Shredded sweet potatoes and apple

Are you confused about the difference between a sweet potato and a yam?  Yep, so is my local supermarket.  In all fairness, I had to do a little research to get to the bottom of it, because I wasn’t sure myself.  The names “sweet potato,” which is not at all related to a regular potato, and “yam” are used interchangeably in the US, but they both generally refer to sweet potatoes, no matter the color.  Even the dark ones called yams are technically sweet potatoes.  True yams are native to Africa and are a staple in tropical and subtropical countries.  I have never actually seen one in our country, but here’s what you might find in your market if you live in the States:

  • Brown or red-skinned (often called called yams) —  these have a soft orange flesh and sweet flavor.  The varieties you will likely see are Garnet, Jewel, and Christmas Beauregard.  Garnets are my favorites and what I used in these photos.
  • Beige-skinned — have a pale yellow flesh.  Varieties include Nancy Hall and Juicy Yellow.
  • Purple skinned — I see these at my farmer’s market.  They have a white flesh and the farmer calls them Japanese sweet potatoes.  I don’t find the flesh to be quite as moist as the others mentioned above.
No matter what you call them, sweet potatoes are delicious and completely underrated.  It baffles me that so many people look to sweet potatoes only at Thanksgiving.  We eat them much more often in our house than regular potatoes and they are just as versatile.  They are also way more nutritious — you probably don’t need me to tell you that.  When you look at that deep orange flesh, you immediately think Beta-carotene, right?  They are loaded with so many vitamins, minerals and fiber, but it’s the antioxidant profile that sweet potatoes are so rich in.
I could eat a plain roasted sweet potato any day of the week for breakfast, lunch or dinner and I make them that way as an easy side dish quite often.  The down side of roasting whole sweet potatoes is that they take a good 50 minutes to cook.  We don’t always have that kind of time.  Here comes “Plan B Sweet Potatoes.”  Is this starting to sound like my “Plan B Salmon” from last week?  I actually shouldn’t call this Plan B, because this is my kids’ favorite sweet potato recipe and the ONLY way my husband enjoys them (Mr. Picky had to come from somewhere.)  The sweet potatoes take on the flavor of apple without getting too sweet.  I cook them long enough that they’re just tender with a little bite to them.  Leaving the peel on would give you more fiber and nutrients, but my kids prefer the skin off so they don’t get random bites of peel.  Last night we had this dish with some steamed whitefish and a green salad, but I think it’s even better suited to chicken, turkey or pork.  Have you located the shredding disc of your food processor?  I live for that thing.  If you have it, this will be on the dinner table in 15 minutes tops.
Speaking of turkey, I’m starting the Thanksgiving countdown this Thursday, which is four weeks from the big day.  We have lots to do to start preparing and getting organized, so tune in and I’ll get you through this with no stress.  It might even be fun!

Shredded Sweet Potatoes and Apples

Pamela
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Servings 6

Ingredients
  

  • 3 medium sweet potatoes such as Garnet or Jewel, peeled (about 2 pounds)
  • 1 apple cut into fourths and cored (I love using a tart variety, such as Granny Smith)
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter unrefined coconut oil or unrefined extra virgin olive oil
  • Sea salt and ground black pepper
  • ½ cup water or apple juice
  • 1-2 Tablespoons 100% pure maple syrup use less if you use juice

Instructions
 

  • Shred the sweet potatoes and apple in a food processor fitted with the grater attachment.
  • Melt the butter in a large skillet (if you don’t have a large one, do this in two batches. I used a 12-inch.) Add the shredded sweet potatoes and apple and season with sea salt (I use about ½ teaspoon) and black pepper to taste. Saute, stirring occasionally so that the mixture doesn’t stick, about 5 minutes.
  • Once the sweet potatoes don’t look so raw anymore, stir in the water/juice and maple syrup and bring to a simmer. Cook another 5 minutes or until sweet potatoes achieve desired tenderness. Taste for seasoning.
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Tortilla soup

Tortilla Soup | Pamela Salzman

Tortilla Soup | Pamela Salzman

How do I know it’s soup season in my neck of the woods?  Well, we had our annual freaky October heat wave last week and then the temperature plummeted about 20 degrees.  Now every morning we wake up to fog and a chill in the air that doesn’t go away.  Are you under the misconception as I was that living by the beach is all sunshine all the time?  Ha!  I keep telling my husband I want my money back.  It’s chilly here!  But no matter, I’m pulling out the sweaters and the stock pot and I am making SOUP!

