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Bread, Recipes, Salad, Sandwiches, Side Dishes, Vegan, Vegetarian, Veggies

Tomato & Arugula Salad on Sourdough Toast

February 12, 2013

Tomatoes from the GardenOur Big Beef and Odoriko tomatoes are flourishing on the vines and that means lots of sliced tomatoes, fresh tomato sauce, salsa, and roasted tomatoes.  One of my favorite ways to eat a vine ripened tomato (just picked and warm from the sun) is in a simple salad.

Baby ArugulaThe arugula I’ve long been waiting for my husband to plant is finally here.  Tender arugula leaves tossed with a bit of extra virgin olive oil and fresh lemon juice sprinkled with sea salt is one of the simplest ways to enjoy these slightly peppery leaves.  This time I used fresh herb vinaigrette, which by the way is super on potatoes and salad Nicoise.

Tomato & Arugula SaladThis salad is a snap to put together and you could eat it with or without the sourdough toasts.  I think the best part is the way the bread soaks up the olive oil and juice from the tomatoes!

Tartine Country Bread SlicedMy husband John baked two loaves of gorgeous country sourdough bread.  Toast a few slices, drizzle with olive oil and pile the tomatoes and arugula salad on top of the bread.

Tomatoes on Sourdough

Tomato & Arugula Salad on Sourdough Toast

Ingredients

4 large slices (or more if you want) toasted sourdough bread

handful of baby arugula

2 large vine ripened tomatoes, cut into 1/3 inch thick slices

crumbled feta cheese

fresh herb vinaigrette

extra virgin olive oil

sea salt such as Maldon

freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

Toast the sourdough bread.  Transfer to a plate and drizzle extra virgin olive oil over each slice.  Sprinkle the bread with sea salt.

Scatter the arugula into a wide shallow bowl or plate.  Place sliced tomatoes on the arugula and dress with a few spoonfuls of fresh herb vinaigrette.  Sprinkle crumbled feta on the salad and drizzle a bit of extra virgin olive oil over the entire salad.  Season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper.

Serve the salad on the toasted bread making sure to scoop up all of the dressing and juice from the tomatoes.

***To make this dish vegan, omit the cheese.

Breakfast, Dinner, Recipes, Side Dishes, Vegan, Vegetarian, Veggies

Crash Hot Potatoes

February 4, 2013

Crash Hot PotatoesRoasted potatoes are always tasty, but these are even better.  The potatoes are flattened before roasting which produces more irresistible crispy edges.   This recipe comes from Jill Dupleix, a freelance food writer originally from Australia but now a resident of London.  Speaking of Australia, the people there are famous for their humorous slang.  Take Jill’s instructions for boiling the potatoes  “Just bung (throw) them into a pot of salted water” she says.  I love that.

Crash Hot Potatoes in to the Oven

Crash Hot Potatoes Ready to RoastThe potatoes are boiled until just cooked through without being soft.  Use a potato masher to squash the potatoes flat then brush with olive oil and sprinkle with coarse salt and black pepper.  Scatter some fresh thyme sprigs on the potatoes.

Crash Hot Potatoes with Thyme

Crash Hot Potatoes 

2 generous servings

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds baby red potatoes

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

coarse sea salt (Maldon works well)

freshly ground black pepper

thyme sprigs

Preparation

Heat the oven to 450 degrees

Scrub the potatoes and place in a pot of salted water.  Bring to a boil then simmer for about 12 minutes until just done.  The cooking time will depend on the size of your potatoes, check frequently so they don’t over cook.

Drain the cooked potatoes and arrange on a lightly oiled baking sheet.  Using a potato masher, flatten the potatoes until they are twice their original diameter.

Brush the tops with olive oil and sprinkle with coarse sea salt and pepper.  Scatter the thyme sprigs over the potatoes.

Bake for about 30 minutes or until they potatoes are crisp and golden.

Breakfast, Canning, Fruit, Jams & Jellies, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

Lilikoi Jelly ~ Passion Fruit

January 26, 2013

Colorful LilikoiPassion fruit, or lilikoi as we know it in Hawaii is a unique fruit with a pleasantly sweet and tart flavor.  The most common varieties are yellow and purple and they can be found in some of our health food stores on Maui.  They have a tough, waxy and smooth rind yet once you cut through the hard outer skin, the most amazing scent envelops the air.  Once cut in half, you might wonder what all the fuss is about.  Be patient.  You will find an aromatic gelatinous seed filled pulp with a fragrance that is hard to describe.  “Sublime” might hit the right note. An important step at the start of the jelly making process is to select a good recording of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony and set the volume to “eleven” ala Spinal Tap!

