Category Archives: Recipes

Roasted Onions on a bed of Herbs

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  • 2 Tbsp. butter
  • 2 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 3 large onions, halved
  • salt and pepper
  • fresh herbs (like dill or parsley)
  • 1 cup dry white wine or water

Heat the butter and oil in a wide skillet, then add onions, cut sides down.  Cook over medium high heat until well-browned, about 15 minutes.  When browned, turn them over and cook on the curved side for a few minutes,  Season well with salt and pepper.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line the bottom of a 10 inch earthenware dish with the herbs.  Place the onions, browned side up, on the herbs and pour in the wine.  Cover with aluminum foil and bake until tender when pierced with a knife, 1 hour or longer.  You can serve the onions with a quick vinegar sauce made by deglazing the skillet with 2 Tbsp. of sherry vinegar.

Serves 6.

From Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison.

Roasted Green Beans With Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Goat Cheese and Olives

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Roasting is a great technique for tenderizing and sweetening larger, late-summer beans. Adding this sauce further enhances this dish.

For the beans:

  • 1 lb. green beans, stem ends snapped off
  • 1 Tbsp. olive oil
  • Salt and pepper

For the sauce:

  • 1 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
  • 1/2 c. drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes  (rinsed, patted dry, coarsely chopped)
  • 1/2 c. kalamata olives (quartered lengthwise)
  • 2 tsp. minced fresh oregano

For topping:

  • 1/2 c. crumbled goat cheese

An aluminum foil liner prevents burning on dark nonstick baking sheets and facilitates cleanup. Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spread beans on lined baking sheet. Drizzle with oil; using hands, toss to coat evenly. Sprinkle with 1/2 tsp. salt, toss to coat, and distribute in an even layer. Roast 10 minutes.

Remove baking sheet from oven. Using tongs, redistribute beans. Continue roasting until beans are dark golden brown in spots and have started to shrivel, 10 to 12 minutes longer.

While beans roast, combine sauce ingredients in a medium bowl. Add beans; toss well to combine, and adjust seasonings. Transfer to serving dish, top with goat cheese and serve. From Cook’s Illustrated.

Roasted Carrots with Garlic and Thyme

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  • 1 ½  Lbs carrots, peeled
  • 10 – 12 small garlic cloves
  • 2 Tbs Olive oil
  • salt and pepper
  • thyme sprig
  • chopped parsley, for garnish

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Cut carrots into 1-2 inch pieces, toss with oil, then season with salt and pepper.  Put them in a roomy baking dish with the unpeeled garlic and thyme sprig.  Add 2 Tbs of water, cover tightly with aluminum foil, and bake until tender, 25-45 minutes.  Check at least twice to make sure there is moisture in the pan and stir the carrots gently.  Toward the end, remove foil and continue roasting until liquid is reduced and the carrots are browned.  Serve garnished with parsley.

Note:  The unpeeled garlic cloves can be squeezed to remove the creamy garlic, which can be used as a spread on bread or mixed with the carrots for a stronger garlic flavor.

Adapted from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Browned Garlic

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The roasting gives the outer leaves of the sprouts a crispy texture, while the middles remain nice and tender.

  • 1 lb Brussels sprouts, ends trimmed then cut in half
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
  • 1 teaspoon ground sage
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, optional
  • salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Toss the Brussels sprouts with half of the olive oil, 1 tsp ground sage and a generous amount of salt and pepper.   Place Brussels sprouts in a baking dish coated with cooking spray.   Bake at 425 for 20-25 minutes or until spouts are crisp, yet tender.    Heat remaining olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.   Add sliced garlic and cook for about 3-4 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from heat and stir in fresh lemon juice if using.   Add roasted sprouts to the garlic oil, and toss to combine.

Ricotta-Spinach Dip

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  • 1 bunch fresh spinach
  • salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 1 lb. ricotta cheese
  • 1-2 tbs. fresh dill (optional)
  • 3-4 scallions, finely minced
  • 1/2 cup finely minced water chestnuts
  • 5 to 6 healthy radishes, minced

Stem the spinach, clean and dry thoroughly (a salad spinner works fine, followed by paper towel).  Mince finely (a few whirls in the food processor with the steel blade works perfectly).  Place ricotta in a medium-large bowl.  Use a wire whisk or wooden spoon to beat it until quite smooth.  Stir in the spinach and all other ingredients, including the optional dill (or save as a garnish) and minced water chestnuts.  Cover tightly and chill until very cold.  Serve with chips, raw vegetables, or good crackers.

From Molly Katzen’s Still Life with Menu Cookbook.

