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Appetizers, Pickles, Recipes, Side Dishes, Vegan, Vegetarian, Veggies

Quick Aleppo Dill Pickles

February 2, 2016

In earlier posts, I’ve mentioned that we love virtually all forms of pickles. These refrigerator dill pickles are scrumptious. Crunchy with a little heat from the Aleppo pepper flakes, they are ready to eat in just an hour. John, always on the lookout for different pickles, found the recipe in my Bon Appetit magazine and quickly ordered Aleppo pepper from Amazon knowing we wouldn’t be able to find it here on Maui. Featuring large flakes with a beautiful deep red color and medium heat, it is widely used in Middle Eastern cooking. This is our new favorite savory pickle.

The original recipe called for Persian cucumbers which are difficult to find here on Maui. These beautiful Keiki Cukes are readily available at our local Costco and they are perfect for pickles.

If you are in the mood for pickles, go ahead and make a batch of these crunchy dills. Once you taste them you will want to have a jar in your refrigerator at all times. Sprinkle on za’atar for a delicious finishing touch just before serving the pickles.

Quick Aleppo Dill Pickles

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Updated 2/07/16: I reduced the salt from the original recipe.

Author: Kiyo Miller

Ingredients

8 Keiki Cukes or Persian cucumbers (about 1¼ pound) quartered lengthwise
¼ cup coarsely chopped fresh dill
2⅓ cups distilled white vinegar
⅓ cup sugar
1 medium garlic clove, finely grated
1 tablespoon Aleppo pepper
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Za'atar and flaky sea salt (for serving)

Preparation

Pack cucumber spears and dill into a large heatproof jar.
Bring vinegar, sugar, garlic, Aleppo pepper, lemon juice, kosher salt, red pepper flakes, and black pepper to a boil in a medium saucepan, stirring to dissolve sugar. Let cool slightly, then pour brine over cucumbers to submerge. Seal jar and chill at least 30 minutes.
To serve, remove cucumber spears from brine, lightly shaking off excess liquid but leaving on any seasonings. Sprinkle with za'atar and sea salt.

Dinner, Recipes, Side Dishes, Veggies

Summer Tomato Pie

October 15, 2015

I’m a bit late on posting this since it’s now October and summer is over, but if you’re able to find good tomatoes at your local farmers market (or in your back yard) you’ll love this recipe from Cook’s Country. Not only are there just a handful of ingredients, most of which you probably have in your pantry and refrigerator, the pie is quite stunning and most of all simply delicious.

The original recipe says to use Cook’s Country pie dough recipe, your own recipe, or store-bought dough. I am sold on this pie crust recipe. It’s the only one I use these days. I use 2 tablespoons of vodka in place of 2 of the 5 tablespoons of water called for. From Cook’s Illustrated: “Since water bonds with flour to form gluten, too much of it makes a crust tough. But rolling out dry dough is difficult. For a pie dough recipe that baked up tender and flaky and rolled out easily every time, we found a magic ingredient: vodka. Using vodka, which is just 60 percent water, gave us an easy-to-roll crust recipe with less gluten and no alcohol flavor, since the alcohol vaporizes in the oven.”

These gorgeous Big Beef tomatoes did fairly well in our garden even though we had the hottest, most humid summer ever. They are meaty tomatoes with few seeds. Just perfect for this recipe.

Thinly sliced tomatoes are salted and left alone for 30 minutes to draw out their moisture. This procedure ensures the crust will not be too doughy and wet once the tomatoes are layered on the crust.

The original recipe doesn’t call for bacon, but I couldn’t resist adding some.

