Artichoke, Asparagus, and Butter Bean Salad

Spring has sprung, the veggies are looking decent, and my sick computer is well again.  Don't think for a second I haven't been cooking.  I have been stir-frying, roasting, broiling, and grilling throughout my entire blog absence.  To celebrate the season that seems to finally be here, this is a simple entree salad or side dish that takes only a few quick minutes to make and it is excellent.

 Artichoke, Asparagus, and Butter Bean Salad

1 package (or can, drained) artichoke hearts, sliced in half
1 shallot, sliced
1 can butter beans, drained
2 T extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 t white wine vinegar
1/4 t sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 bunches asparagus, washed and cut into 2-3" segments
1/4 c sliced almonds, lightly toasted
juice of 1/2 lemon 


Preheat oven to broil.

Prep ingredients, tossing artichokes, shallot, beans, olive oil, vinegar, sea salt, and black pepper. Line a broiler pan or baking sheet with foil and distribute seasoned vegetable mixture evenly on the foil in a single layer on half of the sheet. Toss asparagus in the bowl with remaining marinade and distribute them evenly on the other side of the baking sheet.

Broil 7-15 minutes, depending on the strength of your broiler. Check it after 7 minutes.  It is done when the veggies are browning at the edges and the beans are beginning to split.  The asparagus may cook fast and need to be pulled out sooner than the other veggies.

Let cool for few minutes and finish with lemon juice. Top with toasted almonds.

Tapas Time--Artichoke-stuffed Tomatoes

eggplant deliciousness on bread topped with a quail egg and chive

I'm always thrilled when someone wants to go out for tapas.  I love tapas.  The various small bites of flavor are captivating and I love the entire experience.  I love having a huge variety and getting just a bite of everything.  I love many different tastes at one sitting.  Tapas are an excuse to have a bunch of really great snacks and call it a meal.  The process, the slow-down, the savoring of each bite, and the wine thrill me to no end.  Apparently tapas began in Andalusia  as something to place over your drink to keep the bugs out. There was always one bite served with every drink and the tradition evolved into a cultural experience.  Using the freshest, most seasonal stuff around at the moment, tapas can be anything prepared simply and seasoned properly.  Plating and presentation are important and go along with the slow eating, appreciation of each bite, and the savoring of the experience.

Fun for couples or groups of any size, tapas-style dining changes the pace of things and gets us to sit back and enjoy.  The Spanish dining philosophy of 'Eat When You Drink, Drink When You Eat' isn't lost on me.  I love following this rule and do it whenever possible or practical. 

Last weekend, when good friends were visiting from D.C. and we were needing a good spot to catch up, we did just that.

fresh anchovies, briny, sweet, steamed to perfection, and dressed with lemon

On a Friday night in Greenwich Village, we were expecting a long wait when we saw the jam-packed tapas bar over-flowing with diners.  As luck would have it, our 30-minute wait became about 10 minutes and we were seated at a tall 3-top in the front with a perfect view of the Bleecker St. bustle. 

the remains of my seared tuna and a cheese stick to beat all cheese sticks. . .artisanal Spanish cheese, breaded and fried

My friend, another Katie, wisely ordered everything from the specials board first.  We then  revisited the menu for a few last nibbles.  Kurt ordered the wine, the details of which I have lost, but it was fantastic, too.  Maybe a tempranillo?  Nonetheless, everything was delicious and we left happy, but not too stuffed, which is another perk of having all small bites.

Here is a recipe that I made up inspired by a traditional tapas recipe of stuffed tomatoes.  The old version is filled with breadcrumbs and aioli and are concasse'd (blanched to remove skin).  I like the skin and wanted to add the artichokes in as flavor perk. I kept going by adding almond meal and marcona almonds on top until Voila!  Artichoke-stuffed Tomatoes...

Artichoke-stuffed Tomatoes

1 pkg Campari tomatoes (or about 8-10 golf ball-sized tomatoes), cherry tomatoes could be a substitute
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 T extra-virgin Spanish olive oil
1/4 cup minced onion
3 artichokes, carved down to the hearts and squirted with lemon juice and diced (or 3 canned or frozen artichoke hearts, diced)
1 T dry white wine
1/3 cup whole grain bread crumbs
3 T almond meal or finely chopped almonds
3 T mayonnasie or Veganaise, whatever your preference
2 T freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 T freshly minced parsley
1/2 t Spanish paprika (sweet or hot)
8-10 Marcona almonds (or 8-10 regular almonds, soaked for a minutes in olive oil and a bit of sea salt)


Wash, dry, and prepare your tomatoes, by slicing off just the tops and setting them aside.  Gently scoop out seeds and pulp from the tomatoes with a small melon baller or a grapefruit spoon.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Oil a baking dish and arrange tomatoes upright in dish.  Lightly salt and pepper them and set aside.

