Beans and Greens Risotto

Lovely fresh greens are appearing in the produce section. Spinach, arugala, endive, beet greens, chard and escarole. This recipe cals for escarole, but you could use any green with a slight bitter flavor. I love them all. Beans, greens and rice. What more could you want?

Beans and Greens Risotto

1 quart vegetable broth
15 ounce can diced tomatoes
4 cloves minced garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 ½ cups Arborio rice
15 ounce can small red beans or pinto beans
1 smal head escarole
¼ cup Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper
Lemon wedges

Bring broth and tomatoes to a boil and simmer gently. In another pan cook the garlic in the olive oil. Add the rice and stir until the grains are well coated with oil. Ladle in the hot broth and tomatoes one cup at a time, stirring often. After each addition let the rice absorb most of the broth before adding more. Add the beans with the last cup of broth.
When most of the broth is absorbed and the rice is tender but still al dente, stir in the escarole until it wilts. Stir in the cheese and season with salt and pepper. Serve hot and garnish with lemon wedges.

Nice New Spring Potatoes

          

I’ve come across several recipes for baked new potatoes recently. You don’t usually think of baking new potatoes, but it’s a good way to cook them. Here are a couple of recipes for new potatoes.

Southwestern Twice Baked New Potatoes

1 1/2 lb. new potatoes
2 to 3 tblsp. olive oil
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup (4 oz.) shredded Cheddar cheese
1 package (3 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup minced green onion
1 tsp. chopped cilantro
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 to 1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped chilies – mild or hot. You choose.

Directions:
Pierce potatoes; rub skins with oil. Place in a baking pan. Bake, uncovered at 400 deg. for 50 minutes or until tender. Allow to cool to the touch. In a mixing bowl, combine sour cream, Cheddar, cream cheese, onions, chilies, cilantro, garlic, salt and pepper. Cut potatoes in half; carefully scoop out pulp, leaving a thin shell. Add pulp to the cheese mixture and mash. Stuff potato shells. Broil for 7-8 minutes or until heated through.

Roasted Potato and Vegetable Salad

2 lb. red potatoes cut into 1/2-inch cubes  
2 medium zucchini, cut lengthwise into thin slices  
2 medium carrots, diagonally sliced  
1 small red onion, cut into wedges  
1 cup bottled Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing  

Preheat oven to 400°F. Toss vegetables with dressing. Spoon into shallow roasting pan.  
Bake 50 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally.  Best served at room temperature.

Feta Potato Salad
This recipe calls for boiled new potatoes, but if you’re heating the oven for another reason you could bake them for about 45 minutes, cool them and then quarter them.

2 lb. small red potatoes, quartered  
2/3 cup bottled or homemade Italian Dressing  
1 pkg. (8 oz.) Feta Cheese with Garlic & Herb, crumbled  
1 medium red pepper, chopped  
1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped  
1/2 cup sliced green onions  

Cook potatoes in boiling water 15 min. or just until tender; drain. Place in large bowl.  
Add remaining ingredients; mix lightly. Cover.  
Refrigerate several hours or until chilled. Stir before serving.  

Reuben, Reuben, I've Been Thinking.

One of my husband’s favorite uses for leftover corned beef is a big Reuben sandwich. Well, I can enjoy a Reuben too. Here are some vegetarian versions of this sandwich classic.

Vegetarian Reuben Sandwich

¼ cup mayonnaise (we love Hellman’s Light)
1 tablespoon ketchup
2 teaspoons cider vinegar
Pinch of sea salt
Black pepper to taste
Pinch of sugar
4 cups finely shredded cabbage or package of coleslaw mix
8 slices pumpernickel bread, toasted
4 tomatoes, thinly sliced
8 ounces thinly sliced Swiss cheese (we use Alpine Lace)

Mix together cabbage, mayonnaise, ketchup, salt, pepper, sugar and vinegar.
Arrange the open-faced sandwiches on a baking sheet about an inch apart. Place about ¼ cup of coleslaw on each slice. Top with tomato slice and then cheese.

Broil the sandwiches until the cheese melts.  
  

Vegetarian Reuben Sandwich with Sauerkraut

Sauerkraut:
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
1 pound bag sauerkraut, drained and rinsed
1 sweet apple, peeled, and grated
Generous pinch allspice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Russian Dressing:
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon chili sauce or ketchup
Dash hot sauce
1 tablespoon minced fresh chives and/or fresh dill
2 teaspoons capers, chopped
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

Sandwiches:
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, optional
1 to 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
8 slices rye bread
12 slices dill pickle
2 cups grated Swiss cheese (8 ounces)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper


For the sauerkraut:
Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Add the sauerkraut, apple, and allspice, season with salt and a generous grinding of pepper. Cook until sauerkraut is tender, lightly browned and all the liquid has evaporated, about 15 minutes more.

For the Russian dressing:
Mix all the dressing ingredients together, cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

For the Sandwich:
Preheat broiler to low. Spread some butter on 1 side of each slice of bread. Place 4 pieces, buttered side down, on a foil-lined baking sheet. Spread some of the Russian dressing on the sides facing up. Evenly lay the pickles, sauerkraut, and then cheese on top. Place the open faced sandwiched under the broiler and cook until the cheese melts, about 2 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the broiler. Spread the rest of the dressing on the uncovered side of the 4 remaining bread slices; place on top melted cheese, buttered side up to finish the sandwiches. Return to the broiler and toast sandwich, turning once so both sides get nice and golden brown, about 2 minutes total, serve hot.