Summer Tomato Pie

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Author: Kiyo Miller adapted from Cook's Country Recipe

Ingredients

2 (9-inch) pie dough rounds (see Best Ever Pie Crust link above)
2 pounds ripe beefsteak tomatoes, cored and cut into ¼-inch slices. I prefer to peel the tomatoes but this is optional.
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup mayonnaise
4 teaspoons cornstarch
1½ cups grated sharp cheddar cheese (I used extra sharp white cheddar)
4 scallions sliced thin
5 pieces cooked and crumbled bacon, about ½ cup (optional)

Preparation

Arrange tomato slices on paper towel-lined baking sheet and sprinkle with salt. Let drain for about 30 minutes, then press tomatoes with additional paper towels until very dry.
On a lightly floured surface, roll 1 dough round into 12-inch circle. Transfer to 9-inch pie plate, letting excess hang over edge. Cover with plastic and refrigerate 30 minutes. Roll second round into 12-inch circle and refrigerate for 30 minutes (I placed mine on waxed paper lined cutting board and covered with plastic).
Adjust oven rack to the second placement from the bottom (about 5" from the bottom of the oven floor) and heat oven to 450 degrees. Mix mayonnaise, cornstarch and 1 cup cheese in bowl until well combined. Sprinkle remaining cheese over bottom of dough-lined pie plate. Arrange a third of tomatoes over cheese. Spread half of the mayonnaise mixture over the tomatoes and sprinkle with half of the scallions. Sprinkle half of the bacon bits over the top if using. Layer another third of tomatoes, remaining mayonnaise mixture and scallions, and bacon if using. Top with remaining tomatoes.
Arrange top crust on pie. Press crusts together, then trim, fold, and crimp edges. Cut four 2-by1-inch oval vent holes in top. Place pie on rimmed baking sheet, bake for 10 minutes, then lower oven temperature to 325 degrees and bake until crust is golden brown, about 55 minutes. Cool on a wire rack at least 3 hours. Serve at room temperature.

Dinner, Lactose Free, Recipes, Rice Dishes, Salad, Side Dishes, Tofu, Vegan, Vegetarian, Veggies

Glory Bowl Salad

July 18, 2015

I bumped into a friend of ours, Lisa Tamaki, with whom I have a shared interest in cooking as well as home canning. She told me about a new salad recipe she thought I would enjoy. The dressing has nutritional yeast in it, one of my favorite foods. Lisa’s enthusiasm about the “Glory Bowl Salad” (named for a top ski bowl in Canada) made me eager to try it out right away. Thank you, thank you!

The original recipe comes from Shelley Adams who once owned Whitewater Ski Resort in Canada. This salad is one of her most requested recipes. Rachel also posted Sami’s version of this delicious salad. I followed her suggestion of seasoning the tofu with sesame oil and soy sauce before baking and it adds a wonderful flavor to the tofu. You can use almost any vegetables you want to in this salad. I opted for colorful red cabbage, crunchy snap peas, cucumbers, carrots and edamame. Don’t skip the toasted almonds. They are super in this salad. The dressing has a fantastic umami flavor due to the generous amount of nutritional yeast and soy sauce, so good you’ll be looking for things to pour it on once your salad is long gone.

I use my TofuXpress often. It presses out the water quickly. No more wasting paper towels!

It’s best to serve the baked tofu once cooled, however, you may bake it in advance and refrigerate it until ready to use. The texture won’t be quite the same (it softens once refrigerated) but it will still taste delicious. Just bring it to room temperature before serving.

Glory Bowl Salad

Adapted from Whitewater Cooks & The Conscious Dietician blog

Two generous salad bowl servings and 1 cup dressing

Ingredients

Salad Bowl:

1 cup short or medium grain brown rice

1/3 cup toasted slivered almonds (bake in toaster oven at 300° for about 5 minutes – watch so they do not burn)

1 package (14 ounce) extra firm tofu (Wildwood recommended) water pressed out

2 teaspoons sesame oil

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 ounces sliced cucumber

1 ounce shredded carrot

1/3 cup cooked edamame

3 ounces snap peas

1 ounce shredded red cabbage

roasted black sesame seeds – optional

Dressing:

1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

3 tablespoons water

3 tablespoons soy sauce

3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 1/2 tablespoons tahini paste

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup canola oil

freshly ground black pepper

Cook brown rice according to package directions. Set aside.

