Feeding the Love: Valentine's Day Recipes

It's not just Valentine's Day. It's the start of Lunar New Year and midwinter blahs time. So perk up your loved ones with colorful, yummy and healthful food. Plus lots of chocolate! P.s. I am hauling out old trusty recipes so not many photos.

So let's start right there, with dessert.
Here's the winner. It takes a bit of effort but none of it is tough.
Chocolate Bread Pudding

This is an old customer and friend favorite I keep around because it's amazing how techniques normally applied to baking a cake including reducing the bread to crumbs can make this so airy nobody suspects it's bread pudding. It's full of all the things your conscience tells you not to eat so go for it and eat these things we all love--butter, cream, eggs and chocolate-- on the vanilla day of love.
serves 10 lucky people

2/3 c granulated sugar (in two portions)
1 c heavy cream
8 oz (1/2 lb) best quality semisweet or dark chocolate, coarsely chopped or broken
5 extra lg eggs, separated
1 stick (1/4 lb) unsalted butter, cut into 10-12 pieces
1 tbsp vanilla
2 c fresh coarse to fine breadcrumbs (6 slices bread, 3/4 demi baguette)

Preheat oven to 350º and butter an 8/9 x3" round cake pan.
On medium heat in a small saucepan, bring the cream to a simmer (small bubbles and steam).
Put chocolate in a food processor and begin to cut it into smaller pieces, slowing pouring in the hot cream. Continue until the mixture is almost smooth. Add 1/3 c sugar, butter and one by one the egg yolks. Add vanilla and process until the mixture is very smooth. Add the breadcrumbs and process just enough to blend them in completely.

In a separate medium bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Continue to beat while adding the remaining 1/3 c sugar. Beat until the peaks stiffen and look glossy.  Now slowly combine the whites with the chocolate, being careful not to deflate the whites too too much. Pour into the buttered pan and level.

Put the pan into a larger baking pan or roasting pan and fill that with water halfway up the side of the pudding pan (1 1/2"). Put the whole rig into the center of the oven and bake at 350º 45-50 min or until a tester comes out clean.  Remove from oven, cool at least 10 minutes, run a spatula around the rim and invert onto your serving plate.

For the topping
Two options here: one is you whip 6 oz cream with 1 tbsp vanilla and 1/2 c powdered sugar (don't add the vanilla or sugar until the cream has started to really thicken), then spread this like icing over the pudding.
OR
Brandy Custard which takes some work
  4 egg yolks
1/4 c granulated sugar
1/4 powdered (confectioner's sugar), sieved or sifted to remove clumps
1 3/4 c  milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp brandy or cognac

Combine egg yolks and powdered sugar (sieve it in) and beat until the eggs look lighter and are airy.
Combine granulated sugar with milk in a heavy medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower heat to lowest. Remove from heat and very gradually in a thin stream whisk in the egg yolks. Return pot to lowest heat and stir constantly until the custard gets thick enough to stick to the back of your spoon. do not let this boil or the eggs will curdle. (If it looks like a bit of curdle in the photo it's because I had to work on a bad electric burner that didn't cool fast enough.) Add vanilla and brandy and remove from heat.  Cool and pour over the bread pudding.
To gild this
Top with fresh raspberries or, soak 1 doz dried cherries in rose water and regular water to plump them up, drain carefully and arrange around the rim.

Flourless Chocolate Torte 
for the gluten free folks who don't want to be left out. It does however contain nuts instead of flour so be careful with your picky eaters.

8 oz (1/2 lb) blanched almonds
7 oz semisweet chocolate (you can always used Hershey's Special Dark if you don't have many options
1/2 lb (2 sticks) unsalted butter
3/4 c granulated sugar
1 tbsp light brown sugar
4 extra lg eggs
Confectioner's (powdered) sugar
1 pt whipping cream made into whipped cream

Preheat oven to 300º. Butter an 8" springform pan (bottom pops out). LIne the bottom with a round of wax paper cut to fit and butter the paper.

In a processor grind the almonds and chocolate together into a fine powder. (Put the chocolate in first and get it into coarse little pieces before adding the almonds.)

In a large mixer bowl, cream butter with sugar and blend well. Separate the eggs and add yolks one by one, beating as you go. On low speed, beat in the ground nuts and chocolate. The batter will be stiff.

In a separate bowl, beat the eggs whites until firm but not stiff, glossy and dry. Fold into the chocolate batter.  Put the mix into the buttered pan, leveling. Smooth the top. Bake 45 min. Let cool completely in the pan. Loosen the sides with a spatula. Cover the top with anything flat like a board or plate to invert the cake. Remove bottom liner. Cover the cake with your serving plate and invert it onto that.

Sprinkle the top with powdered sugar. Serve it with whipped cream and to gild brandied fruits.

Okay now we can back up to the meal.
Here's a very old trusty recipe I've used for decades.
Marinated Button Mushrooms
I got this recipe from a newly wed from Provence who had it as part of her dowry. It couldn't be easier or tastier and with toothpicks beside it has always been a crowd pleaser. For something special serve it in a hollowed out winter squash or bread bowl or a glass bowl.

1 1/2 lbs whole button mushrooms, washed and dry
1/2 lb pearl onions, peeled (this is the awful part)
1/2 c (2 Oz) dark raisins
2 tsp whole black peppercorns
1 tbsp dried thyme leaves
1 tbsp fresh tarragon leaves or 1 1/2 tsp dried
1/4 c chopped fresh flat leaf parsley and 1/4 c for garnish later
1 tbsp wine vinegar
1 c olive oil
1 c dry white wine
pinch of salt
 2-3 tbsp tomato paste

Combine all ingredients except tomato paste in a heavy stock or stew pot. Add enough water just to barely cover. Stir once to blend. Over med/high heat, bring to a boil. Stir in tomato paste, blending it well. Lower heat to simmer and cook 5 min. Remove from heat and cool.  Refrigerate covered to keep.

