Rotini con Funghi e Pesto, Fried Feta, Persian Limes & Stew, No-Bake Mango Tart

Rotini con Funghi e Pesto
Yes, this is about as easy as it sounds -- rotini pasta with mushrooms and basil pesto.  

Ready?  here we go:

Put a pot of water on to boil, and start to cook the pasta to package directions (8-10 minutes usually).

In a very hot skillet saute the some diced shallots in a couple tablespoons of butter for just a few seconds.  Add about 8 ounces of coarse chopped assorted mushrooms  (I had oyster, cremini and white button) and 'stir fry them, moving constantly until they just soften.   The hot skillet sear keeps the mushrooms from shrinking.   Having the skillet and butter hot is the secret to keep mushrooms from shrinking as they cook.   When done, remove from the heat.

By now the pasta is cooked; drain and rinse in hot water.  In a bowl, toss the pasta with a couple tablespoons of pesto.  That's right -- a couple tablespoons -- not smothered in gravy.

Plate the pasta and top each portion with plenty of mushrooms.  Bon appetito!

Fried Feta 
And you thought Baked Brie was decadent!   This is a great addition to a cheese board, or potluck table!   We had it as a dinner side, along with butternut squash steaks.

1 8 oz brick Feta (not crumbles), in water
3 cups Red Grapes
1 cup Walnut pieces
AP Flour for dusting
Optional squeeze of lemon before serving.

Toss the grapes and walnuts with some EVOO and spread them on a baking sheet. Roast 20-25 minutes until the grapes are blistered and the walnuts are toasted.  Reserve.

Heat a skillet to medium, with a splash of EVOO.  Spread some AP flour in a saucer.  Dredge both sides of the brick of cheese in the flour, and fry it for 3 minutes, undisturbed, for 3 minutes.  Carefully flip and fry the second side a couple minutes until crispy and the cheese is starting to melt.   Plate, and top with grapes and walnuts.  

Serve while still warm.  Frying removes most of the saltiness of feta and makes this a creamy, not-quite-sweet topping for crackers, bruschetta, etc.

Gourmeh Sabza
The name means "braised herbs".  We just call it Persian Stew.  This dish is usually made with lamb, but can also be made (as I have done here) with large pieces of butternut squash.   

Sally first heard about the dried Persian Limes on an NPR broadcast of  The Splendid Table, a long running show on that radio network.  Intrigued, she ordered this packet through Amazon.

I went online and discovered a vegetarian version of Gourmeh Sabza by Chef Yotam Ottolenghi which uses chunks of Butternut Squash in place of the lamb.  This is my take on his recipe.

2 Tbsp Olive oil
1 Onion, diced
½ tsp Turmeric
1½ tsp Cumin
1 Tbsp Tomato Paste
1-1/2 Tbsp Coriander, fresh if you have it
1 Tbsp Tarragon, fresh if you have it
1 Tbsp Dill, fresh if you've got it
2 lbs Fingerling or New White Potatoes, quartered
1 Butternut Squash, peeled, cubed into 1-2” pieces
2 or 3 Persian Limes, pierced 2-3 times each
1 Poblano or Ancho Chile (depending on your heat tolerance) cut into 1” squares
4-5 Tomatoes, quartered
5-6 oz (half a bag) Baby Spinach
1 Tbsp Barberries, dried Cranberries or dried Currants

If using fresh herbs, tie the stems together to make removing them before serving easier.  I just used dried herbs.

Start by sauting the onion in a splash of EVOO, along with turmeric and cumin.  When tender, add the tomato paste.  Cook for another minute or two before adding the herbs, potatoes, squash, limes, green chile, and 4 cups of water.  bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium and simmer for about 15 minutes until the potatoes and squash are almost tender.

Traditional Persian technique calls for you to spread this out in a roasting pan and bake it, uncovered, at 350F for about 20 minutes to thicken the sauce and finish the vegetables.  I just dusted the stew with a few shakes of Bistotm Vegetable Gravy granules (for thickening), put the lid on (my electric skillet was already at 350F) and let it simmer awhile longer before serving.

Some folks serve this with a dollop of plain Greek yogurt.  We didn't think it needed it.  

No-Bake Mango Tart
It's a tart because it doesn't have a top crust!  We lllooovvveee mangos, and discovered this recipe recently on Forks Over Knives.  The original recipe was overly complicated with re-hydrated dried mango in addition to frozen mango.  My version is much easier, less expensive, and less time consuming -- and at least as tasty!

