Yummy Supper : greens

Showing posts with label greens. Show all posts

NETTLE OMELET WITH SPRING ONION

I know.... it's weird that we cultivate weeds in our backyard, especially when you consider how unfriendly nettles appear to be. One touch and you know why they're called "stinging" nettles. But this luscious weed is worth the hassle. Not only are stinging nettles absolutely delicious, they're super good for you...packed with fiber, protein, vitamins A, C, D, and K. Nettles are a miraculous anti-inflammatory, treatment of seasonal allergies, and a known blood purifier. We brew nettles as a simple tea, saute them as we could spinach or other tender greens, and puree them into pesto. Once nettles are cooked, the infamous sting disappears.

Nettles seem to be cropping up at more and more farmers' markets these days. I've even seen them at Monterey Market. Or if you're of the adventurous foraging ilk, you might find nettles growing wild nearby. Please, harvest the nettles with care. Using gloves is always a safe bet, though I find a good set of tongs and scissors to work for me as long as I'm careful not to casually brush my arm against the bush while harvesting.

Nettles and eggs make delicious companions. The tender greens are so good sauteed with a little spring onion and Parmesan and tucked into a tender omelet. Of course you can eat this dish for breakfast, but remember omelets make a nice lunch or easy supper.

If you're curious about nettles, read more here and here.

INGREDIENTS makes 1 omelet, though you can easily double, triple... the recipe to feed as many as you choose

3 packed cups trimmed and washed nettle leaves (see my notes above about the necessary precautions for handling fresh nettles)
2 tablespoons chopped spring onion or scallion
2 tablespoons olive oil
sea salt
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
2-3 eggs
splash of water
freshly ground black pepper
unsalted butter
optional for garnish: chopped onion greens and/or onion blossoms

Heat olive oil in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add nettle leaves. Use tongs to toss nettles and coat them in the warm oil. Add a sprinkling of sea salt to the greens. Cover the pan, turn then flame to low and continue to cook nettles for a few minutes until the leaves are wilted and tender.

Place cooked nettles on a cutting board, and coarsely chop. Set chopped nettles next to your stove so that you can easily add them to your omelet in just a few minutes. Place your grated Parm next to the stove top as well.

Set a small, well-seasoned cast iron (or non-stick) pan over medium heat so that it can thoroughly preheat before you cook your omelet. In the meantime, whisk eggs vigorously in a mixing bowl with a pinch of salt, a few grinds of black pepper, and a tiny splash of tap water.

If you're new to cooking omelets and would like some visual help, you might want to check out this post from my archives.

Place 1/2 tablespoon butter in the hot pan. Swirl it around to coat all sides. (If the pan is too hot and the butter browns, use a paper towel to wipe out the pan, adjust the flame and start with a fresh pat of butter.) Once the melted butter has coated the sides of the pan, immediately add the whisked eggs. Grab the handle of the pan and tilt it so the eggs evenly coat the bottom, and slightly up the sides of the pan. Once the eggs start to form large bubbles, use a spatula to pull the eggs from the edge towards the middle of the pan, letting the runny eggs fill the void. Repeat this action in 3-4 places until there's no longer any excess runny egg.

Once your eggs have a nice rumpled surface, sprinkle the grated Parm onto the omelet. Next add the chopped, cooked nettles. (If the omelet still looks a little underdone to your taste, turn the flame to low and cover the pan for just a minute or so. I personally like my omelets with a slightly gooey middle.) Slide the omelet from the pan onto a plate, letting it fold onto itself.

Serve omelet right away and garnish with onion greens (and blossoms, if you've got them.) Enjoy!

SPICY PORK SOUP WITH KALE and RICE NOODLES

2014 is a BIG year for me. My cookbook - that has felt a lot like a third child with a 30 month gestation - will finally be in stores this August. Just last week, I was in NY meeting with my incredible editor and friend, Elissa Altman, talking about the book, making plans for the year, and the adventure that lies ahead.