To serve: drain off most of the liquid and put in your serving container. Garnish with more chopped parsley. Have toothpicks handy.

Chicken Liver Pate (with bacon)
Liver is iron; it's good for you. So are onions and garlic which keep the lungs clean. So share with those you love.

1/2 lb bacon, diced
2 c onion, diced (about 2 lg)
6 garlic cloves, minced
4 shallots, minced
1 tsp Chinese five spice powder
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried tarragon
1 tsp cracked or ground black pepper
1 tsp dried/ground sage
1/4 tsp sea salt 
1 lb chicken livers, rinsed with any fat or gristle cut off
1/4 cup brandy
1/4 c heavy cream
3/4 lb (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature and cut into pieces


In a lg skillet on medium heat, partly brown the bacon until its fat is rendered (removed). Add onion, garlic, shallots, spices, herbs and salt. Sauté until onion is soft and translucent, 4-5 min. Add chicken livers and brandy. Sauté stirring, until livers are browned all over on the outside but still pink inside.Cool down. Puree the pan contents in a food processor, adding the cream as you do it. Add the butter, processing the mixture into a smooth paste. Pour the mixture into a 5 cup crock or serving bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Chill overnight in the fridge.

Serve as an appetizer or for cocktails with a spreading knife and a basket of breads sliced thin.

Chicken Stuffed Potatoes

This is for the kids you love because they'll love it: double baked potatoes with mushrooms and chicken.

serves 6
6 baking potatoes, oval shaped
6 tbsp unsalted butter
2 lg chicken breasts, boiled, skinned, boned and minced (you can use 6 thighs if you prefer darker meat)
6 oz fresh button mushrooms, washed and dry, chopped
2 tbsp flat leaf parsley leaves, minced
1 c half'n'half or low fat yogurt
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp celery seed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to your taste
1/2 tsp dried rosemary leaves\2 tbsp pimiento, diced
1 c fresh or frozen green peas
4 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into six pieces 
1 c low fat plain yogurt

Bake the potatoes until they are soft enough to eat. Cool. Butter an 8 or 9" square baking dish. Slice a thin piece off one narrow end of each potato so they stand upright and place them in the buttered baking pan. Now cut 1 1/2" off the top of each potato and carefully scoop out the insides, leaving a shell 1/2" thick.
Heat oven to 450º.

Put the potato insides into a large mixing bowl. Add the chicken, mushrooms, parsley, nutmeg, celery seed, rosemary, pimiento, salt and pepper. Stir to blend adding the half'n'half as you go to make a smooth, creamy paste. Fill and pack each standing potato with this mixture. Put a small pat of butter on top of each one. Bake at 450º 15-20 minutes.
While they bake, steam the peas in salted water until just tender. Drain.

To serve: spoon some yogurt over each potato, then some peas and perhaps a little more chopped parsley.
 
And finally. for the vegetarian

Stuffed Winter Squash

This is not the same as the jeweled rice in pumpkin I posted a few weeks ago. It's an old recipe from my business. I had a customer who regularly drove 70 miles round trip to get four of these every time she had dinner guests.
serves 4
4 med/lg acorn or butternut squash (try for blemish free ones)
1 1/2 tbsp split peas
1/4 c fresh or frozen whole cranberries
4 tbsp (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
5 scallions, diced
1/2 c brown rice
2 tbsp seedless dark raisins
1 lg stalk celery, finely diced
2 tbsp pine nuts
1/4 c walnuts, toasted and chopped
1 sm tart apple, finely chopped
1/2 tsp poppy seeds
1 tbsp pure maple syrup
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 c fresh orange juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to your taste
1 tbsp fresh flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
1/4 c plain yogurt
pinch ground nutmeg
1/4 c cranberry juice or white wine or water in any combination
1 lb baby spinach leaves

Preheat oven to 375º.

Carefully cut a circular hole in the top of each squash about 1" wider than the stem. Remove and clean the interior of seeds and strings. Rinse and dry. If the squash does not stand up straight, slice a thin piece of the bottom so it does. Do not puncture the cavity.

In a medium skillet or casserole, melt 2 tbsp butter. Add the scallions pine nuts and celery. Sauté 3-5 minutes until the vegetables are soft and translucent, the pine nuts golden. Add split peas, brown rice and 3/4 the amount of liquid for cooking this amount of brown rice. Cook half the time the rice instructions say.

Toast walnuts 5 minutes on a baking sheet and remove immediately.
In a large bowl, combine raisins, cranberries, apple, toasted walnuts, cinnamon and maple syrup. Stir to blend.

Cut the remaining 2 tbsp butter into 4 equal pieces and put one in the bottom of each squash. Lightly salt the interior. Add the hot rice mixture to the cranberry apple mixture and toss to blend. Add orange juice and yogurt. Season with salt and pepper. Fold in poppy seeds and chopped parsley.

Stand the squash side by side in a shallow baking dish. Stuff each with the rice mix, remembering that it is going to expand slightly as it cooks. Sprinkle the top of each with nutmeg. Fill the bottom of the baking pan with the cranberry juice/wine/water liquid. Cover the baking dish with foil. Bake at 375º 1 hour. You can also microwave these in about 10 minutes if you are rushed.

While they cook, lightly steam the spinach with a bit of salt.
Uncover and split each squash in half to serve on a bed of lightly steamed spinach.




 

Lunar New Year Celebrations: Pig Out!