Now here’s my favorite. Of course, I love anything made with eggplant or mushrooms. Choose one of the two for a great Reuben sandwich.

Vegetarian Reuben Sandwich  
4 slices of rye bread
1/4 c. fat free Thousand Island dressing
4 thick slices of beefsteak tomato
4 slices of eggplant
or Portabella mushroom sliced
1/2 c. drained sauerkraut
4 slices of reduced-fat Swiss cheese  

Brush sides of eggplant or mushroom with olive oil and transfer to a baking sheet. Roast 20 minutes at 400° until golden and tender. Preheat broiler. Arrange bread slices on a baking sheet. Top each piece with 1 tablespoon of Thousand Island Dressing. Add one tomato slice and eggplant or mushroom. Add 2 tablespoons of sauerkraut and top with a slice of cheese. Place baking sheet under the broiler and broil for 3-5 minutes until cheese is bubbly.
  

More Spring Vegetables

Here’s another great recipe from Moosewood Restaurant Simple Suppers. I changed it a bit by adding mushrooms and chopped green onions. I love recipes that offer a baked version of a classic fried food. Not only are fried foods more fattening, they also make my house smell like a restaurant for several days. It’s not a bad smell, but it kind of makes you hungry while you sleep. So I bake instead when possible.

Easy Egg Rolls

1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon grated peeled ginger root
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 scallions, include as much of the green parts as possible
16 ounce package slaw mix
6 to 8 large dried shitake mushrooms, soaked in hot water, rinsed and sliced. Discard stems.
1 tablespoon soy sauce
½ teaspoon salt
Pinch black pepper
6 sheets of filo pastry
About ¼ cup vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly oil a baking sheet.
Heat sesame oil in a wok or heavy skillet. Add ginger, garlic and chopped scallions and cook for a few seconds. Add slaw, mushrooms, soy sauce, salt and pepper and stir-fry for 4 minutes. Remove from heat.
Place the filo sheets on a dry surface. Brush the top sheet lightly with oil. About 3 inches from the bottom edge, spread one-fourth of slaw mixture. Pick up two sheets of dough and lift them up over the filling and roll up. Brush the finished roll with oil. Lift carefully and place on the oiled baking sheet. Repeat this process and make two more rolls. Place the rolls about 2 inches apart on a baking sheet. With a sharp knife, slice rolls into 4 inch pieces. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes.

Serve with duck sauce. Here are two recipes. The first is simple and makes just enough for one or two meals. The second recipe is more complicated, but makes a lot.

Duck Sauce Recipe
1 cup applesauce
1/2 cup apricot preserves
2 tablespoons honey
2/3 cup cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon crushed garlic
Combine ingredients and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring frequently.

Duck Sauce
3 cans Purple Plums, Drained, Pitted and Chopped
2 cans Apricots, Drained, Pitted and Chopped
1 can Peaches, Drained, Pitted and Chopped
2 Chili Pepper, Seeded & Chopped
6 Scallions, Chopped
1/2 cup Red Wine Vinegar
2/3 cup Sugar
1/2 cup Water
Black Pepper, To Taste

Combine all ingredients in saucepan. Cover and simmer on low for 1 1/2 hours. Add more water if needed to keep mixture from sticking. Puree in blender or food processor. Pour into jars, cover and refrigerate. (You can cut recipe in half )

I planted two packages of radishes last weekend. I’ll keep planting more all spring, summer and fall. I love radishes. Here’s an interesting radish salad from Central Asia.

Shalgam Central Asian Radish Salad
The recipe for this piquant salad comes from Kazakhstan.

4 cups trimmed and sliced thinly radishes
2 cups red bell pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped
2 cups carrots, peeled and cut into thin strips
1 cup halved and thinly sliced onions
2 tsp., minced garlic

Dressing
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup wine vinegar
1 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. cayenne
1 tsp. salt
Prepare and combine the vegetables in a salad bowl. Whisk together the dressing ingredients, pour over the salad, and mix well.

Spring Vegetables

Spring Vegetables

Spring has finally arrived. Well, actually we’re supposed to get some snow tomorrow, but spring is officially here.

Here’s a great soup from the new Moosewood Restaurant Simple Suppers. It features asparagus. What better sign of spring is there than lots of fresh asparagus in the market! This is an avgolemono, a Greek lemon-egg soup. The first time I ever ate it was years ago when my friend Emily learned how to make it. Orzo was new to all of us back then. We called the soup Greek Eggdrop Soup with “fat rice”. Orzo is a pasta, of course, but it sure looks like fat rice.

Asparagus Avgolemono

1 quart vegetable broth
¼ cup orzo
2 cups asparagus cut into 1 ½ inch lengths
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
2 eggs
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Salt and pepper

Bring broth to a boil. Add the orzo and cook until almost al dente, about 8 minutes.
Add the asparagus and dill and simmer until the asparagus is just tender, about 5 minutes.
While the asparagus cooks, in a bowl, whisk the eggs and lemon juice. When the asparagus is tender, whisk a ladleful of the hot broth into the egg-lemon mixture. Lower the heat and slowly pour the egg mixture into the soup in a thin stream, stirring briskly all the while. Continue to stir until the soup is thickened and heated through. Stir and keep the heat low to prevent curdling. Add salt and pepper to taste.

You can substitute chopped spinach, broccoli, kale, or fresh peas for the asparagus.

Makes about three servings