early summer panzanella.

this panzanella is exactly what spring's transition to summer calls for: a final chance to make use of those last bright green asparagus spears and a perfect potluck contribution. start by purchasing one too many baguettes. let the bread sit out overnight, uncovered. in the morning you'll have no other choice but to saw your bread knife through it and turn it into crusty, garlicky croutons. 

i love the mix of textures in this salad, from the soft chard leaves to the crunchy edamame and salty almonds. it makes a great main course for two or a side dish for four. you can also easily liven up any leftovers the next day by tossing in a few extra handfuls of uncooked spinach or other salad greens.

early summer panzanella

a muffins on sunday original

for the croutons:
4 cups day-old bread, cut into 1-inch cubes

4 cloves garlic, minced
a couple of pinches salt
a couple of grinds pepper
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
10 yellow cherry tomatoes, halved

for the salad:
4 green onions, white and green parts, roughly chopped

1 bunch asparagus, cut into 2 inch segments

6 baby portobello mushrooms, sliced
1 bunch chard of your choice, finely chopped
1/2 cup fresh edamame

1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

for the grand finale:
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped

1 tablespoon fresh mint, chopped
1/4 cup marcona almonds, toasted

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

start by making the croutons. preheat the oven to 350F. in a large bowl, toss the bread cubes and halved tomatoes with the garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper. transfer to a baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes, stirring once or twice. they should be slightly browned around the edges but still soft (for soaking up juices!), and the tomatoes should be a little wrinkled. set aside to cool. once cool, place in a large serving bowl.

ohop the onions, asparagus, and mushrooms and place in a small bowl. stem and all, chop the chard very finely and set aside.

in a non-stick pan or cast iron skillet, heat a tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. toss in the onions, asparagus, mushrooms, and a pinch of salt. give a quick toss and let them sear on one side for 1 minute. give another toss. when they are looking almost done, add in the chard, a handful at a time. when that’s all just cooked down, throw in the edamame and one generous pinch of salt. toss to combine, then pour the contents into the serving bowl with the bread.

add in the finely chopped herbs and toasted almonds. toss to combine, and let cool for about a half hour before serving. right before serving, drizzle in a little balsamic vinegar, and give it a quick stir to coat. enjoy!

vegetable stir fry with black bean sauce.

it's notoriously hard for me to commit to cooking pan-asian inspired cuisine at home. it just always seems like the list of ingredients i'm missing is longer than the list of ones already on hand. and whereas with pastas or salads i can tell which spices and oils are essential and which can be substituted or left out altogether, this same "expertise" has yet to extend into (westernized) thai or chinese cuisine. 

which is why i was really excited to come across a stir fry recipe that even i, in my humble and ingredient-limited kitchen, can easily throw together. the sauce consists of three ingredients: black bean sauce, soy sauce, and water. check, check, and check. 

you can choose which vegetables to thrown in according to the season or state of your fridge, and the dish can be served with any type of noodle or atop rice. we integrated the noodles with the vegetables at the end, but you could also keep it separate. light, flavorful, and versatile: after making an appearance in our flat for the first time a month ago, this guy already earned its place among the go-to staples. 

vegetable black bean stir fry

adapted from green kitchen stories 

1 zucchini, diced

1 eggplant, diced

1 broccoli head, chopped into tiny florets

1 red pepper, cut into long strips

4 handfuls of fresh spinach

3 tbsp sunflower oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 piece ginger, finely diced

1/2 chili (without the seeds)

1 medium-sized onion, sliced in long strips

1/2 bunch cilantro, roughly chopped

1/2 bunch basil, roughly chopped

1 bunch chives, roughly chopped

250 g rice noodles

sauce:

5 tbsp water

4 tbsp black bean sauce

3 tbsp soy sauce**

heat the oil in a large non-stick pan. when it's hot, toss in the onion, garlic, ginger, and chili and fry for around 2 minutes, until onion softens. add in other vegetables and cook for another 7 to 9 minutes until al dente. 

meanwhile, bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook rice noodles for 3-6 minutes (check package instructions so as not to overcook them). 

drain rice noodles and add to the vegetables. add water, black bean, and soy sauce, and let simmer for another minute or two. remove from heat and stir in cilantro, chives, and basil. serve immediately.

**this dish can be gluten free - just check that the soy and black bean sauces are gluten free.

start-the-week-out-right pasta.

i always look forward to cooking dinner on sunday. it's a nice way to both close out the prior week and prepare for the one to come. and given that my sundays often include lounging around, baking (!!), organizing, and not all too much physical activity, my stomach tends to crave something light and nutritious once evening rolls around.

i started making this dish some months ago when the weather turned warmer and the sun started to linger in the sky later and later. simply put, it's any fresh vegetables and herbs lying around paired with a short noodle and dressed lightly in some balsamic and a dash of oil. it's so easy to make and it leaves your belly in a satiated, wholesome state.

i'm a bit of a green freak, so my vegetables of choice almost always include one (or more realistically, all) of the following: spinach, asparagus, broccoli, leeks. however, i just made a variation of this dish this last sunday with cauliflower and a touch of cumin mixed it at the end, and it was far from disappointing.

secondly, while of course any pasta noodle will do, i choose a short one for this dish as you can eat it with just a fork. confession: i like one utensil dishes.

sunday (or any day!) noodles

300 g tricolor fusilli pasta (or any other short noodle)

