Tag Archives: vegetables

Tandoori Asparagus

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Tandoor asparagus on a white plate

Here’s something easy to do with asparagus that makes them a little different.

You’ll need some dry tandoori spice blend.  You can make your own, but there are some good ones on the market.  Having it on hand is great when you can’t figure out what kind of side to make with din-din and you’re sick and tired of bland veggies.  While I might put together my own spice blend for a main dish, I usually use packaged stuff for everything else.

I suggest going to an Indian or Pakistani grocery for your spice blends.  I wrote a post about this last year, which you can check out.  These stores carry imported products, which are much less expensive than their American-made counterparts.  For example, MDH puts out a good Tandoori blend, and you’ll pay about $1.50 for 100 grams at Vik’s Market in Berkeley.  This is a steal.

Give this a try and then alter the recipe to your taste.  It works well with green beans and potatoes, but you’ll need more oil for the latter.

Tandoori-style Asparagus
   Makes enough for dinner sides for 4 and leftovers

2 pounds fresh asparagus
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons tandoori spice blend
2 teaspoons sea salt

1).  Wash, dry and trim the asparagus, and then peel the bottom quarter or so of the stems to get rid of the woody, stringy part.
2).  Toss oil, spice blend and salt on a sheet pan and mix with your hands.
3).  Place asparagus on sheet pan and coat spears well with seasoned oil.  Hands are your best tool for this.
4).  Arrange in single layer (or you can put on a rack, if you like).
5).  Blast in preheated 425 deg. F. oven (convection, if you have it) and take out when they are to your liking.  If you use thin asparagus and leave them in longer than you really should, they will be very soft at the ends but the tips will be crunchy and salty/spicy, which I like.
6).  Remove with tongs to serving plate and present with lemon wedges.

These are good as leftovers on a sandwich.  I know I say that about everything, and it’s usually true.  This time it’s really true.

Heirloom Tomato Sandwiches Rock

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Heirloom tomato sandwich open face with crushed pistachios on top

I wait all year for that brief, shining portion of late summer that brings me luscious, flavorful heirloom tomatoes for about $2 a pound.  Big, red, Beefsteak types, like the Beefmaster you see in the photo, which weighed in at 19 ounces.

That time has come, and I was able to savor my first really spectacular tomato of the year – courtesy of Berkeley Bowl West, which is now full-up with heirlooms at a great price.

I think most of the tomatoes sold in the US are, well, crappy.  The only places to get good ones – and I mean with actual flavor – are the farmers’ markets and stores like Berkeley Bowl and Whole Foods.  Even those quality tomatoes can’t compare to these heirlooms, though, but the price is usually so high for the latter that I go for the former until this time of year.

One little hitch is my tomato allergy.  Since my problem is mostly with seeds, I’m able to eat fresh tomatoes in limited quantity, and I scout out less seedy types.  I’m glad it’s not one of those life-threatening allergies or I’d never make it through the next few weeks!

A great tomato needs very little.

When I was a kid, we’d buy huge Beefsteaks at roadside stands in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and eat them like apples – by hand.  We always carried a little salt shaker in the car so we’d be ready, and would bring some back home to Queens, where we lived.  This is one of my strongest food memories, and eating a big red heirloom puts me right back in my parents’ car in a 1969 Sunday afternoon traffic jam on the Cross Bronx Expressway inching toward the George Washington Bridge in 90 degree heat – with the smells of melting tar and a basket of roadside tomatoes next to me on the back seat.

You need to go get a huge red heirloom and make a tomato sandwich with one big slice, like I do.

Tomato Sandwich

1 humongous red heirloom tomato with deep, sweet flavor
1 slice really good bread, like Vital Vittles Real Bread, toasted
1 nice tablespoon good mayonnaise
Sea salt
10 pistachios (I use Everybody’s Nuts Salt & Pepper version), crushed (put under plastic and rap with rolling pin)

1).  Cut a 3/4 inch (at least) center slice out of the tomato and store the rest for later.
2).  Spread mayo on toast and lay tomato slice on top.
3).  Grind a little sea salt on top of ‘mater.
4).  Sprinkle crushed nuts on top.
5).  Eat.

Here are other ideas for sammies with heirlooms:  chicken salad, a few curls of Emmentaler plus said ground nuts makes a good combo.  Fried fish, mayo and a little parmesan works, too.  Check this out:

Chicken salad and heirloom tomato sandwich

Fried fish and heirloom tomato sandwich

Tri-color Peppers Stuffed with Quinoa

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Peppers stuffed with quinoa stuffing in a white serving dish

Unless you’re six feet under, you’ll know quinoa is The New Big Thing – though this South American pseudograin is actually thousands of years old.

It’s fairly neutral and can stand in for white rice, for the most part, taking on the flavors of whatever it’s combined with.

