Sweet Potato Cauliflower Ravioli

My photos have been accused of being "food porn." And I must say that I really don't mean for them to be. I swear. But you probably don't believe me, considering the photo above. I promise. I couldn't help it. I just wanted to give you a glimpse of the filling! Oh dear. I'm making it worse, aren't I? Ok, well, onward with the recipe!

Filling:
1 large sweet potato, peeled and chopped
1 small head of cauliflower, chopped
4-5 shallots, sliced thickly
3 tb butter
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon fresh sage leaves, chopped
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
olive oil for dressing

Pasta:
(same as last time I made pasta)

Cook the cauliflower and sweet potato however you like. Roasting would probably be most delicious, but since I was making fresh pasta, I wasn't too keen on the added time that would take, so I just steamed them until they were very soft. Once cooked, dump the vegetables into a large bowl and mash them together.

Meanwhile, caramelize the shallots in the butter. In other words, melt the butter in a small saute pan and, over low heat, cook the shallots for a long time in said butter until they get brown, soft and sweet. As they near this point, add the garlic, thyme and sage. Cook for a few more minutes. Finally, puree the shallot mixture -- I used an immersion blender. If you use a regular blender or a food processor, you should probably add some of the sweet potato mixture since the shallots aren't very massive.

Add the shallot puree to the sweet potato mixture along with the parmesan, salt and pepper. Stir to combine and allow to cool.

Spoon teaspoonfuls of the filling onto long pasta sheets. Wet the edges of the pasta and fold it over. Seal by pressing down around the filling with your fingers. Cut! Boil! Oil! Enjoyl!*

*Sorry. I got a bit carried away there. Boil these in small batches for about three minutes, or until they float to the top. Dress simply with olive oil and some extra grated parmesan. Enjoy.

Meyer Lemon Blueberry Buttermilk Scones

2 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sugar
6 tablespoons butter, cold and chopped into small chunks
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 egg, beaten
1 cup blueberries
zest of one meyer lemon

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In a large bowl, mix flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Cut in butter -- I did this in a mixer, you could also use a food processor or your fingers. The idea is to keep the butter cold and to work it into pea-sized bits.

In a separate bowl, combine buttermilk with the egg and add to dry ingredients. Carefully stir in blueberries and lemon zest. Warning: if you use frozen & thawed berries, as I did, you're going to end up with a very wet, sticky dough that will, in turn, happily result in very moist, delicious scones. The dough won't roll out like normal scone dough, so turn it out onto a floured surface and pat it out until about 3/4 inch think. Cut the dough like spokes on a wheel to make small triangular scones. Recognize that the scones are kind of falling apart and get them onto a greased cookie sheet as best you can. Bake for about 25 minutes.

Mustard-Roasted Potato and Celery Root Timbale

2 russet potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1/2 inch cubes
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
1 celery root (celeriac), peeled and chopped into 1/2 inch cubes
2 leeks, white and light green parts only, sliced horizontally
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
a few leaves of mustard greens, washed and torn into small pieces
1/4 cup fresh, flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1/2 cup vegetable stock

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Toss the potatoes with the garlic cloves, mustard and 1 tb of the olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper and place the mixture in the bottom of a roasting pan.

Toss the celery root with the leeks and 1 tb olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper and place the mixture in the bottom of a roasting pan.

Roast potatoes and celery root for about 45 minutes, or until fork tender. Meanwhile, oil six ramekins and place a few pieces of the mustard greens in the bottom of each.

Once roasted, remove the vegetables from the oven and turn the heat down to 350 degrees F. Then separately puree each mixture with 1/4 cup of vegetable stock, and to the celery root, add the chopped parsley.

Spoon the potato mixture into the ramekins and, on top of that, the celery root mixture. Smooth out the tops and bake for 30 minutes until the tops have slightly browned. Turn the ramekins out onto plates and serve.

Meyer Lemon Blueberry Coffee Cake

My friend Rainbow brought me a meyer lemon from her family's lemon tree in California. The fragrant lovely lemon was so welcome in this grey Chicago January. So I made a version of this delicious cake, substituting some Michigan blueberries that I froze last summer for the huckleberries and using the meyer lemon for the zest called for. Also, I only had almonds on hand so I used those, rather than pecans, in the crumble. They worked ok, but a fattier nut, like a walnut, would work better.

Whole Wheat Golden Raisin English Mufins

I never knew English muffins were cooked on a griddle, but as my friends Rob and Surabhi and I mused, it makes so much sense! Of course! that's where English muffins get their signature brown tops/bottoms and soft, light sides. Recipe thanks to The Kitchn.