2 cups Rolled Oats
2 cups pitted dried Dates (about 12 oz.)
¼ cup Lime juice
24 oz. frozen chopped Mangoes (6 cups), thawed
1⅓ cups raw cashews
Topping: fresh raspberries

For the Crust:
Take the oats for a spin in your food processor until you get a flour consistency. Gradually add the dates to the spin, along with the lime juice and about a ¼ cup of water. When it forms a ball, move it to your tart pan to become the crust. Like all good Forks over Knives recipes, there's always something amiss. Either double the amount of lime juice and skip the water, or skip the lime juice – you just don't taste it here.

Use a 9” or 10” springform or tart pan with a removable bottom. Pack the crust firmly into the bottom and sides, leaving plenty of depth for the filling.

For the Filling
Use your blender (not the food processor this time), to take the cashews for a spin with some of the mango until you almost get a very fine-grained cashew cream. Then add the rest of the mango and spin it until homogenous.

Spread the filling into the crust. 

Refrigerate over night, the original recipe said.  Remove from the pan and decorate with fruit like raspberries. 

 I say freeze the tart at least 3 hours! Trust me. It's not gonna be rock hard like a popsicle, but it will be much, much easier to slice and plate cleanly without becoming a smeared mess presentation!

 I wish I had known that before trying to slice the first time. This photo was taken from the 'leftovers' from the first serving, which were frozen about 3 hours.  I'd be ashamed to show you what the unfrozen slices looked like!

Eggplant Balls, Two Tex-Mex Casseroles, Rhubarb & Quinoa Soup!?

• Eggplant noMeata Balls
  Looking back I realized it's been at least 3 years since I made these wonderful noMeataballs.  Time to re-introduce you to them!
  
  
  
  
  1-1/2 lb Eggplant cubed, skin on
  2 cloves Garlic
  1-1/2 cups Panko
  3/4 cup Parmesan (from a jar is OK)
  1/2 cup fresh Parsley, chopped fine
  1/2 cup fresh Basil, chopped fine
  1 Egg, beaten
  Cavender's Seasoningtm 
  1-2 cups Marinara (optional) for serving
  
  Sauté the garlic in a splash of EVOO for a minute, then add the eggplant, salt & pepper (or other spice blend) and 1/4 cup of water.   Cook for 8-10 minutes until just barely tender.  Transfer to a colander, and drain.
  
  Heat the oven to 400F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 
  
  Transfer the eggplant to your food processor, add the other ingredients and pulse to combine.  Don't totally puree things, you want some texture left.  Transfer to a mixing bowl and add more panko as necessary to make the mixture firm enough to form balls that will stay in shape.
  
  Form about thirty 1-1/2" golf-sized balls and lay them out on the baking sheet.  Bake 35-45 minutes until firm and nicely browned.  Cool on a rack.  Can be served with 'doctored' marinara sauce, another sauce of your choice, or all by themselves.  Also good in a vegetarian sub sandwich.
  
  Mexican Style Rice & Bean Casserole
  This is my tweak on a Forks Over Knives  recipe.  They wanted you to build a fancy flavor profile using all sorts of spices -- a packet of Taco or Enchilada Seasoning is a lot easier!  This is a really tasty Tex-Mex casserole without the calories of tons of cheese!
  
  1 Onion, diced
  1 Red Bell Pepper, diced
  3 cloves Garlic, minced
  1 packet Taco or Enchilada Seasoning
  2 cups cooked Brown Rice
  2 cups cooked Black Beans
  3 ears Corn, kernels removed (about 2 cups)
  No-Cheese Sauce (see below)
• Saute to onion, bell pepper and garlic. Add the rice, beans, corn and seasoning and cook until the onion and peppers are tender. Place in a bowl, fold in the No-Cheese sauce, and then transfer to a suitable baking dish. Optionally, top with  a little real shredded cheese, the way I did.  Bake at 350F for 25-30 minutes.

 
Serve with low-salt tortilla chips on the side.

No-Cheese Sauce
I'm not normally a fan of Nutritional Yeast. I don't think it tastes remotely like any cheese, and I just don't care for the taste. But I must admit – in this preparation – it works very well!

1 Onion, chopped
1 Red Bell Pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped
¼ cup Raw Cashews, toasted
1 Tbsp Tahini or Peanut Butter
1 cup Nutritional Yeast
Salt to taste

Combine everything in a blender and puree until smooth and creamy. Add ½ cup of water if necessary to achieve the desired consistency.

Ranch Casserole & Cornbread
Here's another very tasty Tex-Mex style casserole that would be equally good for a pot-luck or home party (now that we vaccinated folks can gather again in reasonable safety.   Try making the dish the way described below.  Or do what I'll do next time and save yourself some effort -- Cook everything in a large skillet,  and make a batch of cornbread to serve with it.