Tortilla Soup | Pamela Salzman

From now until late April, my kitchen turns into a stock-making factory every Saturday.  I make gallons of it every week for my classes and us.  I’ll be honest though, the hubby is sooooo over it.  You should see his eyes roll every time I ask him to help me strain the stock.  Inevitably a chicken foot flops out and completely freaks him out.  But he puts up with it because his favorite food group is soup and he knows homemade chicken stock is magic stuff.  If you are getting more and more comfortable in the kitchen, it’s time to step it up and start making stock from scratch.  You will not believe the difference in taste.  Plus it’s a gajillion times better for you than boxed.  Check out my post here on home made chicken stock.  For all you veggies out there, here’s the link to learn how to make vegetable stock from scratch.

Tortilla Soup | Pamela Salzman

Enough about that.  Let’s talk about the soup I actually made, Tortilla Soup.  Y-um!  This is a very different version of the tortilla soup you might be used it.  It’s not thin and brothy, but thick and hearty and it takes about 15 minutes to make, provided you already have stock made.  If I had to make up another name for this, I would call it “Mexican Tomato Soup”  or “Pappa al Pomodoro goes to Mexico.”  Cumin, which is one of my most favorite spices, adds the distinctive earthy flavor that you would recognize from chili or taco seasoning.  But what is so unusual about this soup is that the corn tortillas are pureed with the tomatoes and broth, as opposed to adding fried tortilla chips on top.  The softened corn tortillas add great flavor and thicken the soup at the same time.  (It’s a great use of stale tortillas.)  I wish I had thought of this bit of genius, but I didn’t.  I tweaked a recipe I found in The Real Food Daily Cookbook, based on the vegan LA restaurant by the same name.

Tortilla Soup | Pamela Salzman

I love adding cubed avocado and chopped fresh cilantro on top, but I let everyone do their thing.  There’s always enough leftover for the next day’s thermoses to which I also like to add  a little cooked chicken.   (I’m big on protein at lunchtime so the kids don’t fall asleep in class.)  Fresh tomatoes are on their way out, so if you can use them go for it.  The other night I used Bionaturae organic crushed tomatoes and tomato paste in a glass jar (not a fan of canned tomatoes.)  I made this soup last year on Halloween, which is around the corner.  I always make sure everyone has eaten a proper meal before going out to trick or treat.  Full bellies can’t fit quite as much candy as empty ones.

Here are some of my other favorite soups to warm you up this season:

Sweet Potato and Coconut

Lentil and Brown Rice

Mushroom-Barley with Kale

Cauliflower with Roasted Garlic

Late Summer Minestrone

Vegetable Chili

 

Tortilla Soup

Pamela, adapted from The Real Food Daily Cookbook
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Servings 6

Ingredients
  

  • 2 Tablespoons unrefined cold pressed, extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil
  • 2 onions chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic finely chopped
  • 1 fresh jalapeno chile ribs and seeds removed and finely chopped*
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 2 teaspoons sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 Tablespoons shoyu naturally brewed soy sauce or tamari
  • 6 cups chicken stock vegetable stock or water
  • 2 pounds fresh tomatoes coarsely chopped or 1 27-ounce box of crushed tomatoes or equivalent in a jar or can
  • 1/3 cup tomato paste
  • 8 6- inch corn tortillas coarsely chopped
  • Chopped fresh cilantro and cubed avocado garnish if desired

Instructions
 

  • Heat the oil in a heavy stockpot over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and sauté for 5 minutes or until tender and translucent. Add the jalapeno, cumin, oregano, salt, pepper and shoyu, and sauté 1 minute longer.
  • Stir in the stock, tomatoes with juice, and tomato paste. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, partially covered for 10 minutes, or until the tomatoes are tender.
  • Add the tortillas and simmer 10 minutes longer, or until the tortillas are super soft and falling apart.
  • Using a handheld immersion blender, blend the soup in the pot until smooth. Or carefully puree in batches in a blender.
  • Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with cilantro and avocado.

Notes

*For a little more kick, add the ribs and seeds from the jalapeno to the soup.
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Basmati rice with roasted cauliflower

We are well into fall and I couldn’t be more excited.  At the farmer’s market the other day I was happy to see the return of some familiar faces — winter squash, apples, pomegranates, persimmons and the entire Cruciferous family of vegetables.  Have we talked about this group and why you should be inviting them to dinner as much as possible?  Broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, collard greens, kale, watercress, mustard greens and cauliflower are the most popular around here, but there are others and they are all loaded with powerful anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer compounds.  You may hear the term “super food” liberally thrown around a lot, but these guys are the real deal.

 

Remember when I told you I have a favorite way of eating every vegetable?  Well, my most favorite way to eat cauliflower is roasted.  Have you done this?  It becomes tender and sweet and my kids can’t keep their hands out of the baking dish.  When was the last time you said that about cauliflower?  When I saw this recipe in the Los Angeles Times food section a few years ago and noticed the roasted cauliflower element, I knew I was in.  It’s an adaptation of a Thomas Keller recipe, one that I would not normally look at  since he’s very cheffy, but it didn’t look complicated.  I wanted to change it a bit and substitute brown rice for white and cut out what looked like unnecessary amounts of fat.  What still baffles me about this recipe is that Mr. Keller calls for 1/2 head of cauliflower and 1 cup of rice to to feed 8-10 people.  I actually upped both to feed half the amount of people.  Are my kids bigger eaters than the people who gather at Ad Hoc?  Mr. Picky eats more Basmati Rice with Roasted Cauliflower than Ad Hoc patrons?  Maybe Mr. Picky ain’t so picky!

