Tag Archives: vegetables

Spanish-style Brown Rice and Chard

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Spanish-style chard and brown rice in a wok ready to serve

I’ve been on a mission to get more brown rice into my family.

I try to hide it behind great flavor and color.  It’s not that they don’t like the texture, but Americans are so used to white rice that they often consider brown rice “not as good” and look at you like you have five heads when you present it to them.

Both my husband and son have great diets.  They eat a wide variety of things and avoid food that’s not really food – like trans fat and all that processed stuff.  The main problem I have involves rice and bread.  When left to their own defences, they choose white rice and white bread.

Myself – I love brown rice.  Especially Jasmine, which is fragrant and delicate.  It works well in dishes where it gets beaten up, like in a stir-fry, because it holds its shape, and it comes out separate and fluffy.  It’s also fairly easy to disguise, if you have to resort to this tactic.

This recipe is, loosely, a Spanish incarnation of Greek spinach rice, which I love, but which doesn’t work as well with brown rice because of the cooking time.  By the time the rice is done, the spinach is a shadow of its former self.  By replacing the delicate spinach with hale and hearty chard, that problem goes away.

Another crops up, though:  the bitterness of the chard.

By switching to a Spanish-inspired version with bacon, the bitterness issue is remedied, too.

You can buy beautiful chard in the East Bay at Berkeley Bowl (two locations) and Monterey Market (1550 Hopkins Street) – and many other stores and farmers’ markets.  High-end supermarkets often have smoked paprika, and I’ve seen it at Trader Joe’s.  If you stop by The Spanish Table in Berkeley (1814 San Pablo Avenue), they have qute a selection.

Jasmine brown rice can be found at most Asian markets.  I usually get it at 99 Ranch Market in Richmond – 3288 Pierce Street.

This is one dish where a non-stick wok works well.  I use my Wolfgang Puck electric wok for this – I kid you not.  If you have a surface that tends to stick badly and where prying off caramelization is a non-starter, take care with the last step of the recipe.

Spanish-style Brown Rice with Chard
   Serves 3 as a main dish, 6 as a side, depending upon appetites!

4 ounces bacon, cut into medium-small pieces
1/2 large yellow onion, small dice
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
1 teaspoon chopped shallot
2 cups Jasmine brown rice
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Salt – dependent upon saltiness of stock used
4 cups chicken stock
1 pound of Swiss chard, leaves cut into fairly large pieces (If your store carries rainbow chard, which Berkeley Bowl does, get this; it’s a mix of colors.  To get it really clean, wash in a sink full of cold water.)

1).  Saute bacon until just under crispy.
2).  Add onion and saute until golden.
3).  Add garlic, shallot and rice and stir-fry for a minute or two.
4).  Add smoked paprika, pepper and salt and make sure all is combined well with the rice.
5).  Saute this mixture for a minute or two.
6).  Add chicken stock and stir well; bring to a boil.
7).  Add chard to the top – do not mix in – and cover.
8).  Simmer for 5 or 6 minutes or until the chard has wilted down enough for you to mix it in to the rice somewhat.
9).  Continue to simmer, covered, stirring in the chard as it continues to shrink down.
10).  When chard is evenly distributed, cook for about 20 minutes, covered, without stirring.
11).  When liquid is absorbed into the rice completely, it should be done.  If not, add a little more stock or water and continue cooking until done.
12).  Allow rice to cook, covered, for an additional few minutes on medium-high heat so that you create a little caramelization on the bottom.  Do not stir, but do not allow to burn!
13).  With a spatula, mix well, pulling up the caramelized rice (this will have stuck to the pan) and distributing it throughout.

Stuffed Savory ‘shrooms

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Large stuffed mushroom

The way I figure it, stuffed mushrooms need a MacGuffin.

If you remember your Hitchcock, a MacGuffin is a device in a fictional work that drives the plot and hooks viewers.

Without a distinctive element, a stuffed ‘shroom is just so much breadcrumbs and cheese, and many of them taste the same because they all have basically the same kind of stuffing.

What I set out to do was create a version that was familiar and comforting, but had a little more impact.

