Vegetable & Chorizo Stew

A lovely local restaurant holds a weekly prix fixe wine tasting dinner, themed by region.  I went with a friend a few months ago and it was delicious and charming.  But, of all of the wonderful things we tasted that evening, one dish lingered with me: an early autumn vegetable stew with chorizo.  It featured a broth that was simultaneously light and full of bold, smokey flavor.  It was hearty in taste but not heavy in the stomach.  And, with nothing to go by other than my vague recollections, I set out to attempt a recreation.

My version is certainly not identical to the original, but was very tasty and pleasing nonetheless.  I don't remember if the original had beans-- I don't think it did-- but I decided to add some to make it just a little heartier for the middle of winter, mild as this one may be.  For an earlier fall dish I think I'd replace the beans with some more corn and perhaps some diced carrots, sauteed in a pan a bit before being added to the broth.

Ingredients:
- 2 raw chorizo sausages (though I think it could also be quite lovely with dried chorizo, as I believe was featured in the original)
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 stalk celery with leaves, diced
- 1/4 c. dry red wine
- 3 c. water
- 1 tsp salt (or less if sausage is particularly salty)
- dash paprika, dash cumin, 1/2 tsp black pepper
- lacinto kale, destemmed and chopped
- 1 can cannelini beans, rinsed well (home-cooked would be ideal, but I tend to fall short here)
- 1/2 c. corn (fresh or frozen)

Directions
- Slice the chorizo into 1/2" slices
- Heat a dry dutch oven or heavy bottomed pot over medium
- Sear the chorizo on each side in two batches.  Remove and set aside.
- Add the onions to the hot pot and saute for about 3 minutes.
- Add the celery and saute another minute.
- Deglaze the pot with the wine, then add the water, the sausage, and the salt.
- Cover and simmer at 30-45 minutes.
- Add the beans, kale, and corn, adjust seasoning and simmer another 20 minutes.

This makes about 4 servings, especially is served with hearty bread to soak up all of the delicious broth.

Enjoy!

Fresh and Simple Pasta Sauce

While there are many people who slave away in the kitchen for hours over a hot stove to perfect their Italian grandmother's tomato sauce, and while it may very well be quite delicious, I prefer a more casual approach to my summertime pasta.  This one comes together in about 20 minutes, (depending on your speediness with a knife).  It's a light, chunky sauce that lets you know exactly which vegetables you're eating.

Ingredients (for two servings):

- 3 tbsp olive oil

- 2 cloves garlic, minced

- 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

- 1/2 tsp salt

- 2 sprigs fresh oregano (or 1/4 tsp. dried)

- 3/4 c. onion, minced

- 3/4 c. yellow bell pepper, diced

- 1 1/2 c. tomato, diced

- 1/4 tsp. brown sugar

- handful of basil leaves, roughly chopped.

Directions:

- Add the olive oil to a large skillet and heat over medium high.

- Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, salt, and oregano and saute for about a minute.

- Add the onion and saute until just translucent, about 3 minutes.

- Add the bell pepper, tomato, and brown sugar.

- Continue to cook, stirring occasionally and lightly mashing the tomatoes with a wooden spoon for about 8 minutes until all of the vegetables are tender.

- If you would like a slightly thicker sauce, add about 1 tbsp tomato paste.

- Taste for seasoning, adjusting salt and brown sugar, (sparingly), as needed.

- Just before serving, add the fresh basil and toss another minute.

- Add your pasta to the pan and toss to coat.

I used whole wheat spaghetti as I really like the slightly nutty taste with the freshness of the vegetables. Optionally top you pasta with some good parmesan cheese for serving.  As a side I prepared some fresh romano green beans by boiling them in the pasta water for about 2-3 minutes, then tossing them with good quality extra virgin olive oil, salt, and black pepper.

Enjoy!

Black Bean Burgers

Summer is a time for grilling, cookouts, barbecues, picnics, and all manner of meat-centric gatherings.  In fact, I recently attended a party where the main event was a rather scientific preparation of the burgers, involving liquid nitrogen and deep frying.  Delicious (and potentially dangerous?) as it was, one may wonder about our social fascination with meat: is it always necessary?  (I suspect that our wonderful host would say that yes, it is.)

I'm certainly no vegan and probably never will be, but these black bean burgers from the Veganomicon are so good that I'd have no problem passing over the beef, (at least now and then).  If you're really craving a rare, juicy burger they might not quite hit the spot, but they might create a craving of their very own.  They're very easy to put together so it's no hassle to accommodate vegetarian and vegan friends without resorting to those gross frozen versions.  So take a break from the veggie kabobs, grilled portobello caps, and tofu dogs and try this vegan black bean burger instead!