All I know is that this has become one of our favorite side dishes.  Yes, go ahead and use whatever rice you’ve got, but if you haven’t tried basmati, let me change your life right now.  It rocks the rice world.  Basmati rice (I like brown) has this lovely fragrance and grassy flavor which you can taste without even adding anything to it, although a little butter and salt never hurt.   As you can see, I made this the other night with Spice-rubbed Wild Salmon.  Since Daughter #2 is still being stubborn about not eating fish and seafood and I’m not making more than one meal for dinner, I tossed some sliced almonds onto her rice and cauliflower and called it a vegetarian entree.  After all, this ain’t no restaurant.

Basmati Rice with Roasted Cauliflower

Pamela, adapted from Thomas Keller
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Servings 4 -6

Ingredients
  

  • 1 ½ cups brown basmati rice rinsed
  • 2 2/3 cups water**
  • ½ teaspoon red chili flakes optional
  • 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 small head of cauliflower or ¾ large head cut into bite-size florets, about 6 cups
  • 3 Tablespoons melted coconut oil or unrefined olive oil
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon curry powder* the original recipe calls for a pinch, but I think it's better with a touch more
  • 3 Tablespoons chopped chives

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  • Make the rice: In a medium saucepan, add the water and 1 teaspoon sea salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the rice, butter and chili flakes and reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook the rice until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender, about 50 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
  • While the rice is cooking, toss the cauliflower with the coconut oil in a large bowl and season with sea salt and ground black pepper to taste. Save the bowl for later.
  • Place the cauliflower on a stainless steel baking sheet or one lined with parchment paper and roast until tender and golden brown, about 20 to 30 minutes. You can turn it a couple times for even cooking and coloring.
  • Place the roasted cauliflower back in the bowl and toss with the curry powder. Season with sea salt and pepper, if desired.
  • Add the cooked rice to the bowl and gently toss. Sprinkle with chopped chives and serve.

Notes

Suggestions: you can add sliced almonds if you are serving this as a main dish.
*”Spicely Organic” use ½ teaspoon or more, “Simply Organic” use ¼ teaspoon or more
**If you double this recipe, do not double the water. Use just under 5 cups.
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Spice-rubbed wild salmon

Spice-Rubbed Salmon | Pamela Salzman

 

Spice-Rubbed Salmon | Pamela Salzman
Photography by Erica Hampton

Although the best descriptor for this recipe is “Spice-Rubbed Wild Salmon,” I could just as easily call it what it better represents to me, which is “7-minute Salmon.”  Or “Plan B Salmon.”  Or my favorite “I-Cannot-Believe-This-Game-Is-Going-Into-Extra-Innings Salmon.”  Of course, you can replace most of that phrase with “Orthodontist Is So Late Today” (Salmon)  or “How Long Have You Known You Needed The Posterboard?” (Salmon.)  My point is that sometimes no matter how organized I am about meal planning and how good my intentions are, life can get in the way.

But in this case, desperate times do not call for desperate measures, nor do they call for take-out.  They call for Plan B recipes!  The other night I had every intention of making salmon in parchment, which isn’t brain surgery, but takes a few minutes.  Things were not going my way — a conference call rescheduled for later in the day; a canceled carpool forcing me to do an extra pick-up; and hitting every single red light possible on the way home.  I would normally just make everyone eat a little later, but Daughter #2 was starting a music class and she had somewhere to be pronto.  Parchment was not happening, but I always have time to rub a few spices mixed with salt and pepper on some fish and cook it for 7 minutes.

Spice-Rubbed Salmon | Pamela Salzman

The combination of the earthy cumin, sweet cinnamon and slightly spicy chili powder is really tasty and not one flavor dominates, so do not fear that the chili powder will make it spicy.  Mr. Picky does not like spicy at all and he does like this salmon, as does Daughter #1.  Hubby is still “allergic” to salmon, so I made him a piece of spice-rubbed halibut instead.  What’s nice about these spices is that they don’t confine you to one particular cuisine.  I have served this with cauliflower and pomegranate salad, roasted root vegetables, a dozen different rice pilafs, tortilla soup and so on.  What’s nice is that you feel like you’re eating something more special than just a plain piece of fish.