In a saute pan, heat oil and cook onion for 2 minutes on medium.  Add garlic, stir one minutes, then add diced artichoke hearts and wine.  Cook on medium for 10-12 minutes, if using canned or about 20 minutes, if using fresh. When tender and fragrant, turn the heat up a little bit and add breadcrumbs and almond meal.  Season with salt and pepper. Let cool for a few minutes, then add mayo/Veganaise, lemon juice, and parsley.  Taste and adjust seasonings.

Carefully  fill tomatoes using a small spoon and mound filling a little over the top, if possible.  Top each with a light dusting of paprika and sink an almond into the top. 

Bake, uncovered, for about 25 minutes, or until browned and bubbly.  Beware to remove them if the almond begins to burn or if the tomatoes begin to collapse.

Let cool for 5 minutes and serve!

Nouveau Spinach and Artichoke Dip

A Merry Christmas Hors d'oeuvre for a Merry Christmas Eve

Uh-oh.  Is tomorrow Christmas Eve?  It comes fast, doesn't it?  Well, if you are in need of a quick appetizer or hors d'ouevre.  Here is some inspiration and what I am bringing to our family's Christmas celebration.
Based on classic artichoke dip, I added fresh spinach chiffonade, and replaced the traditional jarred mayo with slow cooked onions-turned into an onion-y roux, a bit of plain organic yogurt, and a bit of flax/olive oil veganaise.  Not too shabby. The yogurt and Veganaise cuts the fat a bit since it's already so rich and the yogurt adds a good tang.  You could just go with regular or light mayo if you don't have the other stuff on hand.  Garnish with some festive spicy roasted mini peppers, sliced green olives with pimientos or some bright red paprika.  Whatever you have on hand!  Merry Christmas! 

my mise

Nouveau Spinach and Artichoke Dip

3 T butter+2 T extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

1/2 t sea salt

freshly ground pepper

1/2 t minced garlic

2 T unbleached white flour

1/4 cup milk, soymilk, or almond milk

1/4 cup plain yogurt

8 cups or so spinach leaves, cut into chiffonade/thin strips

1 can artichoke hearts, drained and roughly chopped

1/2 cup Veganaise or other mayonnaise you wish to use (My favorite is the Flax/Olive Oil Light Veganaise)

1/2 cup grated parmigiano reggiano cheese+1/4 cup for the top

Garnish (red pepper strips, paprika, olives?)

Cocktail pumpernickel ryes, Beer Bread, and/or endive for serving.

Melt butter and olive oil in a medium or large pot with a lid.  Add onion and cook on medium-high until just beginning to brown.  Season with salt, pepper, and garlic.  Stir and lower heat.  Cook onion on low, uncovered for 20 minutes or so, stirring occasionally.  When onion is very soft and fragrant and beginning to caramelize, add unbleached white flour and stir to make a roux.  Add milk and yogurt to create a sort of bechamel sauce. Stir over low heat a few minutes until smooth.  Add spinach and gently fold in until leaves wilt down and remove from heat.  Add artichoke hearts, Veganaise, and 1/2 cup grated parmigiano reggiano.

Fold it all together and spread in a small/medium 'oven-to-table'-style baking dish.  Sprinkle the remaining  parmesan cheese on top and arrange your garnish if you want it to get baked too.  I did mine with miniature hot peppers and thought it would be great baked with the spicy flavors permeating part of the dip-yum!  You can cover and store overnight at this point or bake and serve.

Bake, uncovered, at 350 F for 30-50 minutes, depending on depth of your baking dish and if it was refrigerated before going into the oven.  When it's hot, bubbly, and browned at the edges, it's ready to serve.

Warm bread slightly before serving and arrange on a serving plate with endive. 

Pissaladiere

It's Thursday again.  An always busy day, but also often the signal that my week of marketing, planning, menu changes, cooking, and clean-ups is coming to a close (unless, of course, I was insane enough to book weekend parties). Once I sum up the week in invoices, totals and laundry, then the next few days are all mine.  To end each week, I always take some time go over the next week's schedule and plan out menus to try and  fulfill each client's wishes for the following week.  I email them out to each client and then just call it quits for a few days. After three parties and four "stock the fridge" sessions in three days (or something like that), you would think my plans would be really simple for the next week.