Ingredients:
- 1 can black beans (you can certainly make your own, but canned is really perfect for this recipe)
- 1/2 c. vital wheat gluten (find this at 'health food' type stores: Bob's Red Mill makes some)
- 1/2 c. bread crumbs
- 1/2 tsp. paprika
- 1/2 tsp. cayenne
- 1/2 tsp. cumin
- 1/4 c. water
- 1 tbsp. tomato paste or ketchup
- 2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
- 1/2 c. onion, minced or grated

Directions:
- Mash the beans with a fork in a mixing bowl so there are no whole beans but they retain some texture.
- Add everything else and mix together to evenly distributed.
- With your hands, knead the mixture a bit to help it come together.
- Divide the mix into six equal parts and press it into patties.  They should be 1-1.5" thick, depending on your buns (they won't shrink much).
- Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat and add a light drizzle of olive oil.
- Cook the patties in two batches for 5 minutes on each side, pressing down firmly but gently with the spatula.  Add additional oil between batches if necessary.

We served our black bean burgers on whole wheat buns with tomatoes, red onions, kale, ketchup, and whole grain mustard.  I really like using kale instead of lettuce on burgers: it has such a nice bite to it.

To freeze the black bean patties, allow them to cool and wrap tightly with plastic wrap.  To reheat, bake in the oven or defrost in the microwave and finish in a skillet.

Enjoy!

Socca to Me

Socca is a basically a chick pea crepe or pan cake, a street food from the south of France.  I first read about it on David Lebovitz's site.  As soon as I got my hands on some chick pea flour I gave it a try and it's been a staple in my kitchen ever since.

Usually it's made plain and eaten hot and fresh with a generous drizzle of olive oil and sprinkle of salt, but I've taken to experimenting with it.  I've played with the seasonings, used it as a base for salads, and have even made little socca pizzas.  It's a healthy bread alternative since the chick pea flour has a good amount of protein.  It's also vegan and gluten-free.  While you can find chick pea flour very cheaply at Indian grocers (look for 'besan', 'gram flour', or 'farine pois chiche'), if you have a gluten sensitivity you may want to look for a brand that can certify that it's gluten-free, like Bob's Red Mill.

Making socca isn't too scientific.  It's a 1:1 ratio of chick pea flour to water, with a drizzle of olive oil, and a dash of salt.  Traditionally a bit of cumin is added as well.  The thickness of the crepe will vary depending on the size of the pan used, and you can adjust the amount of batter you make or pour to suit your preferences.

For one 10" crepe:
- 1/2 c. chick pea flour
- 1/2 c. water
- 2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 tsp salt
- dash cumin

- Whisk all ingredients together and let sit for at least two hours.
- Put a cast iron skillet under your broiler and heat until thoroughly hot, (the pan should be as close to the broiler as possible).  Alternately, heat the skillet on the stove top.  The broiler is ideal, but in the heat of the summer the stove top will do.
- When the skillet is hot, add a generous drizzle of olive oil to the pan then add the batter, swirling it around if necessary to coat the pan.
- Broil the crepe until the top is browned, (a bit of char is desirable), up to 10 minutes.  If cooking on the stove top, wait until the crepe looks firm, check to see if the under side is browned, then flip once.
- To serve, drizzle with a little more olive oil and a dash of sea salt.

Socca can be served as a snack, an appetizer, or a side.  Eat it plain or as a base for toppings. It would be a great vehicle for bruschetta as an appetizer.  Using it as a gluten-free pizza base has taken a little experimentation and the technique varies depending on the toppings.

Here, I poured the batter and broiled it for about two minutes, then added chopped mushrooms and blue cheese crumbles.  When adding toppings to the socca while it's cooking, they should be chopped finely and/or pre-cooked for the best results.

Here I added shopped spinach to the batter before pouring, making a thicker crepe that needed a longer cooking time.  I waited a few minutes then added chopped onions, red pepper, and goat cheese.  With all of these heavier toppings, the socca isn't nearly as crisp, but it's still quite tasty.  If you want to use sauce or more than light crumbles of cheese, I recommend cooking the crepe on it's own and then transferring it to a baking sheet and adding the toppings to make your 'pizza'.

Pretty much any herbs can be used to flavor the socca.  Here I used finely chopped fresh rosemary when I served it as a side.

Use socca as a creative base for a salad or cut it up and toss it with the salad as croutons, (you may want to toast them a bit more).  While you can top the socca with salad when it's still hot, allowing it to cool on a wire rack will help it stay crisp.

Enjoy!

Pork Loin with Sweet Onions and Fava Beans

Is that plate smiling?  Maybe it's because it knows it's delicious.

This is a very easy and relatively quick dish, though it does require a bit of forethought to prepare the beans and let things marinate.  It's easily multiplied to feed any number of people and much of it can be made in advance.  For the meat I used a pork loin strip but a boneless pork chop would work nicely, too.  I chose to keep the fava beans simple, barely cooking them and serving them chilled in a light dressing.  They'd also be wonderful sauteed with a bit of butter.

Fava beans are a spring treat that can be hard to find sometimes.  With canned and frozen beans of all kinds so readily available, it may not seem worth the effort to seek out and prepare fresh beans.  I encourage everyone to give it a try, however.  They really are a different experience, both in preparation and flavor.  Personally, I enjoy the novelty of sitting in front of a pile of bean pods and popping the tasty bits out of their shells.