Welcome to the Year of the Pig! Fill your plate, fill your table, fill your life with filling food. Eat and be well. It's still midwinter but the light is turning and in some spots around the northern half of the globe the ground is thawing and buds emerge. Celebrate the return of life! The Chinese typically do it by eating one of everything--egg, duck, chicken, pork, fish--and trying to show morality by starting with the traditional tofu vegetarian dish known as Luohan Zhai, Food of the Accomplished Meditators. Yes it's Buddhist, from the monasteries.  Pork and fish are particularly prized as New Year food because neither the pig nor a fish look backward. They only go forward.

The Chinese and the Tibetans, Vietnamese and Koreans who all celebrate this Lunar New Year also eat noodles, lots of long noodles meant to signify the wish for long life--at least til the end of the year and new noodle slurping. And what's more comforting right now than a huge bowl of steaming noodles! Glass/cellophane/mung bean noodles are gluten-free.

So here are a few ways to welcome the new year, which incidentally, the Chinese will do for two weeks, the Tibetans for two days. So you have time.
Luohan Zhai, aka Buddha's Delight

not my photo

This is THE dish eaten in every Chinese household at the New Year. I have the whole backstory in Veggiyana, The Dharma of Cooking, along with this recipe. It contains symbols of the four elements affecting our lives: air (mushrooms which grow from airborne spores), fire ( fermented products like tofu and red bean paste), water (water chestnuts and lotus root (also noodles must be cooked in water) and earth (snow peas, soybean, carrot). Who says you can't eat meaningfully?

serves 6

1 1/2 tbsp corn oil

1 cube fermented red bean curd (Fu Shung) or 1 tsp miso paste as an easier to find alternative

2 oz tofu (extra firm is best, pressed is better, sticks are most authentic), cut into thin strips

1 oz wood ear or shitake mushrooms (whichever you can find; soak any that are dried)

3/4 cup soaked golden needles (lily buds), soaked overnight

½ dozen peeled gingko nuts or raw, shelled peanuts

10 snow peas, cleaned

10 water chestnuts, drained from the can and halved

1/3-1/2 cup bamboo shoots

any one of the following (depending on what you can find):

    1/4 cup jujubes (red Chinese dates), soaked overnight and pitted

    1/3 cup black Chinese moss (fat choi), soaked overnight

    1 sm lotus root, peeled and sliced into thin disks

    1 carrot, peeled and cut into thin disks

6.5-7 oz cellophane noodles (depending on how they are packaged), soaked in boiling water for two minutes and drained just before you start

2 tbsp soy sauce, or more to your taste

2 tbsp sesame oil

1 tbsp rice cooking wine or vinegar

Do not throw away any of the soaking water. Combine them.

Have all ingredients ready to throw into the wok or skillet. Arrange them on a large platter.

Heat oil in a wok or large skillet over a hot flame. Add fermented bean curd or hoisin sauce and stir to blend. Fry tofu strips for one minute to crisp them. Add mushrooms, lily buds, nuts, snow peas, water chestnuts, bamboo shoots and whichever of the three final ingredients you chose. Stir-fry for one minute. Add noodles and ½ cup of the soaking water. Try to separate the noodles and blend into the other ingredients. Stir-fry 2-3 minutes, adding soaking water in ¼ cup increments as needed to nothing sticks or burns.  The steam from the water is also necessary for fast cooking. Add soy sauce, sesame oil and vinegar, stirring to blend. Continue to stir-fry 1-2 minutes, making sure there is always some liquid in the bottom of the pan. Remove from heat and serve.

Ping Sha

not my photo

This Tibetan dish uses the endlessly long cellophane noodles to symbolize long life and meat to symbolize the herder's wealth of animals.  You can use Chinese mung bean noodles or the green bean noodle known as Sai Fun or Italian vermicelli in this clever dish where the noodles soak up all the stew juices so that it’s served on a plate as though it had been a braised dish. The recipe is from my Himalayan collection waiting to be a cookbook.

Serves 4 as a main dish

 2 oz. bean thread noodles

1 lb. grilling (quick cooking cut) beef, cut into 1 inch cubes

1 lg. onion, peeled

2 tbsp. ginger/garlic paste

1 tsp. chili powder

¼ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. crushed Szechuan pepper

1 lg. tomato

½ cup peas (frozen are fine)

4 boiling potatoes, peeled

1 tbsp. cooking oil (corn, canola, mustard, safflower)

Heat the oil in a medium casserole.  Over medium heat sauté the ginger/garlic paste and the onion until the onion is translucent.  Add the chili powder, Szechuan pepper and the beef and blend. Stir fry two-three minutes to brown the meat on all sides.

Chop the tomato and add along with two cups of water or enough to cover everything. Once it begins to boil, reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook for 30 minutes.

Put the Asian noodles in a large bowl and totally cover them with boiling water. Let stand 20 minutes. They will expand. Cook vermicelli according to package directions. Drain. Cut with a scissors two or three times to make them easier to handle.

Slice the potatoes into thin disks or cut them into bite-sized chunks. Add to the stew and continue to cook another 5 minutes.  Add the peas and salt, stirring to blend. Add another cup of water if necessary to have everything just covered. Simmer five minutes. Stir in the noodles. Heat through. They will soak up the sauce.  Serve.

Vietnamese Garlic Noodles

not my photo: no greens here

This recipe is also in Veggiyana, the Dharma of Cooking. My research revealed that it was likely created at a Vietnamese restaurant in San Francisco, not back in the home country. But it is now a staple of all Vietnamese restaurants probably because it is mighty tasty. You can use this as one of many dishes instead of a main course.

 serves 4-6

½ lb spaghetti

4 cups coarsely chopped fresh kale or Asian mustard green leaves (no stems)

6 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

¼ tsp ground black pepper

1/8 tsp salt

juice of ½ large lemon

1 tbsp butter

6 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp finely grated Parmesan or Asiago cheese

Cook the spaghetti according to package instructions. Halfway through add the kale or mustard greens to the pot.  While the spaghetti cooks, in a large sauté pan, heat the butter and 3 tbsp olive oil. Add the garlic and sauté for 60 seconds over medium low heat so the garlic doesn’t brown.  Add the black pepper and continue to sauté another minute. Add the cheese and reduce heat to lowest setting. 