In reality, though, when I over-book myself, I begin to plan more and more ambitious and creativity-required menus and dishes, including new recipes that I have no idea about or haven't a clue what the results will be. It is truly frightening to show up to a three-course dinner party for 12 without having even read the dessert recipe yet.  I guess I really like living on the edge.

I'm not sure why I do it.  Maybe to keep myself entertained or maybe I get cocky about how fast I can make a nice crudites on the fly while cooking off 16 Filets, then leaving and starting all over again somewhere else numerous times in a day.

Probably what happens, though, is that while doing the end of the week planning,  in retrospect I think to myself, that wasn't so bad and so then plan another week of challenging and confusing menus where I  must rise to the occasion and accommodate my own high maintenence menus once again.  It's what I do and I do it to myself so I won't complain.  Without working in a "real" kitchen, maybe the insanity of it all keeps me feeling connected to the restaurant folks. Some really great food comes out of these off-the-cuff sort of menus and I find that the frantic prep sessions often turn out the best recipes.

Ever since I was in culinary school, I have fantasized about whipping up a Pissaladiere, which is a French pizza-savory tart type of thing.  It is traditionally made with caramelized onions, anchovies, and French oil-cured olives.  I LOVE it, but until yesterday have never gotten around to actually making one.  I was hired to cook for a party in honor of and to raise campaign funds for the governer of Maine.  It was a simple wine and hors d'ouevre event where the governer would be speaking.  What better time to fulfill a food fantasy and try something brand new that I have never made before?  Ha.  Well, all went well and thanks to Ina Garten, I printed off a perfect recipe for pissaladiere.  It was gorgeous, lovely, and beautiful and I highly recommend making one to munch on this weekend.

While the party was going on, the kids were in the kitchen and they loved this, too! If you have adventurous eaters at home, they will make this disappear, so better go ahead and make two.

The recipe I used is from Barefoot in Paris, by Ina Garten.  Hers is a classic, traditional pissaladiere, but I added some freshly grilled artichokes from Citarella.  I thought it would be a nice seasonal adjustment that would accommodate more palettes.  Here it is.  Don't be put off because it uses a yeasted crust.  It's very simple and very fast.  Really, you should make it. 

Pissaladiere

adapted from Barefoot in Paris, by Ina Garten

makes two 10"x15" pissaladieres

For onion topping (halve this to just make one):
1/2 cup good oliveoil, plus extra for brushing
4 pounds yellow onions, halved and sliced 1/4" thick
2 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
3 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 whole cloves garlic

For the dough:
1 1/4 cups warm water
2 envelopes dry yeast
1 tablespoon honey
3 tablespoons good olive oil
4 cups all purpose flour, plus extra for kneading
2 teaspoons kosher salt

To assemble:
Cornmeal, for baking
12-18 anchovy fillets (and/or 3-5 large grilled artichoke bottoms, thinly sliced)
12 French black olives, preferable oil-cured, pitted (I halved mine)

DIRECTIONS
For the topping, heat the olive oil in a very large saute pan and cook the onions, thyme, salt, pepper, and garlic over low heat for 45 minutes, until the onions are sweet and cooked but not browned.  Toss the onions from time to time.  After 30 minutes, take out the garlic, chop it roughly, and add it back to the onions.

Meanwhile, for the dough, combine the water, yeast, honey, and olive oil in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook.  (If the bowl, is cold, start with warmer water so it's at least 100 degrees F when you add the yeast.) Add 3 cups of the flour, then the salt, and mix on medium-low speed.  While mixing, add 1 more cup of flour or just enough to make a soft dough.  Mix the dough on medium-low speed for about 10 minutes, until smooth, sprinkling it with flour to keep it from sticking to the bowl.  When the dough is ready, turn it out onto a floured board and knead it by hand a dozen times.  It should be smooth and elastic.  Place the dough in a a well-oiled bowl and turn it to cover lightly with oil.  Cover the bowl with a damp kitchen towel.  Allow tho rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Divide the dough into 2 equal parts, rolling each one into a smooth ball.  If you're only making 1 pissaladiere, place 1 ball on a baking sheet and cover it loosely with a damp towel.  Allow the dough to rest for 10 minutes.  (If you're making just one and not using the other dough, wrap it well and refrigerate or freeze it for the next time.)  Roll the dough lightly with a rolling pin, then stretch it to a 10"x15" rectangle and place it on a baking sheet that is sprinkled with yellow cornmeal.