2 cups Swiss Chard, chopped
½ cup Onion
½ cup Celery
½ cup Red Bell Pepper
3 cloves Garlic, minced
4 cups cooked Pinto Beans
12-15 Cherry tomatoes, halved
¼ cup low-sugar Barbecue Sauce we like G. Hughes Smokehouse Sugar-Free brand

Dumplings:

3/4 cup Yellow Cornmeal
3 tablespoons AP Flour
1/2 Tbsp Sugar
2 tsp Baking Powder
⅛ tsp Salt
¼ cup unsweetened Almond, soy, cashew, or rice “milk”
¼ cup unsweetened Applesauce

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Saute the first five ingredients (through garlic) until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally.

In a 2-qt. baking dish combine cooked vegetables, beans, tomatoes, and barbecue sauce. Bake, covered, 30 minutes.

Meanwhile make the dumplings. In stir together cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl combine milk, applesauce. Add milk mixture all at once to cornmeal mixture; stir just until combined. Spoon batter into four mounds on top of hot bean mixture.

Bake 20 minutes more or until filling is bubbly and a toothpick inserted in the dumplings comes out clean. Let stand at least 10 minutes before serving. 

FOK calls this Barbecue Beans & Cornbread, but I'm sorry!  No self-respecting pot of  beans contains Swiss Chard!!!  And, adding barbecue sauce to a dish doesn't make it a "barbecue" dish either!   

Rhubarb & Red Quinoa Soup?!
This is Really Great!  Never in a million years would I have imagined rhubarb in a Soup!!  Don't get me wrong, I love the stuff in pies or a sauce to top ice cream.   In this soup, the 'barb adds a wonderful tanginess to things, similar to a shot of vinegar, kicking all the flavors up a notch or three.  If you love rhubarb, you're gonna love this.

• 6 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
  ½ cup dry red quinoa, rinsed and drained
  1 cup thinly sliced carrots
  ½ cup thinly sliced celery
  ½ cup chopped onion
  2 cups thinly sliced fresh or frozen rhubarb
  2 teaspoons packed pure cane brown sugar
  1½ teaspoons grated fresh ginger
  ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
  ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  4 cups fresh baby spinach
• Bring the broth to a boil and add the quinoa, carrots, celery and onion.  Simmer for 15 minutes.  Then add the rhubarb, sugar, ginger, and spices.
  
  Continue the simmer 5 minutes or more until the rhubarb is tender.  In the last minute or so, add the pepper, and then wilt the spinach into the soup and stir before serving.
  
  
  
  
  
• 
  

Rose Apple Butter, MultiGrain Bread, Banana Nut Bread, Vegan Sandwich Spread

Rose Apple Butter
Rose Apples or Malay Apples or any of a dozen other names, Syzygium jambos, are native to Southeast Asia, but have been introduced all around the warm climates of the planet, including a number of Caribbean islands, Florida (some time before 1877) and southern California.  I happened to find these nice ripe "apples" in a local botanic garden.  Some varieties have pink fruit, most are pale greenish-white.  They sort of resemble green rose hips.  All are ripe when you can shake the fruit and the central pit rattles around inside.  

Preparation is simple enough.  You can eat them out of hand, of course, including the skins.  Or, you can wash the fruit, cut in half and remove the pit and any debris in the central cavity. 

 You can halve them again, if you choose, and stew them in a sugar/water mixture (not too sweet, it will detract from the subtle taste of the fruit.  Traditionally the stewing water is doctored with a bit of cinnamon or cardamon which enhances the flavor, doesn't bury it in sweetness.

Then I "invented" Rose Apple Butter.   Take a couple dozen cleaned, chopped fruit and puree them.  Add about 1/4 cup of sugar.  Simmer them down for 20-30 minutes on medium heat until they thicken, and ladle into a screw-top jar: 

The subtle aroma and taste of rose water is really, really special!

MultiGrain Bread
Had an Aha! moment.  I've been making white breads, half & half breads, beer breads and more.  And still buying "healthy multi-grain bread" with lots of seeds.   Make my own!  Doh!  All my own combination -- (everything but the) kitchen sink bread!

1 cup AP Flour
1 cup WW Flour
1 cup Oat Flour - ground from quick cooking oats
1 cup Brown Rice Flour -- had it on hand
1 cup Red Bulgar Flour -- ground from Bob's Red Mill  Bulgar Wheat
1 packet Quick Rise Yeast
2 cups warm Water to bloom the yeast in
1/2 cup hulled Sunflower seeds
1/8 cup Chia seed
1/8 cup Flax seed
1/8 cup Black Sesame seed
1/8 cup White Sesame seed

Dense!  Real tasty, but really dense!  Not nearly enough yeast to give any rise to all those non-gluten flours.  