Cut LilikoiUsing a spoon remove the pulp from the rind.  You can strain the seeds out as we do to make juice for the jelly.  The pulp from the fruit can be eaten as is, seeds and all.

Lilikoi pulp

Oxo

The best method to extract the juice is to first put all the pulp into a blender.  Then pulse it on low speed for 45 -60 seconds.  We turn our Vitamix to #3 setting.  This will separate the seeds from the pulp but won’t break the seeds.  If you have a food mill this is a good opportunity to use it.  Pour the contents of the blender into the mill and turn, turn, turn.  Soon you will have your 3 cups of lilikoi juice.

Boiling lilkoi juiceBring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly with a long wooden spoon.

Lilikoi Jellies

Lilikoi ToastA few pats of butter on your favorite toast with a spoonful of lilikoi jelly.  It’s divine.

Lilikoi Jelly

Updated 1/15/20 (increased lilikoi juice to 3 cups)

Makes 8 half pint jars

Ingredients

3 cups lilikoi juice (about 5 pounds of fresh lilikoi) or frozen, unsweetened passion fruit pulp  (Goya brand)

1 cup water

7 1/2 cups sugar

6 ounces liquid pectin (2 pouches Certo brand)

Preparation

Prepare canner and canning jars.

Combine juice, water and sugar in a large, tall pot.  Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly.  Immediately add liquid pectin and bring to a full, rolling boil.  Boil rapidly for 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Remove from the heat, skim off foam (use a small fine mesh strainer) and pour into sterilized jars leaving 1/4 inch space between the jelly and rim of the jar.  Secure 2 part lids and process for 10 minutes in boiling water canner.  Turn off heat and leave jars in canning pot for 5 more minutes before removing to cool.

***Basic canning instructions can be found here.

Dinner, Japanese, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian, Veggies

Cucumber & Carrot Namasu

December 5, 2012

Pickles are addictive.  Crunchy, tangy goodness in every bite.  Namasu is a simple Japanese pickle that’s ready in an hour.  Not only is it quick to make, there are just 6 ingredients.  It can double as a refreshing tangy-sweet salad.

The first 3 ingredients – Cucumber, Ginger & Carrot.

It’s easy to make attractive carrot florets with a knife and steady hand.

Grated ginger adds a refreshing flavor to the vegetables.

Beautiful pickles, Japanese style.

Cucumber & Carrot Namasu (Japanese pickles)

Ingredients

1 large English or 2 Japanese cucumbers

1 medium carrot

1/2 cup unseasoned rice vinegar

1/4 cup sugar

2 teaspoons grated ginger

1/4 teaspoon salt

Preparation

Cut the cucumber in half diagonally and peel thin strips of skin off of each half.  Cut each piece of cucumber in half, lengthwise.  Remove seeds.  Slice the cucumber into 1/4 inch pieces and set aside.

Peel the carrot and cut into thirds.  With a small, thin knife cut narrow lengthwise grooves in the carrot to make a floret shape (about 5 cuts if the carrot is thick, 4 if the carrot is very thin).  Using a mandoline or sharp thin knife slice the carrot into florets.

Peel ginger and finely grate, set aside 2 teaspoons.

Mix 1/2 cup unseasoned rice vinegar with 1/4 cup sugar and 1/4 teaspoon salt until sugar and salt has dissolved.  Add 2 teaspoons grated ginger.

Combine cucumbers, carrots and vinegar mixture in medium size bowl.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.  Cucumbers and carrots will become delightfully crispy when chilled.   The pickles will keep well in the refrigerator for a couple of days.  These pickles go well with tofu or grilled teriyaki chicken.

Beef, Chicken, Dinner, Japanese, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

Granny’s Teriyaki Sauce

November 20, 2012

 

A recipe named after “Granny” might not sound all that exciting but if you love homemade teriyaki sauce this is really delicious. My mom gave me her recipe card for this sauce a long time ago and she made a note on it “the best.”  She was right. It’s the best teriyaki sauce I have ever had.

The secret ingredient that makes this sauce so tasty is sherry.  So go ahead and buy a bottle of sherry.  Not the cooking sherry they sell in the condiment aisle, decent sherry like Hartley & Gibson’s Amontillado sherry which you can find at a full service grocery store or liquor store.  Stash the bottle in your cupboard until your next craving for really good teriyaki sauce, it will last indefinitely.

