Pulling prizes from the pantry one last time

We're still in quarantine and although grocery stores are open, many of us don't want to risk public contact.  So it's possible we're down to what's stored in the pantry or freezer, with not too much fresh food to add. That's okay. There are still delicious dishes to pull together in this pinch. Here are a few, the last I'll post on pantry raiding.

Lemon risotto 

The bright flavor and color of lemon makes this traditional Northern Italian dish exceptional comfort food right now. There are many variations on the theme so you can do as you like.
 serves 4

4 1/2 c vegetable or chicken broth 
4 tbsp unsalted butter 
2 tbsp olive oil
2 shallots, peeled and minced
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3/4 lb arborio or canaroli risotto rice 
1/2 c dry white wine
1 lg unwaxed  lemon, zest and juice
 2 tbsp ricotta cheese, creamy
1/4 c parmesan cheese, grated
* Manchego will work too although it isn't Italian
Optional serving garnish: minced flat leaf parsley

 Put the broth in a large pot and bring to a boil. Then reduce heat and keep it on simmer while you continue.
 In a large heavy gauge casserole or frying pan, warm half the butter and all the oil over low heat. Add the onion and celery with a pinch of salt and gently sauté to soften until they are translucent, 6-7 minutes. Add the rice and stir until every grain is glistening.  

Add the wine to the bubbling broth and cook 1 minute. Then start to ladle the stock, one ladle at a time, into the rice pot, stirring constantly. Add a new ladle full as soon as the earlier one has been absorbed.  After 10 minutes, add the lemon zest and continue as before until the rice is soft. This will take 17-25 minutes depending on the rice, etc. so you will have to test.        

Once the rice is soft, remove the pan from the heat and with a wooden spoon, beat in the remaining butter, ricotta and parmesan with 2 tbsp lemon juice and freshly ground black pepper. Cover the pan and let it sit one minute. Stir again, optionally sprinkle with a garnish of minced fresh flat leaf parsley.   


Moroccan meatballs with chickpeas

Another recipe from my can of chickpeas collection that's perfect for right now. It's colorful, tasty, filling and easy to make.  And it let's you feel you've traveled to a sunny clime.

serves 4 For the meatballs 2 thick slices white bread, crusts removed ½  milk 1¼ lb lean ground lamb 1 small onion, grated 2 tbsp chopped parsley leaves 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves 2 tsp ground cumin 2 tsp ground cinnamon 1 tsp salt for the chickpeas 2 tbsp olive oil 1 onion, halved and finely sliced 2 garlic cloves, crushed 2 14/15 oz cans or boxes of chopped tomatoes 2 tbsp tomato paste 1 cup water 1 14/15 oz can chickpeas, drained 2 tbsp finely chopped parsley 2 tbsp chopped cilantro 1 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp paprika 1 tsp ground ginger 1 tsp salt Heat oven to 400º. Soak the bread in the milk 5 minutes then squeeze out the excess milk. In a medium bowl mix the wet bread with the meat. Add the onion, parsley, coriander, cumin, cinnamon and salt.  Knead the mixture with your hands until it’s very blended. Roll the meat into golf ball-sized balls, and place them on a lightly oiled baking tray. Bake at 400º 15 minutes until they are all lightly browned. To make the sauce, heat the oil in a frying pan, add the onion and sauté five minutes to soften and color it. Add the garlic, tomatoes and their juices, tomato paste and water. Bring this mix to a boil. Add the chickpeas, parsley, cilantro, cumin, paprika, ginger and salt, stirring to blend. Lower heat and simmer 15 minutes. Add the meatballs and simmer 10 minutes until the sauce thickens.

Kwaati 

This very beloved Nepali recipe from the Newari people, original inhabitants and artisans of the Kathmandu Valley, is considered medicinal, so healing it's offered to new mothers, the aged and infirm. It also has its very own celebration day at the end of monsoon when everybody's thought to need a shot of physical energy.  It's such a remarkable soup, I included it in my book Veggiyana, the Dharma of Cooking, explaining that in the traditional, medicinal version, the beans and lentils are in exactingly calculated proportion to one another. Plus, they are sprouted first to increase their zest. This is a cans in the pantry version that's just as tasty and plenty nutritious for quarantined bodies seeking a shot of energy. 


