Edamame Hummus

Why don't we make hummus more often?  A question we would often ask at our son's bike races.  We needed fast, fast food, full of energy and enough substance to sustain you.  It takes just minutes to make, it travels well, and you can prepare so many varieties, you'll never get tired of the same old thing.

To be precise, hummus is really the term for a chick pea and sesame butter (tahini) purée originating in the Middle East.  But you can assemble the same basic preparation with most any bean, including edamame.  You can also vary the tahini with other butters such as peanut or almond.  Be inventive and don't be left empty-handed in times of fast-food need!
12 oz frozen shelled edamame
2 cloves garlic
3 Tbsp peanut butter
Juice of 1 lime
2-3 Tbsp soy or almond milk, or water
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp ground coriander
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
Palmful cilantro leaves
1/2 tsp salt

Boil the edamame in a few cups of water for 5 minutes. Drain and immerse in cold water to cool. Drain well.  Place the garlic in a food processor and pulse to mince well.

Add the remaining ingredients and processes until very smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl from time to time. Add more water as needed to form the consistency you like.

Tip into serving bowl and serve with your favorite dippers.

Makes about 2 cups.

Beans and Rice with Roasted Vegetables

Let's end the year on a high note.  Beans and rice are a high-protein, low-fat combination that you should consider a staple of your diet.  With the many variety of rices and beans available, and the convenience of canned beans, there's no reason not to look to this dish as a quick dinner, that you can vary often, and never get tired of.

Here I top the dish with some roasted vegetables - use your favorite.
1 cup brown rice
1 Tbsp canola oil
2 cups water
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp Pimenton, Spanish smoked paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp salt

6-8 carrots
1 lb Brussels sprouts
1 leek, cleaned, trimmed and sliced
1 yellow pepper, diced
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp Balsamic vinegar
1 tsp Tabasco or other hot sauce

1 can light red kidney beans.

Preheat oven to 400F. Peel the carrots and trim the Brussels sprouts.

Slice the carrots on a bias and slice the Brussels sprouts, each about 1/4-inch thick. Toss together the veggies, olive oil, vinegar and hot sauce in a large bowl. Salt and pepper generously, to taste.

 Tip veggies out onto a rimmed baking sheet and shake to arrange in an even, single layer.

 Roast in the oven for 30 minutes, stirring once or twice

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, sauté the rice with the oil over medium heat, until the rice becomes fragrant, and turns from a translucent to a whiter, opaque color. This should take about 5 minutes. Add the water and bring to a gentle boil. Add the turmeric, Pimenton, garlic, onion and salt. Stir an reduce heat to a low, gentle simmer. Cover and cook about 15 minutes, until all the water is just absorbed. Rinse and drain the beans.

Pour the beans over the rice in an even layer. Cover the pot with a clean tea towel, and cover. Set aside, off the heat for about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, sauté the leek and yellow pepper in a skillet with a bit of olive oil. Allow the veggies to soften and brown up a bit, about 10 minutes.

When the roasted veggies are done, tip them into a large bowl. Fold in the leek and peppers to mix well.

Fluff the beans and rice with a fork gently.

 Serve rice onto four plates and top with a generous serving of roasted veggies.

Serves 4.

Buffalo Chicken Enchilada Pizza

When you are 15-20 at dinner during the holidays, as we were several days in a row this season, you need to keep the hungry throngs at bay so you can finish preparing the dinner.  If the hungry crowd comes into the kitchen before you are really ready, you are asking for nothing but trouble!

Try this for crowd control, but serve it far away from the kitchen, so you can finish your main job - dinner.

Here, I used a nice store-bought pizza crust, but you could also use fresh dough.  You could use red enchilada sauce, or a salsa verde just as well.  Also, you can cook up some fresh chicken as described, or use leftover chicken to get done so much faster.
2 prepared pizza crusts, I used nice rectangular ones
1/2 can enchilada sauce, about 1/3-1/2 cup
2 chicken breasts, fresh or cooked
1/4 lb jalapeño Jack cheese, grated
3 oz blue cheese, crumbled
4 Tbsp fresh salsa or pico de gallo
palmful cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 400F. If cooking fresh chicken, set two cups of lightly salted water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the chicken breasts and cover. Simmer for about 10 minutes, turning the breasts once.  Simmer until the breasts are just cooked through. Remove the breasts to a plate and allow to cool. Reserve cooking liquid for another use, such as soup.