Not only does quinoa have a goodly amount of protein, it contains essential amino acids, making its protein complete – which is quite something for a plant product.  Our bodies need a regular supply of essential amino acids, and usually get them from meat and dairy products or combinations of plant products.  If they are lacking, the body suffers from protein degradation, resulting in serious health problems.  Another little hitch is that the body cannot store EAAs.  If you eat meat and dairy on a daily basis, no problem.  If you don’t, you have to make sure you combine cereal grain and legumes (i.e., rice and beans) to get them into your system.  Having a food like quinoa available makes this much easier to accomplish.

There are also vitamins, minerals and fiber there, bumping quinoa to superfood status.

It looks kind of odd – like tiny grains of rice with tails.

Untreated, natural quinoa is coated with saponins, which not only taste bad, but are mildly toxic.  Most of the quinoa sold in the US has been pre-rinsed to rid it of of these saponins, but you should check to make sure that this is the case with whatever you buy.  I choose to subject any quinoa I purchase to a soak-and-rinse cycle, simply to avoid residual soapiness.

Now, what I don’t like about quinoa is that it loses its fluffy texture and gets somewhat mushy and sticky when you mix it with dressing, which is not the case with, say, cooked brown rice.  So, what I do is make the texture work for me by making stuffing.  The stuffing is then subjected to oven cooking, which dries it a bit.

The boys love this recipe, even though they’re not huge fans of plain quinoa.  Matthew most likely does not like it because he can’t stand couscous.  Steven, who knows?  When I mix in a bunch of other stuff, including feta – which is one of Matt’s faves – they may not realize that it’s quinoa in them thar sweet peppers with the crunchy crust.

Tricolor Peppers with Quinoa-Feta Stuffing
   Makes dinner for 3 or apps for 6

1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/8 cup walnut oil
1/8 cup olive oil
1/4 cup orange juice
1/8 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
4 cloves roasted garlic, flesh squeezed out (you can press raw garlic and microwave – a few seconds at a time – to get faux roasted garlic)
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
1 scallion, chopped
3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
Sea salt (if needed)
3 large bell peppers (1 red, 1 orange, 1 yellow), cleaned, deveined and halved
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup panko (coarse bread crumbs)
2 tablespoons olive oil (or more – for drizzling on peppers before they bake)

1).  Follow instructions on your package of quinoa, or do this:  Soak quinoa in 3 cups cold water for 30 minutes and then drain through cheesecloth or a fine-meshed sieve.  Run plenty more cold water over it to rinse it well.  Move to saucepan with the 2 cups of water and 1/2 teaspoon salt and bring to a boil.  Cover and cook for about 15 minutes.  Remove cover and allow to sit for 5 minutes.  Grains should be translucent and the germ (tail) on each grain should have separated.  Move to a bowl and fluff with a fork.  Allow to cool about 30 minutes.
2).  While quinoa is cooling, whisk together oils, citrus juices, onion powder, white pepper and garlic.
3).  Fold dressing into quinoa.
4).  Rinse your chopped scallions (this will make them milder) and dry well.
5).  Fold scallions, pine nuts and feta into dressed quinoa.
6).  Check seasoning and add a little sea salt, if needed.
7).  Pour the 3 tablespoons of olive oil into a sheet pan and brush to distribute.
8).  Stuff each pepper half, distributing stuffing evenly.
9).  Brush a little of the oil from the bottom of the pan on the outside of the peppers (not the topping).
10).  Make sure peppers are evenly distributed on pan, and sprinkle each with panko.
11).  Drizzle a little olive oil on each pepper.
12).  Bake at 400 deg. F. until peppers have a little browning action.  Takes 30 – 40 minutes, but check to make sure they don’t burn!
13).  Broil for a few minutes if you want more browning on the top, but be careful!

Serve hot or cooled off on counter for an hour.  Very, very good the next day sliced on good bread with heirloom ‘maters and a little mayo.  Seriously.  This is why I make them.

Roasted Peppers for Summer!

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Tricolor roated peppers in blue dish with olive oil

Hurray for June!  It’s now bell pepper season in Cali, and I can turn out roasted peppers to my heart’s content!

Roasted peppers are delicious and cut a lovely appearance.  If you stick to a recipe that’s basic, leftovers are versatile.

There are a couple of ways to go here, depending upon how much time you have and what you want to do with them.

First, red and orange bell peppers are generally sweeter than the yellow, but it’s nice to have that extra color on the plate.  You’re free to include regular old green ones, but these have bitter notes, so I leave them off.

Try to get peppers that have been allowed to ripen on the plant, because they’ll be sweeter – more caramelization in the roasting process, you see.  This is why it’s great to buy at stellar produce shops like Berkeley Bowl and Monterey Market.  If you ask them this kind of thing, they’ll know.