Spice-Rubbed Salmon | Pamela Salzman

Speaking of fish, I am rather particular about salmon.  In my opinion, wild is really the only way to go.  I am hooked (pun not intentional) on Vital Choice wild salmon, which we eat about 3-4 times a month.  I believe the data that most Americans are lacking in Omega-3 fatty acids, or at least have a whacked out balance of Omega-6s and Omega-3s.  Wild salmon is one of the best and most realistic (my kids aren’t going for herring anytime soon) sources of Omega-3s, which are anti-inflammatory and super critical for brain and cardiovascular health.  Kind of sounding like anything with salmon should be called “Plan A.”

Spice-Rubbed Salmon | Pamela Salzman

Spice-Rubbed Wild Salmon

Pamela
5 from 5 votes
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Servings 4 -6 (depending on how large your salmon fillets are)

Ingredients
  

  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon fine grain sea salt
  • a few grinds of black pepper
  • 24- ounce side of wild salmon or equivalent amount of fillets
  • 2 Tablespoons ghee or unrefined coconut oil or olive oil, but doesn’t hold up to heat as well

Instructions
 

  • In a very small bowl, stir together the chili powder, cumin, cinnamon, salt and pepper. Place the side of salmon on a cutting board, skin side down. Pat fish dry with a paper towel. Rub the spice mixture evenly over the top of the fish. Cut into 4 or 5 (or 6) individual servings (if using 24-ounce side). If you have time, allow the fish to sit coated with the spices for 15 minutes at room temperature.
  • Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ghee or coconut oil. When the oil is hot, but not smoking, place the salmon spice-side down in the skillet. Sear for 3 minutes.
  • Turn all the pieces over and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes. Do not overcook! Serve immediately.

Notes

If you are using a salmon that is thicker than wild sockeye, you may need to finish it off in a 350 oven for about 6 minutes. You want the fish to get to the point where it starts to flake with a fork, but is still slightly rare in the center – it will keep cooking off the heat.
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Black bean burgers with smoky red pepper sauce

Black Bean Burgers with Smoky Red Pepper Sauce | Pamela Salzman
Black Bean Burgers with Smoky Red Pepper Sauce | Pamela Salzman
Photo by Erica Hampton

Not so fast.  You see “Black Bean Burgers” and you’re already making a run for it?  Well, I can’t blame you if your only experience with veggie burgers are those dry, thin hockey pucks in the frozen section of the supermarket.  Or if you’ve looked for recipes to make your own at home and the list of ingredients was a page long.  What do I have to say to make you give these a try?  Would it help if I told you my meat-and-potatoes husband loooooves these?  Would you been inclined to make them if you knew that Mr. Picky, yes the one and only, gave these very burgers the thumbs-up?  Listen, I’m not guaranteeing anything here, but these black bean burgers are delicious and you’ll want to smear the smoky red pepper sauce on everything from turkey sandwiches to roasted potato wedges to grilled vegetables.

Here’s the other thing — can we take a break from meat for 5 minutes?  My timing on this isn’t ideal, but Meatless Mondays has some merit.  As Mark Bittman said, “Even if you eat a typical American diet replete with processed, junk and fast food the other six days of the week, going meatless on Mondays will still cut your carbon footprint, improve your health and reduce demand for factory-farm meat.”  The only thing I would qualify is that going “meatless” doesn’t necessarily imply a more healthful diet.  You’re a smart group, and I probably don’t need to tell you that you could eat potato chips and candy bars for dinner and that’s not going to do you any good.  But eating a dinner of legumes, whole grains and vegetables can only do you good.

All beans are an inexpensive source of high-fiber protein, but the black color in black beans contains a tremendous amount of antioxidants.  In fact, black beans are among the top antioxidant foods out there.  Recall that antioxidants neutralize the damage done by free radicals and they are your friend against aging.  I prefer to cook my own beans (see very end of post), as opposed to buying them canned, for several reasons:

  • it’s way cheaper;
  • no exposure to BPA in can liners (although Eden Organic doesn’t use BPA);
  • no waste (I cringe when I throw several cans in the trash);
  • less indigestion (there are complex sugars called oligosaccharides on the outside of beans, which can cause some individuals discomfort.  Soaking beans removes these sugars, but most canned beans have not been pre-soaked.  If you have to use canned, give them a rinse before consuming and that will help somewhat.)
  • it’s as simple as boiling water, if you plan ahead.
If you are insecure that your family will go for these, just treat them like regular burgers and give them lots of delicious toppings to choose from.  In my house, we all put our own spin on them.  I eat the burger over a green salad with the pepper spread, grilled onions and sliced avocado.  Everyone else takes a toasted bun and adds cheese, ketchup (Mr. Picky), lettuce, tomato, pickles, you get the picture.  Here’s what’s great for you — you can shape the patties in the morning or even a day or two ahead, pull them out of the fridge right and cook them in less than 10 minutes.  Such a great feeling.  You can even freeze them and cook them right out of the freezer and just cook them a little longer.  I like to fry them on a griddle pan or in a skillet, but you can bake them, too.  And — you can make little sliders for a party!  That’s all it takes to make me happy, people.
Black Bean Burgers with Smoky Red Pepper Sauce | Pamela Salzman
Black Bean Burgers with Smoky Red Pepper Sauce | Pamela Salzman

