Vegetarian Main Course

Broiled Sardines with Stewed Tomatoes and Eggplant

~ tracyshar ~ Leave a comment

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Ingredients:

  • About a pound of gutted, head on sardines
  • 1 lemon, thinly sliced
  • a handful of thyme
  • 1 large eggplant, halved and thinly sliced
  • 1 lb. tomatoes, coarsely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses
  • ghee or olive oil
  • fresh mint for serving
  • salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

  1. Pre-heat oven to 425 F.
  2. Arrange eggplant slices on a foil lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Cook in oven for 20 minutes.
  3. Remove from oven and fold foil over itself, sealing the edges to create a package. Set aside and allow to steam for 15 minutes or so.
  4. Turn oven up to broil.
  5. Meanwhile, add ghee or oil to a large heavy pot, melt and bring to a shimmer.
  6. Add tomatoes and cook for about 15 minutes, until tomatoes darken in color and cook down quite a bit.
  7. Add eggplant to the tomatoes along with the molasses. Cover and stew for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  8. While the mixture is stewing, wrap a slice of lemon around a couple of thyme sprigs and stuff inside a sardine. Repeat with all the sardines.
  9. Heat a cast iron skillet over a high flame. Once the skillet is hot, add sardines and transfer to broiler. Broil 6 – 8 minutes until nicely browned.
  10. Transfer everything to platters; garnish the tomatoes and eggplant with fresh mint and squeeze fresh lemon and sprinkle fresh thyme over sardines.
  11. Eat immediately.

Tomato Tart with Fresh Mozzarella and Anchovies

~ tracyshar ~ Leave a comment

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Full disclosure: I love anchovies. And most stinky fish, to be honest. But I really like anchovies. Anyway, I’ve been getting a ton of tomatoes from my CSA and I took to the Times to figure out what to do with them. Yay, fresh tomatoes!!! Please don’t go away. Get the Times version here.

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups/250 grams all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning tomatoes
  • ¼ cup extra-virgin oil, plus 2 tablespoons and a little more to grease the pan
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1 large garlic clove, grated
  • 1 cup thinly sliced onion
  • 2 large tomatoes, sliced 1/4-inch thick and blotted
  • Ground black pepper
  • ½ pound fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
  • A few capers, optional
  • 8 anchovy fillets, rinsed and patted dry

Preparation:

  1. Make the dough: Put flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a mixing bowl. Drizzle in 1/4 cup oil, egg and 1/4 cup cold water, then mix quickly with hands to make a soft dough. If dough seems dry, add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time. Form dough into a rough rectangle, wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  2. Heat oven to 425 degrees. On a flour-dusted surface, divide dough in half. Roll out one piece to a rectangle approximately 9 by 12 inches (reserve other piece for future use, or to make a second tart).
  3. Stir 2 tablespoons olive oil and the garlic together in a small bowl. Put rolled dough on lightly greased baking sheet. Drizzle surface of dough with garlic oil. Scatter onion slices over dough. Arrange tomato slices over dough in one layer without crowding, then season with salt and pepper. Top tomatoes with torn mozzarella slices in one layer. Tuck olives and capers here and there, if using. Drape top of tart with intermittently placed anchovy fillets.
  4. Bake for 6 minutes on bottom shelf of oven, then transfer to top shelf and bake for another 6 minutes or until nicely browned. Let cool slightly, then cut into squares. Serve warm or at room temperature.

 

Stir-Fried Brown Rice with Chard, Carrot, Peppers and Scallions

~ tracyshar ~ Leave a comment

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This is so simple and delicious. You could probably throw whatever you have in house in here and it would be great. Definitely don’t leave out the chard, though, cause the chard ribs add a lot to it and are amazing. It’s basically all prep…once everything is chopped this takes about 5 minutes.

