Kale and Hemp Pesto

It seems that everyone is touting the benefits of Kale!  With many Americans suffering from various forms of chronic disease, this nutrient dense cruciferous vegetable is the supper food of note.  This strongly anti-inflammatory green has the greatest antioxidant capacity of all fruits and vegetables in addition to being an excellent source of vitamins K, A and C. 

Kale is a very good source of dietary fiber, calcium, iron and potassium.  If the benefits could not get better, it is also low in calories; one cup of raw kale is about 33 calories. 

With all of these great health benefits, I thought I'd make kale pesto for friends but I wasn’t satisfied to make it the traditional way with pine nuts and Parmesan cheese.  One of my friends does not consume dairy so I left the cheese out. if you want you could use nutritional yeast for the flavor of cheese. Instead of pine nuts I used hemp, which is very high in protein. Therefore, if you want to have this with just pasta and vegetables, the hemp would supply protein.  

Kale and Hemp Pesto

Ingredients

2  cups raw kale, firmly packed

1 bunch parsley leaves

3 cloves raw garlic or 6-8 cloves of roasted garlic

½ cup hemp

zest of 1 lemon (optional)

Olive oil

Add first three ingredients to food processor.   

Drizzle olive oil in while processing until kale reaches a pesto consistency

 I served it with buckwheat pasta and cod oreganata.

Spring Fiddleheads

Fiddlehead ferns are a sure sign that spring has arrived.  These, tender tightly furled new-growth shoots of the fern family plant, grow wild in the Northeast.  The fern is a clump forming (like an ostrich plume), seasonal plant, which typically grows in well-drained, moisture rich under shady environments.

Their harvesting season is very short and should be done before the fronds unfurl.

Nutritionally 100 grams of ferns contains 120%  Daily Allowance of Vitamin A and is very rich in Vitamin C. 

I tend to prepare them quite simply, being careful not to mask its delicate flavor.  If I had to describe the taste, I would say that it was somewhere between an asparagus and a green bean with the slight texture  purslane.   

If that sound a bit confusing, I recommend just buying it and trying it.  This is how I prepared it.  And  Oh….by the way… They are not cheap.  I paid  $8 for 8 ounces which is two servings. 

Fiddleheads

8oz Fiddleheads

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 teaspoon butter

Fried shallot (optional)

Bring a medium size pot of boiling water and salt to a boil in order to blanch the fiddleheads ( the water should taste salty like the sea)

Cut off the brownish tip on the ferns

Prepare a boil of ice water to shock the ferns after they come out of the boiling water

Add ferns to boiling water

Let boil for about 3 minutes

Shock in ice water

Preheat a medium sauté pan with olive oil

Drain the ferns and add to the hot pan

Sautee for about 5 minutes more, then add butter.

Sautee for 2 minutes more or until ferns are tender but not mushy
I garnished with fried shallots but they are just as tasty on there own

 

Serve immediately.

Angle Hair Pasta with Seafood and Chorizo

Unable to find  a restaurant here in Astoria that makes a good seafood primavera, my friend and I decided to make it ourselves.    Since he's from Mexico, I thought I’d appeal to his since of taste by adding a little chorizo.   Although I’m not a big fan of monk fish, it is the perfect texture for stews or ragouts.  You can add any fish you like.  I used what was available at my local fish market.  Keep in mind that this recipe is for two people; you may want to increase the the quantity of fish if you are serving more people.  Oh… I must also tell you, the vermicelli was toasted. Sorry I didn’t take any pictures while preparing it… just got a bit tied up in cooking and entertaining.  Actually, you can prepare whatever pasta you like.

Angle Hair Pasta with Seafood and Chorizo

Ingredients

½ pound Monk fish

1/3 pound calamari

1/3 pound shrimp

½ pound New Zealand clams

2 tablespoon olive oil (total)

1/3 cup onions, small dice

1/3 cup red pepper, small

1 tablespoon sliced garlic

1 small link of chorizo dices

¼ teaspoon chili flakes

1 tablespoon fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried

½ cup white wine

1 cup of Marinara or tomato sauce

½ cup clam broth

1 tablespoon fresh basil

1 tablespoon fresh parsley

Salt to taste

Angle hair pasta, prepared

Directions

Prepare seafood by cutting the monk fish into bit size chunks, cut calamari into ¼ “ rings, peel and devein shrimp. 

