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!