Making this book has been such a heartfelt, private undertaking - the cooking, tasting, writing, shooting have all has happened in our quiet Berkeley kitchen. It's hard for me to believe that before long, this personal book will be a very public thing. The recipes, which we continue to cook all the time, will no longer be just at our table - they can be at yours too. I can't even tell you the thrill I get when I imagine you cooking these dishes I love.

And I'm so curious which recipes you'll try. Will it be the Fish Tacos with Pomegranate Salsa? Millet Crepes {sweet or savory}? Baked Eggs on a Bed of Cherry Tomatoes? Watercress Salad with Balsamic Cherries? Spaghetti Dinner with Rainbow Chard, Bacon and Cream? Pistachio Orange Sugar Cookies? Cucumber Gimlets? I can't wait to find out.

I've just put up a link for pre-orders...Woo hoo!!!

............................................

In the meantime, let's talk about today's delicious soup. When I saw January's issue of Bon Appétit, I felt like the BA staff had read my mind, or maybe even peeked into my kitchen. I don't know about you, but I wanted to cook every recipe in the magazine, pronto! The issue is bursting with easy, healthful recipes that don't feel at all diet-y...just my kind of food... clean, flavor-packed dishes that nourish in a deep way. This Spicy Pork Soup with Kale and Rice Noodles totally satisfies - it's quick enough for a weeknight supper, packed with leafy greens, infused with spice, while adding just the right amount of pork for flavor and protein.

INGREDIENTS adapted from Bon Appétit, January 2014
printable recipe

1/2 pound ground pork
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 teaspoons peeled and finely grated ginger
1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns, crushed
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds, crushed
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
4-5 cups low sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons soy sauce {GF folks, make sure to use GF tamari sauce}
1 teaspoon fish sauce {GF folks: Thai Kitchen makes a GF fish sauce}
4 cups torn kale leaves...you can use mustard greens, chard or turnip greens instead of kale
4 scallions, sliced thin
8 ounces wide rice noodles

In a medium mixing bowl, combine ground pork, garlic, ginger, Sichuan pepper, red pepper flakes, cumin, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and a few generous grinds of black pepper.

Heat oil in a large stock pot, or dutch oven, over medium-high heat. Add pork and brown for 6-8 minutes, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon.

Next, pour broth over the pork, add the soy/tamari and fish sauces, and bring liquid to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 8-10 minutes so the flavors can mingle.

Finally, add the kale and scallions to the pot. Stir, and cook for a few minutes until the greens are just tender. Season with additional tamari sauce, salt, and/or pepper to taste.

In the meantime, cook rice noodles as per the instructions on your package, then divide cooked noodles among four bowls. Ladle the finished soup over the noodles. Serve and enjoy!

Serves 4

KALE WITH JAPANESE SESAME DRESSING

Sesame dressing seems to make everyone gobble down heaps of greens with abandon. This flavorful dressing is easy to make and it quickly transforms simple blanched kale or spinach into an irresistible dish.

A few months ago, one of our favorite restaurants closed. O Chame and their fresh, soulful Japanese food always made our family happy - after decades of belly-warming meals, we were heartbroken to see it go. O Chame's blanched spinach with sesame dressing was a perennial favorite. (I have to say... there's nothing more satisfying than watching kids devour a huge plate of greens, only to ask for more!) I've been working on tweaking the flavors for my own sesame dressing for a while now - I even consulted my friend Doug who did a stint working at O Chame.

For you loyalists out there, this dish will not taste exactly like O Chame's beloved sesame spinach, but the flavors should make you nostalgic, for sure. While sesame dressing is traditionally served with blanched spinach, I really enjoy using heartier kale as my greens here. Give it a try...either way, it's darned tasty.

Do you have a Japanese sesame dressing recipe to share? I'd love to hear about it!

A note on ingredients: I suggest looking for toasted white sesame seeds, Mirin, tamari, and rice wine vinegar at your local Japanese/Asian market.