While the chicken cools, slather the sauce evenly about both pizza crusts. Using your fingers, shred the chicken breasts, along the grain, into 1/-inch strips. Distribute the chicken evenly over the pizzas.

Then follow with the cheeses, salsa and half the cilantro.

Bake about 15 minutes, until the cheese is bubbly and browned. Remove from oven, cool a few minutes, garnish with remaining cilantro leaves, slice and serve.

Makes 2 pizzas to serve 8-10 as appetizers or 4 as a meal with salad.

Lentil Barley Red Cabbage Soup

Lentils and barley, and a mirepoix (onion, celery and carrot) make a supreme mixture.  Stir them together with some good herbs and you have a fine meal in the making.
1 small onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
3 stalks celery, diced
2 cloves, garlic, minced
1 tsp cumin seeds or 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp fennel seeds
6 fresh sage leaves, minced
1 Tbsp fresh rosemary leaves, chopped
2 tsp fresh lemon thyme leaves

1/2 cup Puy lentils
1/4 cup pearl barley
6 cups vegetable (or beef, if not vegetarian) broth
2 cups water
2 cups red cabbage, coarsely chopped
good 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, to taste

In a 3-4 quart soup pot, sauté the onions, carrots and celery for about 8-10 minutes in a bit of olive oil. Add the garlic, spices and herbs and cook another 3-4 minutes.

Add the lentils, barley, broth and water, and bring to a gently boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 45 minutes.

Stir in the cabbage and red pepper flakes, cook about another 15 minutes.

The lentils and barley should be tender, and the cabbage should just be crisp-tender.

Serves 6.

Baked Eggplant Tomato and Pesto

This is a great holiday dish with all the colors of the season. Vegetarian or vegan, this is a rich and aromatic casserole, hearty enough for a winter day, like Christmas.
1 large eggplant, sliced 1/4-inch lengthwise
2 large fresh, ripe tomatoes, sliced
3 cups fresh baby spinach leaves
1/2 cup favorite pesto
1/2 cup red pepper eggplant spread
3-4 oz favorite goat cheese
2 Tbsp purple Bermuda onion slices

Vegan pesto:
2 cups fresh basil leaves
Palmful Italian parsley leaves
2 cloves garlic
2 Tbsp chopped walnuts
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp lime juice
1/4 tsp salt

Heat oven to 400F. Place the eggplant slices on an oiled baking sheet and brush or spray generously with olive oil. Place in oven and turn on broiler. Broil for about 8-10 minutes, until the eggplant browns up nicely. Remove from the oven and allow to cool off a bit. Reset oven to 400F.  You could also grill eggplants on a BBQ grill if you like.

If making your own vegan pesto, place all pesto ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth.

Oil a 9x13-inch casserole or equivalent dish, and lay the spinach in a bed at the bottom. Lay half the eggplant slices on top of the spinach. Paint the spinach with pesto and then top with half the tomato slices.

Scatter half the red pepper spread on the tomatoes and dot with half the goat cheese. Repeat with eggplant, pesto, tomato, red pepper spread and goat cheese. Here, I put goat cheese in one and not the other - leaving the second as vegan.

Scatter with the onion slices and any remaining pesto. Cover casserole with aluminum foil and pop in oven. Cook for 20 minutes. Remove foil and cook another 15-20 minutes, until the casserole is bubbly and cooked through.

Serves 4.

Cook's Note: This is a great vegan meal especially served with a quinoa pilaf.