You can use this marinade for chicken, tofu, fish and beef.  I use part of the sauce to marinate whatever I’m cooking and simmer the rest of the sauce until it becomes thick and syrupy.  I drizzle this on grilled chicken, tofu or fish and finish with a few sliced green onions before serving.  Really good.

Granny’s Teriyaki Sauce

Ingredients

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons soy sauce (Kikkoman recommended)

4 tablespoons sherry (Hartley & Gibson’s or similar quality)

1 tablespoon canola oil

2 large garlic cloves chopped

green onions, sliced (use a good amount since they tend to shrink quite a bit once mixed into the sauce)

Preparation

Combine sugar with soy sauce and sherry until the sugar has dissolved.  Add oil, garlic and chopped green onions.

Use to marinate boneless chicken breasts chicken thighs, or your favorite cut of steak for about 3 hours.  For tofu and fish such as salmon or ahi marinate for just one hour or so.  Turn pieces occasionally.

Note: Prior to marinating your chicken, fish, beef or tofu reserve part of the sauce and simmer until syrupy, about 10 minutes on medium low heat.  Watch so the sauce does not boil and burn.  You can do this in advance, the sauce will thicken as it cools.  Drizzle over grilled chicken, fish, beef or tofu.  Sprinkle on green onions and roasted sesame seeds before serving. For a larger quantity of meat double the recipe.

Dinner, Italian, Pasta, Recipes, Vegetarian

Pesto with Macadamia Nuts

November 8, 2012

Pesto is a simple and delicious dish.  The fragrant basil, pungent cheese and garlic, rich macadamia nuts and olive oil go together like no other dish I know.  Most recipes call for pine nuts which I used in the past, until I had an awful experience with Pine Mouth. Just thinking about it makes my stomach turn.  It’s something that can’t be easily forgotten.  I suffered for two weeks and could not figure out why suddenly everything I ate or drank tasted bitter, very bitter. So bitter I didn’t want to eat. I googled my symptoms and discovered Pine Mouth.  Like others who have had this weird problem, I too had eaten pine nuts (in pesto) a few days prior to getting my symptoms. My husband also ate the pesto but without any problems.  It apparently doesn’t affect everyone. The FDA is still trying to determine what the exact cause of Pine Mouth syndrome is.  Needless to say, I have given up eating pine nuts.  Some say that pine nuts from China are the culprits and that buying pine nuts that originate from the Mediterranean won’t cause such a terrible reaction. Hmmmm.  I’m still not convinced enough to eat them again.

Many pesto recipes suggest walnuts as an alternative to pine nuts (which can be expensive).  I tried this once, however my pesto turned out to be a drab green-brown color.  Now, due to my aversion to pine nuts, macadamia nuts are my choice for pesto.  They are light-colored like pine nuts and don’t have the annoying skin of a walnut.  They can be pricy like pine nuts though you really need just a small amount for each recipe and you can store the rest in the refrigerator for other baking recipes.  The package above is from Costco and was very reasonably priced.

Rinse the basil leaves gently and leave out to dry for a short time.

Use good cheese.  Real Parmigiano Reggiano and Pecorino Romano and grate them yourself.

Pesto

Serves 6

Adapted from Nancy Harmon Jenkins The Mediterranean Diet Cookbook

Ingredients

4 ounces fresh basil leaves

1/3 heaping cup macadamia nuts

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 medium garlic cloves, crushed and finely minced

1/2 cup finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (or a combination with Pecorino Romano)

Preparation

Remove basil leaves from stems and gently rinse.  Set aside on a kitchen towel to dry for a short time.

Put half of the basil, all of the macadamia nuts and salt in a food processor.  Pulse a few times.  Scrape down the sides and add the rest of the basil and pulse a few more times.  Add the oil in a thin stream and process until the consistency is that of a slightly grainy paste but not a fine puree.  Add the garlic and process briefly, just to mix the garlic into the sauce.  If the pesto seems too thick, add a bit more olive oil.  Transfer the pesto to a bowl and fold in the grated cheese.

I like to serve the pesto on thin capellini noodles with a bit of extra grated cheese sprinkled on top.  Sometimes I use spaghetti and add steamed, finely chopped broccoli florets to it or I’ll make a pasta salad with pesto, cherry tomatoes and baby spinach.  For a change, use pesto on your pizza instead of tomato sauce (top with sliced tomatoes, artichoke hearts and mozzarella).

Pesto can be stored in the refrigerator for a few days.  Pour a very thin film of oil over the top of the pesto and cover the bowl.  You can also freeze pesto in small containers for a few months.

 

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