Tuesday, 30 November 1999 00:00

Cilantro Potato Salad

Cilantro Potato Salad


Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse. Serves 5-6.
1 cup mayonnaise
3/4 cup cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 pounds potatoes, cooked and halved (unpeeled)
1/3 cup finely minced onions

In a bowl, stir together mayonnaise with cilantro, garlic, salt and 7 turns black pepper. Add potatoes and onions and toss to combine thoroughly; cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours before serving.

Published in Salads
Tuesday, 30 November 1999 00:00

Asian Spinach Salad w/ Baked Tofu

Asian Spinach Salad w/ Baked Tofu


Adapted from a January 2001 Bon Appetit recipe. Makes 6 servings.

8 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
3 tablespoons soy sauce

1 3-ounce package Asian noodle soup mix (such as Top Ramen), noodles coarsely broken
1/2 cup slivered almonds
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1 10-ounce bag ready-to-use spinach leaves
1 bunch green onions, chopped
4 oz of diced Baked Maple Ginger Tofu

Whisk 6 tablespoons oil, sugar, vinegar and soy sauce in small bowl to blend. Season dressing with salt and pepper.

Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in heavy medium skillet over medium heat. Add noodles from soup mix (discard soup mix or save for another use). Stir to coat and cook for about 4 minutes. Then add nuts and sesame seeds. Stir until noodles, nuts and seeds are toasted and golden, about 4 more minutes. Pour contents of skillet into large bowl and cool 10 minutes. Add spinach and green onions and tofu to same bowl. Toss with enough dressing to coat. Serve, passing remaining dressing separately.

Published in Salads
Tuesday, 30 November 1999 00:00

Cilantro and Potato soup

Cilantro and Potato soup


This is a delicious, satisfying soup. Like most soup recipes, there is lots of room for improvisation here with some options given below.

2 TB olive oil or butter
2 medium onions, finely chopped (or 2 leeks)
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 quart chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
2 medium potatoes, peeled and coarsely chopped
salt and pepper
1 pinch red pepper flakes
2/3 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
lime juice

Saute onion and garlic slowly until tender. Add the broth, potatoes. Cook til the potatoes are tender about half an hour. Add most of the cilantro leaving a few tablespoons for garnish. Use an immersion blender or food processor to puree. Serve hot or cold, and garnish with the remaining fresh cilantro. Add a squeeze of fresh lime juice before serving.

Optional: add 1 diced, seeded jalapeno pepper along with the broth and potatoes. Add up to 1/4 cup of cream to soup just before serving. Add a couple chopped scallions to the soup after pureeing.

Published in Soups and Stews
Tuesday, 30 November 1999 00:00

Simple Beet Salad with Onions

Simple Beet Salad with Onions


I love these oh so simple James Beard recipes that just beg for creativity. I'd probably be inclined to cook the beets a bit as in the above recipe.

Grate scrubbed beets or cut into julienne: toss with chopped scallions and a vinaigrette you make or from a bottle in your fridge. Add toasted nuts and/or a sharp cheese (blue, parmesan, feta). Serve alone or on a bed of mesclun or lettuce.

Published in Salads
Tuesday, 30 November 1999 00:00

Spinach-Rice Casserole

Spinach-Rice Casserole


Straight from the Moosewood Cookbook by Mollie Katzen, 1977. I love this recipe. It's basic but oh so good. When greens are abundant as they are now, I make it a lot. It packs in the greens and brown rice. You can modify the recipe by skipping the cheese & eggs and making it vegan. It's hearty and healthy and the brown rice gives it a great chewy texture. Serves 4 - 6.

4 cups cooked brown rice (2 cups dry makes approx 6 cups cooked rice)
2 lbs. raw, chopped spinach (amount doesn't have to be exact)
(or a combo of spinach bok choy, mustard greens, turnip greens, swiss chard, kale)
2 cloves minced garlic
3 tablespoons butter (or 2 tablespoons olive oil)

4 beaten eggs (or egg substitute)
1 cup milk (skim or whole OK)
1 1/2 cups grated cheddar (less than this works great too)
1/4 cup chopped parsley
2 tablespoons tamari (optional)
1/2 teaspoon salt (or more, to taste)
a few dashes each - nutmeg, cayenne (I like a little more than a dash of cayenne)
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
paprika

Saute onions and garlic with the salt in butter (or oil). When onions are soft, add spinach or greens. Cook 2 minutes.