Belgian Waldorf Salad

Here's a shout out to Belgium, with a mix of Brussels sprouts and Belgian Endive.  Coupled with apple and walnuts and bound with creme fraiche, this is a fresh take on the Waldorf salad.
10 oz Brussels sprouts, finely chopped/shaved
1 orange pepper, trimmed and diced
1 Belgian Endive, diced

Marinade:
1/2 cup white vinegar
3/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar (Marukan)
1/2 cup water

7.5 oz creme fraiche

1/4 red Burmuda onion, finely minced
1 green Granny Smith Apple, cleaned but unpeeled
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Stir together the marinade ingredients in a mixing bowl. Let the Brussels sprouts and the peppers marinate at least 1-2 hours, or preferably overnight.

Meanwhile, toast the walnuts in a 375F oven for 3-5 minutes, just until they are fragrant and beginning to brown. Set aside.

Drain the Brussels Sprouts very well. Cut the apple in quarters and cut out the core. Halve each quarter along the longer dimension and then slice them along the shorter width. Toss the apple with the Brussels Sprouts, endive and the onions. Stir in the Creme fraiche and mix well. Tip into a serving bowl or platter and top with the walnuts.

Serves 6 as a side salad.

Rubens at the Groenplats, Antwerp, Belgium

Pork and Sausage Choucroute

The French have a light way with a tough vegetable - sauerkraut.  They rinse fresh (never canned) sauerkraut well for a lighter, delicate flavor, and dress with a bit of white wine for that French touch.  Think delicate shredded wine-flavored cabbage, accordion music under moonlight, not something robust and aromatic that you might find in a loud, rowdy beer-garden.

Alsace, bordering Germany, is the region in France the Choucroute dish originates.  And it is also the name of a classic, if a bit touristy spot on the Champs Elysée in Paris.  Friends have taken me there several times for truly outstanding choucroutes - they have many varieties!
3-4 Pork Country Rib chops, enough for 4
1 bag fresh sauerkraut, drained
1/4 cup white wine
2 large Russet or Yukon Gold Potatoes, sliced
2 Tbsp butter, cut up
2 cloves garlic, minced
10-12 fresh sage leaves
1/2 lb kielbasa sausage, cut on a bias
crushed red pepper flakes

Preheat oven to 400F. Oil a 9x13-inch casserole and layer the potatoes evenly on the bottom. Pour the wine over the potatoes and dot with the butter and the garlic. Salt and pepper to taste. Microwave potatoes for 5 minutes.

Spread the sauerkraut on top of the potatoes and nestle in the pork and sausage. Top with the sage leaves, and spray lightly with canola oil, to moisten leaves ever so slightly. Salt and pepper meat to taste.

Sprinkle on the red pepper flakes and bake for about 20-30 minutes, until the pork is cooked through.

Serves 4-6.

Les Champs Elysée, Paris

Wasabé Almond Broccoli Lavash

It is easy to cook, so don't go for take-out so fast. Lay a simple crust platform down, add nuts and veggies and top with cheese and spicy peppers.  Very little can go wrong.

This won't take longer than it takes to wind down from a crazy day of work.  Wind down. Nourish. Refocus.
3 cups small broccoli flowerettes

1/2 cup wasabe flavored almonds (Trader Joe’s) or see Cook’s Note
3 cloves garlic
2 Tbsp golden raisins
1 Tbsp olive oil

2 thin prepared Lavash flatbreads (10x10-inches)
4 oz Fontina or Jalapeño Jack cheese, cubed
2 Tbsp finely diced purple onions
dash red pepper flakes

Preheat oven to 425F. Toss broccoli in a skillet with a tablespoon olive oil, and sauté for about 8-10 minutes, stirring often, until just turning dark green and softening a bit. salt and pepper to taste.

Tip almonds, garlic and raisins into a small food processor and pulse 15-20 times until you achieve a coarse meal. Add the olive oil and pulse a few more times to mix well.

Lay the Lavash sheets out on two cookie or pizza sheets. Distribute half the almond mixture between both sheets and spread evenly to coat the crust.

Divide the broccoli about each sheet and then top with the cheese, onions and red pepper flakes.

Bake about 10-12 minutes, until the cheese melts nicely and the crust just begins to brown.