But Sally likes the taste, and I didn't think it was too bad, so I'll continue to develop this recipe more.  Next time, at least double the yeast and double the rise.

Banana Nut Bread
Speaking of breads, the bananas in our Produce Co-op this week were so ripe that after two days I had to do something -- they were beyond 'good eats'@!@  So here's the perfect dessert bread.

Banana Nut Bread is the perfect vehicle for excess, over-ripe bananas.  It's been a while since I made it.  I was doing it a couple times a year, when the banana trees behind the neighbor's house ripened a stalk of wonderful fruit.  But the County came through a couple years back and chopped out all the banana trees along with the ditch-side scrub brush, and the bananas haven't grown back.

2-3 very ripe Bananas, mashed
1/3 cup melted butter
pinch of salt
1 cup Walnut pieces
1/2 cup Sugar or more to taste
1 Egg, beaten
1 tsp Vanilla 
1-1/2 cups Self Rising Flour (or AP flour + a 1-1/2 tsp Baking Soda)

Preheat the oven to 350F.   Prep a 4x8 loaf pan with baking spray or grease.

Combine the mashed bananas and melted butter into a smooth paste.  Stir in the sugar, egg and vanilla.  Fold in the flour to make a batter and then fold in the nuts.  Pour it in the loaf pan and bake for 50-60 minutes until a wooden skewer comes out clean.   YUUUUUUM!

Vegan Sandwich Spread
FOK calls this NoTuna Spread.  Sorry -- no tuna flavor, no tuna name!!!  Interesting and tasty Vegan alternative for sandwiches however.  As written the recipe makes enough for 2 large sandwiches or 4 wraps.

1 (15-ounce) can Chickpeas, rinsed and drained
3 Tbsp Tahini (I used smooth peanut butter, a classic substitute)
1 tsp Dijon or spicy brown mustard -- I used a whole grain Irish Stout mustard
¼ cup diced Onion
¼ cup diced Celery
¼ cup diced Dill Pickle
1 Tbsp Capers, drained and chopped
¼ cup diced Red Bell Pepper
1 Tbsp roasted unsalted Sunflower Seeds (optional)

In a bowl, mash the garbanzos (don't puree them, you want some texture here), then fold in everything else.  I used the food processor and pulsed the chickpeas just a few times to get them broken up.  If it doesn't stick together too well, add a couple teaspoons of pickle juice or caper juice.  

As written, the spread is pretty bland.  It needs a serious infusion of spice -- curry spice, Everglades Seasoningtm, Cavenderstm, taco seasoning, even just salt & pepper -- whatever suits you.

Fazzoletti, Sweet Onion Soubise, Mango Lassi, Kurkuri Bhindi

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Porcini Fazzoletti
That's Italian for "mushroom handkerchiefs" a kind of simple sheet pasta flavored with mushroom powder.  I had this dish a week or so back when we were in South Carolina for Sally's niece's wedding in Greenville, where we ate dinner one evening at a place called The Lazy Goat.   Mine came with a "Spring Onion Soubise" sauce (see below) and crispy cubes of Guanciale, a kind of thick-cut pork jowl bacon, and dusted with black sesame seeds.  Served with minimal sauce, Italian style, not drowned in sauce American style.

So this is my first attempt at home-made pasta in probably twenty years.  Without a pasta machine. 

The dough is simple, almost no knead.  For two servings of about 15 handkerchiefs each:

1 cup AP flour or half cake flour/half AP
2 Eggs
1/4 tsp Salt
1 tsp Porcini or Mushroom Powder

Put things in your food processor (minus the egg shells!) and pulse a few times until the dough  balls up and runs around the bowl.  Remove the dough to a floured surface and add (by kneading) enough more flour so it's no longer a sticky wad.  Wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge about 30 minutes.

Bring a big pot of water almost to a rolling boil and let it continue heating while you roll out the handkerchiefs.   Divide the dough in half, and on a floured surface roll out one of the halves long, narrow and thin.  Mine came out about 4" x 12" x less than 1/8" thick.  The thinner you can roll it out, the better.  This is where a pasta machine would come in handy.  But hey,  Rolling pins were invented first!  Just make sure your fazzoletti are realllly thin.

Use a pizza cutter or table knife to cut the dough into squares about 2x2, not more than 3x3.  Lay them on a floured sheet of parchment paper while you roll and cut the rest of the dough.  Combine the scraps roll them out and cut again.