INGREDIENTS
printable recipe

1 1/2 -2 pounds kale, tough ribs removed - spinach is also delicious
1/2 cup toasted white sesame seeds (if you can't find toasted seeds, you can buy raw sesame seeds and quickly toast them yourself)
3 tablespoons Mirin (sweet sake for cooking)
2 tablespoons GF Tamari or soy sauce
1 tablespoon unseasoned rice wine vinegar
optional: 2 teaspoons light agave nectar (I find kale likes this extra hit of sweet)
optional: if you are the type of person who happens to have dashi on hand, add a splash or two to the dressing

Heat a large pot full of water for blanching the greens.

In 2 batches, blanch kale leaves in unsalted water for a 1-2 minutes until greens are tender and vibrant green. The age, size and heartiness of your kale will determine how long you'll need to cook the leaves. After about a minute of cooking, I pull out a leaf to start tasting for doneness. (Keep in mind that spinach should only need 20-30 seconds to blanch.) Use tongs to remove blanched greens from the hot water.

Let your cooked greens cool to room temp in a colander while you blanch another batch. Place the second batch of cooked greens into the colander to cool with the first batch. (If you have a garden, save your blanching water. Let it fully cool, then use that nutrient-rich liquid to water your plants.)

While the greens are cooling, go ahead and make your dressing. Using a mortar and pestle or food processor, blend toasted sesame seeds, Mirin, Tamari, rice vinegar, and agave. It's easier to achieve a creamier consistency using a food processor, but sometimes I prefer the therapeutic labor of a mortar and pestle.

When the kale has cooled to room temp, grab half of the greens and squeeze them between your hands to removed excess liquid. The cooked greens will stick together in a log-shaped clump after being squeezed together in your hands. Take that roll of greens and slice it into 1/2 inch wide strips then transfer chopped leaves to a mixing bowl.

Before dressing your salad, keep in mind that this recipe gives you a VERY generous amount of dressing. You may only need to use as little as half the dressing. (Feel free to save the remaining dressing in a lidded container in the fridge for another batch of greens.) We like a ton of dressing on our kale, so we use it all in one go. Toss greens and dressing with your hands to fully coat the leaves with the toasted sesame goodness.

This dish can be served at room temp or slightly chilled. It also travels well.

Serves 4

A SALAD FOR THE EDIBLE SCHOOLYARD {+ my little video on how to supreme an orange}

Alice Waters' original Edible Schoolyard is a five minute walk from our house. For years, we've taken early evening strolls through the garden, ogling the vast array of plants, herbs, fruit trees - all inspiring our own tiny backyard veggie garden.

When our boy Otis was getting ready to enter middle school two years ago, we couldn't resist King. We wanted Otis to have the freedom to safely roam our neighborhood, ride his bike to school, have local friends, and be a part of our community school. I'd be lying if I didn't admit that the Edible Schoolyard was a huge draw for us in making this change. King kids are fortunate enough to have classes in both the Kitchen and Garden programs associated with the Schoolyard. Every time I visit, I'm stunned to see a huge group of middle schoolers not messing around or worrying about being cool, but totally focused and invigorated about cooking, gardening, eating, and learning. I've never seen adolescents so excited about vegetables! Who wouldn't want their child to have this invaluable education... an education which instills a passion for learning that permeates all aspects of the school, way beyond the Garden and Kitchen.

King kids know they're lucky to have the Schoolyard - I see them taking great pride in knowing where food comes from, and how to grow and cook nourishing food for themselves. I dream of these King kids becoming parents a generation from now, and the joy and knowledge they will be able to share with their own families - the healthful meals they will cook with their own children.