Makes 2 tarts - enough for appetizers for 6-8 or a part of a vegetarian meal for 4, if for example served with a soup or a salad.

Cook’s Note: Years ago, I encountered Broccoli Walnut Pizza living in Colorado.  Coming from New York, with some of the best pizza on the planet, I asked "Is this just a Hippie, Earthy attempt at 'different' pizza in the Wild West?"  It was then that I fully appreciated the synergy of ground walnuts, garlic and roasted broccoli.

Unfortunately when I recently wanted to recreate this synergy, I found we were out of walnuts but found my stash of Trader Joe’s Wasabé Flavored Almonds (a MUST try).

Success and beyond.  If, now I were to use raw walnuts here (or I think hazelnuts would also be great), I'd toast them for 3-5 minutes at 375F.  I think I would also now add a teaspoon of wasabé powder to the mix before grinding.  Or just go to Trader Joe's.

As for crusts, there are so many great crusts available, and you can use what you find.  Those used here were nice thin Lavash; so use a very meltable cheese like Jalapeño Jack or Fontina.  I tried with Gouda, which we love, but, it does not melt fast enough, and would brown the thin crust too much before melting the cheese.

Ravioli with Tomatillo Chorizo Fra Diavolo

I read somewhere that, according to chef Mario Batali, Fra Diavolo sauce - a spicy hot tomato-based sauce with chili peppers, is an American creation and not served in Italy.  Poor Italians.

Returning recently from Mexico City, I am tempted to cook with chilies and tomatillos.  And since peppers, tomatillos and tomatoes originated in the Americas, I offer this decidedly American, spicy sauce for your favorite pasta.
1 lb ground beef
2 links fresh chorizo sausage (about 4 oz)
1 onion peeled and diced
1 jalapeño pepper, diced
2 cloves garlic
2 tsp dried oregano or italian herbs
6 tomatillos (1 lb) peeled, washed and cut into wedges
1 28 oz can whole tomatoes
1/2 cup white wine

1 lb favorite ravioli
palmful fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

In a large pot or Dutch oven, brown the beef in a bit of olive oil.

Cook until the meat is well browned, then remove with a slotted spoon to bowl. Leave 1-2 tbsp fat behind in the pot and repeat with the chorizo, again leaving 2 tablespoons fat in the pot after removing the chorizo.

Tip the onion and jalapeño pepper into the pot and cook for about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and herbs and cook another 2-3 minutes. Now add the tomatillos and cook them down for about 10 minutes.

They will brown up just a little bit and begin to break down. Next, break up the tomatoes in your hands and then add them to the pot along with the wine.

Return the beef and chorizo to the pot. Stir well and salt and pepper to taste. Allow the sauce to simmer for about an hour.

Meanwhile, set two quarts of salted water to boil. Cook the ravioli according to package directions. Drain well and serve with the bolognese sauce. Top with fresh cilantro.

Serves 4.

Cook's Note: This fine sauce is not confined to ravioli - it can be served over any of your favorite pasta.

Another great use of leftover sauce is to mix with leftover veggies (here I had leftover zucchini) in a single serving baking dish.  Add an egg and broil in the oven for about 10 minutes, until the egg is just set.

This makes a great Huevos Rancheros for breakfast.

Considered one of the world's most active volcanoes, Popocatepetl (right) hovers over Mexico City. Though calm during my visit, it spewed lava and ash over the city not more that a year ago.  I watched it daily from our office.  But I was able to enjoy my tomatillos in peace.

Quinoa Kale and Corn Pilaf

I like the texture, flavor and look of red quinoa mixed in with regular white quinoa.  Toasting the quinoa keeps the grains more separate, just as it does for rice.  This is especially nice for a pilaf.  And to avoid any mushiness, I even dry out the hot quinoa a bit before mixing with the veggies.  This is a great side dish, or a good foundation of a vegan vegetarian meal.
3/4 cup quinoa
1/4 red quinoa

2 cups water
1/2 tsp salt

1 cup corn kernels
1 purple onion, fiinely diced
1 carrot, finely diced
1 stalk clery, diced
1 bunch kale, trimmed and chopped
1/2 tsp ground coriander

First, toast the quinoa in a medium pot with a bit of canola oil. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring almost constantly for about 5 minutes.