Drain the cooked spaghetti and kale well. Toss into the sauté pan and raise heat to medium low. Add the salt and lemon juice and toss the spaghetti to coat with the garlic and oil.  Heat 30-60 seconds. Remove from heat and add the remaining 2 tbsp of olive oil, blending it in to serve.

Desi, Tibetan ceremonial rice aka sweet rice

I am about to make a vat of this (pronounced deysee) for a Losar (Tibetan New Year) party at a fledgling meditation center. At one time I was called the Queen of Desi for making it so many times for Tibetan Buddhist celebrations in the US and Canada. The lamas loved my rich version. It is also in Veggiyana, the Dharma of Cooking. This is not something to serve as dinner but as dessert or for tea or for celebrating when you lift a
glass of bubbly to toast the New Year. It's sweet rice, sweetened to symbolize how enlightenment is, made golden by saffron to symbolize the richness of indestructible truth (dharma) and studded with raisins and nuts to symbolize the fullness of life. Sorry I can't find my picture of mine.

Serves 12-16

2 cups Basmati rice

1/8 tsp saffron, crushed in 1 tbsp hot water

2/3cup dark raisins

1 tbsp orange juice or 1 tsp orange flower water + 1 tbsp water

¼ cup cashews, roasted

½ tsp ground cardamom

3-4 tbsp. unsalted butter (depends on how rich you want this)

1/3 cup granulated sugar (Tibetans would use more) 

Rinse the rice well and cook according to package instructions.

 While it’s cooking, plump the raisins in the orange juice or flower water 5 minutes and drain well.

 As soon as the rice has finished steaming, lift the lid and add saffron, stirring to blend.

 Pour rice into a large bowl and while it is still hot, add raisins, cashews, cardamom, butter and sugar.  Blend all ingredients.  Let cool before serving.

Soba Noodles with Mushrooms and Long Beans

Another treasure from Veggiyana, the Dharma of Cooking appropriate for right now: long noodles and long beans for long life and mushrooms which in Asia symbolize sprouting of Spring and seizing opportunity the way spores do to survive. Soba noodles are essentially buckwheat noodles, buckwheat being the grain that grows in coldest climates. You should read the package ingredients carefully as some are made with more wheat flour than soba. Buckwheat noodles are popular in eastern Bhutan, Japan, northern China and Korea.

Serves 8

¾ lb soba noodles

3 tbsp corn oil

2 tbsp sesame oil

3 lg garlic cloves, peeled, smashed and sliced into very thin strips

½ tsp red pepper flakes

½ lb Chinese long beans or any green bean like Blue Lake or Kentucky Wonder, cut uniformly into 2- 2½ ” lengths

¼ cup vegetable broth or water

1 bunch scallions, cleaned and minced

10 oz. shitake mushrooms, stems off, washed and sliced into thin strips

3 ½ tbsp Chinese rice wine or Japanese Mirin

4 tbsp soy sauce

Fresh cilantro leaves, chopped for garnish

Cook the soba noodles in boiling water according to package instructions. Drain and coat with 1 tbsp sesame oil.

In a wok or other large sauté pan, heat corn oil and 1 tbsp sesame oil over medium high heat. Add garlic and red pepper flakes, lower heat to medium and sauté 30 seconds. Add green beans and ¼ cup vegetable broth or water. Stir-fry over medium low heat 1-2 minutes until the liquid has mostly evaporated. Add mushrooms, scallion and rice wine, blending with other ingredients. Cover and cook 3 minutes or until mushrooms are soft and shiny. Remove cover.  Add soba and soy sauce, carefully blending. You will probably needs large forks or pasta implements to do this.  Continue cooking over medium low heat until noodles are hot, 1-2 minutes.

Remove from heat. Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro leaves to serve.

Chinese sesame peanut noodles

A kid's delight: noodles in peanut butter!  Peanuts represent good luck (sort of like found money) to the Chinese, snow peas represent unity (peas in a pod) and sesame shows how big things come in small ways. These are served room temperature.

Serves 6-8

1 lb fresh Chinese egg noodles (sold refrigerated, often near produce)

2 tbsp olive or corn or canola oil (don’t use fruity olive oil)

3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced

1” fresh ginger root, peeled and minced or grated finely

1 tbsp rice vinegar or wine vinegar if you don’t have any

 ¼ cup soy sauce (heavier is better but not mandatory)

1/3 cup crunchy peanut butter

½ cup Chinese sesame oil

1/8 tsp hot chili paste or Tabasco or habanero sauce

1 tbsp sesame seeds, lightly toasted

1 cup chopped fresh chives (the thick Chinese chive works best)

¼ lb fresh snow peas, cleaned

Cook fresh noodles in boiling water according to package instructions or for two minutes. Drain and refresh under cold water.  Mix olive or other oil into the noodles to keep them from sticking and set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, blend garlic, ginger, vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil and chili. Stir in peanut butter and keep stirring to make a smooth sauce.

Put the noodles in a large serving bowl and pour the sauce over them. Use a fork to blend. Mix in chopped chives (you may have to use your hands). Sprinkle sesame seeds all over the top. Optionally, if you like chili, you can now sprinkle some red pepper flakes on.

To garnish with snow peas, line the edge of the bowl by placing one snow pea upright next to another.  You can also chop the snow peas and mix them into the noodles.  Serve at room temperature.