Stuffing for mushrooms on stove

First, I wanted to really bring out the umami* in the mushrooms.  Next, I had to be able to use the stems for frugality’s sake.  Finally, there would have to be an ingredient that would separate my version from the pack. 

Mincing and browning mushroom stems and adding anchovy paste and a nice dose of vermouth resulted in a savory, substantial stuffing with a little kick.  If you think of what vermouth does to risotto, you’re on the right track.

These come out of the oven nicely brown, too.

I suggest you use the large mushrooms called for in the recipe because they’re easy to deal with and work well on a dinner plate in place of a protein.  They look big, meaty and inviting.  Berkeley Bowl almost always has them.

Stuffed mushrooms ready to go into oven 

Savory Stuffed Mushrooms
   Makes enough for 5 as a main dish served with sides, 10 as an appetizer10 extra-large (huge,            really) white mushrooms
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons chopped shallots
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground marjoram
2 teaspoons dried parsley
1 teaspoon anchovy paste (or 1 anchovy fillet that has been mashed to a pulp with a fork)
Scant 1/4 cup dry vermouth
1 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs, which are coarse and unseasoned)
3/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Olive oil for brushing

1).  Prepare mushrooms by wiping well or washing and drying.  Make sure they are very dry!  Pull out stems carefully and set aside.  Lightly grease a sheet pan and arrange caps bottom side up.
2).  Mince the stems finely.  Do this with a food processor unless you have the patience to arrive at a very fine mince by hand.  I use a Kuhn-Rikon “Twist & Chop.”  Set aside all but 1/4 cup.
3).  Saute the 1/4 cup minced stems in the olive oil in a small but heavy saucepan until golden brown.
4).  Take the pan off the heat and allow it to cool for a couple of minutes.
5).  Place butter, shallots, garlic, pepper, marjoram and parsley in saucepan with browned stems and saute over low heat until butter is melted.
6).  Cover and cook for about a minute.  You want to sweat this mixture and not brown it.
7).  Mix in anchovy paste and cook for a few seconds.
8).  Mix in remaining stems, cover and cook over low heat until mushrooms are cooked through – about 2 minutes.
9).  Stir in vermouth and cook for about a minute, uncovered.
10). Remove from heat and mix in panko.
11). Transfer mixture to a bowl and allow to cool for about 20 minutes.
12). Fold cheese into stuffing until well incorporated.
13). Stuff mushroom caps, pressing filling in well.  Do this with all of them and then distribute the excess evenly to overstuff slightly.
14). Brush olive oil on stuffed mushrooms, being sure to get oil on the mushrooms, not just the stuffing.
15). Bake at 375 deg F. until they are brown on the outside and hot throughout.  Use convection, if you have it, but keep an eye on them so they don’t burn.  Will be something like 20 – 25 minutes.

stuffed mushrooms just out of the oven

*Umami is a fifth taste (savory), occurs naturally in certain foods, and has to do, roughly, with glutamates.  This is complicated, so you should do a little research for the full story

Simple Guacamole with Scallions & Tequila

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scallion & booze guacamole

Hass avocados were on sale at Raley’s this week – 5 for $5.  There’s no way I was not going to make guacamole of some kind.

I often make a version I serve as a side dish at BBQs that doubles as a dip for chips.  It has no red onion, no cilantro and no tomato, and gets its character from scallions and a bit of tequila.  Very simple and works well as a leftover.  Standard guacamole is often unbearably oniony and soggy the next day.  The tomatoes – yuk.  This version is still pretty darn good.

I like it best with some grilled chicken and warm corn tortillas.

Be sure to tell your guests about the tequila, just in case.

Scallion & Tequila Guacamole
   Enough for 6 or so as a side dish or a bowl of dip for tortilla chips

5 small Hass avocados
3 scallions (green onions), green and white parts, chopped into small rings (use nice, fresh ones)
1/4 cup lime juice (squeeze from fresh limes, please!)
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or more, if you want)
2 tablespoons tequila (gin or vodka is OK in a pinch)
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1).  Combine all ingredients except avocados in a porcelain or glass bowl and whisk together
2).  Cube avocados and gently fold into liquid one at a time
3).  Correct seasoning, i.e., salt
4).  Place in fridge for an hour, covered
5).  Serve with whatever you like.  Good with scrambled eggs!