When my amazing friend Phyllis asked if I'd be interested in teaching a class with her at the Edible Schoolyard to benefit our Berkeley Public Libraries, I immediately said "YES!" On Saturday, we had a blast cooking with 11 adorable kids and their moms, dads, and even a few grandmothers. Phyllis, a pastry master, taught everyone to make sumptuous savory tarts - my oh my were they incredibly good. Then, I worked with the gang on making a deconstructed salad and taught the kids how to whip up a simple vinaigrette in mason jars. Watching all their eager little faces as they shook up salad dressing and ate lettuce like it was candy made my heart swoon. While I always feel lucky to cook with my own kids and their friends, it was totally inspiring for me to cook with this group of kiddos I'd never met. I feel incredibly lucky to have had the tiniest taste of the magic the Edible Schoolyard gets to experience every day. I'm savoring it.

CITRUS, FENNEL, RADISH + PISTACHIO SALAD
serves 4
{printable recipe}

For the dressing:

1 heaping teaspoon Dijon mustard
generous pinch of good sea salt
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil

For the salad:

1/2 pound baby arugula, or butter lettuce
1 medium fennel bulb
6 radishes
8-10 kumquats
2 oranges: Cara Cara or blood oranges are my favorites here
1 cup roasted salted pistachio, shells removed; or 1/3 cup pepitas
optional: arugula and/or fennel blossoms

The dressing: First, place all ingredients in a lidded jar. Shake vigorously until dressing has emulsified. Dip a leaf of lettuce into the dressing and add more salt, vinegar, or oil to your liking.

The salad: Wash, fully dry and place your salad greens into a large bowl. (Keep in mind that fully dried leaves will be key to your dressing adhering nicely to the greens later.) Trim and thinly slice fennel bulb and radishes. Slice kumquats thin, leaving skins on. Remove any seeds.

Supreme oranges. (See video at the end of this post.)

Place fennel, radishes, kumquats, orange slices, and pistachios (or pepitas) into individual bowls.

When all of your salad components are prepped, and you’re ready to eat, lightly dress your greens. (Go ahead and use your hands to toss the salad - it's the best way to get a beautiful even coating of dressing on all the leaves.) Place bowls of chopped goodies on the table and let everyone make the salad they desire. Pass around small pitcher of extra dressing in case anyone wants to add another drizzle to his/her plate.

I decided to make a little video for you guys ( my first ever!) showing the simple way to supreme an orange. If you struggle to slice clean segments of citrus and are looking for a little help, I hope this video makes your life easier....

SORREL PESTO WITH MARCONA ALMONDS

Have you made a New Year's resolution?

This may sound dorky.... but every January I aim for one big theme for the year. I started this tradition in 2008 - projected (by me) to be "The Year of Fun." It turned out that 2008 brought me terrible health and the US economy went to hell. Nonetheless my "Year of Fun" moniker seemed to work miracles - I have great memories of dragging my tired self to ride roller coasters and squealing with abandon alongside my kids. Somehow my intention to look for fun helped me laugh at myself and see lightheartedness and small joys even when the tenor of the times was weighted with worry.

I'm not sure what this year's theme will be, but it could be to take more time for nature. I really should start in our backyard garden - we have neglected it these past few months. Throughout the fall and winter, P and the kids are off at school all day and creep home after the sun has gone down, and I'm BUSY working on the book and cooking like a fiend. All of our veggies have been a bit ignored. Nonetheless, the strong are surviving and that's why I'm talking about sorrel today. Sorrel is one hearty plant and its fortitude warrants a little love today.

A few months ago Rach said she was whipping up sorrel pesto in her kitchen and urged us to try it. We're happy we did. Sorrel, with its tangy citrusy bite holds its own with raw garlic, while good olive oil, Parm, and Marcona almonds mellow things out nicely.

INGREDIENTS
{printable recipe}

2 cups loosely packed sorrel leaves (arugula would make a nice peppery substitute here)
1/3 cup salted and roasted Marcona almonds
2 cloves garlic
1/3 cup grated Parmesan
pinch of salt
a few grinds of the pepper mill
1/2-2/3 cup olive oil

Blend all ingredients in a blender or food processor and you've got Sorrel Pesto!

