and pepper.

Roast Brussel sprouts for approximately 20 minutes. Test to see if they are done. If they are not quite ready, roast for a few more minutes. Remove Brussel sprouts to a plate until ready to serve.

While the Brussel sprouts are roasting, dice pancetta and fry until crispy and browned. Drain on paper towels and set aside.

In a large skillet or sauté pan heat a teaspoon of olive oil or butter over medium heat. Add roasted Brussel sprouts and heat until warmed through. Add the pancetta, toss and serve.

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Side Dishes

Arugula Salad with Fava Beans & Beets

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Betty’s Cornbread

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Simple Macaroni Salad

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Deviled Eggs with Crispy Pancetta

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A Light Caesar Salad Dressing

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Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Crispy Pancetta

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