Monday, July 11, 2011
A SCRUMPTIOUS ITALIAN CASSEROLE WITH ONLY 5 INGREDIENTS (NOT COUNTING S&P)
Want something really delicious for dinner? Good enough for company? But not complicated? Have I got a dish for you!
I have to confess that I haven't been terribly creative in the food department lately-- I think it's like a "hangover" from writing the book
. So, I've been cooking things from my own recipe files and cookbooks, and we've been enjoying some old favorites that I haven't made for a long time.I love potatoes, and this casserole was, surprisingly perhaps, one of my absolute favorites from my book "Nonna's Italian Kitchen"
. Truly, the sum is greater than its parts where this casserole is concerned!Printable Recipe
BRYANNA’S PATATE IN TEGAME (ITALIAN BAKED SLICED POTATOES WITH TOMATOES AND GARLIC)
Serves 4
This delicious casserole can be served at any meal, including brunch, and makes a wonderful potluck offering. You can use almost any kind of potato (though I prefer the yellow-fleshed ones), and either fresh or canned tomatoes.
TIP: The easiest and fastest way to slice the potatoes is with a manual mandoline slicer. I have an old, cheap mandoline box slicer that I've used for years. I think I paid under $15 for it.
This delicious casserole can be served at any meal, including brunch, and makes a wonderful potluck offering. You can use almost any kind of potato (though I prefer the yellow-fleshed ones), and either fresh or canned tomatoes.
TIP: The easiest and fastest way to slice the potatoes is with a manual mandoline slicer. I have an old, cheap mandoline box slicer that I've used for years. I think I paid under $15 for it.
There's no need to spend alot of money on a mandoline, unless you are producing food on a large scale. If I had to purchase a new one, I would get one of these:
Baban or TARGET Simple Version 3 in 1 Multi - function mandoline slicer
HONGJING Multi-Function Kitchen Slicer
1 1/2 lbs.yellow potatoes, scrubbed and very thinly sliced (I don't peel them.)
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
3/4 lb. fresh ripe plum tomatoes, thinly sliced
OR a 14 oz. can plum tomatoes or diced tomatoes, drained
2 tablespoons good extra-virgin olive oil
substitute, such as
salt and freshly-ground black pepper
OPTIONAL: you can also add some shredded vegan Mozza cheeze on top, if you like.
OPTIONAL: you can also add some shredded vegan Mozza cheeze on top, if you like.
Oil a 10" glass or ceramic baking dish or pie plate with olive oil. If you are using the canned tomatoes, break them up with your hands, or slice roughly.
Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
Place one layer of potatoes (about 1/3 of them) in the dish. Salt and pepper them; add 1/3 of the tomatoes, half of the garlic, and sprinkle on 1 tablespoon of the vegan parmesan.
Place one layer of potatoes (about 1/3 of them) in the dish. Salt and pepper them; add 1/3 of the tomatoes, half of the garlic, and sprinkle on 1 tablespoon of the vegan parmesan.
Cover the dish and bake for about 1 hour. Uncover the dish and bake 15 minutes more, or until the potatoes are tender and the top is golden. Serve hot.
Nutrition Facts per serving: 260 calories; 5 g protein; 38 g carbohydrate; 9 g fat.
Enjoy!
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
HEALTHFUL, EASY, INEXPENSIVE SOAKED BEAN AND WHOLE GRAIN RECIPES
Urad dal
Brown Basmati Rice and Urad Dal Adai (Indian crepes) with Masala Potato filling and Lime Tofu Yogurt
Rather fuzzy pic (sorry!) of white bean and oat waffles I developed for my book "The Fiber for Life Cookbook
"-- recipe here. (There's also a fancier version of this recipe at this blog post.)For some reason, I've always been fascinated with recipes using plain beans and whole grains that are soaked and ground and used to make delicious, simple and healthful breakfast treats, breads and snacks. We need more recipes like this under our belts, so to speak, to get through hard financial times in good health and spirits. These two recipes come from very different cooking traditions (one ancient and the other more recent) that have used soaked beans and grains to advantage over the years-- Indian cuisine and Seventh Day Adventist cooking. This last weekend I had occasion to serve a recipe from each tradition.
My stepson and his girlfriend were visiting and Laurie mentioned that a buddy of his (in Vancouver) wanted him to try a dosa restaurant. Dosai are Indian crepes made from soaked grain (usually semolina or rice) and dried legumes. Sometime these crepes have different names, such as adai. He had never tasted them, so (being a fan of dosas) I thought I'd make some while they were here. And, as it happened, I already had some white beans soaking for waffles, so we had those for breakfast the following day, and the adai/dosai for brunch the next day.