Slide a few handkerchiefs at a time into the hard boiling water (don't crowd them the way be do other pastas) and boil them for 3-6 minutes until tender-to-al dente.  Drain cooked pasta and rest on a plate until the cooking is complete.  If you have a large spider or slotted spoon, you can re-heat cooled pasta with a quick dunk in boiling water before serving. 

When served here at home I dressed the cooked pasta with a couple tablespoons of basil pesto and some toasted pine nuts.   That's Italian!

Kabocha With Sweet Onion Soubise

Soubise
Documented first in 1836, soubise is a stewed onion cream sauce that tastes almost nothing like onion!   It is an excellent accompaniment for any meat dish, and quite a few pasta and vegetable dishes.  I first had Soubise on the Porcini Fazzoletti at the Lazy Goat, where it was finished with fresh pureed herbs to give it a bright green color.  You can also finish it with a bit of curry or paprika flavored tomato puree as I did below.  The amounts of butter and dairy you use will determine how rich your sauce comes out -- from cloyingly rich to delicate.  

Sweet Onions -- spring onions, Vidalia, Maui, Walla Walla or generic Sweet, not Spanish
Butter
Cream or Half & Half or Whole Milk
Finish -- tomato puree, pureed herbs, or powdered "base" such as vegetable or chicken

For my dish I used two large Vidalia sweet onions, a couple tablespoons of butter, half a cup of Whole Milk, a couple tablespoons of tomato paste, and a 1/2 teaspoon of curry powder for a hint of India.

Slice the onion(s) and cook them -- roasted or pan-sweated but not browned, stewed, even microwave them (as I did) as if you were going to make French Onion Soup. 

You want the cooked onions to be falling-apart soft and finely translucent, with no hint of brown.  Stir in "some" butter with the hot onions until it's melted.   Transfer to your food processor and puree.  Add dairy (or even non-dairy 'milk') to get a gravy/sauce consistency.

Last, add a couple tablespoons of your Finish and puree again until well combined and you have the flavor you want.   

I served my soubise on:

Kabocha Squash
Kabocha Squash, in Japan, is called 'pumpkin'.  Sweeter than Acorn or Butternut and with an edible green skin, it's an excellent vegetarian main dish or main ingredient when stuffed with flavored rice, served in stir fries, soups, or casseroles.  

As you see above, I chose to simply cut mine into wedges, dust with Everglades Seasoningtm, airfry them at 400 for 30 minutes, and accompany them with the Soubise.

Kurkuri Bhindi
I admit, I detest boiled okra.  This Indian crispy-fried okra, on the other hand, is to die for!  We first had this at the Chai Pani Indian Street Food restaurant in downtown Asheville, NC,  8 or 9 years ago, and it has become a ritual for us to to indulge every time we fly into/out of Asheville.

Of course I came home that first time and started working up a copycat version.  The secret ingredients are Amchur Powder, an Indian ingredient which is simply dried, powdered Green Mango (very tart and tasty) a bit of Lime Salt or pinch of salt and lime juice applied to the cooking okra.  I get my Amchur powder from the nearest Indian grocery for a couple bucks and it lasts a lonnnng time.

For this recipe you need a flat griddle pan or large diameter thick bottomed skillet.

1 lb fresh Okra
Oil for cooking
1-3 Tbsp Amchur Powder
1-2 tsp Salt and Lemon Juice, or Lime Salt  -- for a no/low salt alternative use Mrs Dash Caribbean Citrus Seasoningtm

Cut the tops off and split the pods in half or quarters lengthwise.  Heat a bit of oil in your pan and fry them, turning frequently, with several additions of Amchur and salt.  

Fry until seriously browned, even blackened and serve hot and wonderful! 

Lime Salt?   1 cup of plain salt and fine zest of one lime mixed together.  Spread it on a parchment-lined baking sheet at bake at 250F (yes, that low) for about an hour.  Cool and store in a jar.  

Mango Lassi
Lassi not Lassie!  Lassi is one of several Indian yogurt-based drinks similar to a milkshake or smoothie. Thawed frozen mango from last year's harvest (or fresh from this year) is combined with yogurt and milk -- in our case, Icelandic Skyr  and almond-based unsweetened creamer -- with a bit of fine fresh ground cardamon or nutmeg for accent.   Take it all for a spin in your blender for a perfect summer dessert.   

Make sure the mango is really ripe, not like those frozen mango cubes you get in a freezer section of the megamart.  If that's all you can get, add some honey or your lassi will be too tart.