Combine the onion/greens mixture with the brown rice, eggs, milk, cheese, parsley, tamari, nutmeg, cayenne, sunflower seeds, paprika. Spread into buttered casserole and sprinkle on top.
Bake, covered, 25 minutes at 350 degrees F. Uncover and bake 10 more minutes. I like it best when it is a little browned on top.

Published in Dinner

Shepherd's Pie with Carmelized Onions and Cheddar Smash


From Cooking with Shelburne Farms.

For the Carmelized Onions
1.5 TB Olive Oil
1 lb Onions (about 3 medium), thinly sliced crosswise into rounds
1 tsp kosher salt

For the Potato Smash
1.5 lbs potatoes, scrubbed but not peeled and cut into 2 inch chunks
2 garlic cloves, smashed with the flat of a knife
1/2 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/4 stick butter, cut into 4 pieces

For the Lamb Filling
1/2 TB olive oil
2 medium carrots, scrubbed trimmed and finely diced (about 1.5 cups)
1 lb ground lamb
3/4 tsp fresh thyme minced
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 TB flour
1/2 TB tomato paste (or ketchup)
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup grated cheddar

Make the carmelized onions (up to one week ahead):
Heat oil in a heavy bottomed skillet over medium hear. Add onions and turn heat down to medium low. Sprinkle onions with salt and cook, stirring frequently to make sure they brown evenly, for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown and soft. Set aside.

Make the smashed potatoes (up to 24 hours ahead):
Place a colander in a pot large enough to accommodate it, fill pot with water to bottom of colander, add potatoes and garlic cloves and sprinkle them with salt. Cover, set over high heat, and bring water to a boil. Reduce heat to active simmer and steam for 25-30 minutes until they break apart easily when poked. Remove colander from pot, pour water from pot, return potatoes and garlic to the pot. Cover with a clean dish towel and let potatoes dry out for about 5 minutes (but do not let them cool before mashing). Add the butter to the pot and use a potato masher to smash the potatoes and garlic until blended, but not smooth. Set aside.

Make the meat filling and finish pie:
In a large skillet set over med-high heat, heat olive oil until hot. Add diced carrots and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5-7 minutes until softened. Add lamb, thyme, and salt and cook, stirring occasionally for 8-10 minutes until the meat is no longer pink. Pour off the fat and discard. Sprinkle flour over the meat and cook for 1 minute, stirring. Then stir in the tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes longer. Pour in the stock, along with half of the carmelized onions. Increase the heat to high and simmer until gravy thickens slightly.

Spread lamb into a shallow casserole or baking pan. Spread potatoes on top. Distribute the remaining carmelized onions over the potatoes, and then sprinkle the cheddar in top. Bake until top is golden and crusty, about 20 minutes.

Published in Dinner
Tuesday, 30 November 1999 00:00

Vermont Soy Sesame Noodles w/ Greens and Cilantro

Vermont Soy Sesame Noodles w/ Greens and Cilantro


This is a dinner idea rather than a recipe and quantities of ingredients could vary widely according to taste. I think it could be very good dressed and served cold as well.

1 TB oil
1/2 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 -2 bunches greens (Pac Choi or Kale would be my first choices), stemmed and chopped saving the chopped Pac Choi stems
Asian soba noodles or other pasta (or brown rice)
Vermont Soy Sesame Dressing
3-4 chopped Scallions
2-4 TB Cilantro

Start a pot of water boiling for rice or pasta. Add your rice or pasta and cook according to directions. In the final 10 minutes before your rice or pasta is finished, add oil to a skillet. When hot, add onion and garlic and simmer until soft being careful not to burn the garlic. Add the greens according to which parts need the most cooking time (Pac Choi stems first, kale a few minutes later, and Pac Choi greens last). In last 2 minutes toss in the scallions. Remove from heat. Drain pasta and put back in pot. Add the greens to the pasta (or rice), add Vermont Sesame Soy Dressing and cilantro to taste.

Published in Dinner
Tuesday, 30 November 1999 00:00

Braised Tofu and Greens in Curried Coconut Milk

Braised Tofu and Greens in Curried Coconut Milk


Adapted from a recipe in Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything Vegetarian.