Add the water and the salt, and bring to a gentle boil. Stir, reduce to a low simmer and cover. Cook for about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, sauté the corn, onion, carrot and celery for about 10 minutes, until well caramelized, and the corn begins to brown up a bit.

Add the kale and cook for another 10 minutes, until softened and it has a nice toothy bite. Stir in the coriander.

After the quinoa has absorbed all the water, fluff gently with a fork, and turn out onto a wide plate to dry out a bit, about 10 minutes. Nothing is worse than mushy quinoa for a pilaf like this.

Tip the quinoa into the skillet with the veggies. Add a bit of olive oil just to avoid sticking, and fold everything together gently. Tip into a serving bowl and garnish with basil or parsley.

Serves 4.

Mixed Lentil Soup with Sweet Potato and Coriander

I can make a different lentil soup each day for the rest of my life, and never one the same.  Let's see, how many is that? :-))
1/2 cup lentils
1/2 cup channa dahl, split garbanzo beans
6 cups broth, vegetable (or chicken if not vegetarian)
1 large onion, diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 large or 3 heart celery stalks, diced
1 sweet potato, peeled and diced, about 2 cups
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
palmful fresh cilantro (coriander) leaves

Bring the lentils to a boil in the broth. Stir, reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, sauté the onion, carrots, celery and sweet potato in a bit of olive oil in another pot. Cook for about 10 minutes, to soften veggies and allow them to begin to color. Add the garlic and spices and cook another 3-4 minutes.

Now add the veggies to the lentils, which should be almost soft. Cook for about another 20 minutes, until all the lentils are soft, but not yet disintegrated. Adjust salt and pepper to taste, if necessary.  Ladle soup into bowls and top with cilantro leaves.

Serves 4-6.

Cook's note:  If you are unlucky enough not to like cilantro, just use some fresh parsley - it will be delicious.

Improvise!  I used 1/4 cup dark French Puy lentils and 1/4 cup small brown Indian Masoor lentils. I found the Masoor lentils and the channa dahl (beige, below) at a local Indian grocer, but I am sure you could substitute any green lentil for the Masoor.  You could also substitute split yellow peas for the channah dahl, although the flavor and consistency might be slightly different.  Or substitute a cup of canned beans for the last 20 minutes, for the chana dahl if you don't have them.   Without a doubt though, it will be delicious!

Ginger Chutney Chicken

This is a fusion of Asian and Indian cuisines with the freshness of ginger and the rich umami of soy and mushroom.
Chutney Sauce:
4 oz favorite mango chutney, about 1/3 cup
2 Tbsp soy sause
1/4 cup pale dry sherry
1 Tbsp sesame oil
palmful fresh mint, finely chopped

3 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 Tbsp dark soy sauce or Tamari
10 oz fresh button mushrooms, sliced
2 cups broccoli flowerets, cut into bite-sized pieces

2 cloves garlic, minced
1-inch fresh ginger, peeled and finely minced
Black toasted sesame seeds

Whisk together the chutney sauce. Heat a few tablespoons canola oil in a large skillet or wok. Heat on high until shimmering. Carefully add the chicken into the wok and stir fry until the chicken begins to brown up. 

Add the soy sauce and continue wooing until the sauce evaporates and colors the chicken. Set the chicken aside in a bowl.

Heat a bit of canola oil in the wok and stir fry the mushrooms until they release the water that they will and they brown up nicely.

Add mushrooms to chicken. Heat another dash or canola oil in the wok and stir fry the broccoli, just until crisp-tender. Set aside with the chicken and mushrooms.

Finally, heat the wok to high and add a last bit of canola oil along with the garlic and the ginger. Cook for about a minute and then add the sauce. Let the sauce bubble up and thicken.

Return the chicken, mushrooms and broccoli to the wok and heat through. Serve over rice garnished with black sesame seeds, if desired.

Serves 4.