If the onions are very oily, you can drain them in a mesh strainer for a few minutes before you move on to the next step
.
Spoon the onion topping onto the dough, leaving a 3/4" border all around.  Artfully arrange the artichokes or anchovies and olives on top, brush the edge of the dough  with olive oil, and bake for 15 minutes, or until the crust is crisp.  Serve hot on a cutting board.

It is so good.

Roasted Artichoke Pesto Bruschetta with Creme Fraiche and Chives

Tissue Paper and Baby Sock Flowers for the Shower

Well, it was a fun-filled weekend with the warm weather and busy-ness of our trip to CT! We celebrated birthdays, had a baby shower for my lovely sis-in-law, celebrated Easter, and visited with an old friend. It was a blast and the shower was a success! We offered a homemade, seasonal hors d'oeuvres for guests to munch on arrival and it turned out great!

Featuring my favorite spring vegetable, the artichoke, I made it in advance and had no problem setting it up quickly. This would be a great snack, soup accompaniment, hors d'oeuvre, or potluck addition, so try it out and don't eat it all before the guests arrive!

Roasted Artichoke Pesto Bruschetta with Creme Fraiche and Chives

6 large artichokes (you can use frozen or canned, but I love them fresh!)
2 juicy lemons
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp finely minced garlic (for roasting), plus 1 large clove garlic (for blending into pesto)
extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 cup pine nuts
1/2 cup parmigiano reggiano, chopped into chunks or smallish pieces
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 T freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 tsp dried oregano

1 fresh baguette, sliced into 1/3" thick slices
chives and creme fraiche for garnish



FOR THE PESTO:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cut 1/4 inch from the top of one artichoke, then slice away the tough leaves. Scoop the scary hairy stuff from the center and squeeze with lemon juice and a pinch of sea salt. Transfer them to a baking sheet. Continue with remaining artichokes. Be sure to do each artichoke individually and get lemon juice on it asap--they oxidize and turn a scary brownish color quickly.

When they are all prepped, add freshly ground black pepper, garlic, and a dash of extra-virgin olive oil. Rub together and distribute seasonings with clean hands and roast, uncovered, for 30-40 minutes, until browned and tender. Let cool for a few minutes while you toast the pine nuts, watching them closely.

Toast pine nuts for 5-10 minutes, until just fragrant and beginning to color.

Place artichokes in a food processor with large clove of garlic, toasted pine nuts, parmigiano reggiano, sea salt, lemon juice, and oregano. Blend until smooth. Mixture will have some texture, but just make sure garlic and artichokes are blended. Chill until 2 hours before serving, if you are making it ahead. Otherwise, serve slightly warm or room temp.

TO SERVE

Spread 1-2 Tbsp of pesto onto baguette slices. Dot each piece with 1/4 tsp creme fraiche and a little snip of chives.

Braised Fish, Italian Style

Upper West Side Citarella--my favorite fish market in NYC!

Here is one of my favorite tried and true fish recipes. It's hearty and healthy and makes a great meal all by itself with the artichokes, mushrooms, and carrots. You only dirty one pan and end up with a fabulous dinner--just serve on a bed of arugula. I like using tilapia, halibut, or cod with this one.

Braised Fish, Italian Style

Adapted from James McNair’s Fish Cookbook

2 lb very fresh petite artichokes (or 1 can)
5 T fruity extra-virgin olive oil
8 oz fresh porcini mushrooms (or assorted mixed)
Sea salt

1 c finely chopped yellow onion
¼ c finely chopped carrot
2 T coarsely chopped garlic
1 cup dry white wine
2 lb fish (salmon, tilapia are good here)
2 anchovy fillets
1 T minced fresh thyme
Lemon wedges
½ cup pinenuts

½ cup basil chiffonade

fresh, fresh, fresh porcini mushrooms!

Steam artichokes or drain can.

Heat oil to medium in large, deep sauté pan, or braising pan. Cook mushrooms for 5 minutes and season with sea salt.

Add onion, carrot, garlic, and wine to the pan. Cook 3 more minutes. Transfer to a bowl.

Reheat pan, adding a bit of oil, if needed. Sear fish, 2 minutes each side. Transfer mushroom mixture back in. Add artichokes, anchovies, and thyme. Bring to a medium simmer. Cook for 4 -5 minutes, until fish is cooked.

Squeeze lemon wedges over finished fish, add pine nuts, and sprinkle basil on top. Serve.