Tofu breakfast scramble

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Tofu breakfast scramble

This is a dish I like to make when we want something akin to eggs but not eggs.  The texture will be more like eggs if you use extra soft tofu, but I used firm in the batch in the photo.  Even if you don’t like tofu much, give this one a try.  There is a bit of potato in here to add some interest, as well as curry power and turmeric for flavor and color.

I suggest using a nonstick wok or curved pan.  Normally I avoid nonstick, but for a few things it comes in handy.  For this dish, you can get away with a minimum amount of oil and the potatoes won’t stick.

One word of caution:  your whole house will smell like curry for a good 24 hours, so don’t make this dish if you plan on showing your home to prospective buyers the next day.

Ingredients for tofu breakfast scramble

Ingredients for tofu breakfast scramble

Tofu Breakfast Scramble
 Serves 6 people, if you serve with toast or something else on the side; the portion shown in the photo is for my husband, who eats enough for two

4 tablespoons Canola oil
1 medium Russet potato, peeled and in small cubes (I think starchy potatoes work better here)
1 shallot, finely minced
1 teaspoon curry powder (basic Indian curry powder)
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
15 cranks of sea salt, or about 1 – 1/2 teaspoons Kosher salt
2 pounds tofu, cut into small dice

1).  Fry potatoes in hot oil over relatively high flame until golden brown; keep them moving so they don’t stick together when they foam up (a heat-proof spatula works well)
2).  Turn down flame to medium, add the minced shallot and stir-fry for a minute or so
3).  Stir in spices, salt and pepper; stir-fry for about 30 seconds, making sure spices are incorporated
4).  Fold in tofu until it has a uniform color
5).  Turn down heat to medium-low and cover
6).  Cook for about 10 minutes, folding over every couple of minutes (you want the flavors to meld and the tofu to soften)
7).  Taste and add more salt, if needed
8).  Serve and enjoy!

Tofy breakfast scramble is done and looking quite yellow from the spices

Tofu breakfast scramble is done and looking quite yellow from the spices

West African Peanut Soup

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West African Peanut Soup

West African Peanut Soup

I’ve said it many times and it’s worth repeating:  you can judge a cook by their soups and roast chicken, because they’re all about soul, and you can’t fake that.

My Mother puts down some serious soup.  She learned from my Grandmother, who had to stretch ingredients during hard times and coax flavor from small amounts, if any, of meat.

There is nothing more satisfying to my Mom – who had very little to eat for several years as a child in Dresden, particularly proteins and fats  – than having unlimited access to whole chickens, short ribs, bacon, marrow bones and the like.  As a result, her soups are rich and savory, and I don’t think I ever saw one that was not chock full of meat.  Even her split pea and bean soups are loaded with smoked ham hocks.

Since the heavy and hearty soup universe is covered by my Mother, who cooks Mondays for all of us, I tend toward quicker, lighter soups that don’t quality as a full meal.  I recently had an African peanut soup that was amazing, so I came up with a variant to serve to the boys, and they loved it.  It’s quick, easy, and frugal, so I hope you’ll give it a try.

The only pesky thing is that you’ll need an immersion (aka hand/stick) blender.  You could certainly use a regular blender, but it’d be a pain as you’d have to work in batches.  Invest the $20-odd in an immersion blender.

West African Peanut Soup

2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 pound Russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
10 ounces decent carrots, peeled, medium dice
1 large shallot, minced
1 quart chicken stock
2 cups water
1 tsp Kosher salt
1 tsp white pepper
1/2 – 1 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter (make it a heaping half-cup)
Garnish of your choosing.  Suggestions: chopped peanuts; a little crumbled Gorgonzola; browned sage butter; caramelized orange peel

1).  Put everything except peanut butter in large, heavy-gauge, pot and bring to a boil.
2).  Reduce heat, bring to low simmer and allow to cook for 40 mins.
3).  Turn off flame and puree (safely and carefully!) until veggies are broken up but not smooth.
4).  Add peanut butter and puree until as smooth as you like, but certainly until peanut butter is well incorporated.
5).  Adjust seasonings.
6).  Ladle into serving bowls and garnish.