Of course this pesto is good on pasta, pizza, or a sandwich, but we also like it slathered onto grilled fish, or roasted chicken, or poached eggs. Just this morning, I scooped some sorrel pesto onto my frittata. Yum!

For more pesto love check out:

And I'd love to hear your New Year's resolutions if you are willing to share...

xo
E

BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP WITH CANNELLINI BEANS + GREENS

Is Thanksgiving really next week? No way.

 I'm not sharing standard Thanksgiving dinner fare with you today. Instead I wanted to give you a mellow and simple fall soup recipe that could easily serve a crowd of friends and family over the long holiday weekend. You may just want to make a pot of it to have on hand for a soothing non-turkey meal - I love the indulgence of a Thanksgiving spread, but my belly also begs for healthy breaks and this soup does the trick.

 We make a pot of beans a week around here and a portion of them always end up in a soup of some sort. P, the kids and I all enjoy the protein kick without the meat. When I found Alice Waters' recipe for White Bean and Butternut Squash Soup the fall flavors appealed to me, but I worried that the soup sounded a bit starchy. Trusting Alice, I went ahead and made the soup and it was delicious and really quite delicate and flavorful. The sweetness of the squash is so nice with the creamy beans and there's plenty of broth to lighten things up. I did add greens to the pot just to give the soup yet another texture and nutritional hit. I used puntarelle because that's what we've got sprouting in our garden. Next time I'll use chard - the tender leaves and mild flavor would be just right here. Keep in mind that you can easily adapt this soup to be completely vegetarian or even vegan by using a good veggie stock instead of the chicken broth.

 What are your plans for Thanksgiving? I'd love to hear about your favorite holiday recipes and traditions.

Recipe Note:

If you are using dried beans, be sure to soak them the night before.

CLICK HERE FOR THE RECIPE AND MORE...

OTTOLENGHI'S GREEN GAZPACHO

Last week, I served up some cake for breakfast, so today I thought we could all use a huge bowl of greens for lunch.

This time of year I cannot seem to get enough peaches, nectarines, apricots, pluots - all the yellow, orange, and red juicy deliciousness of summer. I get so caught up trying to stuff myself with fruit while it lasts, that I forget to eat my greens. Bad girl.

My neighbor Caitlin mentioned that she loves Ottolenghi's Green Gazpacho and I thought this might just be the cure to my summer fruit hangover. And it was. I cannot believe how much good green stuff is packed into this chilled soup. We are talking 6 cups of spinach alone! I also really enjoyed the addition of walnuts which gives the gazpacho a little heft and protein - making it a nice summer meal all on its own.

INGREDIENTS - adapted from Yotam Ottolenghi's Plenty
(printable recipe)

Croutons:

4 thick slices of sourdough bread (local GF folks, I used a Mariposa baguette)
4 tablespoons olive oil
Maldon flaky sea salt

The soup:

2 ribs celery, roughly chopped
2 bell peppers, cores and seeds removed, and roughly chopped
6 small cucumbers, roughly chopped
3 slices Millet Bread, toasted (or Ottolenghi calls for stale white bread), crusts removed and chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 fresh green chili, minced
2 teaspoons honey
1 1/2 cups walnuts, toasted
6 cups baby spinach
1 cup basil leaves
4 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons Greek yogurt
2-3 cups water
season generously with salt and freshly ground white pepper
olive oil for garnish

Preheat oven to 375.

To make the croutons, tear crusty bread into rough bite-sized chunks and scatter them onto a baking sheet. Drizzle olive oil over the bread and sprinkle with salt. Give everything a toss with your hands to coat the bread. Place the baking sheet in the hot oven. Toast for 10 minutes or so until you have nice golden croutons. Set aside for garnish.

Prep all soup ingredients. Get out your blender and set aside a very large bowl to hold your pureed soup. In a blender, puree a mix of ingredients in batches adding more water if you need to, then pour the puree into the large bowl you've set aside. When you've finished all of the pureeing (it took me 4 batches!) give everything a good stir. Season with additional salt and ground white pepper, and chill soup before serving.