Peanut Butter Pancakes

These are pretty much the best thing ever. All you do is spread peanut butter onto pancakes. And if you use natural peanut butter, I'd also recommend a little honey, or -- dare I write this? -- jelly.

By the way, here's a recipe for pancakes that I got from a piece of paper magnetted to my friend Surabhi's refrigerator. Since I copied it down some months ago, it's become my standard, upon which all innovations are perched.

2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 egg, beaten
1 1/2 cups milk
2 tablespoons melted butter

Christmas Bread

I got a new bread cookbook for Christmas and this was the first loaf I made from it. It turned out a bit dry, and I think that's due to my lack of a spray bottle, which the book suggests using to spray water against the walls of the oven. Instead, I sort of haphazardly flung water against the oven walls and wasn't able to close the door as quickly as I think is recommended. But anyway, a bit dry was still pretty good!

Seitan Quesadillas

Last weekend I attended a most lovely dinner party hosted by my aunt and uncle. In honor of inauguration day, they cooked up some Obama-themed dishes. Among them was this fantastic and Obama-beloved guacamole. So today, I bring you a recipe that would be just perfect with our president and first lady's favorite guacamole.

1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/2 red pepper, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
8 ounces seitan, chopped
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup shredded chihuahua (or mozzarella) cheese per every 2 quesadillas
6-8, 6 inch corn tortillas
sour cream and salsa to garnish

Saute the onion, red pepper and garlic in the olive oil over medium heat. When the onions begin to soften, add the seitan, chili powder and salt. Continue cooking for about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the cilantro, remove the mixture from heat and set aside.

Meanwhile, place tortillas on a lightly oiled griddle, heated over medium. Top with shredded cheese and allow cheese to melt. Spoon seitan filling onto half the tortilla and carefully fold the other half over to seal. Garnish and enjoy!

Tempeh Chili and Corn Bread

First things first, this corn bread recipe can be found in How to Cook Everything Vegetarian, and is not vegan.

This vegan chili is light and bright and not very much like the cooked-to-death chilis you often encounter. Not that there's anything wrong with cooked-to-death chili. In fact, I rather like it. But in these post-holidaze, I'm seeking fresh, nearer-to-nature, not over-nurtured nourishment. And tongue twisters, obv.

2 celery stalks, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 large onion, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
(you could add a chopped jalapeño or two! if you wanted to spice things up)
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1, 8 ounce package of tempeh, crumbled
2, 14 ounce cans diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons tomato paste, mixed with about a tablespoon of water
1, 14 ounce can pinto beans (unsalted)
2 teaspoons salt (less if your beans are salted)
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped

In a dutch oven (or other large pot) over low heat, saute the celery, carrots and onion in the olive oil until the carrots begin to soften. Add the garlic, peppers, tempeh, tomatoes (with their juice), chili powder and bay leaf. Stir to combine and let simmer, covered, for about 20 minutes. Next, add the sugar, vinegar, tomato paste (+ water), beans and salt. Cover again and simmer for about 10 minutes. Sprinkle cilantro on top and serve.

This recipe grew out of a recipe from another favorite cookbook, Charmaine Solomon's Complete Vegetarian Cookbook.

Mushroom and Beet Green Frittata

5 shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, peeled and chopped
beet greens, stems removed and roughly chopped
1 1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced
2 tablespoons butter
6 eggs
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1/2 cup each loosely packed shredded gruyere and parmesan cheeses
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat your oven's broiler.

In a non-stick, oven-proof skillet, saute the shallots, garlic, greens and mushrooms over low heat. Meanwhile, whisk together the eggs, cream, and half of the cheese. Once the mushroom mixture has cooked, spread it evenly in the bottom of the pan and turn up the heat to medium high. If the mixture looks dry, add another tablespoon of butter at this point. Pour on the egg mixture and stir for about a minute. Then leave alone it to cook for a few more minutes. When it looks like things are pretty set on the bottom (I use a rubber spatula to gently lift the eggs and peak underneath), sprinkle the top with the remaining cheese, salt and pepper, and move the skillet under the hot broiler. Cook there for 3-5 minutes until the top has set and begun to brown.

Beet and Fennel Salad with Mixed Herb Sauce on Garlic Toast

It's a garlic toast two-fer!

5 beets, roasted (I used this method)
2 fennel bulbs
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved

1 cup fresh parsley
1 cup fresh basil
1/4 cup arugula
fennel fronds, from the aforelisted fennel bulbs
2 tablespoons capers
1 small clove of garlic, peeled
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

bread
olive oil
garlic

Slice the beets and fennel, and toss in a medium bowl with the cherry tomatoes.