Heat a small saute pan with 2 teaspoon olive oil, add monk fish; sear until slight brown

Remove from pan and set aside**

Add about 1 teaspoon more of olive oil to the pan and saute the shrimp;set aside when tender**

In a medium saucepan heat remaining olive oil;

Add onions, peppers and garlic; cook until onions become translucent

Add chorizo, chili flakes and oregano; cook for about five minutes; deglaze pan with white wine

Add clam juice, tomato sauce, calamari and basil; bring to a boil; simmer for about 2 minutes then add remaining fish, and parsley, bring to a boil then allow to simmer for about 3 minutes more.  Season to taste.

 

 

Serve over desired pasta immediately

In hindsight, seasoning the shrimp with smoked paprika would have rounded out the flavors more.

** It is not necessary to saute the monk fish and shrimp separately.  I just feel it gives me more control against overcooking the fish but realize adding it directly to the broth remove 1 tablespoon of olive oil from the dish.  It really is up to you.

*** I steam the clams in a little white wine in separate pan, then strain the liquid into the broth as part of the clam broth.  I do this to avoid getting sand from my clams into the sauce. 

Chicken Plov

If you live in the South, you may call it Purlough or if you live in the West Indies, you may call it Pelau.  Although the name and flavors change from  place to place, few will disagree that the combination of meat, fish and vegetable cooked in rice is a harmonious concoction. Whether its Pilau, Pealla or Plov I am sure you will recognize the similarities. 

I have had the pleasure of enjoying all of these amalgamations and yesterday I made Chicken Plov for friends.  I knew they had never heard of Plov so I was happy to enlighten them.  Plov is from Central Asia where it is typically made with lamb, chicken or beef.  It is sort of a cross between Indian pilau and Spanish paella. I think you’ll like this dish.  The combination of allspice, almond, and raisins work very well together. 

I used chicken thigh meat but if you want to use breast that’s fine too.  Just be careful not to overcook the breast otherwise the dish will be very dry. 

Chicken Plov

Ingredients

1 pound boneless, skinless thigh meat

1 cup chopped onions

1 cup chopped carrots

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin

1 ½ teaspoons ground coriander

1 teaspoon allspice

1 ½ teaspoons salt

¼ teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon saffron threads

¼ cup olive oil

Black pepper to taste

¼ cup raisins

¼ cup chopped/ slivered, toasted almonds

¼ cup chopped scallions

1 ½ cup white rice

3 cups chicken stock

Directions

Place chicken in a bowl and season it with ½ teaspoon cumin, ½ teaspoon coriander, ½ teaspoon allspice, ½ teaspoon salt, turmeric, (I actually used 1 teaspoon fresh turmeric)1 tablespoon olive oil and black pepper to taste.

 Place on a sheet pan and bake in the oven for about 20 minutes until chicken is cooked but not dried out. 

While chicken is cooking, heat a medium sauté pan with 1 tablespoon olive oil. When pan is hot but not smoking, add onions, carrots and garlic.  Cook until onions become translucent. 

Add remaining spices along with rice.  Cook, stirring continually for about 2 minutes then add chicken stock. 

Bring rice to a boil; cover and place in the oven for about 20 minutes or until almost all of the liquid has evaporated.  

Once the liquid is almost completely evaporated, remove from the oven and add chicken. 

  

Place back in the oven for five minutes more. Remove from the oven.The liquid should be completely evaporated and the rice nice and fluffy.  Add the  raisins,almonds and scallions. 

Toss gently and serve.

Quinoa Cakes

It has been a busy week.  Country clubs are starting to reopen and I spent a lot of time on the road.  Typically, I will prepare food on Sunday so that I have something at least partially ready when I get home.  I made quinoa to have with roasted chicken this week but forgot about it.  So today, I’m going to make quinoa cakes with it for dinner. The addition of chickpea flour, cumin and coriander gives them a pleasant Mediterranean flavor.  Chickpea flour is an excellent source of fiber and protein. This just needs a salad and you have a complete meal. Try it out.
Follow the basic recipe for Quinoa as indicated in the February 9, 2013. 