Ingredients:

  • 1 generous bunch of chard (1 to 1 1/4 pounds), stemmed, washed and chopped. (Keep the stems, also chopped, for the stir fry)
  • 2 to 3 tsp. minced garlic (to taste)
  • 2 tbls. minced fresh ginger (to taste)
  • 2 eggs
  • Salt to taste
  • 2 tsps plus 2 tbls. sesame oil
  • 1 medium carrot, cut in 2-inch julienne
  • 1 habanero pepper, seeded and minced
  • 1 green pepper, minced
  • 1 bunch scallions, sliced, dark green parts separated
  • 4 cups cooked brown rice, either chilled or at room temperature
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons soy sauce (to taste)
  • ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
  • ½ cup chopped cilantro
  • coarse sea salt, to taste

Preparation:

  1. Combine garlic, ginger and habanero in a small bowl. Beat eggs in a bowl and season with a pinch of salt. Prepare the other ingredients and place in separate bowls.
  2. Heat a wok or a 12-inch skillet over high heat. Swirl in 2 teaspoons of oil. Add eggs, swirling the wok or pan so that the eggs form a thin pancake. Cook 30 – 60 seconds, until set. Using a spatula, turn pancake over and cook for 5 to 10 more seconds, until thoroughly set, then transfer to a plate or cutting board and quickly cut into strips.
  3. Swirl in remaining oil and add garlic, ginger and habanero. Stir-fry no more than 10 seconds and add chard stems, carrots and green pepper. Stir-fry for 2 minutes, until crisp-tender, and add light part of the scallions and chard leaves. Stir-fry until leaves wilt, 1 to 2 minutes, and add rice. Stir-fry, scooping up the rice with your spatula then pressing it into the hot wok or pan and scooping it up again, for about 2 minutes. Add soy sauce, dark green part of the scallions, eggs and cilantro, stir-fry for about 30 seconds and remove from heat. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt and serve.

Sweet & Sour Eggplant, Tomatoes and Chickpeas with a Side of Tomato, Watermelon Feta Salad

~ tracyshar ~ 1 Comment

 

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This may well be my new favorite dish. It hails from NY Times Cooking, and you can find the original recipe here. I always change some things based on how I like it, but I like to source the original recipe when there was one. Eggplant is one of those vegetables, for me, that I’m still trying to figure out, and learn how I like it…because often, I don’t like it. Well, I’ve definitely learned at least one way. I actually licked the bowl when I was done with this. It tastes better the next day, and even better the day after that. It also takes a while to prepare, so don’t be afraid to make it while eating something else, and saving this overnight to soak in all the flavors. But most importantly, eat this.

Ingredients:

  • 1 large eggplant 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds, halved lengthwise then cut in 1/2-inch slices
  • Salt to taste
  • 3 to 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, as needed
  • 2 large garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 ½ pounds tomatoes, grated or peeled, seeded and chopped
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • Freshly ground pepper
  • 2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
  • 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons of fresh mint

Preparation:

  1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil, and oil it with olive oil. Lay the eggplant slices on top. Salt lightly and brush with olive oil. Place in the oven for 20 minutes until the eggplant is lightly browned and soft to the touch (the surface will be dry). Remove from the heat, and fold over the foil to make a packet around the eggplant slices. Allow them to soften and steam inside the foil for 15 minutes while you proceed with Step 2.
  2. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy lidded casserole or skillet. Add the garlic. Cook just until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the tomatoes, salt to taste, sugar and pepper. Bring to a simmer, and simmer uncovered over medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring often, until the tomatoes have cooked down and smell very fragrant.
  3. Add the eggplant, molasses and chickpeas. Cover and simmer for another 20 to 30 minutes, stirring from time to time. The mixture should be thick and the eggplant should be very tender, melting into the mixture. Taste and adjust seasoning. Sprinkle on the parsley and/or mint, and serve. Alternately, allow to cool and serve warm or at room temperature.

Also featured is a tomato, watermelon, feta salad with fresh mint. Chop all ingredients, place in bowl, and drip on balsamic vinegar and a little olive oil. Yum!

