Category Archives: Recipes

Linguine with Fennel and Tuna

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  • 1 lb. linguine
  • 2 medium fennel bulbs
  • 3 Tbs. olive oil
  • 3 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
  • 2 Tbs. capers
  • 2 6-oz. cans solid light tuna
  • salt and pepper

Cook the pasta according to package instructions.  Drain and return to pot; reserve ½ cup pasta water.  Trim the fennel bulbs, reserving ¼ chopped fronds.  Quarter, core and thinly slice bulbs crosswise; cook in 1 Tbs. of the olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat until golden, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes.  Add to pasta along with fronds, lemon juice, capers, 2 Tbs. of the olive oil, and the reserved pasta water.  Season with salt and pepper.  Flake in the tuna.  Gently toss.

Serves 4-6.

From Everyday Food October 2003.

Liliiya’s Ukrainian Borscht

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  • 1 pound of lean pork
  • 8-10 cups of water
  • 4 med chopped potatoes
  • half head of chopped cabbage
  • 4-6 chopped beets
  • chopped fresh dill (about 1/4 cup)
  • 1 medium onion
  • 2 TB butter
  • 4 medium finely chopped carrots
  • 4 finely chopped tomatoes (canned or frozen)

In a pan, brown pork.  Add the browned pork to a large soup pot with water and boil for 15 minutes.  Add potatoes and boil another 10 min. Add cabbage, beets, and dill.  Boil another 20 min.

Meanwhile, in a separate pan, brown onion in butter.  Cook until golden. Add carrots to the onions and cook until tender. Add tomatoes and simmer slowly for 10-15 minutes.  Add the pan vegetables to the soup pot.  Add enough water to make the consistency of soup you enjoy.  Add salt to taste.  Cook until all the vegetables are soft.  Serve topped with sour cream sprinkled with chopped parsley.

Leonie’s Potato-Leek Soup

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  • 4 medium potatoes
  • 4 Tbsp. butter
  • 1 chopped leek
  • 3/4 tsp. salt
  • 6 cups stock or water
  • ground black pepper
  • snippets of fresh herbs: thyme, marjoram, basil

Chop leeks, including the greens,  into ½ inch rounds, place into a bowl of cold water with 1 tsp of salt.  Leave soaking for ½ hour.   Clean and peel potatoes and dice into 1″ chunks.   Drain leeks and saute in a saucepan with butter until translucent.  Add potatoes, stock, and seasonings.   Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are tender.   When done, puree the contents of the pan, making sure the puree is absolutely smooth. Return to the saucepan.   Thin with milk if soup is too thick. Heat gently, covered, until just hot. Do not boil.  Taste and adjust seasonings.  For a wonderful touch, swirl a Tbs of heavy cream into each bowl before serving.

Lentil and Sausage Soup

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This recipe for soup from Cucina! Cucina!, printed in Foodday, is well adapted to winter vegetables.  Use mustard greens in place of the spinach and reduce the mustard that is called for.

  • 1 Tbs. unsalted butter
  • 1 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 lb. Italian sausage links
  • ½ c. finely diced onion
  • ½ c. finely diced carrot
  • ¼ c. finely diced leeks
  • ¼ c. finely diced celery or celeriac
  • 1 ½ c. uncooked lentils
  • 4 c. low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 c. whipping cream
  • 2 Tbs. Dijon mustard (or less)
  • 1 Tbs. red wine vinegar
  • 1 c. finely sliced mixed greens
  • salt and pepper

In a heavy-bottomed 2-3 quart saucepan, heat the butter and oil until the butter is melted.  Add the sausage links and brown evenly on all sides.  Cook for about 5 minutes or until sausages are cooked through.  Remove from pan and allow to cool.  Add the onion, carrot, leeks and celery or celeriac to the remaining butter in pan.  Cook over medium-high heat until the vegetables are tender.  Add the lentils and chicken broth.  Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally to prevent lentils from sticking.  Hen broth comes to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook until lentils are tender, 40-45 minutes.  While soup is simmering, cut sausages into ¼ inch slices.  When lentils are tender, add sausage, cream, mustard, vinegar and three quarters of the greens.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Return soup to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 5 more minutes.  Serve in warm bowls with remaining greens divided among bowls and garnish with grated Parmesan cheese if desired.

Serves 8.

Lemon-Mint Bulgur “Risotto”

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  • 3 cups water
  • 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 6 to 8 stalks green onions, finely chopped
  • 1 cup bulgur, uncooked
  • 4 cups spinach, washed and torn
  • 1/3 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
  • 1 tablespoon grated lemon rind
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Garlic Shrimp:

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 pound giant shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • Lemon wedges, for garnish

Tossed Salad:

  • 1 bag mixed greens
  • 10 grape tomatoes
  • 1/4 cup sliced almonds
  • 1/2-pound fresh mozzarella, sliced
  • Olive oil, for dressing
  • Balsamic vinegar, for dressing
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

To make the risotto: In a medium saucepan, combine the water and salt and bring to a simmer. Keep warm over low heat. In a medium saute pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the green onions and cook until soft, about 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add the bulgur and cook until fluffy, about 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the warm water, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring frequently until each portion is absorbed before adding the next, about 20 minutes total. Remove from heat. Add the spinach, mint, lemon rind, and lemon juice. Stir until the spinach wilts, about 2 minutes. Keep the bulgur risotto warm until ready to serve.

To make the shrimp: In a medium nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and saute until soft, about 30 seconds. Add the salt, pepper, and shrimp, and saute until the shrimp are just cooked through, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat.

To make the salad: In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and toss together. Add oil and vinegar and salt and pepper, to taste.

Divide the Lemon-Mint Bulgur “Risotto” evenly among 4 small plates and arrange the Garlic Shrimp evenly over the “Risotto”. Garnish with lemon wedges, if desired. Serve with Tossed Salad.