Toast slivered almonds for a few minutes to crisp up.

Press out water from tofu using the TofuXpress or a clean dish towel or paper towels (weighted down). Cut tofu into rectangles about 1/2 inch thick. Combine sesame oil and soy sauce in a small bowl. Brush mixture over tofu slices, or toss to coat well. Place tofu on a foil lined baking sheet and bake at 350°F for 25 minutes (I use my toaster oven).

Using an immersion blender combine nutritional yeast, water, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, garlic, tahini paste, extra virgin olive oil, and canola oil. Or whisk by hand until all of the ingredients are well incorporated. Season to taste with freshly ground black pepper.

Assemble your salad by placing the rice on the bottom of your bowl, adding the vegetables and tofu over the rice. Drizzle a generous amount of the dressing over the salad. Sprinkle toasted almonds and roasted sesame seeds over the top and serve with extra dressing.

Lactose Free, Recipes, Rice Dishes, Salad, Side Dishes, Vegan, Vegetarian, Veggies

Haricots Verts and Freekeh with Minty Tahini Dressing

April 11, 2015

Freekeh, an unusual grain with a novel name! The first time it caught my attention was in Berkeley at the Pasta Store. I like cooking with many different types of grains. They make interesting side dishes, and in this case, a great salad. The name Freekeh is a process which means “to rub” in Arabic. The wheat is harvested when young and green then roasted, dried and rubbed. It has a subtle smokey flavor and a pleasant, chewy texture. It’s delicious.

Freekeh looks a bit like bulgur once it is cooked. In fact, if you can’t find freekeh, you could substitute bulgur but freekeh has a chewier texture and more interesting flavor.

I included Madagascar pink rice in my salad. I love the color and texture it added to the salad. This beautiful rice cooks in just 20 minutes.

Fresh herbs are scattered over the salad just before serving.

I am a big fan of any dressing that contains tahini and lemon juice!

This salad is so good I made it three times in a one week period. I packed it up for my work lunch and tossed the beans, freekeh, rice and walnuts with the dressing just before I sat down to eat.

Haricots Verts and Freekeh with Minty Tahini Dressing

Adapted from Bon Appetit

Serves 2

Ingredients

1/4 cup cracked or uncracked freekeh, rinsed

1 cup Madagascar pink rice (optional)

6 ounces haricots verts, trimmed

1 very small garlic clove, finely grated (I used my microplane zester)

2 – 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons tahini

1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh mint (or 1/2 teaspoon dried mint)

1/2 teaspoon pure maple syrup

2 tablespoons coarsely chopped walnuts (I baked them in the toaster oven for 5 minutes)

a few sprigs of dill, cilantro, flat leaf parsley

crushed red pepper flakes

Preparation

Cook freekeh in a medium saucepan of salted simmering water until al dente, 12 – 15 minutes (uncracked freekeh will take longer to cook, 30 minutes or so). Drain and rinse under cold water; set aside. You will not use all the freekeh for the salad.

Cook Madagascar pink rice if using, following directions on package. (I make 1 cup of rice at a time and serve leftover rice with mock chicken tofu the following day).

Cook haricots verts in a medium pot of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes (very thin haricots verts may take just 2 minutes to cook). Drain and transfer to a large bowl of ice water; let cool. Drain and pat dry.

Whisk garlic, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, oil, tahini, mint, maple syrup, and 1 tablespoon water in a medium bowl; season with salt. Taste, add more lemon juice if desired.

In a large bowl, stir together 1/4 cup each, cooked freekeh and pink rice if using (use more freekeh if you skip the pink rice). Add green beans and toss with enough dressing to coat everything nicely. Season with salt. Divide on to two plates, top with toasted walnuts, small sprigs of dill, tender leaves of cilantro and parsley. Sprinkle crushed red pepper flakes over the salad and serve.