Black Bean Burgers with Smoky Red Pepper Sauce

Pamela, originally inspired by Food and Wine
5 from 4 votes
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Ingredients
  

  • 3 Tablespoons unrefined cold pressed extra virgin olive oil + more for cooking patties
  • 1 cup finely diced onion
  • ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper or more if you like them spicy
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • 3 cups cooked black beans or 2 15-ounce cans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 cup cooked brown rice
  • 2 eggs lightly beaten
  • 1 cup panko bread crumbs or almond meal to make them GF
  • ¼ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • ¼ cup chopped cilantro
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt or more if using unsalted beans
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  • Smoky Red Pepper Sauce recipe follows
  • Hamburger bun of choice or whole wheat pita optional
  • Accompaniments: grilled onions avocado, tomato, sprouts
  • SMOKY RED PEPPER SAUCE double this if your family likes a lot of sauce:
  • 1 red bell pepper roasted, peeled, seeded and chopped -- you can buy these already roasted or you can roast them yourself (see below)
  • ¼ cup raw creamy almond butter (or 1 cup feta cheese and omit the salt)
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika or more to taste

Instructions
 

  • In a small skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until tender. Add the crushed red pepper and garlic and cook until fragrant, 2 minutes.
  • Place 1 ½ cups of beans in a bowl and mash them to a chunky puree with a potato masher or in a food processor (a fork also works just fine.) Add the rest of the beans to the bowl along with the rice, onion mixture, eggs, bread crumbs or almond meal, parsley, cilantro, salt and pepper and blend together. Take a scant ½ cup of the mixture and form into a patty. I like to put them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining mixture. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (or up to overnight.)
  • In a large skillet or on a griddle pan, heat an 1/8 of an inch of oil. Add the patties and cook over medium heat, turning once, until browned and heated through, about 6 minutes. Serve with desired accompaniments. Or preheat an oven to 350 degrees and brush a baking sheet with oil or line it with unbleached parchment paper. Place the patties on the sheet and brush the tops with oil. Bake until heated through and lightly golden brown on top, about 20 minutes.
  • To make smoky red pepper sauce, puree everything in a mini food processor until well blended.

Notes

HOW TO COOK BEANS FROM SCRATCH
1 pound of dried beans will yield approximately 6 cups of cooked beans.
Let's do the math. 1 pound dried costs about $1.00. 6 cups is about 4 cans. 1 can of Eden Organic costs about $2.29. Times 4 equals more than $10.00. Way cheaper to make your own.
Place the dried beans in a large bowl or pot and add enough cold water to cover by at least three inches. Allow to sit for 6-8 hours, or overnight. The countertop is fine, but if your kitchen is very warm, stick the beans in the fridge.
Drain and rinse the beans in a colander. Transfer beans to a large pot and add enough cold water to cover by three inches. Bring to a boil over high heat and lower to a simmer. Skim any foam off the top while they are cooking.
Start testing them after 50 minutes. Cook until tender. This can take anywhere from 50 minutes to 2 hours (the older the beans, the longer they take.) When they are tender, turn the heat off and add a tablespoon of kosher salt to the water and allow the beans to cool slightly in the cooking liquid. Drain and use immediately or refrigerate and use within 3-4 days. Cooked beans also freeze beautifully.
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Mixed Greens with Grapes, Gorgonzola (or Roquefort) and Almonds

Did you know that grapes have a season just like every other fruit?  Right now is peak grape season in California and they’re scrumptious.  In a few months, the season is over and the grapes in the supermarkets will have been flown in from all sorts of exotic locales that I would love to visit one day.  But for now, we are enjoying organic, locally-grown grapes while they last.  When the season’s over in a month or two, we’re moving on to pears and persimmons.  I always buy organic since grapes are one of the foods on the Environmental Working Group’s “Dirty Dozen” list, which means they’re pretty heavily contaminated when grown conventionally.

My mother-in-law has a favorite salad that she eats regularly at a restaurant in Park City, Utah and she asked me to copy it at home.  The Grape and Gorgonzola Salad she likes is presented kind of fancy, like a tower with the mixed greens on top, definitely not how I arrange salads at home.  Salads are a dish that are usually the easiest to replicate because you know exactly what’s in there and dressings are generally a ratio of 1 part acid to 3-4 parts oil, plus salt and pepper.  Last year I served this for Rosh Hashana lunch instead of the salad with sauteed apples that I always do,  and we loved it so much it was a repeat this year.