I used to make this type of dosa years ago for my children for breakfast. They loved it and I still do!
Finished adaiPrintable Recipe
BROWN RICE AND LENTIL ADAI (INDIAN DOSAS OR CREPES) (GF,SF)
Makes about 14
Start this recipe on the morning of the day before you want to make them! PS: There is an all-bean type of adai at this blog post.)
, but you can use a mixture of dals, or split moong dal , or even split yellow peas)(Note: Urad dal is split, skinned Indian black lentils)
2 cups brown basmati rice
2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups water
oil from a pump sprayer
Masala Potatoes (see recipe below)
Lime Tofu Yogurt (see note below)
oil from a pump sprayer
Masala Potatoes (see recipe below)
Lime Tofu Yogurt (see note below)
Soak the dal in one bowl with plenty of water, and the rice in another bowl with plenty of water. Soak them until the evening.
Before bedtime, drain the rice and the dal and place in a large blender or VitaMix
with the salt and water. Blend until smooth.
Before bedtime, drain the rice and the dal and place in a large blender or VitaMix
with the salt and water. Blend until smooth.
Now place the batter in a large bowl, cover with a clean tea towel and leave overnight at room temperature. This allows the batter to ferment. (This step is optional, but traditional—it gives the batter more flavor and adds some natural leavening.)
The batter should feel like a normal crepe batter—add more water if necessary. (If it's too thick, it won't spread easily.)
The day you are making the crepes, make or assemble your filling(s) and toppings before starting to cook the adai. Spray an 8 to 10" well-seasoned cast iron
or anodized aluminum
or nonstick skillet
well with oil from a pump sprayer and heat over high heat. When cold water sprinkled on the pan sizzles, scoop about 1/3 cup of batter into the center of the pan with a small ladle and then use the bottom of the ladle to go in circles and spread the batter out from the center. It's easier than you might think! See the "action" pictures here from a similar recipe (grain-free).
or anodized aluminum or nonstick skillet well with oil from a pump sprayer and heat over high heat. When cold water sprinkled on the pan sizzles, scoop about 1/3 cup of batter into the center of the pan with a small ladle and then use the bottom of the ladle to go in circles and spread the batter out from the center. It's easier than you might think! See the "action" pictures here from a similar recipe (grain-free).
PS: If your batter doesn't spread easily, it may be too thick—cautiously stir in a little more water.
I turned the heat down just a notch or two from the "high" setting. Almost as soon as you have the batter spread, it will start looking a bit dry on top.
Carefully turn the adai and cook for a few seconds, then lay on a platter with a clean tea towel over them (you can fold them in half if you like).
Place some filling (in this case Masala Potatoes, see recipe below) down the middle of each adai and roll up. Serve with the Lime Tofu Yogurt (see NOTE below) and any hot sauces and/or chutneys you like.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per crepe without filling): 145.8 calories; 5% calories from fat; 0.9g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 273.0mg sodium; 197.0mg potassium; 28.9g carbohydrates; 4.5g fiber; 1.4g sugar; 24.4g net carbs; 5.6g protein; 2.2 points
NOTE: For the Lime Tofu Yogurt, use this recipe, but use 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice and 1 tablespoon lemon juice (instead of 1/4 cup lemon juice) , plus the finely-grated zest of 1 medium organic lime.
*************************************************************
MASALA POTATOES
2 lbs. Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1/2" dice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
1 large onion, thinly sliced
7-8 curry leaves (or bay leaves, if you can't find curry leaves)
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup water
4 teaspoons fresh lemon or lime juice
Steam the potato cubes until just tender OR (the way I prefer because it saves time and electricity), place the cubes in a microwave-safe casserole with 2 tablespoons water, cover and cook on high for about 8 minutes, or until tender.
Heat the oil in a large well-seasoned
or nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mustard seeds. When they pop, add the onions, curry leaves, turmeric, coriander, cayenne and salt. Stir-fry, adding a small splash of water as needed to keep things moving, until the onions are nicely wilted.
Add the potatoes and water, cover and cook on low heat for about 5 minutes. Add the lemon or lime juice and serve.
Enjoy!
NOTE: For the Lime Tofu Yogurt, use this recipe, but use 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice and 1 tablespoon lemon juice (instead of 1/4 cup lemon juice) , plus the finely-grated zest of 1 medium organic lime.
*************************************************************
MASALA POTATOES
Serves 6-7
2 lbs. Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1/2" dice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
1 large onion, thinly sliced
7-8 curry leaves (or bay leaves, if you can't find curry leaves)
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup water
4 teaspoons fresh lemon or lime juice
Steam the potato cubes until just tender OR (the way I prefer because it saves time and electricity), place the cubes in a microwave-safe casserole with 2 tablespoons water, cover and cook on high for about 8 minutes, or until tender.