Quinoa Cakes

Ingredients

Basic Quinoa recipe 

½ cup chickpea flour

1 cup frozen, thawed spinach

¼ cup chopped cilantro

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a bowl

When mixture is well combined, use a 2” biscuit cutter to form cakes

Sear in a small amount of olive oil until brown on each side

Finish in a 350F oven for about 15 minutes

Serve with a salad

Chicken Tagine

I couldn't wait to use the preserve lemons I  made in the January 20th post and what better way to use them than in a dish from North African.

Now, I am willing to bet that if I ask 100 people how to make chicken tagine, I would get 100 different answers.  This wonderfully aromatic dish is the hallmark of Moroccan cooking.  When most people refer to tagine, they are talking about the dish that can consist of meat, chicken, fish or vegetables.  However, the word "tagine" also refers to the method of preparing, which is slow-cooked inside this cooking vessel. 

You can also make the dish in a heavy saucepan or Dutch oven depending on how much you’re preparing.

Like the many people who prepare tagine, I've added my own twist with the addition of green chilies; here is my version. 

Chicken Tagine

Ingredients

1 Chicken skinned and cut into bite size pieces (16^th)

1 onion sliced

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon minced garlic

Salt and pepper

½ teaspoon thin sliced green chili

2 teaspoons minced ginger

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon saffron, toasted and crushed

3 cups chicken stock (approximately)

¾ cups olives

½ preserved lemon peel - julienne

¼ cup coarsely chopped cilantro

¼ cup coarsely chopped parsley

Directions

Place chicken in a medium bowl 

Add 1/2 tablespoon garlic, salt, pepper, chili, 1 teaspoon ginger, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ½ teaspoon saffron to chicken and let marinade for at least 1 hour

In a medium Dutch oven or heavy sauce pan heat olive oil

Add onions and allow cooking until soft and golden brown, adding remaining garlic, ginger, cinnamon and saffron

Add marinated chicken

 

Now add enough chicken stock to cover the chicken

Cover with a lid, bring to a boil, and then lower the flame to a simmer for about 30 minutes or until chicken is tender

Add olives preserved, lemons, parsley and cilantro

Remove from flame

Enjoy!

General Tsao’s Vegetables

I learned how to make most Chinese take-out sauces from my Asian purveyor Kathy.  Whenever I wanted to make any Asian dish, she always had insight on how it should be done.  What’s more, one of my cooks was Chinese and had worked previously  in Hong Kong resulting in a firm grasp of how to make many Cantonese specialties.  There are many recipes on preparing General Tsao Sauce but I will give you my version based on what I’ve learned.  In an effort to cut back on the fat  often associated with stir fry, I recommend seasoning the vegetables with a small amount of oil, salt and pepper then roasting them in the oven until they are firm to the bight or simply steaming them.  Once your sauce is complete all you have to do is toss the vegetables in the desired amount of sauce.   I needed to clear out my refrigerator so these are the vegetables I used.  You are free to use what ever vegetables you like.

General Tsao’s Sauce

Ingredients

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1/3 cup slices shallots

¼ chopped ginger

2 tablespoons minced garlic

½ sherry or Chinese rice wine

½ cup sherry vinegar

1 cup hoisin sauce

1 cup oyster sauce

¼ cup mushroom soy

½ cup orange juice

1 cup water

¼ cup brown sugar

¼  cup cornstarch slurry

2 tablespoons sambal

2 teaspoons orange zest

Directions

Heat sesame oil in a medium sauce pot; add shallots and ginger; when shallot start to brown add garlic and simmer until garlic starts to brown.

Add vinegar and wine; reduce by half

Add hoisin, oyster, soy sauce, orange juice and water

Simmer for about 15 minutes

Whisk in slurry until sauce reaches desired consistency

Simmer for 5 minutes more

Strain; stir in sambal and zest.

Store in a jar; keep in the refrigerator.  Sauce will keep for at least two weeks

This is what I had in my refrigerator

I added a little tofu seasoned with five spice.  I recommend that you make your own five spice, if you have the time. You will never use the powdered stuff once your try this. Equal part of the five spices--Szechwan pepper corns, star anise, fennel seeds, cloves, cinnamon sticks--toasted and ground

Toss prepared vegetables in the desired amount of sauce 

Gently heat and serve