soba noodles with mango and aubergine.

i swear: this delectable noodle stir fry tastes better than the above photo suggests. like, way better. in fact, it was so delicious that i consciously forewent any attempt at a successful photo shoot in favor of getting to the dinner table quicker.

the recipe comes from yotam ottolenghi's most recent cookbook, plenty. one year ago, i made a resolution that i was only allowed to purchase a new cookbook once i'd made at least three recipes from my most recently acquired cookbook. well, with three recipes checked off from neelam batra's 1,000 indian recipes, i rushed to barnes and nobles to pick up my reserved copy of ottolenghi's newest work of genius. and i have to say that i have not been disappointed. i've made well over three recipes from it in the past few months and have about fifteen more bookmarked. 

this particular recipe packs in a unique bunch of flavors. i'm generally not a huge fan of fruit in my main course, but a ripe mango does wonders here. it's a salty, sweet, tangy dish that works well as either a main or side. it also tastes just as good, if not better, the next day.

ottolenghi’s soba noodles with mango and eggplant

from plenty

1/2 cup rice vinegar
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 fresh red chile, finely chopped
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
grated zest and juice of 1 lime
1 cup sunflower oil
2 medium eggplants, cut into 3/4-inch dice
1 packet soba noodles
8 ounces pan-fried tofu, cut into tiny cubes
1 large ripe mango, diced
1 2/3 cup basil leaves, chopped (if you can get some use Thai basil, but much less of it)
2 1/2 cups cilantro leaves, chopped
1/2 red onion, very thinly sliced

In a small saucepan gently warm the vinegar, sugar and salt for up to 1 minute, just until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat and add the garlic, chile and sesame oil. Allow to cool, then add the lime zest and juice.

Heat up the sunflower oil in a large pan and shallow-fry the eggplant in three or four batches. Once golden brown remove to a colander, sprinkle liberally with salt and leave there to drain.

Cook the noodles in plenty of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally. They should take 5 to 8 minutes to become tender but still al dente. Drain and rise well under running cold water. Shake off as much of the excess water as possible, then leave to dry on a dish towel.

In a mixing bowl toss the noodles with the dressing, mango, eggplant, half of the herbs and the onion. You can now leave this aside for 1 to 2 hours. When ready to serve add the rest of the herbs and mix well, then pile on a plate or in a bowl.

orzo salad with pine nuts and sprouts.

despite the fact that the bay area decided to pretty much skip over winter this year, i'm still ready - dare i say itching! - for spring. don't get me wrong: i love my root vegetables and glittens. and even when it's 70 degrees outside in january, i still insist on "honoring" the season with comforting soups and roasted dishes. 

but now that those bright green asparagus and broccolini bunches have started to creep their way into my local farmer's market, i'm ready to trade in heartier stews for some lighter fare. 

this orzo salad fits the bill. if you're looking for a simple side, potluck contribution, or main course - look no further! not only is it incredibly simple to throw together, but it's endlessly adaptable. a perfect clean-out-the-fridge solution. 

you'll want to keep the sprouts and cucumber for the wonderful crunch and texture they add, but you should feel free, encouraged even, to experiment with the other add-ins. i've made the dish twice already, each time using different toasted nuts, greens, and herbs. this pine nut and cilantro version is my favorite of the two, but in my next version (which i will invariably make in the next few days), i'll be trying toasted almonds, spring onions, and some roughly chopped mint.

orzo salad with pine nuts and sprouts.

adapted from 101 cookbooks

1 cup dried orzo pasta


1 small clove of garlic, mashed

1 big squeeze from a lemon

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp kosher salt

1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted

2 handfuls of sprouts

1/2 cucumber, cut into 1/4-inch pieces


3 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped

bring a pot of water to a boil, salt generously, and boil the orzo according to the package instructions. drain and run under a bit of cold water for just long enough to stop the cooking.

in a serving bowl, add the sprouts, cucumber, and pine nuts. when the orzo is cooled, add to the bowl.

whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, and salt. add to the salad, followed by the cilantro. give a few tosses to make sure all the ingredients are well coated. add salt and pepper to taste.

enjoy room temperature or chilled. 

don't-forget-your-squash pasta.