Heat the oil in a large well-seasoned
or nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mustard seeds. When they pop, add the onions, curry leaves, turmeric, coriander, cayenne and salt. Stir-fry, adding a small splash of water as needed to keep things moving, until the onions are nicely wilted.Add the potatoes and water, cover and cook on low heat for about 5 minutes. Add the lemon or lime juice and serve.
Enjoy!
Monday, June 27, 2011
RED RHUBARB TART WITH ALMONDS & ORANGE BLOSSOM WATER
This recipe came about due to a mistake. We had company coming for dinner and I wanted to make a simple but elegant dessert. My friend Holly had given us some beautiful jewel-red rhubarb and I knew I had some phyllo pastry in the freezer, so I thought I'd make a rhubarb strudel. I took out the long box of pastry to thaw in the refrigerator that morning and didn't give it another thought. When baking time came, I mixed up the rhubarb filling ingredients (deciding to add a little mouth-watering-ly aromatic orange blossom water and a few almond slivers to it at the last minute) and set them aside and took out the box. And wasn't I surprised when it turned out to be puff pastry, not phyllo pastry (in my defense, the box looked just like the phyllo pastry box). Okay-- just had to go with it at that point. The result is this recipe and very nice it was, too! Many compliments and nothing left!
Printable Recipe
BRYANNA'S RED RHUBARB TART WITH ALMONDS & ORANGE BLOSSOM WATER
Servings: 6
Orange blossom water
is distilled water that contains the essential oils of the orange blossom. It adds a hint of a citrus scent to foods and compliments the flavor of rhubarb and fruit superbly. A little goes a long way.
Note: Red Stalk Rhubarb varieties Include Canada Red, Macdonald, Valentine, Ruby, Crimson Wine and Cherry Red.
is distilled water that contains the essential oils of the orange blossom. It adds a hint of a citrus scent to foods and compliments the flavor of rhubarb and fruit superbly. A little goes a long way.Note: Red Stalk Rhubarb varieties Include Canada Red, Macdonald, Valentine, Ruby, Crimson Wine and Cherry Red.
4 cups thin slices of red stalk rhubarb (see Note above)
3/4 to 1 cup granulated light unbleached sugar 
1/3 cup lightly-toasted blanched and slivered almonds
2 Tbs quick-cooking (instant or Minute) tapioca 
2 tsp orange blossom (or orange flower) water
(if you don’t have this, add a couple of teaspoons of grated organic orange zest instead)
1 tsp grated organic lemon zest
1 sheet dairy-free puff pastry dough, such as Pepperidge Farm (thawed out according to package directions)
Place rhubarb in bowl and toss with sugar, almonds, tapioca, orange blossom water
, and lemon zest; set aside.
, and lemon zest; set aside.
Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
On a piece of baking parchment
, cut to fit a small baking sheet, roll the pastry into a 12 x 12-inch square (more or less). Scrape the rhubarb mixture down the middle of the pastry, leaving about an inch free on each end. Spread the mixture out a bit, but not right to the edge. Bring the sides of the pastry up to overlap the rhubarb muxture a bit; then fold the far edges of each end piece in like a piece of gift wrap, and bring each end up and slightly over the rhubarb, pressing the edges of the ends and sides together a bit so that they don't come apart.
, cut to fit a small baking sheet, roll the pastry into a 12 x 12-inch square (more or less). Scrape the rhubarb mixture down the middle of the pastry, leaving about an inch free on each end. Spread the mixture out a bit, but not right to the edge. Bring the sides of the pastry up to overlap the rhubarb muxture a bit; then fold the far edges of each end piece in like a piece of gift wrap, and bring each end up and slightly over the rhubarb, pressing the edges of the ends and sides together a bit so that they don't come apart.
Shift the tart, still on the baking parchment, onto your baking sheet.
Fold another piece of baking parchment
to fit over only the rhubarb, not the pastry (this helps cook the rhubarb faster). Bake the tart for about 20 minutes, or until it starts to turn golden. Increase the heat to 400 degrees F. (You don't want to bake it too fast at the beginning, because you don't want the pastry to be done before the rhubarb is cooked.) Bake for about 10 minutes longer, or until the rhubarb is bubbly and tender and the pastry is dark golden. Remove from the oven.
to fit over only the rhubarb, not the pastry (this helps cook the rhubarb faster). Bake the tart for about 20 minutes, or until it starts to turn golden. Increase the heat to 400 degrees F. (You don't want to bake it too fast at the beginning, because you don't want the pastry to be done before the rhubarb is cooked.) Bake for about 10 minutes longer, or until the rhubarb is bubbly and tender and the pastry is dark golden. Remove from the oven.