3 large onions
1 28 oz can tomatoes
2 TB sunflower oil
salt and black pepper
2 TB garam masala or curry powder
14 oz tofu
2 cups potatoes, 1/2 inch dice
3 cups shredded or chopped greens (kale, pac choi, chard, beet greens)
Cilantro

In a food processor, puree the tomatoes and onion. Put the oil in a deep skillet over medium heat. When hot, add the onion tomato mixture and the potatoes, along with some salt and pepper and the spice mixture, and cook stirring occasionally until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in the greens and the coconut milk and bring to just about a boil (but try not to boil much) and then simmer gently until greens are wilted and tender (Kale will take a bit longer than the others). Serve over rice and garnish with freshly chopped cilantro.

Published in Dinner
Tuesday, 30 November 1999 00:00

Tuscan White Bean Soup with Rosemary and Kale

Tuscan White Bean Soup with Rosemary and Kale


This is a classic Northern Italian Dish, simple, flavourful, wholesome, and healthy. Navy beans make a nice substitute if you don't have cannelini. You can also add 1/2 cup of small dried pasta like orzo tp this soup. Serve with a nice crusty bread.
From the Rebar Modern Food Cookbook by Audrey Austerberg & Wanda Urbanowicz

2 cups dried cannellini beans soaked overnight (or 3 cans cooked)
10 cups water
4 Bay leaves
2 tsp + 1 tsp salt
1 TB minced rosemary
1 TB olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
8 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
2-3 medium tomatoes
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 TB balsamic vinegar
1 small bunch of kale
parsley

Drain and rinse the soaked beans and place them in a large pot with Bay leaves, 2 tsp rosemary, and cold water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until the beans are tender. In the last 15 mins, add 2 tsp salt to the beans.

When beans are tender, heat olive oil in a soup pot and add onion, remaining 1 tsp salt and chile flakes. Saute until onions are lightly golden, then add the garlic and remaining rosemary. Cook several minutes, then add the cooked beans and their cooking liquid (or the canned beans). Bring to a simmer, add the tomatoes and simmer gently for 20 minutes.

Remove the stems from the kale, tear or roughly chop the leaves and rinse well. Add the leaves to the soup and cook until wilted. Season the soup to taste with balsamic vinegar, cracked pepper, and more salt. Garnish with fresh parsley.

Published in Soups and Stews
Tuesday, 30 November 1999 00:00

Fennel And Kale Pasta

Fennel And Kale Pasta


Sweet fennel and bitter greens work beautifully together. Swiss Chard or other cooking green will work great as well.

1⁄2 c olive oil
1 onion, minced
1 medium fennel bulb fronds removed, halved and thinly sliced
salt and pepper
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 lb spaghetti
up to 3 lb kale or other cooking green washed and chopped
1 c grated parmesan

1. Heat oil in a large braising pan or skillet with a cover. Add onion; sauté over medium heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in fennel; sauté until golden, about 10 minutes. Add 1/2 cup water and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat until fennel is tender, about 8 minutes longer. Stir in vinegar; simmer to blend flavors, 1 minute longer. Adjust seasonings.

2. Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add 1 tablespoon salt and the pasta; return to boil. Add kale; continue to cook until pasta is al dente, about 7 minutes.

3. Drain pasta and greens; toss with fennel mixture and cheese. Transfer portions to warm pasta bowls. Garnish with reserved minced fennel fronds. Serve immediately with more cheese passed separately.

Published in Pastas
Page 12 of 13
Nutrition is directly linked to the health and sustainability of any region. In Craftsbury, Vermont, Pete’s Greens has proven that organic farming can work year-round, offering fresh vegetables at any time of year. This approach helps communities become less dependent on imported produce and builds a stronger foundation for a future where quality food is part of the lifestyle, not the exception. However, modern life is full of contradictions. People strive for natural products and care about the well-being of their families, but at the same time, they often indulge in activities that carry certain risks. A clear example can be seen in the fact that interest in gambling continues to grow, despite all the warnings about the possible consequences. This topic is discussed in detail on the sitetorontomike.com, where it is discussed why online gambling continues to attract people’s attention despite its unsafety. On the one hand, the organic farm Pete’s Greens demonstrates how one can take a step towards health and harmony with nature. On the other hand, habits and temptations like gambling remind us that the choice is always ours. Ultimately, it is the mindfulness of our actions that shapes the future – whether it is the decision to eat more local vegetables or to be smart about our online entertainment.