i'm in a perpetual state of awe over the quality of produce in northern california. my weekly trips to the farmer's market have become emotional experiences. granted, it's mostly joy that i'm grappling with, but the occasional bout of agony will pop up when i have to restrain myself from overdoing it and thereby not purchasing 15 heirloom tomatoes or an obscenely delicious (and even more obscenely priced) freshly baked pastry. 

it feels like the rest of the world have been aware for a while now that summer has passed and fall (or even early winter!) has hit. but it's been hard to come to grips with the idea of seasons changing when they haven't really been doing that here. in theory, i can understand that gourds are all the rage these days. but i'm still clinging to my summer squash and zucchini! if you're similarly in denial and can also scrounge up the last of these long and lean veggies, this recipe is one of the simplest, most delightful ways to cook them up. big coins, tossed, with some garlic, olive oil, onions, and topped with fresh dill and cilantro. i threw in short pasta for a one pot meal, but this would make just as great a side dish or grain accompaniment. either way, it'll make you yearn for summer to come all over again. multi-colored squash pasta

adapted, onceagain, from 101 cookbooks

2 tbsp olive oil

5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

2 red onions

1 medium zucchini, sliced into coins

1 medium summer squash, sliced into coins

1 handful of dill, chopped

1 handful of cilantro, chopped roughly

200 g whole wheat farfalle pasta

salt and pepper

in a large non-stick pan or skillet, heat the oil over medium high. stir in the garlic and cook until it starts to brown. stir in the onions, give it a pinch of salt, and cook until they start to soften. add the zucchini, give it a toss, and try your best to arrange the coins in a single layer on the pan so let them sear. add a pinch of salt and let them cook for a few minutes. as they sear, flip them over to let the other side brown.

meanwhile, bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta according to package instructions. reserve about ½ cup of pasta water and drain.

add the pasta, a bit of pasta water dill, cilantro, and another good pinch of salt and pepper to the zucchini pan. adjust seasoning as necessary and serve immediately as is or with some grated parmesan.

tahini yogurt pasta salad.

there are few things i enjoy more than a sunny day, a new city, and a farmers' market. the sights, the smells, (the free samples), the assorted unrecognizable produce: it's all so intoxicating. i've been lucky to have spent the past two weekends in cities outside of cozy bremen, where my hosts took me to some food markets i'd probably pay a cover charge to enter again. for those in the area, london's borough market and munich's viktualienmarkt are both delightful places to go completely broke buying fruits, veggies, cheeses, honey, jams, etc. the former also boasts the world's greatest granola (helloooo shameless plugging!).

whether it's a new cheese or an unfamiliar chili, it's inspiring encountering new foods and trying to figure out ways to cook with them. unfortunately, the reality of having lived in bremen for three years is that i generally know which produce i'm going to run across at which time of the year. 

and yet! this little german city seems to still have a few tricks up its sleeve! if you remember my giddy astonishment upon finding portobello mushrooms earlier this summer, you can also probably imagine how excited i was to run across romanesco broccoli last week. granted, romanesco broccoli isn't the most exotic vegetable around, but it isn't easy to come by in these parts. i immediately purchased a head and ran (or more realistically: skipped gleefully) home to find a recipe for the evening.

this creative pasta salad (originally from the culinary genius that is 101 cookbooks) calls for broccoli, cauliflower, and green beans. i left out the latter two and swapped in some romanesco. the recipe was a hit - even my broccoli skeptical boyfriend was taking extra helpings! really though, the best part is the sauce, which comes together in minutes from tahini, yogurt, and fragrantly cooked spices. you can mix the sauce into the salad before serving, but i followed the original instructions and served each plate with a large dollop of it on top. there wasn't a trace of pasta left, and the extra sauce only lasted one day in the fridge before being devoured atop a frittata the next night.

broccoli pasta salad with tahini yogurt dressing

sauce:

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oi

1 medium garlic clove, minced

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon ground coriander

1/4 teaspoon turmeric


1/4 cup warm water


1/4 cup tahini (sesame paste)

1/3 cup plain yogurt


2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice


1/2 teaspoon salt

salad:


3 big handfuls of romanesco broccoli florets

1 handful broccoli florets

225 g short pasta

10 cherry tomatoes, halved

1/4 cup basil, roughly chopped

1/4 cup cilantro, roughly chopped

start by chop the cherry tomatoes and drizzling a little olive oil and salt and pepper over them. place in the oven to roast for about 20 minutes.

now bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt generously.

while the water is coming to a boil, you can make the sauce. heat the oil in a pan over medium heat. add the garlic, cumin, coriander, cayenne, and turmeric. stir well, and saute for about 30 seconds, or until the spices are toasted and fragrant. transfer this mixture to a medium mixing bowl and stir in the water, tahini, yogurt, lemon juice, and salt. taste and adjust to your liking. set aside.

when the water is ready, boil the romanesco and “normal” broccoli for about 30 seconds. fish out with a slotted spoon and run under cold water to stop cooking. drain well and set aside in a large mixing bowl.

return the water to a boil and add the pasta. cook until al dente, then drain and run under cold water. add to the vegetables. add the tomatoes, cilantro, and basil. toss gently. mix in the sauce at this point or serve the salad with the sauce on the side. everyone can take as much of a dollop as they like.

greens macaroni salad. (and what to do with all that pasta).

it's common blog practice to offer the occasional post on pantry staples and standbys. i think it's common practice all around to keep a pantry stocked with some items that can be pulled out in dire culinary need or moments of un-inspiration.

the problem is that i tend to like to cook with mostly fresh produce. in case you haven't noticed, the majority of recipes here revolve around a bit of vegetables, complimented by more vegetables, and finished off with some fresh herbs. all of these things don't have the longest shelf lives. and with a fridge that doesn't always close fully, their refrigerator lives are often cut tragically too short as well. so i find myself going grocery shopping quite often and only very rarely relying on the assumption that we have backup ingredients at home.

still, if i had to mention the few items you can pretty consistently find lining the pantry shelves, it would be: lentils, chickpeas, rice, flour, sugar, (cookies), an old trader joe's rice noodle bowl that i can't bear to part with, corn kernels for popping, and: pasta. 

so. much. pasta. if we bought some other staple (canned tomatoes, quinoa, more cookies!) for every time we picked up a package of pasta, i'd be the most stocked blogger this side of the atlantic. but instead, we have about 15 packages of opened pasta at any given time, and i've turned into that sad person whose favorite monthly past time may just be organizing and grouping already opened packages...

which is why the following recipe is perfect for this household, one where short noodles flow off the shelves in their various fusilli, macaroni, and farfalle forms. any and all types of noodles can be thrown together in this green, refreshing, and slightly tangy pasta salad. i enjoyed it mildly warm on a summer evening, but chilled and at an outdoor potluck would be just as delicious.

assorted greens macaroni salad:

adapted from 101 cookbooks

300 g macaroni pasta (or a mix of short pasta noodles, as seen here!)

2 tbsp olive oil

3 bunches green onions, sliced

1 leek, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

juice of one lemon

3 handfuls greens (arugula, spinach, etc)

1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

salt and pepper

10 large basil leaves, chopped roughly

1/3 cup grated parmesan, for topping

bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook noodles according to package instructions. once al dente, reserve about 1/2 cup pasta water, then drain pasta and set aside.

heat the olive oil in a large pan. add green onions, leeks, garlic, and a pinch of salt. cook about 5 minutes, until the onions and leeks are soft and the garlic is browned. remove from heat and let cool. 

add in the pasta, tomatoes, greens, lemon, reserved pasta water, basil, and salt and pepper. at this point, you can either stir in the parmesan, or let individuals top their dishes themselves.

pasta, mushrooms, white wine.

there are many possible routes to a dish. sometimes i'm inspired to make something because of a craving for a particular herb or vegetable. other times, running across an especially appetizingly photographed recipe online can send me into manic "must-make-this-immediately" mode. still other recipe ideas emerge from a trip to the farmer's market or recalling a taste from my childhood. 

and then sometimes, as with today's dish, inspiration comes from the deep (and fearful) longing to simply not. mess. anything. up.   

not to be a (self-) tattle tale, but yours truly hasn't exactly been on a roll lately with cooking. there was last week's attempted polenta casserole which took 2 hours and ended up as runny polenta soup. and then there's the cake i've been trying to make for the past three weeks that never fails to burn to a crisp on all sides while somehow remaining uncooked in the center. (note: the two successful re-attempted versions of these recipes coming soon!)