 

Mark Bittman’s Asian Cucumber Soup

~ tracyshar ~ Leave a comment

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This recipe is fantastic. I happened to have some really good ingredients for it, which helps, since this is basically a simple, easy recipe for a hot summer day. You can pretty much always trust Mark Bittman to keep it simple, classy and delicious. Get it on the NY Times here.

Ingredients:

  • 2 medium cucumbers
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons rice-wine orwhite-wine vinegar
  • 1 small chili, stemmed, seededand minced, or 1/4 teaspoon cayenne,or to taste
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 3 cups chicken stock, chilled
  • ½ cup minced scallions, both white and green parts
  • 1 cup chopped watercress or arugula (optional)
  • 1 cup roughly chopped cilantro, mint, Thai basil or a combination.

Preparation:

  1. Peel cucumbers, then cut them in half lengthwise. Scoop out seeds. Slice cucumbers as thinly as possible (a mandoline is ideal for this). Mix them in a large bowl with soy sauce, vinegar, chili and sugar, then refrigerate for about 20 minutes.
  2. Add stock, scallions, watercress or arugula if you like, and stir. Taste, and adjust seasoning. Just before serving, garnish with herb or herbs of your choice.

Et voila! You’re done!! Want to make it veggie? Use vegetable stock! Want to make it vegan? Use shoyu or aminos, agave or honey and 3 cups vegan chik’n stock, chilled (Edward & Sons Not-Chick’n Bouillon) Is that stuff raw? I don’t know. But dang this is yum.

 

 

Cold Spicy Kimchi Noodles

~ tracyshar ~ 2 Comments

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This recipe comes from the Times. And what a great idea it is. Eat it.

Ingredients:

For the dressing:

  • 1 cup finely chopped kimchi, plus 2 tablespoons kimchi juice
  • 1 medium garlic clove, grated
  • 2 teaspoons grated ginger
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon gochujang (Korean hot pepper paste)
  • 1 tablespoon Japanese red miso
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice
  • 1 teaspoon orange zest
  • 1 teaspoon fish sauce
  • ½ teaspoon gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes)
  • Salt

For the Noodles:

  • 8 ounces flat rice noodles or soba noodles
  • 1 medium cucumber, peeled, halved and sliced into half-moons (about 1 cup)
  • 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
  • 3 or 4 large red radishes, sliced into thin rounds
  • ½ cup scallions, slivered
  • 1 serrano chile, thinly sliced (optional)
  • 3 eggs, boiled for 7 minutes, cooled in ice water, peeled and halved (cook 9 minutes for a firmer yolk)
  • 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
  • Cilantro sprigs or choppedcilantro, for garnish
  • Lime wedges, for serving

Preparation:

  1. Make the sauce: Put the kimchi, juice, garlic, ginger, brown sugar, gochujang, miso, sesame oil, rice vinegar, lime juice, orange zest, fish sauce and gochugaru in a mixing bowl, and stir well to combine. Taste and adjust salt. Let stand at room temperature for at least 10 minutes (or you can store overnight in the fridge, covered).
  2. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add noodles and cook for about 5 minutes, or until cooked through but still firm. Drain in a colander, transfer to a bowl of cold water to cool, then drain again and set aside, covered with a towel.
  3. Just before serving, put noodles in a large mixing bowl. Add the sauce, along with cucumber, tomatoes, radishes, scallions and chile (if using) and toss gently to coat. Divide among individual serving bowls. Top each bowl with a halved egg, sesame seeds, cilantro and a squeeze of lime juice.

DELICIOUS!!!

Moroccan Chickpea Stew

~ tracyshar ~ Leave a comment

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I admit fully to having my doubts about this dish. But it was actually amazing. Different, for sure, with unexpected flavors and textures. I was incredibly impressed, and, when I had unexpected visitors and this was all I had on hand to put out, they all asked for seconds!! Definitely a good meal to include in a raw diet, where it’s nice to have something different that feels a little more hearty. Oh! Did I mention that this is from Eat Raw, Eat Well again? I have NOT moved past the recipe stage of raw eating, since I still feel like I don’t know what I’m doing at all, even with a recipe.