Superbowls and Just Desserts

A last posting of hearty, heartwarming, one pot or pan winter fare before we lighten up with New Year and Valentine's Day joys of the table.  Fresh seasonal food is likely at its lowest ebb but that doesn't mean we can't eat colorfully, healthfully and delightfully. I had a vegetarian crew here yesterday and the table was vividly laden with a feast of dishes I posted earlier: black bean chili with sour cream for topping (black and white), cornmeal spoonbread,(bright sunny yellow), fried plantains with garlic and allspice (lovely ecru), mango chutney (orange and green), tomatillo/avocado salsa (green) and blue corn tortilla chips (purple blue)--followed by bright orange clementines and chocolate truffles. No winter blahs.
 
Russian cabbage soup
A meatless cabbage soup with a touch of sauerkraut for all the ferment fans. It is not totally vegetarian because the Russian recipe calls for beef broth but you can make it vegetarian by using a hearty vegetable broth and "beefing" up the spices. 
serves 4

2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 med yellow onion, coarsely chopped
1 sm leek, white part only, very thinly sliced in disks
1 med carrot, peeled and thinly sliced in disks
1 sm head white cabbage, shredded
1 tsp caraway seed
2 tsp celery seed
4 c (1 qt) beef broth or bone broth
1 c water 
1/2 c sauerkraut, drained
1 tomato, peeled and chunked
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to your taste
Garnish: fresh dill, finely chopped
Sour cream

Melt the butter in a medium stock pot or heavy gauge casserole. Add the onion, leek and carrot with a good grind of black pepper and a pinch of salt.  Sauté over med heat until they begin to soften, 3-5 minutes. Stir in the caraway and celery seed. Pour in the beef broth and water. Bring to a boil. Add the cabbage, tomato and sauerkraut. Cover the pot and simmer 50 minutes until cabbage is very tender. Check for salt and adjust if necessary.  Serve with a dollop of sour cream and a heavy sprinkle of fresh dill.

Split pea soup with ham

not my photo

Fresh split pea soup with ham used to be every New England Yankee's favorite January home companion. It certainly has all the virtues of a good New Englander: it's robust, mellow, thrifty, consistent in texture and unpretentious. It's the ultimate homemade. And often a metaphor for the local weather.

 It helps to have the remnants of a great smoked ham on hand for starters. And finally, it's probably good for your body after all the partying and heavy foods because split peas are thought to lower cholesterol. This soup can be reheated for days and also freezes.
serves 6

1 lb split green peas
2 qts water or veg broth or a mix of both
1 bay leaf
1 meaty smoked ham bone
1 med yellow onion, diced
1 stalk celery, diced 
1 lg carrot, peeled and diced
2 tsp dried thyme leaves
1 tsp celery seed
1/4 tsp dill seed
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp freshly ground or cracked black pepper
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley leaves
2 tbsp chopped fresh dill or cilantro (your flavor preference)
Salt to your taste (depends on how salty the ham bone is)

Rinse the peas under cold water and pick out any stones. In a stock or other large soup pot, combine the water/broth and split peas. Bring to a boil and boil  2 minutes. Remove from heat, cover the pot and let stand one hour.

Add the ham bone, onion, carrot, celery, bay leaf, celery seed, 1 tsp thyme, dill seed, coriander and parsley. Cover the pot and simmer 2 1/2 hrs.  You don't have to pay attention to it.

Remove the ham bone and bay leaf. Pull any remaining meat off the bone and set aside. Add the remaining thyme and black pepper. Taste for salt and adjust. Using an immersion blender or else a food processor, purée the soup. Add the ham back in and return to the stove. Simmer 20 minutes. Stir in the fresh herb you chose and serve. It's very unorthodox but very tasty to serve with garlic croutons.

Red Cabbage, White Bean and Sausage Soup

not my photo

People who like hearty, unpretentious fare will fall for this almost fork-thick melange of winter staples that could pass for a gluten-free casserole.  It's actually a great dish to make days ahead because the flavors set up marvelously after two days in the fridge. It's perfect for a party or potluck (where people tend to bring starchy fare). 
serves 6

3 tbsp unsalted butter or olive oil if you prefer
2 celery stalks, finely diced
1 1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves
1 med yellow onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced or grated
1/2 lg head (1 1/3lbs) red cabbage, shredded
1 tsp caraway seed
1-2 tsp salt (depending on saltiness of the beef broth)
1/2 tsp freshly ground or cracked black pepper
1 14oz can or box of whole peeled tomatoes with juice
2 c beef broth
3 c water
2 cans cannellini beans, drained (these are white beans; use what you can find)
1 lb mild sausage like Kielbasa, Luganega,  smoked German garlic

In a heavy gauge casserole or soup pot, melt the butter or heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the celery seed, thyme and garlic. Add the onions and celery and sauté 5 min until they are soft. (Don't cheat here because you'll lose flavor later.) Stir in the cabbage and stir to coat. Add salt, pepper and caraway seed. Sauté 3-5 minutes until cabbage starts to soften. Add tomatoes with juice, stir and cook a minute, still on med heat.  Add broth and water, stir to incorporate all ingredients, bring to a boil, cover the pot, reduce heat to simmer and cook 2 1/2 hrs stirring occasionally. 

Slice the sausage into thin disks. Brown it in a lightly oiled skillet and drain of all grease.
Purée one can of white beans in a food processor. Rinse and drain the other can. Very lightly salt.
Stir the bean purée and thent he whole beans into the soup. Add the sausage. Cover and cook 15 min.
Taste for seasoning and adjust.  Now you can either serve or cool and refrigerate to let the flavors really set up.  Reheat by putting the covered pot over low heat.

Kwaati 

This amazing nine bean/lentil soup from Kathmandu is considered a restorative tonic during the change of seasons and for recuperating patients. Made the traditional way, the sprouted beans become magical energy sources and the proportions have been scientifically calculated for centuries for greatest medicinal effect. And still it's mighty tasty! This is vegan so perfect for everybody.  It's in my book, Veggiyana, the Dharma of Cooking. (That is not my photo because I can't find my photo.)