Cool the pan on a rack until time to serve. Cut into 6 pieces and serve with your favorite vanilla non-dairy "ice cream" or whipped topping.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving): 394.4 calories; 44% calories from fat; 19.7g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 104.5mg sodium; 316.5mg potassium; 51.3g carbohydrates; 3.0g fiber; 26.7g sugar; 48.3g net carbs; 5.4g protein; 8.9 points.
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
Monday, June 20, 2011
PERSIAN-STYLE VEGAN POTATO PANCAKES
The other day I got carried away revising some writing and didn't eat my usual breakfast (oatmeal with apples). Come 11:30 I was starving! But I didn't feel like having oatmeal at that point and there weren't any leftovers in the fridge (DH took them to work). I remembered a type of potato patty that I had seen quite a while before and had placed on my mental list to try veganizing-- I thought that this might be a good time to try it for "brunch".
In Arabic and Persian cuisines there is a type of thick baked omelet or fritatta that can utilize almost any vegetable (but always contains some green herbs). It can be eaten hot or cold and is often used as a picnic food. In Arabic it is called "eggah" ( عجة ʻaggah or ʻajjah) and in Perisan it is called "kuku" (کوکو). According to food historian Alan Davidson, these are most probably the origin of Italian fritattas and Spanish tortillas (not the Mexican corn variety).
Sometimes the mixture is made into small "pancakes" or "patties" and is shallow-fried in oil or clarified butter instead of baked. This is the type of thing I wanted to try, but, of course, egg-free and made with only a little oil. I also wanted to make the potato variety because it sounded nicely substantial and I thought the potato would help hold things together. (It can be made with eggplant, parsley and green onions, leeks, broad beans, spinach and other greens, cauliflower, squash...) I decided to try a mixture of mashed tofu and chickpea flour
instead of the egg.
instead of the egg.
My first effort actually worked! (Good thing, because I was really hungry by then!) It was super simple to make and very tasty—open to alot of variation, too, so I will be playing with it further. I think the potato did help, but you could probably use less if it was baked—something for further experimentation.
I wasn’t sure what to serve with it, but rice sounded like a good idea and I did have some leftover brown basmati in the fridge. I read that yogurt and green herbs are usually served with these omelets, so I mixed up some plain Nancy’s soy yogurt with some of my homemade vegan low-fat mayonnaise (commercial soy yogurt is a bit sweet, so I wanted to add something more acidic) and mixed herbs. Unorthodox, perhaps, but tasty. (I also tried it with some Peruvian Huacatay Sauce
and that was good, too. (Homemade recipe here.)
and that was good, too. (Homemade recipe here.)
The following recipe uses curry powder
—not something you generally find in Persian cooking—which evidently is used in the potato pancakes made in the ancient city of Elam in southwestern Iran, according to the book Silk Road Cooking
.
—not something you generally find in Persian cooking—which evidently is used in the potato pancakes made in the ancient city of Elam in southwestern Iran, according to the book Silk Road Cooking.
BRYANNA’S PERSIAN-STYLE VEGAN POTATO PATTIES
GF
GF
Makes 9 pancakes
2 large russet potatoes (1 lb. total)
8 ounces medium-firm tofu, drained and mashed
1/4 cup chickpea flour 
(besan)
(besan)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 teaspoons good-quality curry powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
freshly-ground black pepper to taste
1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley
1 tablespoon olive oil for frying
Peel the potatoes cut them in half. Steam them until they are just barely done (still a bit firm). (Alternatively, you can microwave-steam the potatoes in a covered Pyrex casserole for 4 to 5 minutes, or are just barely done but still a bit firm.) Cool the potatoes in the freezer while you gather the other ingredients, mash the tofu, etc..
Grate the cooled-down potatoes on a box grater into the mashed tofu in a medium bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Divide into 9 equal portions and form into patties.
Heat 1/2 tablespoon of the oil in a medium to large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook half of the patties for about 3 minutes per side, or until they are golden brown on each side, handling gently. Repeat with the other 1/2 tablespoon olive oil and the rest of the patties. Serve hot.
Heat 1/2 tablespoon of the oil in a medium to large non-stick skillet
over medium-high heat. Cook half of the patties for about 3 minutes per side, or until they are golden brown on each side, handling gently. Repeat with the other 1/2 tablespoon olive oil and the rest of the patties. Serve hot.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per 1 patty): 110.6 calories; 23% calories from fat; 3.0g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 217.8mg sodium; 414.5mg potassium; 17.5g carbohydrates; 1.6g fiber; 0.9g sugar; 15.8g net carbs; 4.5g protein; 2.1 points.
Enjoy!
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