I’m not normally a big cheese eater, but this salad is an example of how I do like to eat cheese.  I usually stick to goat or sheep dairy, which is way more digestible than pasteurized cow dairy for most people.  I will take raw cow dairy over pasteurized for the same reason.  And I like to use a cheese with a bold flavor so that you don’t need very much at all to make a statement.  A little goes a long way.  Gorgonzola is a type of blue cheese, more mild than most blues.  The only Gorgonzola I could find at Whole Foods was pasteurized cow, so I selected a piece of genuine Roquefort, a similar blue cheese made from sheep’s milk, which is also rich in lauric acid, a powerful immune boosting fatty acid.  It was a good thing I was in the kitchen this morning when my husband almost threw out the brand new wedge of Roquefort, thinking it was a science experiment gone bad.  All those blue veins kind of threw him off a bit.  He looked at me in disbelief when I told him the mold in the cheese was put there on purpose and it’s actually good for you.  The blue or blue-green mold running through it is called Penicillium roqueforti which is related to the antibiotic Penicillin and helps fight harmful bacteria in the body.  Not something I would recommend to someone who is allergic to mold or is pregnant however, but since I am neither (hooray!), the Roquefort stays.

You may look at this salad and think it seems so simple and boring, but I wouldn’t post it if it were.  You know what it tastes like?  Like all the flavors on a good cheese plate in a salad, which makes me think that you can substitute figs for the grapes and that would be very delicious.  Figs are in season right now, too, I might add.  The grapes are juicy and sweet and pair perfectly with the salty, strong Roquefort and you know how I feel about a little crunch in my salad — thank you, almonds!  But you know where I’m going here — pecans or walnuts for the almonds, any kind of mixed green especially arugula if you’re just cooking for grown ups.  I couldn’t resist a beautiful red-leaf lettuce from JR Organics at the farmer’s market, which I mixed with radicchio for extra color.  Mr. Picky and his younger cousins had their salads with grapes and almonds and got to try the moldy cheese if they wanted to, which they didn’t.  No problem.  I am an experienced mother, who by this point has learned that mold is an acquired taste, after all.

Mixed Greens with Grapes, Gorgonzola (or Roquefort) and Almonds

Pamela
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Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • Dressing: really similar to Everyday Salad Dressing #2
  • 1 small shallot minced
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons raw honey
  • 2 Tablespoons unpasteurized apple cider vinegar
  • 6 Tablespoons unrefined cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil
  • 8 ounces of mixed greens
  • 1 cup red grapes halved
  • ¼ cup or less crumbled gorgonzola or other blue cheese
  • ¼ cup sliced almonds

Instructions
 

  • In a small bowl, whisk together shallot, salt, pepper to taste, honey and vinegar. Pour olive oil into the bowl in a steady stream, whisking until emulsified.
  • Mound greens onto a serving platter. Lightly dress the greens with some of the vinaigrette.
  • In a small bowl, lightly coat the grapes with some of the dressing and scatter on top of the greens (that way the grapes won't get buried.) Top the salad with the crumbled cheese and sliced almonds. Drizzle with any remaining dressing, if needed.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

mixed greens with grapes, gorgonzola (or roquefort) and almonds

serves 4

Dressing: (really similar to Everyday Salad Dressing #2)

1 small shallot, minced

½ teaspoon sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

2 teaspoons raw honey

2 Tablespoons unpasteurized apple cider vinegar

6 Tablespoons unrefined, cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil

 

8 ounces of mixed greens

1 cup red grapes, halved

¼ cup (or less) crumbled gorgonzola or other blue cheese

¼ cup sliced almonds

  1. In a small bowl, whisk together shallot, salt, pepper to taste, honey and vinegar.  Pour olive oil into the bowl in a steady stream, whisking until emulsified.
  2. Mound greens onto a serving platter.  Lightly dress the greens with some of the vinaigrette.
  3. In a small bowl, lightly coat the grapes with some of the dressing and scatter on top of the greens (that way the grapes won’t get buried.)   Top the salad with the crumbled cheese and sliced almonds.  Drizzle with any remaining dressing, if needed.

Easy no-fail roast chicken

If you eat chicken, you absolutely must learn how to roast one whole.  It is beyond easy to do, never fails me, everyone loves it and is arguably the most delicious way to eat chicken.  WHAT MORE CAN YOU ASK FOR?!  The busier I get, the more often I make roast chicken and no one seems to tire of it.  But the first time I attempted to cook a whole bird, I had so much anxiety, so I completely understand if you think doing this is intimidating.  Now get over it!

First, let’s talk chicken.  There is some terminology you need to interpret when you are shopping for a chicken.

NATURAL:  This means absolutely nothing except that you are buying a chicken and not playdough.  It does not mean it was a healthy bird or that it ate a “natural diet” or lived in conditions that are “natural” for a chicken.  It just means it’s a chicken.

