December 6, 2010
Tags: beans, okra
This came from Eatingwell.com. Served it with rice.
- 1 pound fresh or frozen okra, stem ends trimmed, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 10 sprigs fresh cilantro, plus more leaves for garnish
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 red bell pepper, finely diced
- 1 medium onion, finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 3 plum tomatoes, diced, or 1 cup drained canned diced tomatoes
- 1/2 cup vegetable broth or reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon harissa, (see Ingredient Note) or hot sauce, or to taste
Directions:
- Place a large bowl of ice water next to the stove. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add okra and cook for 2 minutes. Transfer the okra with a slotted spoon to the ice water. Drain.
- Tie cilantro sprigs together with kitchen string.
- Heat oil in a tagine dish set over a heat diffuser or a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add bell pepper. Cook, stirring, until soft, 2 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl with a slotted spoon.
- Add onion, garlic, ginger and pepper to the pan. Cook, stirring, until the onion is soft, 3 to 6 minutes. Mix in tomatoes, broth, cumin, the okra, cilantro sprigs and half the bell pepper. Reduce heat to medium; partially cover. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the okra is soft, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in chickpeas and salt; cook for 4 minutes. Remove from the heat; discard the cilantro sprigs. Stir in harissa (or hot sauce). Serve sprinkled with the remaining bell pepper and cilantro leaves, if desired.
Tags: gnocchi, italian, spinach, vegetarian
I found this recipe on Eating Well’s website, but couldn’t find Watercress and wanted to adapt the recipe a bit. Here it is!
Ingredients:
- 2 pounds Russet potatoes
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 2 ounces pancetta, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2-3 large tomatoes, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 2 teaspoons red-wine vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 bunch of spinach (4-5 cups), cleaned and stems removed
- 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
For the Gnocchi: Prick potatoes all over with a fork. Bake the potatoes in the oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour until they are fork tender. Remove from oven and cool slightly. Alternatively, cook potatoes in microwave until fork tender. Peel the potatoes. Grate potatoes on a box grater or push through a food mill. DO NOT MASH (it breaks down the structure and releases the water from the potatoes, so the gnocchi do not turn out right).
Gently combine the potatoes with the lightly beaten egg and salt. Gradually begin to add the flour, a quarter cup at a time, until the dough is not sticky. Avoid over-mixing, again this will ruin the consistency of the gnocchi and they could come out chewy. Put dough on lightly floured surface and need 3 to 4 times. Divide dough into six parts, rolling each part into a rope. Cut rope into desired gnocchi size (usually about 1/2-3/4 inch thickness). Set aside. You can add ridges to the gnocchi if you want, but I never do.
For the sauce: Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add salt to the boiling water. Cook pancetta in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until it begins to brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until golden brown. Add tomatoes, sugar and crushed red pepper and cook, stirring, until the tomatoes are almost completely broken down, about 5 minutes. Stir in vinegar and salt. Remove from the heat.
Cook gnocchi in the boiling water until they float, 3 to 5 minutes. Place spinach in a colander and drain the gnocchi over the spinach. This will wilt the spinach just enough for the pasta. Add the gnocchi and spinach to the sauce in the pan; toss to combine. Top with Parmesan.
Tags: lentils, squash, vegetarian
Here’s a good vegetarian meal that I recently made. If I did it again, I would make half the recipe (it makes a lot). We really enjoyed it! Thank you, Tyler Florence!
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 2 acorn squash, halved and roasted
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 cup lentils, rinsed and cleaned
- 1 cup brown rice
- 1 tablespoon coriander
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 tablespoons curry powder
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 3 1/2 cups vegetable stock, divided
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped
- Fresh flat-leaf parsley and mint, for garnish
Directions:
Halve the squash and remove the seeds and fibers. Brush the flesh with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle with cinnamon, salt and pepper. Roast on a cookie sheet in a 350 degree F oven for about 25 minutes, until fork tender. Cool and set aside.
Combine lentils and rice in a medium saucepan; add coriander, bay leaf, curry powder, salt and pepper. Pour in 3 1/4 cups of broth to cover by at least 2 inches. Turn the heat to medium and cook 30 to 45 minutes, stirring frequently. If you need to add more liquid to keep the mixture wet do so, a little at a time.
Meanwhile, place 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring until softened, about 5 minutes. Rehydrate the apricots with remaining 1/4 cup vegetable stock. Stir in the lentils and rice. Cook until heated through, about 5 minutes. Bring the components together by spooning the mixture into the roasted acorn squash. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with parsley and mint.