Serve gazpacho in wide low bowls. Pass the croutons, and give each bowl a drizzle of olive oil over the top.

This recipe really serves a crowd - I found it made about 16 cups. (I'm thinking I may just have a bowl of leftover gazpacho for breakfast tomorrow!)

CHICKPEAS + DANDELION GREENS

I'm all about greens these days.

Since the New Year, I have been going without refined sugar, and skipping most dairy. As an always-hungry omnivore, I resist restrictions in my diet like a petulant child being told to put down the candy. But once in a while, I just get to the point where my body needs a break. When one glance at a butter cookie starts to make to make my belly ache, it's time to switch things up. Amazingly, my biggest craving right now is for greens, and I'm not gonna fight a desire that's this healthy.

Last post, I shared a Breakfast Salad (Greens for breakfast? Yes, please!). Now, I have another recipe for you that packs a healthy punch. Dandelion greens are high in antioxidants, as well as Vitamin A, Potassium, and Vitamin Κ.*

(Plus, I love an excuse to photograph Meyer lemons from the little tree in my backyard....)

INGREDIENTS adapted from Heidi Swanson's Super Natural Every Day
(printable recipe)

2 cups cooked garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
4 cups dandelion greens, washed and stems trimmed ( I think mustard greens would be good too)
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
zest of one lemon
juice of one small tangerine
sea salt

Place cooked garbanzo beans in a medium sized mixing bowl.

Once all your ingredients are prepped, get out a large saute pan, and place it on the stove top. Pour in olive oil, garlic and red pepper flakes. Turn heat to medium. Once the garlic sizzles a bit without browning, add the greens. Toss everything a few times with tongs to coat the greens with the warm oil. Cover pan with a lid and cook for 2 minutes or until tender.

Add the wilted greens to your bowl of garbanzos. Stir. (I liked using my hands to mix everything together.) At this point I strayed from the original recipe and added the juice of a fresh tangerine: the sweetness of the citrus helps to temper the bitterness of the greens. Add sea salt to taste. Top with lemon zest.

Serve and enjoy. I ate this dish all on its own as a satisfying lunch. I also bet it would be delicious served over quinoa or other healthy grain.

*source on nutritional facts on mustard greens

VEGGIE FRITTERS

We are now two thirds of the way through our trip and we've begun to talk of going home. Of course the kids have already planned our first California meals. Otis wants to stop at Picante for grub on his way home from the airport, even before stepping foot in our house.

I look forward to being with friends and neighbors. I am curious to see our garden and I cannot wait to sleep in our comfy bed.

But I am also nervous about leaving our trip behind. Getting this much time with Paul and the kids is a dream that isn't a realistic scenario in Berkeley. I have never seen my family happier, more relaxed, and inspired. P and I talk a lot about how to weave some of this trip's experience into our lives back home. Maybe not filling the calendar with play dates and activities - staying spontaneous. Slowing down to thoroughly enjoy the family time we do have. We know we need to make traveling a regular part of our lives and we already talk about where we to go next year. Otis and Lilah vote for a return to Bali. They have so many friends here, are speaking more and more Bahasa Indonesia, and this lush island feels a lot like home.

In these next three months, I still have many tastes to share with you including these delectable Veggie Fritters...

A while back I wrote about a cooking class I took with with Dr. Kekada. Remember that creamy Chai latte? Well, there's more tastiness where that came from.

Dr. Kekada is an Ayurvedic doctor - for her food is medicine. According to Kekada, this "medicine" should be full of flavor as well as health. My girlfriends and I devoured a feast she made for us, and these veggie fritters (Pakora) dipped in Fresh Mint Chutney was the favorite dish for all.

I love that these fritters are not at all doughy - they are wonderful mix of mostly leafy greens and spices, with chickpea flour for binding. Simple, healthy and flavorful all at the same time.

INGREDIENTS