Combine the parsley, basil, arugula, fennel fronds, capers and garlic in a food processor. (BTW: there's no reason for the smaller proportion of arugula, except that that was the amount I happened to have). Turn on the food processor and, while it's running, pour in the olive oil and vinegar. Run until a smooth sauce forms. Pour the sauce over the salad and toss to coat. (BTW x2: I didn't add any salt because the capers did that job for me. If you skipped the capers, you might want to add about a 1/2 tsp salt.)

For this garlic toast, I used a different method from the other day's. I brushed each piece with olive oil, set them on a cookie sheet, and toasted them in a 400 degree oven for about 10 minutes. Once toasted, I rubbed each piece with a clove of raw garlic, cut in half horizontally. With this method, the garlic flavor retains its bite, but the bite is small. Smaller than its bark, as they say.

Garlic Toast with Tomatoes and Parmesan

Whenever spaghetti and garlic bread are on the table, I serve myself about 4 noodles of spaghetti and about 40 pieces of garlic bread. Eventually, I realized I just really liked garlic bread and could do away with the spaghetti symbiosis.

When I make garlic bread, I always cook the garlic in some butter for a few minutes before slathering it on the bread. I've found that the time it takes to toast bread under the broiler is less than the time it takes to get rid of that burny/tangy/don't-breathe-on-me taste of raw garlic. So, a quick saute in some melted butter mellows the garlic and makes toasting only responsible for the bread.

In this case, I sauteed the garlic in some butter, painted it on two slices of bread, topped the bread with halved mini heirloom tomatoes, and grated some parmesan over top of it all. Leave it under the broiler for a few minutes and a delicious, if difficult to eat, open-faced sandwich is on your plate.

Veggie Burger

1/2 onion, chopped very finely
1/2 orange bell pepper, chopped very finely
1 celery stalk, chopped very finely
1 carrot, shredded
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 sage leaves, sliced into thin ribbons
leaves from 1 sprig of thyme
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 cup crimini or button mushrooms, chopped
1/4 cup peas
1/4 cup corn
1, 14-ounce can of cannelloni beans
1/2 cup cooked bulgar
1/2 cup rolled oats
2 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Saute the first four ingredients until they begin to soften. Add the next seven ingredients and cook over low heat for about 10 minutes, until much of the moisture has cooked off. Turn the heat off as soon as you notice things looking a bit dry.

Pour the vegetable mixture into a mixing bowl and add the beans, bulgar, oats and parsley. Mash. Salt and pepper liberally. Make sure it's really mashed well. Mash a little more. The corn and peas will still be whole-ish, but it's important that the beans be mashed very well, paste-like. They'll help hold everything together. Form the mixture into about 8 patties. Carefully saute these in a little olive oil over medium heat. Two to four minutes per side.

These patties probably aren't strong enough to hold up on a grill, but might survive if you were to freeze them first and put them cold onto the grill*. They are delicious with some arugula leaves and tomato slices on a whole wheat bun.

*EDIT: no, I do not believe that is true. These little patties desire badly to fall apart. So when reheating from a frozen state, cook them low, slow, and gentle on a surface that they are incapable of falling through.

Christmas Pot Pie, Christmas Apple Tart, Christmas Broetchen

I've made each of these before, but did them up special for Christmas. For the pot pie, I wasn't able to roll the dough out large enough or nicely enough cover the whole stew, so I made a super haphazard lattice/leaf motif. No one complained that it was less than perfect as they were happily eating away!



If you're lucky, maybe I'll give you the recipe for these one day:

Caramelized Christmas Shallots

These were as swoony-sweet as Smitten Kitchen said they would be. Please pardon again the quick photo en route to eating.

Christmas Artichoke Dip

With thanks to 101 Cookbooks.

Mashed Christmas Garlic Onion Sweet Potatoes

Don't let this careless photo dissuade you. These sweet potatoes are luxe and delicious.

I'm not sure a recipe is needed, but here's a basic guide:
sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
garlic, chopped
onions or shallots, chopped
butter
milk
salt and pepper

Boil the potatoes until soft. Meanwhile, saute some onions and garlic in butter until soft. Use about 1-2 cloves of garlic and 1/2 a large onion per 2 potatoes. When the potatoes are cooked, mash with the garlic-onion-butter. Stir in some milk and season to taste.

Haricots Verts Noëls

Smitten Kitchen again!

Apologies for the photo. Eating was priority.