For the fava beans:
- Shell the beans from their pods.  When buying, keep in mind that there are only about 5 beans per pod so you will need quite a lot.
- Bring a pot of water to boil.
- Blanch the beans for 2-3 minutes, then drain the water and cool the beans.
- When they are cool enough to handle, remove the waxy 'jacket' by gently peeling it away.
- Drizzle with olive oil, lemon juice, and add salt and pepper to taste.  Cover and chill for one hour.

Did you know that the FDA has lowered the recommended temperature to which pork should be cooked?  Formerly 164 degrees, the official recommendation is now 145.  No need to worry about a bit of pink in the middle!  In fact, I prefer it that way.

For the pork and onions:
- Combine 2 tsp. white wine vinegar, 1 tbsp olive oil, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper, 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, and about 1 tbsp roughly chopped sage.
- Lay the pork on a piece of plastic wrap, spoon the mixture over, turning once, and wrap the meat tightly.  Let it marinate on the counter for 30 minutes or in the fridge for at least an hour.
- Heat a skillet to medium high and place the pork in the pan.  Cook on each side about 2 minutes, depending on thickness.
- Thickly slice a sweet onion.  For a fresher taste, place the slices in the skillet whole and turn once to sear each side.  For more caramelized onions, break the slices into rings and toss them often as they cook.

Enjoy!

Cassoulet: the Fancy Chile

Chile... it has some negative connotations. Sloppy, greasy, man food comes to mind. Don't get me wrong, I like chile. When done well it can be very delicious. It doesn't, however, bring to mind fine dining. But call it cassoulet.... well! Now that's different! Suddenly we picture little French villages in the countryside, families sitting together cupping bowls of warming nourishment in their hands. But really, cassoulet is just chile... without the chiles.

Here is my hodgepodge version of the dish. Not exactly traditional, (those French villagers might find offense), but more or less the same in spirit.

• Get yourself a nice pot. Enameled cast iron is great if you have one, but any pot will do.
• Uncase two italian sausages: slice them open and turn the inside out into the pot. Brown the meat a bit, rendering some of the fat, while stirring frequently.
• Add one clove of minced garlic, one chopped onion, and 1/2 tsp each of rosemary, thyme, and salt.
• After 3-5 minutes, add 1/3 to 1/2 c. white wine (nothing too fruity).
• Simmer until the liquid is nearly gone.
• Add 1 cup of beans* and one cup of vegetable broth.
• Cover and simmer on low heat until the liquid has reduced and the beans are cooked, about 1 hour.
• If you have a gruyere or parmesan rind (always save these) lying around, feel free to toss it in. It adds a wonderful creaminess and depth to the stew. You will fish out the rind before serving.
• After the hour, add about 1/2 c. of a thick tomato sauce and 1/4 c. chopped parsley.
• Simmer an additional 10 min. with the lid off.
• Lastly, just before serving, add 1 tbsp of freshly squeezed lemon juice.

* Note that I used fresh cranberry beans, not dried. If using dried, I would recommend soaking them first. Other kinds of beans can, of course, be substituted.

Serve and enjoy!

- Rori

The Magical Fruit

The finished beans and their emptied shells.

A magical fruit, indeed! (And for more than *that* reason!) Last week at the farmers' market I picked up some fresh shelling beans. I've never cooked fresh beans before and, in fact, had never really noticed them. They can be hard to find, but fresh shelling beans are often available at local markets in late summer and autumn. Out of season, or if you're unable to find them, you can use dried varieties from the grocery store or find all kinds of interesting heirloom varieties from Rancho Gordo (among other sources).

Beans can be so much more than the generic dried pintos available en masse everywhere. They can have distinct flavors and textures and can make some very interesting dishes. The ones I picked up are a variety of cranberry beans. They have bright magenta and white marbled shells. The beans themselves are cream colored with cranberry-colored swirls and roughly the length of a penny.

Shelled beans in the pot ready to cook.

As their name implies, shelling beans need to be shelled. The exteriors are too tough and stringy to eat. When buying them, the appearance of the shells isn't important. They can be pretty beat up and wrinkly shells can even mean the beans are more mature and larger. Depending on their age, the beans can be tender or quite firm. Test one out to see how long you'll need to cook them.
After shelling them, I covered my beans with an inch of water in a small sauce pan. As they were on the firmer side, I simmered them for about a half an hour. They should be creamy inside when they are done; if they are still a little crumbly, they need to cook longer. Interestingly, their crimson swirls fade to the point of nearly vanishing as they cook, leaving them a light beige color.

This time around I went with simplicity and tossed them with half a tablespoon of butter, a teaspoon of lemon juice, some torn up parsley, salt, and pepper. It made a delicious warm lunch on a cool autumn day without being heavy. These beans would also be excellent as a side dish, mixed in a salad, or as an alternative to pasta or other grains. So pick up some beans and give them a try-- and I won't judge you if you sing the song.
Enjoy!

- Rori