The traditional way to make this is to soak the beans and sprout them, which increases their nourishment. But this can take three days.  So this is is the “can opener” version for those who don’t have that time.  For those who do, soak and sprout all the beans, then follow this recipe using a pressure cooker. That’s what today’s Newari do.

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.

Sherry Lentil Soup

This is lighter than all the above but probably the tastiest with its bold flavors of sherry and garlic. All that garlic, orange juice and parsley is great for your lungs and immune system right now. (See last week's post.) Other good news: It's thicker than ordinary lentil soup and it freezes perfectly although it may have to be diluted with more sherry on the reheat. To make this vegetarian/vegan, omit the sausage. It's still a great soup.

serves 4-6

1 lb lentils, cleaned

12 lg garlic cloves, peeled

2 med onions, coarsely chopped

2 celery stalks, coarsely diced

2 tbsp cracked black pepper

1/2 c chopped fresh parsley leaves

1 1/2 c dry sherry

1/2 c orange juice

1 lg carrot, peeled and diced

2 tsp salt

2 tsp ground cumin

1 whole cloves

4 c (1 qt) vegetable broth

2 c water

1 lg sausage (any kind: mild chorizo, kielbasa, bratwurst, German smoked garlic, Italian)

2 bay leaves

Peel and lightly crush the garlic cloves. Put them in a large soup pot with the lentils, onion, celery, carrot, salt, ground cumin, whole cloves, broth and water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then cover, and reduce heat to simmer/low. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until lentils have soften, 30-35 minutes. (Note: overcooked brown lentils turn an unappealing pallid gray so be careful. Green lentils may require a few more minutes of cooking.) Remove from heat and cool 30 minutes. Then remove 1 c of lentils and set aside. Remove bay leaves and discard.

While that's happening, prick the sausage with a fork three times and boil it five minutes to release the fat. Cool and slice into thin disks and brown in a little oil.

Put the remaining contents of the pot in the bowl of a food processor or blender  or use an immersion  blender. Add the cracked black pepper and parsley and process to a thick purée. With the machine still running, pour in the sherry to thin the soup. Then do the same with the orange juice. If the soup seems too thick still add either 1/4 c sherry or water with a pinch of salt.

Return the soup to the pot, stir in the lentils set aside and the browned sausage.  Simmer to reheat thoroughly. Taste for salt and adjust if necessary.  Serve with crusty bread.
NOTE: lentils will continue to thicken so to reheat you may need to dilute with orange juice, sherry, vegetable broth or water.

Kashmiri Compote

Another glorious and healthy recipe from Veggiyana, the Dharma of Cooking: dried fruits and nuts made glamorous. A perfect finale to the superbowls above or the winter soups of the past weeks.

Serves 6

2 tbsp ghee or butter

¼ cup whole almonds

¼ cup cashews, lightly toasted

½ cup raisins

1/3 cup coconut, chopped or shredded

8 dried dates, pitted

10 dried small apricots

1 tsp whole black peppercorns

½ cup water

¼ cup brown sugar

½ cup granulated or turbinado sugar

½ tsp ground cardamom or 6 crushed pods

½ tsp saffron threads

1 tsp fresh orange peel, minced

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

optional garnishes: candied ginger, fresh mint leaves, fried cheese.

In a medium saucepan, heat the ghee over medium flame. Add almonds, cashews, raisins, coconut, dates, apricots and peppercorns. Lightly sauté one minute. Add water, sugars, orange peel, cinnamon and cardamom. Stir until the water boils. Lower heat and cook five minutes.

Soak the saffron in 2 tsp of hot water, crush it and pour into the fruits. Stir in lemon juice and continue cooking another 5 minutes, until the juice has become syrupy.  Remove from heat. Fish out the cinnamon stick. Serve warm plain or garnished.

Lemon Squares

These are kid stuff, that easy to make. Their citrus tartness is welcome after a hearty superbowl and their sunny color brightens the day.
makes 9

1 stick unsalted butter (4 oz)
1/4 c powdered (confectioner's) sugar
2 tbsp + 1 tsp grated lemon peel
3/4 c + 2 tbsp all purpose unbleached flour
1/2 c fine whole wheat flour
pinch of ground cloves
pinch of salt
2 extra lg eggs
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 c granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 350º. Butter an 8" square baking pan.
In a large mixing bowl or food processor, cream butter and confectioners sugar.  Add 2 tbsp lemon peel, the flours, cloves and salt. Process just enough to blend thoroughly. Press this dough into the greased pan, distributed evenly. Bake at 350º 20 minutes.

While it bakes, in a med bowl beat the eggs with the granulated sugar, lemon juice and 2 tbsp flour until smooth. When the crust is ready, pour this egg mixture into it, shaking the pan to distribute evenly. Return to oven and bake another 20-25 min until the mixture is dry like jello and the crust is starting to brown at the edges.

Cool and sprinkle lightly with the remaining powdered sugar. Cut three across and three down to make 9 squares.

Pear Spice Cake
For the dairy free, yet lusciously moist, a cake that showcases the winter spices which warm our body. It travels and freezes well which makes it primo for potluck. It's terrific coffee cake.

1 1/2 c veg oil
3/4 c granulated sugar
1/2 c light brown sugar
3 extra lg eggs
3 c all purpose unbleached flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp salt
2 lg bartlett or other firm pears, diced into 3 cups
1 c almonds, slivered
2 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 325º. Butter and flour a large bundt pan.
In a lg mixing bowl combine oil and sugar using low speed until totally blended. Add eggs one by one, mixing on medium speed after each one.

