Tag Archives: parsley

Moroccan Kidney Bean Hummus

22 Friday Oct 2010

Posted by in Recipe, Side, Vegan, Vegetarian

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This is a wonderful, refreshing take on traditional hummus. Instead of using chickpeas, this Moroccan version calls for red kidney beans. Serve with fresh pita bread or other type of flat bread.

Recipe adapted from Flatbreads & Flavors by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid.

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 (14.5 oz) cans organic red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/4 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp dried chili pepper flakes
  • 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/2-3/4 cup flat-leaf parsley
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (or high quality bottled such as Santa Cruz Organic)
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

DIRECTIONS

  1. Add beans through lemon juice to a food processor and pulse until evenly processed.
  2. Slowly add oil until well-blended and smooth.

Creamy Stewed Chicken with Multi-Colored Root Vegetables

28 Sunday Mar 2010

Posted by in Entree, Recipe

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This is a great autumn or late winter recipe that uses a variety of root vegetables and even some new spring vegetables, such as fingerling potatoes. The combination of cream, chicken and savory/sweet root vegetables creates a delicious, hearty dish. Serve over rice or with a big piece of fresh sourdough bread. Recipe adapted from Chicken in Riesling at epicurious.com. (*Indicates Star Hollow Farm produce.)

(Cook’s Note: The recipe from epicurious.com indicates that the chicken dish should braise in the oven for about 20-25 minutes. The first time I cooked this it took more like 1 hour before the carrots and parsnips were tender. I recommend sauteing the carrots and parsnips with the onions (as I indicate in my version of the directions below) to speed up the cooking process.)

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 lb free-range, organic chicken breast on bone with skin
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
  • 3 medium yellow onions, chopped*
  • 6 medium carrots (red, orange, golden, purple and red varieties), peeled and sliced*
  • 2-4 medium parsnips, peeled and sliced*
  • 1 cup dry white wine (such as Riesling)
  • 1 1/2 pound small (2-inch) fingerling potatoes
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream or half-and-half
  • Fresh lemon juice to taste

DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat oven to 350F with rack in middle.
  2. Pat chicken dry and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and a rounded 3/4 teaspoon pepper. Heat oil with 1 tablespoon butter in a wide 3 1/2- to 5-quart heavy ovenproof pot over medium-high heat until foam subsides, then brown chicken in 2 batches, turning once, about 10 minutes total per batch. Transfer to a plate.
  3. Meanwhile, prepare onions, carrots, and parsnips and pat dry. Wash fingerling potatoes well and cook until just tender in a pressure cooker according to the directions of your pressure cooker (approximately 5 minutes at high pressure). Set potatoes aside and then after about 5 minutes, using just your hands, carefully peel skins off the potatoes.
  4. Pour off fat from pot, then cook onions, carrots, and parsnips and 1/4 teaspoon salt in remaining 2 tablespoons butter, covered, over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until onions are pale golden, 5 to 7 minutes. Add chicken, skin sides up, with any juices from plate, and wine and boil until liquid is reduced by half, 3 to 4 minutes. Cover pot and braise chicken in oven until cooked through, 20 to 25 minutes. (Note: this may take longer, depending on the root vegetables you use.)
  5. Stir crème fraîche into chicken mixture and season with salt, pepper, and lemon juice, then add potatoes.

Herb & Garlic Falafel with Tahini Sauce

07 Sunday Mar 2010

Posted by in Dinner, Entree, Lunch, Recipe, Vegan, Vegetarian

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After looking at several falafel recipes, I created my own. This recipe makes a delicate, but flavor packed, falafel without being deep-fried. I highly recommend using dried chickpeas (as opposed to canned), which gives a nicer texture and ensures the falafel cooks through completely, resulting in a perfectly moist end product. By forming the falafel dough into patties instead of balls you also ensure even cooking when using the pan-fry method, instead of deep-fry.

Serve with pita, or other flatbread; tabbouleh; roasted eggplant, garlic, chickpeas and swiss chard; white bean hummus; tahini sauce; green salad; and tzatziki for a delicious vegetarian meal (omit tzatziki for a vegan meal).

INGREDIENTS

Falafel

  • 4 cups soaked, dried chickpeas (about 16 oz dried)
  • 1/2 cup loosely packed flat leaf parsley, stems discarded
  • 1/2 cup loosely packed cilantro
  • 1/2 cup minced green onions
  • 1 1/4 tsp kosher salt
  • 4-6 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 2 tbsp flour
  • extra virgin olive oil

Tahini Sauce

  • 1/2 cup well-stirred tahini (Middle Eastern sesame paste)
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/3 cup lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
  • 1/4 tsp ground cumin

DIRECTIONS

Falafel

  • Place 16 oz of dried chickpeas in a large container with a tight fitting lid, add enough cold water to cover chickpeas by 2 inches, cover with lid and refrigerate for at least 24 hours. This should make between 4 and 5 cups of soaked chickpeas.
  • Drain chickpeas well. Add 4 cups of soaked chickpeas to a food processor, and grind until finely blended (mixture will remain course). Add green onions, parsley leaves, cilantro stems and leaves, salt, and garlic. Blend until smooth as possible (mixture will remain slightly grainy). Add cumin, baking powder, cayenne, and flour. Blend again until smooth as possible. Transfer to a bowl and let stand, covered, for 30 minutes (note: you can also make the falafel batter a day ahead and refrigerate over night).
  • Form falafel into small, 1 1/4 inch wide patties and arrange in one layer on a sheet of wax paper.
  • Heat about 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil in a large, non-stick skillet. Pan-fry falafel patties in batches, turning once, until golden brown on both sides, 2-5 minutes per batch. Transfer to a bowl.