Rhubarb Grunt

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For the filling:

  • About 1 ½ lb fresh rhubarb cut into 1 inch pieces
  • ¾ – 1 cup sugar depending on preference

Scant 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter cut into small pieces, plus more for greasing to the pan. 8 X 12 inch shallow ovenproof dish, greased

For the topping:

  • 1 cup cake flour
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream, whipped

Preheat the oven to 375 and, as with all desserts which could possibly bubble over, put a baking sheet below on the oven floor.

Spread the chopped rhubarb over the bottom of the dish, sprinkle with the sugar, coating evenly, and dot with butter.  For the topping, sift the flour, sugar, salt into a mixing bow.  Gently stir in the whipped cream, making sticky dough. Spread this mixture over the fruit in handfuls, covering the top evenly.  Bake for 45 minutes, or until the fruit is bubbling – it’s easiest to judge this if using a Pyrex dish and the top is golden.  Serve with cream, ice cream, or custard: there just isn’t a bad way to eat this.

Serves 6-8.

From How to Be a Domestic Goddess, Nigela Lawson

Red Lentil Salad with Feta and Beets

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  • 2-3 beets
  • ¼ cup grapeseed oil (or olive oil)
  • 1 Tbsp. minced shallots (or 1 small onion)
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • ½ tsp. ground cumin
  • ½ tsp. ground fennel seeds
  • 2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
  • 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
  • Pinch cayenne pepper
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 1 cup red lentils
  • 2 Tbsp. chopped parsley
  • 1 bunch arugula, torn into bite-size pieces
  • ½ cup crumbled feta cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Wrap the beets in foil and roast them for 45 minutes, or until tender; let cool.  Peel the beets (rubbing under cold water) and cut them into wedges.  In a medium skillet, heat the oil until shimmering.  Add the shallot and garlic and cook over moderately high heat until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Add cumin and fennel seeds and cook just until fragrant.  Remove from the heat and whisk in the vinegar, lemon juice and cayenne.  Season with salt and pepper and whisk until the vinaigrette is emulsified. Bring a medium saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil.  Add lentils and cook just until tender.  Drain and transfer to a bowl.  Toss the lentils with half the vinaigrette and let cool.  Stir in parsley.  Toss the arugula and beets with the remaining vinaigrette and season with salt and pepper.  Mound the salad on dinner plates and spoon the lentils on top.  Garnish with the feta and serve.  Serves 4.  From Food and Wine Jan. 2001.

Red Cabbage Saute

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  • 2 lbs. red cabbage
  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
  • 1 ½ lbs. tart green apples, peeled, quartered, and sliced
  • ½ c. butter (I use less)
  • 1 t. salt
  • 2 T. brown sugar
  • 2 T. cider vinegar
  • ¼ t. cloves
  • pinch cinnamon
  • pinch nutmeg
  • black pepper to taste
  • ¾ c. beer

Sauté the cabbage, onions and apples in the butter for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the remaining ingredients and stir well. Cover, lower the heat, and let simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. The cabbage can be served at this point but improves if allowed to cool and reheated several hours later or the next day.  From The Vegetarian Epicure Book Two by Anna Thomas

Ratatouille

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  • 1 eggplant, diced
  • 1 onion, thinly sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2-3 zucchini, sliced
  • 1 sweet pepper, chopped
  • ½ lb. green beans
  • 4-5 tomatoes
  • 3 Tbsp. olive oil
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
  • 2 sprigs of basil, finely chopped

If you wish, blanch and peel tomatoes, seed, and chop.  Tomatoes can also just be chopped and used skin, seeds and all.  Heat olive oil over medium heat, add onions and garlic, and saute until translucent.  Add eggplant and zucchini, turn up heat and cook until they start to brown.  Add sweet pepper, green beans and chopped tomatoes.  Bring to a simmer, add salt, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.  Add basil in the last five minutes.  Taste and adjust seasonings.  This can be served hot or cold.  Ratatouille can also be frozen: it keeps its taste well and is a wonderful reminder of summer in the winter months.

Radish Top Soup

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  • 4 Tbsp butter
  • 1 cup chopped onions or leek
  • 8 cups loose packed radish leaves
  • 2 cups diced peeled potatoes
  • 6 cups water or stock
  • salt
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream (optional)
  • Fresh ground black pepper

Melt butter in a large saucepan, add onions or leeks and cook until golden, approx. 5 minutes.  Stir in radish tops and cover pan.  Cook over low heat until wilted, 8-10 minutes.  Meanwhile, cook potatoes until soft in stock along with 1 tsp. salt.  Combine with radish tops and cook, covered, for 5 minutes to mingle flavors.  Puree finely in food processor or food mill.  Add heavy cream if desired.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Serve hot or cold.  Note: less butter can be used and cream is unnecessary.  We add whole radishes to the potatoes for more radish flavor.

Serves 4-6.

Adapted from The Victory Garden Cookbook by Marian Morash.