FREE-RANGE:   Free range means the chickens have access to the outdoors. Read between the lines here.  “Access” means the chickens are permitted to leave the barn if they want to or if they are able to, but it doesn’t mean they will.  “Outdoors” can also be interpreted in more than one way.  It can mean a window and that is a-ok with the USDA.  The term free-range has nothing to do with being organic. I know most people think that all free-range chickens run around in wide open areas eating bugs and worms the way they’re supposed to, but I hate to burst your bubble and say that is likely not the case.  Usually only small local farmers will have truly free-range birds.

ORGANIC:  This means the chicken has eaten organic feed (not treated with pesticides and herbicides) and has not been treated with antibiotics.  You might never take antibiotics yourself, but if you eat conventionally raised poultry, you’re ingesting antibiotics through the meat.  You may see the claim that a chicken has not been given hormones, but that is a practice that has been banned in this country, so all chickens should be hormone-free.  Organic chickens should also have been raised under humane conditions.

JIDORI:  I’ve seen this on quite a few restaurant menus recently.  Jidori is a type of free-range bird common in Japan but until recently almost unheard of in American restaurants.  The chickens are fed all-vegetarian diets, without antibiotics, but what they are really known for is their freshness.  Jidori chickens are killed within 24 hours of being sold.

Here’s what you do:

  • pick a night of the week that you only have 15 minutes to prepare dinner.
  • buy your chicken up to two days before and salt it on the inside as soon as you get it home from the market.  This will season the meat really well and keep it juicy.  Refrigerate it until the day you make it.
  • work backwards from what time you want to eat.  6:00 dinner?  Go back 10 minutes for carving, 20 minutes for resting, 90 minutes for roasting, 30-60 minutes for bringing to quasi-room temperature.  Take the chicken out the fridge at 3:00/3:30 to get prepped.  Into the oven at 4:00.  Not home?  Have a babysitter or older child put it in the oven since there’s nothing else to do.
  • Add whatever random vegetables or potatoes you have to the baking dish and you have the perfect dinner for minimal effort.
  • While you’re at it, make two at once and use the second for tomorrow’s lunch or dinner.
  • Click here to watch a video of me prepping and roasting a whole chicken.
Addendum:  here’s a series of photos for how to carve the chicken.
1.  Untie the legs.
2.  Cut the skin around the leg and cut between the joints connecting leg and thigh.  Remove both legs and put on platter, covered to keep warm.
3.  Cut thighs off, again cutting between the joints and keep warm on a platter.
4.  Remove wings and transfer to platter.
5.  Cut alongside the breastbone all the way down and cut around the breast, completely taking it off.  I like to slice the breasts on a cutting board as shown.  Take the drippings and pour over the chicken.
6.  Pull everything out of the cavity and save the carcass to make the best stock ever.  Make stock within the next two days or wrap the carcass well and freeze it until you can make stock.
 

 

Easy No-Fail Roast Chicken

Pamela
5 from 1 vote
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Servings 4 -6, assuming not everyone wants the breast meat

Ingredients
  

  • 1 4-5 pound roasting chicken preferably free-range, organic from a small local farm
  • Kosher Salt such as Diamond Crystal
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 lemon halved
  • ½ bunch fresh thyme or 4 6-inch sprigs of fresh rosemary
  • 4-5 large cloves of garlic smashed
  • 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted or olive oil + more for drizzling vegetables
  • 1 large onion peeled and thickly sliced
  • kitchen twine for trussing
  • assorted chopped vegetables such as potatoes winter squash, carrots, fennel

Instructions
 

  • When you return home from the market, unwrap the chicken and remove the giblets from the cavity. Rinse the chicken inside and out and dry very well with paper towels. Remove piece of fat from the outside of the cavity. Take a heaping tablespoon of salt and a few grinds of pepper and rub it inside the cavity. If there’s any more salt left on your hands, rub it in between the skin and the breast meat. Rewrap the chicken and refrigerate until ready to cook.
  • Remove chicken from the refrigerator 30-60 minutes before cooking. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
  • Stuff the cavity with the lemon, thyme or rosemary and garlic.
  • Spread the onion slices on the bottom of a shallow roasting pan. Place the chicken on top of the onions and tie the drumsticks with kitchen twine. Brush all over with the melted butter or oil.
  • Scatter chopped vegetables around chicken and drizzle vegetables with oil. Sprinkle chicken and vegetables with a little salt and pepper.
  • Roast the chicken for 1 hour 10 minutes - 1 ½ hours or until a instant read thermometer inserted in the breast reads 160-165 degrees. Transfer to a platter or a cutting board and allow to rest about 10-20 minutes, tented with foil.
  • Carve and serve immediately.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

 

 

Zucchini-gruyere tart

Do you remember the first cookbook you ever bought?  Not counting the Calling All Girls Party Book in second grade, I bought my first cookbook with my own money in 1987, the year I graduated from high school.  My Aunt Maria drove me out to one of her favorite gourmet food shops in the Hamptons on Long Island.  Loaves and Fishes was a darling little shingled cottage in Sagaponack and run by a mother-daughter team named Anna and Sybille Pump.  All these years I thought I was their biggest fan, but apparently I’m not the only Loaves and Fishes admirer.  The famous Ina Garten has adapted a recipe or two (or more) from Anna and even dedicated one of her cookbooks to her.