worst of all, when my culinary genius produces something practically inedible, i'm not the only one who has to grin and eat it. hence: the choice of a simple pasta dish for dinner this week. you start by searing mushrooms on both side in a pan with some garlic flavored oil, and then adding a dash of white wine at the end. throw in some arugula, fresh herbs, and pasta. toss together and eat!

below is sort of a step by step picture of what that looks like up to the step before adding the pasta.

this dish comes from one of my favorite healthy cooking blogs, dana treat. she prepares the mushrooms as a side, but making them the feature of a pasta dish takes hardly any additional work. the mushrooms end up incredibly flavorful, and greatest joy comes from getting a big bite of one of them with some of the pasta and greens. i love the dish as it came out - the only change i might make is adding in another handful or two of arugula (or spinach) for some extra vitamins.

pasta with mushrooms in white wine

oh-so-minimally adapted from dana treat

300 g angel hair pasta

2-3 tablespoons olive oil

2 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled

450g (about 1 pound) mushrooms, stems trimmed and cleaned with a damp paper towel

1/4 cup dry white wine

2 big handfuls fresh arugula

1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped roughly

1/4 cup fresh oregano, chopped roughly

salt and pepper to taste

bring a large pot of water to a boil. salt and let pasta cook until al dente (about 3 minutes depending on your noodle). drain, reserving about 1/2 cup of pasta water.

heat a large non-stick pan over medium high heat. coat the floor of the pan with olive oil and add the garlic. sauté until the garlic starts to brown and let off an aroma. discard the garlic.

add the mushrooms to the oil. depending on how many you have, they should just cover the bottom of the pan. give them a toss in the oil and then let them sear on one side for about 4 minutes. once they are nice and sizzly on one side, turn them over and let them sear on the other side. once the pan is dry, pour in the wine. cook, stirring often, until the wine is mostly evaporated. at this point, add in the arugula and cook for another minute or two until wilted. turn the heat down to low.

add in the pasta, parsley, and oregano. give it a good toss, adding more pasta water if it seems a bit dry. salt and pepper to taste. serve immediately.

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.

lasagna (stew?!)

yesterday morning, something very strange happened. i woke up and instantly knew: today's a lasagna day.

this is, as those who know me can confirm, a very unusual and confusing occurrence for someone like myself (namely, someone who spends 10 minutes trying to decide what kind of muffin to order at a bakery or ponders most of the day what exactly her stomach is craving for dinner that night). but the christmas season works in magical ways and so i was blessed, for one oh so brief moment, with the miracle of decisiveness!

i'd guesstimate that this recipe makes enough lasagna for a family of 4. i'm basing that on the fact that the two of us ate it for three nights in a row (with it getting better each passing evening...). the only thing to watch out for is that it doesn't get, well, too stewy. it could have had to do with the fact that we cooked it with mushrooms (the world's most water-emitting vegetable) or that we used slightly too much tomato sauce. either way, things got a bit soupy after 20 minutes in the oven. so i'd recommend learning from our silly mistakes and making sure not to overdue the number of vegetables or the amount of tomato sauce between each pasta sheet. the other key (which i learned from a dear ex-pat ami of mine) is to cook the lasagna pasta in boiling water for 2 minutes before baking, especially if you're using whole wheat pasta. it makes a world of difference.

los ingredientes:

10 sheets of lasagna
1 head of broccoli
1 zucchini
3 carrots
1 onion
1 clove garlic
1 red pepper
10 brown mushrooms
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large can tomato sauce
1 cup grated cheese

begin by sautéing your carrots and mushrooms in a skillet with some olive oil until carrots soften up (about 5-7 minutes). add onion, garlic, zucchini and pepper and cook for another 8-10 minutes on a low heat. meanwhile, fill a large pot with water, bring to a boil, and blanch your broccoli head (already chopped into florets) for 1-2 minutes. once your other veggies are cooked through, mix the broccoli in and set aside.

bring another small pot of water to a boil and cook your lasagna sheets for no more than 2 minutes. remove! its time to start compiling the lasagna. of course, how you do this is a matter of personal preference. whole wheat lasagna sheets are pretty thick/hearty, so we only made three layers. begin by adding your vegetables, then the tomato sauce, and then your pasta sheet. repeat as many times as your pan will allow. top with a bit of tomato sauce and most importantly, cheese!

we baked ours for about a half hour, but just keep an eye on yours :)