Lemon Mint and Spinach Salad

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  • 1 largeish lemon
  • 1/3 cup fresh mint leaves, plus extra for the top
  • ½ tablespoon sea salt
  • 8oz/10 cups baby spinach leaves
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Cut off the top and bottom of a lemon, stand it on a wooden board and, cutting down with a small sharp knife, slice off the skin and pith, rotating the fruit until you come full circle. Cut the lemon flesh into ¼ in circles and then each circle into eighths, putting them – and all juice – into a bowl as you go. In other words, you want the lemon in small chunks.

Cut the mint leaves, with scissors for ease, into thin strips over the lemon pieces, and sprinkle with salt and some pepper. Add the spinach leaves and oil and toss everything together with your hands. Now decant onto a large round or oval plate – or whatever you want to serve this on – and drop a few whole mint leaves over the dressed salad.

Lemon Chervil Fish Skewers

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  • 2 1/2 pounds tuna, halibut, mahi mahi or other firm fish
  • 4 lemons
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Sea salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • Fresh chervil or parsley
  • Dash of Worcestershire or red wine vinegar

Cut fish into 1 1/2 inch cubes.  Using a sharp knife or peeler, remove the peel from the lemons carefully into half-inch wide strips, about half-inch in length. Remove as much of the white pith as possible.  Squeeze the juice from the lemons, divide in half and set aside. Rub the fish moderately with the olive oil and lightly season with a little sea salt and black pepper. Arrange in a glass dish. Sprinkle with a couple tablespoons of fresh chervil and half of the lemon juice mixed with a dash of Worcestershire or wine vinegar, depending on type of fish. Let set for 20 to 30 minutes covered in the refrigerator.  Alternate 2 to 4 fish cubes with the lemon peel on skewers. Cook the fish turning frequently for about 10 minutes over medium heat or until fish is done and juices run clear. Use remaining lemon juice to sprinkle over fish at serving along with additional chervil if desired.

Leeks and Cabbage on a bed of Wild Rice

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  • 1 c. wild rice
  • 3 c. chicken stock
  • grated zest of 1 lemon
  • 1 ½ tsp. loosely packed saffron threads
  • 1 Tbs. lemon juice
  • salt and pepper
  • 2 Tbs. olive oil
  • 4 medium leeks, white and green parts cut into ¼-inch-thick rounds
  • 1 medium green cabbage, cored and cut into 1/8-inch-thick slices
  • 4 thin slices prosciutto, cut into ¼-inch-wide ribbons

Combine the wild rice and chicken stock in pan over medium-high heat, cover, and bring to a boil.  Add lemon zest, lemon juice, and saffron threads.  Reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook until half the rice kernels have split, showing white, 45-50 minutes.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Most likely, there will still be some cooking liquid left.  Remove from heat and keep warm.  While rice is cooking, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the leeks and toss so that they are coated with the oil.  Cover, reduce the heat to medium, and cook until they are slightly softened, about 5 minutes.  Add the cabbage to the leeks, toss so that they are well mixed, season with salt and pepper, and cook until cabbage is slightly softened and has turned bright green, about 8 minutes.  Taste and adjust seasonings.  Mound the rice in the center of a warmed serving platter, pouring any remaining cooking liquid over it.  Arrange cabbage and leek mixture around the rice.  Sprinkle the prosciutto over the cabbage mixture and serve immediately.

Serves 6.

From Farmhouse Cookbook by Susan Herrmann Loomis.

Leek Gratin

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  • 6 leeks
  • 5 Tbsp. butter
  • 3 Tbsp. flour
  • 1 ½ c. milk
  • 6 oz. soft goat cheese
  • 4 oz. pancetta (optional)
  • 1 ½ c. grated gruyere
  • salt and pepper
  • nutmeg

Slice leeks into thin rounds about ¼” thick. Slice pancetta into strips. Saute pancetta and leeks in about 2 Tbsp. butter until soft. Meanwhile, make a white sauce: melt 3 Tbsp. butter and stir in flour. Cook over medium heat for 3-5 minutes. Slowly add milk while stirring constantly. When white sauce has desired consistency, stir in goat cheese. Season with salt and pepper and a pinch of nutmeg. Transfer leek and pancetta to a gratin dish. Pour white sauce over leeks. Sprinkle grated cheese over the top. Bake in a 350 degree oven until bubbling and brown, about 25-30 minutes.

Leek Frittata

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  • 2 Tbs. olive oil
  • 2 large leeks, sliced into rings
  • 8 eggs
  • 2 Tbs. sour cream
  • 1/3 cup grated Parmesan
  • 2 Tbs. fresh chives or scallion greens (optional)
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • ¼ tsp. white pepper

In a 10 inch oven proof skillet, warm the olive oil over medium high heat.  Add the leeks and sauté, stirring occasionally, until the leeks are tender.  Remove pan from heat.  Meanwhile whisk eggs lightly. Whisk in sour cream, Parmesan cheese, chives or scallions, salt and pepper.  Pre-heat the broiler.  Place the skillet back on low or medium low heat.  Gently pour in the egg mixture, stirring to evenly distribute the leeks throughout the eggs.  Reduce the heat to low and cook, without stirring, for about 8 minutes or until the eggs are set and only the top remains uncooked.  Place the pan under the broiler for 1 to 3 minutes, until the frittata top is lightly browned and the eggs are completely set.  Loosen the frittata with a large spatula and slide it onto a serving plate.  Sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese and a sprinkling of chives or scallions.  Cut a generous wedge for each diner.  If the frittata is too set in the pan for easy removal, simply cut the wedges in the pan.  Serves 6.

From The Onion Book by Jan Roberts-Dominguez.