Sift together flour, baking soda salt, spices. Slowly add this to the oil mixture at medium speed. Carefully mix in the vanilla. With a wooden spoon fold in the pears and almonds. Pour the batter into the bundt pan and bake at 325º 60 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. It will start to pull away from the sides when done.  Remove from oven and cool while making the glaze.

Note: The glaze has cream and butter so if you want dairy-free don't glaze this cake.
Glaze
2 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tbsp light brown sugar
1 tbsp powdered sugar (confectioner's)
2 tbsp heavy cream
1 tbsp granulated white sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla
pinch ground cloves

In a heavy pan over medium heat melt butter and sugars together. Add cloves, cream and vanilla. Bring to a boil and boil 60 second. Remove from heat immediately. Spoon over the cake top and let it drip down the sides.

Medicinal eating to avoid flu and other calamities

Food as medicine is as old as human kind and despite all the hype, food is still the basis of our cures. It's not hard to eat and be well because Mother Nature always knows what we need and provides it just in time. That's why we get watery foods like cucumbers, melons and tomatoes when we're sweating; and tonic foods like asparagus and dandelion greens when we're shedding the weight of winter. And that's why there's so much Vitamin C sunshine loaded citrus available during these cold, dark winter months. That's why there are chlorophyll (sunshine) carrying and Vitamin A loaded greens like kale, chard, broccoli and spinach that grow in the cold. Mother Nature is fortifying your immune system.

Eating seasonally--heavily now on citrus and greens-- has always worked for me, even with advanced age. So here are a few of my favorite recipes featuring citrus and greens abundant in markets--foods not imported from summer climates. Some of these recipes have been posted before but are worth repeating because they're classics you should make again and again. If nothing else squirt lime or lemon juice on as much as you can and garnish like all get out with parsley, dill and cilantro. These seemingly frail herbs are powerhouses of critical winter nutrients.

Citrus Salad 

I posted two other winter salads back in early December (pomegranate and persimmon, winter salad with frisée and fruits); this is their mother, the most citrus of all.
Serves 8

1/4
1 navel orange, peeled
2 blood oranges, peeled
1 lg red grapefruit, peeled
4 clementines or seedless mandarins, peeled
1 small radicchio trimmed and cut into ½” wide wedges
1 c wild arugula, washed and drained,
1 bunch watercress, leaves only, coarsely chopped
1/4 c pomegranate arils
Slice the oranges into thin disks, then quarter each disk.
Pull the grapefruit apart in sections and cut each section into 3-4 pieces.\Pull the clementines apart into sections.
Combine everything in a serving bowl.

For the dressing
3 oz roasted unsalted almonds, roughly chopped
2 green chilies, deseeded and thinly sliced
2” fresh ginger root, peeled and grated
1 tbsp coriander seeds*
1 tbsp fennel seeds*
1½ tbsp poppy seeds
¼ c good sherry vinegar
½ c olive oil
Coarse sea salt and black pepper

*if you can lightly crush these, great

To make the dressing: combine all the ingredients. Pour over salad slowly because there may be more dressing than you like.
Mexican Green Salsa with lime

This is my all time favorite sauce for everything. I found it at a real hole in the wall burrito shop in the Mission District of San Francisco, took some home and figured it out. Of course it's the perfect dip for tortilla chips--think Superbowl Sunday, but it's also fabulous on scrambled eggs, baked potatoes, polenta, salmon, pork, black bean chili and of course burritos. I know it requires imported ingredients but it's just the right color and nutrients for now and I love it. I have posted it before. It's worth repeating.

3 lg tomatilloes, skin off and chopped
1/4 sm/med avocado, skin off
1 sm garlic clove,
1/4 c red onion, chopped
1 lg lime, juice only
1 Serrano chili, seeded and sliced
1/3 bunch cilantro, leaves only
Sea salt to your taste

Combine everything in a food processor and blend to a thick sauce. Taste and adjust salt, lime and chili. (You can add a pinch of red chili pepper flakes if it isn't hot enough for you.)
 
Spinach with chickpeas (a specialty of Seville)

This is one of my favorite dishes and it has become a go-to for friends I've shared it with. Espinaces con garbanzos is as traditional an Andalusian recipe as you will find, still beloved and wildly popular. It's not only delicious and colorful, it's super nutritious, gluten-free and vegan to boot. What more could you want? How about easy and inexpensive to make! I've posted it before as part of my growing chickpea collection. In Seville, it's usually served alone as a tapa with crusty bread. I put it on a vegetable plate with rice or beside roast chicken.
serves 4-6

1 lb spinach leaves, stems off, washed and coarsely chopped
1 can chickpeas, drained but reserve the water
1/2 c olive oil
18 raw marcona almonds (any raw almonds, actually)
3 garlic cloves
1 tsp cumin seed
1/3 c chopped tomatoes, juice included
3 tbsp sherry vinegar or 2 tbsp sherry and 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp smoked Spanish paprika
½ tsp chili powder (unless you are using hot Spanish paprika)

Coarse sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to your taste Heat the olive oil in a med pot/saucepan and over medium heat fry the slices of garlic and bread/almonds until golden. Remove with a slotted spoon, leaving the pot and oil untouched. Put the bread/almonds and garlic in a food processor, chopper or mortar. Add the smoked Spanish paprika (pimentón), the chili pepper, cumin seed, black pepper, and the coarse sea salt. Blitz or pound into paste. Add the vinegar and 1-2 tbsp chickpea water to thin the paste to the consistency of hummus. If necessary to thin it more, add 1 tsp vinegar.

Put the tomatoes and chickpeas into the pot/saucepan with the oil. Stir in the paste, adding another tbsp. chickpea water if necessary. Warm over medium heat. Add the spinach to the pot, lightly pressing it down. Continue cooking until the spinach is totally wilted. Stir the spinach into the chickpeas and sauce and continue cooking on low heat 8-10 minutes so the spinach is very soft. Stir so nothing burns. Taste and add salt or sherry/sherry vinegar and/or Spanish paprika if necessary. Serve warm with toasts or in bowls.