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

Vinegar-Roasted Beets

November 2, 2014

I’ve always loved roasted beets. I was looking for something a little different from what I have done in the past. These beets are infused with a tangy-sweet flavor after being roasted in vinegar with fresh herbs. They emerge from the oven perfectly seasoned and add beautiful color to any salad. The beets are moist, tender, and as Chef Jaime Malone says “they are dressed from within.”

Mana Foods had some pretty golden beets, so with this recipe in mind, I brought a few home and popped them in the oven.

So simple. Rice vinegar, water, salt, a bit of sugar and some herbs and garlic. It takes just 5 minutes hands on time while the remainder is spent in the oven (I used my toaster oven).

You could eat the beets alone, with a drizzle of good olive oil and some Maldon sea salt and pepper. I made a big salad with some homegrown tomatoes and crunchy cucumbers, sprinkled a bit of feta cheese over the salad, and used my favorite dressing.

Vinegar-Roasted Beets

Food & Wine Magazine

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups rice vinegar (unseasoned)

1 1/4 cups water

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 1/2 pounds small beets

2 thyme sprigs

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 bay leaf

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 425°. In a large, deep oven proof baking dish, whisk the vinegar with the water, sugar and kosher salt. Add the beets, thyme, garlic and bay leaf. Cover the baking dish with heavy-duty foil and roast for about 50 – 60 minutes, until tender, turning halfway through the cooking time. Remove the beets from the baking dish, and let cool completely, then peel and slice into rounds or wedges.

*If you have a toaster oven that will accommodate the baking dish, by all means use it. There’s no need to pre-heat the toaster oven.

Dinner, Japanese, Lactose Free, Recipes, Salad, Side Dishes, Vegan, Vegetarian, Veggies

Japanese Cucumber Salad

October 5, 2014

I love crunchy, sweet, cucumbers, especially Keiki Cukes. Their size is perfect, they are seedless, and snappy. I discovered this Jamie Oliver recipe on Leite’s Culinaria and I was smitten.

Lemon grass adds a fragrant note to the dressing. It pairs well with the ginger and rice vinegar. As the editor-in-chief of Leite’s Culinaria, Renée Schettler Rossi says, this is not the most traditional Japanese recipe despite Jamie Oliver’s title. And, as Renée says further, “I’m not holding that against it.”

I diced up a bit of cucumber and sliced carrots into pretty florets to add texture and color to the silky sliced cucumbers. A generous handful of torn mint and a little cilantro sprinkled over the cucumbers add that special brightness to the salad. For those of you who are not fond of cilantro you may leave it out, but don’t skip the mint.

Japanese Cucumber Salad

Adapted from Leite’s Culinaria

Serves 4 as a side dish

Ingredients

3/4 – 1 pound Japanese, Keiki, or other small, seedless cucumbers

1/4 small carrot, sliced very thin (optional)

Handful of fresh mint, torn into small pieces

Handful of fresh cilantro, torn into small pieces

Dressing:

3 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1 1/2 teaspoons sugar

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon finely grated ginger

1 teaspoon finely minced lemongrass

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Preparation

Dressing:

In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, soy sauce and sugar. Mix until the sugar dissolves. Whisk in oil. Add ginger, lemongrass, and salt & pepper to taste.

Thinly slice cucumbers lengthwise, using a mandoline, handheld slicer, or potato peeler, making thin ribbons. Lay cucumber slices on paper towels and lightly pat dry. Slice a small portion of a cucumber into small cubes, about 1/4 cup (I use the leftover edges of the cucumber I sliced into ribbons, omitting any seedy flesh). Finely slice carrot if using. Lay cucumber ribbons on a plate and diced cucumbers on edges of plate along with the carrots. Sprinkle with torn mint and cilantro, and drizzle a generous amount of dressing over the salad.

***The dressing can be made a day in advance and the vegetables may be cut a few hours before serving.

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Quick Aleppo Dill Pickles

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Summer Tomato Pie

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Glory Bowl Salad

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Haricots Verts and Freekeh with Minty Tahini Dressing

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Vinegar-Roasted Beets

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Japanese Cucumber Salad

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