That said: make this for sure.

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup dried chickpeas, soaked in 2 cups of water, covered, 8 hours in the fridge.
  • 1/2 cup dry-packed sun-dried tomatoes, soaked in 1 cup of water, covered, for 30 minutes.
  • 3 cups chopped tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp. chopped red onion
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 2 tbsp. raw agave nectar
  • 1 tbsp. fresh squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp. ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp. turmeric
  • pinch of sea salt
  • pinch ground pepper
  • pinch cayenne pepper
  • 1 cup cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
  • 1 cup of sweet potato strips (spiralized sweet potato)
  • 1/2 cup finely diced carrot
  • 1/2 cup diced red bell pepper

Preparation:

  1. In a food processor, process chopped tomatoes, onion, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, and 1/4 cup of their soaking liquid, until smooth.
  2. Add agave, lemon juice, cumin, cinnamon, turmeric, salt, pepper and cayenne and process until incorporated.
  3. Transfer to a bowl. Add sweet potato,  cilantro, carrot, bell pepper, and chickpeas and stir well.
  4. Transfer to a shallow casserole -type dish and dehydrate at 105 F for 30 minutes, until mixture is warmed through.

 

Stir Fried Turnips with Turnip Greens,Spring Onions and Tofu

~ tracyshar ~ Leave a comment

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So, I mentioned that I hadn’t stuck completely raw this past week; here is something delicious that I made. It was quick, easy, healthy and utilized the entire veggie, which I really like. Also the turnip made the dish; the crunchy sweetness really changed it up and made the dish surprising and lovely.

This recipe comes from the NY Times Cooking Section! Get the original here.

Ingredients:

  • 10 ounces firm tofu , drained and cut in chunks
  • 1 bunch baby turnips, with greens (about 1 pound total)
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons soy sauce (to taste)
  • 1 tablespoon Chinese cooking sherry (Shaoxing rice wine) or dry sherry
  • ¼ cup chicken stock, vegetable stock or water
  • 1 teaspoon honey or agave nectar
  • 2 tablespoons peanut, canola, rice bran, sunflower or grape seed oil
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon minced ginger
  • 1 bunch spring onions or 2 to 3 bunches scallions, sliced, white and light green parts only, sliced (about 1 1/4 cups)
  • ½ cup coarsely chopped cilantro
  • 1 bunch chopped brassica flowers (optional…I just had them from my csa share)
  • 1 tbls. sriracha (optional but highly recommended)

Preparation:

  1. Drain and dry tofu slices on paper towels. In a small bowl or measuring cup combine soy sauce, rice wine or sherry, stock or water, and honey or agave nectar. Have all ingredients within arm’s length of your wok.
  2. Cut away greens from baby turnips. Scrub turnips and if very small, cut in half; if larger than a Ping-Pong ball, quarter. Stem greens, wash leaves in 2 changes of water and chop coarsely. Set aside near your wok.
  3. Heat a 14-inch flat-bottomed wok over high heat until a drop of water evaporates within a second or two when added to the pan. Swirl in 1 tablespoon of the oil by adding it to the sides of the pan and swirling the pan, then add tofu and stir-fry until lightly colored, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove to a plate.
  4. Swirl in remaining oil, add garlic and ginger and stir-fry for no more than 10 seconds. Add onions and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add turnips and stir-fry for another minute or 2, then add salt and pepper, toss together and add soy sauce mixture. Add greens and stir-fry for 1 to 2 minutes, until vegetables are crisp-tender.
  5. Return tofu to the wok along with the cilantro and brassica flowers. Stir-fry for 1 minute and remove from heat. Add sriracha and mix. Serve with hot grains or noodles.

Such an interesting and unusual way to use turnips, and they taste terrific in this.

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