Tahini Sauce

  • Whisk (or using a food processor blender) combine all ingredients until well combined.

Tabbouleh

07 Sunday Mar 2010

Posted by in Dinner, Lunch, Recipe, Side, Vegetarian

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This Middle Eastern salad recipe is excellent served with greek dishes and makes a great side for lunch. Since bulgur, also known as cracked wheat, is a whole grain, this recipe is packed with fiber. For a vegan tabbouleh, omit the feta.

Recipe adapted from The Gourmet Cookbook 2004.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 cup fine bulgur (also called cracked wheat – available in most health food stores in the bulk section)
  • 5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 1/2 bunches fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
  • 1 cup fresh mint, finely chopped
  • 1 seedless cucumber (also called english cucumber), cut into 1/4-inch pieces
  • 5 tbsp lemon juice (high quality such as Lakewood or Santa Cruz, both available at Whole Foods)
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 oz feta, crumbled (omit to make this recipe vegan)
  • 2 medium tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch pieces (omit when you can’t find high quality, locally produced, in season tomatoes)

DIRECTIONS

  • Stir together bulgur and 2 tbsp oil in a heat-proof bowl. Pour 2 cups of boiling water over bulgar, stir, then cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let stand for 15 minutes.
  • Drain bulgur in a sieve, pressing on it to remove excess liquid. Transfer bulgur to a bowl and toss with remaining 3 tbsp oil and remaining ingredients until well combined.

White Bean Hummus with Parsley

07 Sunday Mar 2010

Posted by in Recipe, Side, Vegan, Vegetarian

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Don’t have a can of garbanzo beans in your pantry. No worries, try white bean hummus instead. This was my first time to make white bean hummus…and what a pleasant surprise. This recipe makes a velvety smooth, flavorful, and colorful hummus.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 (14.5 oz) can organic, great northern beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 large clove garlic, minced
  • 2 1/2 tbsp tahini
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 cup chopped parsley
  • 3/4 tsp kosher salt

DIRECTIONS

  • Add beans, garlic and tahini to a food processor. Blend well, then add remaining ingredients. Blend until smooth.
  • Serve with pita chips or pita wedges as an appetizer or with falafel and other greek food as a side.

Pasta Salad with Walnut-Sage Pesto and Butternut Squash

10 Sunday Jan 2010

Posted by in Dinner, Entree, Farmers' Market, Lunch, Recipe, Vegan, Vegetarian

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I first discovered the wonderful pasta recipe in Cooking Light Magazine in October 2005. I’ve been making it at least once a year, since. This recipe includes my adaptations. Serve with fresh grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese and a side salad, or in this case sauteed broccoli rabe with garlic, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar. while the vibrant green pesto darkens with age, the pasta tastes great the next day for lunch, too.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 large butternut squash, peeled and cubed (1/4 inch)
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 3/4  teaspoon  salt, divided
  • 1 cup  fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
  • 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
  • 1/4 cup fresh sage leaves
  • 2  tablespoons  fresh lemon juice
  • 4  tablespoons  extravirgin olive oil
  • 2  garlic cloves
  • 1/3  cup  fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
  • 16 oz uncooked pasta (such as cavatappi or corkscrew)
  • 4  cups  torn arugula
  • 1/2  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat oven to 450°.
  2. Arrange squash in a single layer on a jelly-roll pan coated with 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil. Sprinkle evenly with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Bake at 450° for 20 minutes or until squash is tender, stirring after 10 minutes. Cool squash slightly.
  3. Meanwhile bring 4-5 quarts water to a rolling boil. Cook pasta according to directions.
  4. Combine 1/4 teaspoon salt, parsley, and next 5 ingredients (through garlic) in a food processor; process until finely chopped, scraping sides. With processor on, slowly pour broth through food chute, processing until well blended.
  5. Combine the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, squash, pasta, and pesto in a large bowl, and toss well to coat. Add arugula, shallots, and pepper; toss to combine. Serve immediately.

Chimichurri Sauce

10 Saturday Oct 2009

Posted by in Recipe, Sauce

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This is a quick and fabulous sauce for red meat and pork. Grill 1/2 inch thick pork chops seasoned with fresh pepper and sea salt and coated with a very thin layer of EVOO. Top with a spoonful of chimichurri sauce for a fabulous dish!

Chimichurri Sauce

  • 1 large garlic clove, minced
  • ½ large bunch of cilantro
  • ½ large bunch of flat leaf parsely
  • 2 small fresh jalapenos, seeded
  • ¼ cup EVOO
  • 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • ¼ – ½ tsp kosher salt
  • freshly ground pepper

Combine all ingredients in a food processor. Pulse until pureed to a pesto consistency. Great spread over grilled pork chops or steaks.