I basically taught myself how to cook from Loaves and Fishes. When The Loaves and Fishes Party Cookbook came out, I scooped it up and read it cover to cover.  Anna Pump taught me how to entertain with ease and it was from this book that I learned what I could prep in advance, an education that still serves me today.  Loaves and Fishes is still around.  I actually visited the cook shop in Bridgehampton last summer.  I wouldn’t say that the recipes in the book are the most healthful or that I even use many of them today, but this recipe for zucchini-gruyere tart from the first book is my hands-down favorite hors d’oeuvre ever.  It should be in the Hors D’oeuvre Hall of Fame.  I have been making it for 24 years and it has never failed me (even when I’ve used  zucchini from (shhhh!) Mexico when they’re out of season here.)  I have also made it with heirloom tomatoes instead of zucchini and it’s always a showstopper.

Manhattan Beach has the potluck thing down.  Last weekend my friends Kristy and Sarah hosted a lovely “small plates night” at Sarah’s home.  You MUST do this sometime.  Everyone brings an appetizer or a bottle of wine and has a fabulous time catching up and watching the sun set over the ocean (it helps that Sarah lives right in front of the Pacific.)  I brought the zucchini tart which I cut into 64 slightly-bigger-than-bite-size pieces and it vanished faster than the chardonnay, which is saying something.

Please don’t be intimidated by the pastry crust — if you’ve rolled out sugar cookie dough, you can do this.  But if you don’t want to, just buy 2 premade pastry crusts and fit it to the baking sheet.  Puff pastry would be another option here.  Every time I make it, I apply the tips I learned from my first books and I blind bake the crust the day before and leave it at room temperature.  Also the day before I shred the cheese, slice the zucchini, make the herb oil and refrigerate them all separately.  After working (i.e. cooking) all day and shuttling kids to their activities, all I needed to do before the party was assemble the tart and freshen up while it baked in the oven.  Now, go find an excuse to make this and then thank Anna Pump.

Zucchini-Gruyere Tart

Pamela, adapted from Loaves and Fishes
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Ingredients
  

  • CRUST:
  • 1 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour or use all regular white flour
  • ¾ cup 1 ½ stick unsalted butter, chilled and cut into 12 pieces
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • 2 small egg yolks
  • 5 Tablespoons cold water
  • FILLING:
  • 4 medium zucchini about 1 ½ pounds
  • 1 cup fresh parsley leaves
  • 3 cloves of garlic peeled
  • ¼ cup fresh basil leaves
  • 1 Tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh thyme
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • ½ cup unrefined cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil
  • 5 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • ¾ pound Gruyere cheese grated
  • 1/3 cup finely grated Pecorino-Romano or Parmesan cheese

Instructions
 

  • To make the crust, place the flour, butter and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Pulse 5 times. Add the egg yolks and pulse 2 more times. With the motor running, and the water through the feed tube. Process only until the dough begins to stick together. Transfer the dough to a floured surface and quickly form it into a ball. Wrap the dough in parchment and refrigerate it for 30 minutes.
  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
  • Cut the zucchini diagonally into 1/8- inch slices and place them in a large bowl. (A mandoline makes this task very easy. You can do this the day before and refrigerate, covered.)
  • Put the parsley, garlic, basil, and thyme in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Sprinkle with the pepper and salt and process until the herbs are chopped fine. With the motor still running, add the olive oil through the feed tube. (You can dot his the day before and keep refrigerated in an airtight container.) Pour the herb mixture over the zucchini slices and mix well.
  • Roll out the pastry dough to a 1/8-inch thickness. Fit it into a 18-by-12-by-1-inch pan. Cover the pastry with parchment paper, including the corners. Pour pie weights over the parchment paper, filling the pan. Bake the crust for 15 minutes. Remove parchment and weights and bake the tart pastry for 5 minutes more. *
  • Spread the mustard over the bottom of the crust. Distribute the cheeses over that. Arrange the zucchini in overlapping rows, covering the cheese. Pour whatever herb mixture is left in the bowl over the zucchini.
  • Reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees and bake the tart for 30 minutes more.

Notes

The tart pastry can be blind-baked up to the day before, cooled and left covered at room temperature until ready to fill and bake.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!