Serves 8-10 
¼ cup dried whole mung beans, soaked overnight 
¼ cup soybeans, soaked overnight 
2 tbsp mustard, corn, sunflower, safflower or olive oil 
1 lg onion, diced 
4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced 
1” fresh ginger root, peeled and minced or grated 
1 tsp fenugreek seeds 
2 bay leaves 
1 15 oz can chickpeas (garbanzos), drained 
1 15 oz can red kidney beans, drained 
1 15 oz can black-eyed peas, drained 
1 15 oz can cannellini or any white beans, drained 
1 15 oz can black beans, drained 
1 tsp ground turmeric 
2 tsp ground cumin 
1 tsp ground coriander 
1 tsp arbol chili powder (or any chili powder that’s mildly hot)
1 tsp salt 
1cup water 
3 cups vegetable broth (or water) 
fresh cilantro leaves for garnish, chopped 
1 tsp. caraway seeds, lightly fried in 1 tsp butter/ghee for optional garnish

Drain soybeans and mung beans. Put soybeans in a saucepan, cover well with water, bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook 30 minutes. Add mung beans and cook another 20 minutes or until both beans are soft but not mushy. Drain.

In a soup pot or large casserole, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and ginger. Sauté 4-5 minutes until onion is soft and golden. Stir in fenugreek and add bay leaves. Cook 30 seconds. Add all beans, spices and salt. Carefully blend. Add water and broth. Bring to a boil, cover, lower heat and simmer 30 minutes. To serve: remove bay leaves. Garnish with chopped cilantro and, optionally, caraway seeds. Serve in soup bowls. Optionally, serve over aromatic rice.

Potato carrot cake

Nope, this is NOT dessert, not a traditional carrot cake made with potatoes. It's grated carrots, sliced potatoes and onions layered and baked into a cake. It's very simple to assemble yet remarkable when served. Which it can be to the gluten-free.
serves 6
1 med yellow onion, diced
4 lg or 7 med carrots, peeled and grated
5 tbsp unsalted butter
1-2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp dill, finely chopped
3 med boiling potatoes (about 1 lb), peeled and very thinly sliced
pinch of saffron
1/8 tsp dried rosemary leaves
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to your taste

Use 2 tbsp butter to grease a 7" springform pan. If yours is 8", use an extra carrot and a large onion instead of a medium one so no worries. Preheat oven to 350º.Cut a piece of parchment or other grease proof paper into a circle the size of the prepared pan.

Combine 2 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp olive oil in a skillet or fry pan, using an extra tbsp of oil if your pan is very large. Over med heat, melt the butter into the oil and when it starts to foam, add the onion with a pinch of saffron. Sauté 3-5 min until onion is soft and translucent. Stir in the carrots and dill. Sauté 1 min and remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper.

Put half the carrot/onion mix in the bottom of the buttered pan, leveling the top. Line the top with potato slices, covering everything. Overlapping slices work well. Put a pinch of dried rosemary on the potatoes. Press down lightly. Put the remaining carrot/onion mix on top and level. Top this with another layer of thinly sliced potatoes. Again press down lightly. Season the potatoes with a pinch of rosemary, freshly ground black pepper and a pinch of salt. Break 1 tbsp butter into tiny pieces and sprinkle over the potatoes. Put the cut piece of  parchment over the top and press down once again. Put in the oven and bake at 350º 25 minutes, Remove from oven. Lightly press down--you can use a glass jar or other aid instead of your hand because it's hot--one last time, then remove the paper. Run a small spatula around the rim to loosen anything that sticks to the pan. Release the springform and serve.

Spaghetti with oil and garlic

This classic Neapolitan dish stars the very basics of Italian cooking: garlic, olive oil and spaghetti. It's an alternative to the recently posted (pasta express post) Roman favorite, cacio e pepe-- pasta with butter, cheese and pepper--for vegans and the dairy-free. This traditional recipe comes from the grand dame of Italian cookbook authors, Marcella Hazan.    serves 4 

1 lb  spaghetti
6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 
3 lg garlic cloves, minced or put through a garlic press
1/4 tsp hot red chili flakes
2 tbsp fresh flat leaf parsley, leaves only, finely chopped

Cook the spaghetti in very heavily salted boiling water according to package instructions for timing.       
While it cooks, in a small saucepan, combine the olive oil, garlic and red pepper flakes. On low heat cook until the garlic is golden--not brown or burnt.  
Combine the cooked spaghetti with the sauce, tossing it over and over. Taste and add salt if necessary Add the chopped parsley and toss one more time  before serving.                                       
 

coming up: Spring flings Parsnips and asparagus,