Pasta with Broccoli rabe, pine nuts and lots of garlic

Garlic is magical medicine for the lungs. You smell it on the breath because it never reaches the stomach. It stops in the lungs where it was historically known to kill demons, meaning it destroys bacteria and viruses in them. The killer is the sulfur, source of the odor and source of sulfa drugs. So pile on the garlic.

Broccoli rabe is the original broccoli plant with its leaves and small crowns. It's tastier than the larger more recently bred broccoli and more appealing visually. It's close cousin, also a substitute here, is broccolini, baby broccoli.

I eat this at least once a week not only for the broccoli green and garlic but because bitterness (which broccoli rabe is loaded with) helps open the sinuses and I need help with that. This is a vegan dish that cuts back on my meat eating so it's emotionally satisfying as well as medicinal. Plus it's pretty. And if you can't stand a meal without meat add sausage, pepperoni or chorizo to it.
serves 4

1 bunch broccoli rabe, chopped into large bite size pieces
1/4 c iodized salt (not to worry it's for the boiling water) 
1/2 c good quality olive oil (plus some at the end) 
1 med red onion, diced (I use red for the color; it you only have yellow, okay)
1/4 c pine nuts
4 lg garlic cloves, smashed and minced or grated
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Sea salt to your taste 
1/2 c freshly grated Parmesan or Asiago cheese
1 lb penne, pennino, cappelletti, orecchiete--any med or small pasta the length of a piece of chopped broccoli

Fill a large soup pot with water and the 1/4 c salt. Bring to a boil. Add the broccoli rabe and boil 1-2 minutes. This removes the real bitterness and softens it. Drain but keep the water to keep the pasta.
Bring the water back to a boil, add more salt and the pasta. Cook according to package instructions: should be 12-15 minutes if it's good Italian durum wheat pasta.

While the pasta cooks, heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Over med heat, add the onion, pine nuts, red pepper flakes and black pepper. Sauté 3-5 minutes until onion is soft and pine nuts are golden. Add the garlic and well drained broccoli rabe. (If it's wet the oil will spurt up.) Stir to blend, add a pinch of sea salt and cook over low heat until pasta is finished.


Add 3 tbsp pasta water to the skillet, then the pasta. Season the pasta with sea salt to your taste, freshly ground black pepper and a splash of really good quality olive oil. Then blend it into the broccoli rabe. You may need more oil. Add the grated cheese. Taste for salt and serve right away with a fruity winter salad.
 
Spicy Lemon Lentils
Excellent with rice and braised greens or baked ham. This was very popular in the Mongolian Cafe I set up in Ulan Bator where meat eating people had to eat vegetarian. So I knew it was a winner.
serves 6

2 cups brown lentils, picked over
1 small cinnamon stick
3 whole cloves
3 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp butter or ghee
2 lg onions, diced
2" piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1/4 tsp ground Cayenne
4 garlic cloves, minced
zest of 1 lemon, grated
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 sm medium hot chili, minced
salt and black pepper
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, leaves only, chopped

Put lentils, cinnamon stick and cloves in a large saucepan and cover lentils with water 1" over the top of them. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer and cook about 20 minutes or until lentils are soft. Drain and remove cinnamon stick and cloves.

In a large sauté pan or skillet, melt the butter over medium heat and add the oil. Add onions and sauté for 10 minutes until onions are soft and translucent. Add ginger, cayenne, garlic, lemon zest and chili. Sauté another 5 minutes. Fold in the lentils and lemon juice. Carefully stir once to blend. Heat just until the lentils are hot. Season with salt and pepper to your taste. Stir in the chopped cilantro. Serve warm.


Cheap Thrills: Chimichurri, Cilantro Pesto. Salsa Verde
Don't forget, those inexpensive bunches of parsley and cilantro are nutrient powerhouses, storehouses of sunshine. Sauce them up and pour them over everything. Chimichurri is actually an Argentine steak sauce. Cilantro pesto is very peppery and brightens up spaghetti, scrambled eggs, tomato soup, grilled cheese sandwiches, baked sweet potatoes and a root vegetable stew. I've posted these before but, again, they're keepers you need to memorize.

Chimichurri, Argentina’s famous parsley steak sauce
1/4 cup coarsely chopped parsley (leaves of 1/2 bunch) 
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar 
4 large garlic cloves, minced (2 1/2 tablespoons) 
2 tablespoons oregano leaves 
2 teaspoons crushed red pepper 
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

In a food processor, combine the parsley, vinegar, garlic, oregano and crushed red pepper. Process until smooth; season with salt and pepper. Transfer the sauce to a bowl and pour the olive oil over the mixture. Let stand for at least 20 minutes.
Make Ahead. The chimichurri can be refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Cilantro Pesto
2 c fresh cilantro leaves (with some stems, no problem)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp fresh black pepper
3 lg garlic cloves peeled  
2 tbsp toasted pine nuts
1 to1 1/4c olive oil
1/2 c grated Parmesan cheese

Combine all in processor and whir until smooth.

Salsa Verde
for those who want some "meat" to their sauce, this is the salty, fishy Italian sauce
(serves 4)
½ clove of garlic
2-3 anchovy fillets
1 tbsp capers
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
handful basil leaves
handful of flat leaf parsley leaves
handful of mint leaves
4-5 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Put the garlic in the food processor along with the anchovies, capers, Dijon mustard and red wine vinegar and blitz to a paste. Add the fresh herbs and use the “pulse” setting to incorporate. Add the olive oil and pulse briefly. Taste the salsa verde and season with salt and pepper as you like.

Superbowls and desserts next time.