1 leek, chopped

1 cup black or kalamata olives, halved

1 onion

3 cloves garlic

1 bunch asparagus, diced into 1 inch pieces

1 cup crimini mushrooms, diced

½ package basil tofu, chopped into ½ inch cubes

½ cup chives, ½ cup dill, ½ cup basil – all roughly chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

begin by heating a tablespoon of olive oil in a pan. finely chop your onion and garlic and add them to the hot oil first. lightly fry until the onion begins to turn translucent.

add the asparagus, mushrooms, and leek to the pan. give it all a toss, and cover to let steam. when vegetables are almost ready, add the tofu and olives and keep warm by turning off the heat and covering.

meanwhile, cook your pasta in a pot of boiling, salted water until al dente.

when everything is ready, transfer however much pasta you want to the pan of vegetables and toss in the herbs. turn the heat back on briefly to stir everything around and make it’s at serving temperature.

remove from heat and add around 1-2 tablespoons (each) of olive oil and balsamic vinegar, depending on how you like it. salt and pepper, and serve immediately.

pasta à la springtime greens and roasted tomatoes!

i stumbled upon this light and delicious pasta while perusing the blog of a long lost neighborhood and elementary school pal. while we used to pass the time together riding bikes down our shared street and swimming in her grandparents' pool, she now hosts a wonderful cooking blog with no shortage of recipes to make your mouth water (don't even get me started on the pictures...).



there's nothing about this dish that doesn't scream springtime. from the bright greens to the grilled tomatoes to the fresh herbs. it's a perfect potluck dish, a great leftover lunch, and... well, you already know how i feel about asparagus.

i made a few changes to the original recipe, omitting the feta cheese and adding some mushrooms and tomatoes. next time i make this dish, i will experiment with substituting in chickpeas for the beans and throwing in other fresh seasonal herbs (chives!) i stumble upon.



ingredients:

2 cups pasta, uncooked
5 shallots
2 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon of olive oil
2 cups asparagus, chopped in 2 in. pieces
5 cups spinach, raw and chopped
1 cup brown mushrooms, chopped
10-12 cherry tomatoes, quartered
1 can cannellini beans, dried and rinsed
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 cup basil, loosely chopped
salt and pepper to taste

get started:

bring a large pot of water to a boil and add salt. toss in your pasta and cook until al dente.

meanwhile, chop your tomatoes into quarters and place on tin foil or a lightly oiled pan. give a large pinch of salt and pepper to them, and roast in oven at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. alternatively, you could grill them! given the chance, this will definitely be my route next time around.

chop shallots and garlic. drop a tablespoon of oil into a large skillet. once hot, saute the shallots and garlic and season with salt and pepper.  while the onion is sauteing, rinse and chop asparagus, spinach, and mushrooms.  After onion has browned, add vegetables and cook until just tender and crisp (about 6 minutes). remove from heat.

when your pasta is ready, strain but reserve some of the pasta water. toss the pasta with with the vegetables. add beans, tomatoes, basil, and a squeeze of lemon juice. toss!  if you'd like, add a tiny spoonful of pasta water or oil if it's looking dry. eat right away and save the left overs for a refreshing, chilled pasta salad.

asparagus and mushroom risotto.

spring has arrived in the northwest tip of germany! apart from the blooming flowers, 10pm sunsets and an abundance of gelato stands, i'm most excited about the return of my favorite green vegetable to the fresh food market.



it's been a while since i've spotted asparagus around these parts. the green has a very short season in germany, lasting from early april to mid june, at which point it disappears as spontaneously as it came. of course, green asparagus' ugly brother (white asparagus) roams these parts in excess all year long, but let's not kid ourselves: there's no comparison.



hence: the need to squeeze any and as much crispy green spears into my diet as possible in the next month. i'd declare an asparagus challenge, but it wouldn't even be a competition. frankly, i'm probably going to consume more than the doctor recommends - or my stomach can digest! - anyway... which is saying something given that theoretically there's "no such thing as too many greens." we'll see about that!

recipe #1: an asparagus and mushroom risotto. i adapted the original recipe by tossing in a few mushrooms and black olives and leaving out the butter. as risotto amateur, i was amazed at how well this dish turned out. in particular, it was amazingly light. if you're looking for a heavy, hearty course, this isn't going to be your dish.

all risottos require a bit of focus, and this one is no exception. but put in the required half hour or so, and you shan't be disappointed! you can also substitute in other vegetables or add more if you'd like a dish heavier on the veggies. as for me, i'll be trying some shitake mushrooms next time.



ingredients:

4 cups vegetable broth
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 green onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup arborio rice
1 pound asparagus, ends trimmed and cut into 2 in. pieces
6-8 mushrooms, chopped
1/2 cup black olives
salt and pepper to taste
cilantro, chopped (for garnishing)

begin:

in a small pot, bring broth to a simmer.

heat your oil in a large pot. add onions, garlic, and rice. cook, stirring, until the rice is browned (about 4 minutes). stir in broth, 1/2 cup at a time, and cook, stirring constantly until almost all the broth is absorbed before adding more. do this until rice is al dente, which should take about 20 minutes.

steam asparagus and mushrooms separately under the asparagus is tender and crisp. about 3 minutes before rice is done, add asparagus, mushrooms, and olives to the pot. let the rice finish cooking, and salt and pepper to your liking.

serve immediately, garnished with cilantro.