Roasted Tri-color Peppers with Olive Oil and Black Pepper

2 red, 2 yellow and 2 orange organic bell peppers, washed and dried well
Olive oil
Sea salt and black pepper in grinders
Optional:  Shaved or grated Parmesano Reggiano

1).  Jack up your oven to 425 F. – convection, if you have it.
2).  Place peppers on a sheet pan and slide into oven.
3).  Using long tongs, turn them over now and again (like every few minutes) so they darken and cook evenly.
4).  When they are nice and brown/black — and they don’t need to be a solid brown/black, rather they should have lots of spots that are evenly distributed — take them out with tongs ASAP and pop into a couple of large Ziploc bags and seal them.  You are harnessing moist heat here to cause the skins to pull away from the flesh.  Put the bags in bowls in case the heat causes them to break, which happens, so that you catch the natural juices.  You’ll need the juices later.
5).  After about an hour, take out the peppers, one by one, and slip the skins (which should be loose) off.  Pull the stems off and gently tear the pepper to open it and push out the seeds with your fingers.  Don’t rinse them, rather use your fingers to get all the “bad” things off.
6).  Cut or tear them into large strips and arrange on a plate.
7).  Pour the pepper juices over the top.*
8).  Crank a little sea salt and coarse black pepper over peppers.
9).  Finish with a drizzle of excellent olive oil and some Parmesano Reggiano, if you like, but they are delectable without it.

*If you prefer, you can make a vinaigrette out of the pepper juices, olive oil and a little lemon juice, and top peppers with this

Leftovers (without the parmesan) can be served on a sandwich, like my famous egg, roasted red pepper, roasted potato and turkey breast on toasted whole grain bread.   You can also use them as a base for a pureed hot or cold soup, and in a ground walnut and red pepper spread, called muhammara.  Another fun thing to make with them is a terrine, layering the colors.  There are endless uses, and they will be about a million times better than what you get in a jar or can.

Roasted red pepper, egg, cheese, turkey, potato on whole wheat

If you have no time on your hands, you can make a simple roasted pepper.  Just wash, dry, seed, and cut up.  Arrange on a sheet pan and rub with a little olive oil to coat.  Add a dash of salt to the mix if you like, and roast at 400 F. until they get a bit singed.  Take them out and transfer to a serving dish.

roasted yellow peppers in a green bowl

This version is tasty, but they still have their skins, so you’ll have to take that into consideration.

Warm Roasted Brussels Sprouts Salad

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warm brussels sproats salad with pine nuts and nut oil

I love a warm salad during summer.  It can sit out on the counter while your meat or tofu grills and be the better for it.

I make these salads a little luxurious, too, by breaking out my pricey specialty oils, like walnut and hazelnut.  Sticking to fresh produce and a simple preparation allows the flavor of the oil to shine.

One salad I’ve honed combines Brussels sprouts, pine nuts and a vinaigrette made with orange juice, hazelnut oil and a little onion powder.  Onion powder is one of those oddball things that adds complexity and prevents blandness, especially with concoctions containing citrus juice.  Don’t substitute raw onions -they won’t work the same way.

Now, not everyone likes Brussels sprouts, so feel free to substitute green beans.  If you like these cabbage creatures, however, you’ll love the way this salad provides a little sweetness and nuttiness to balance their strength and bitter notes.

I generally make this when Berkeley Bowl and Monterey Market have beautiful, fresh Brussels sprouts with tight heads.  The fewer stray leaves you have for this recipe the better, but nothing’s a show-stopper.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts Salad
Serves 6

2 pounds Brussels sprouts
Scant 1/4 cup canola oil
Sea salt
3 tablespoons pine nuts

For vinaigrette:
2 or 3 tablespoons roasted hazelnut or walnut oil*
1/4 cup fresh orange juice (from sweet oranges – not too tart)
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper

1).  Whisk together ingredients for vinaigrette and set aside.  Don’t worry about the lack of salt.
2).  Toast pine nuts quickly in a saute pan.  Keep them moving over a medium-low flame.  You know how to do this.  Move to a small bowl and set aside.
3).  After you clean and trim sprouts, steam them for a minute or two, depending upon size, and then plunge into cold water to stop the cooking process.  Dry thoroughly (this is important!) and cut in half, lengthwise.  You can roast them without par-cooking; try it both ways and see what you like best.
4).  Toss sprouts with canola oil and a generous number of cranks of sea salt on a sheet pan.  When coated, arrange them cut side down.
5).  Roast at 400 F. until you get some browning action on the cut side, but you don’t want them to overcook.  Sometimes this takes 10 minutes, sometimes 20, like if I’m working with Rambo-sized vegetables.  Once they are just tender, remove them to a nice, large bowl regardless of how they look.
6).  Pour vinaigrette over Brussels sprouts and toss to coat.
7).  Taste and adjust seasonings.
8).  Allow to sit on counter for a good 45 minutes, tossing every now and then.
9).  Top with pine nuts right before you serve.

*This can be expensive, like $15-for-a-small-bottle expensive.  Sometimes the people from La Tourangelle are at Costco selling an assortment pack of three 8.5 ounce bottles of oil, usually hazelnut, almond and walnut, for $20.  This is a steal.  Keep it in the fridge – this is a must!