A debt of gratitude

I owe orzo copious thanks. For many years, my youngest son did not like pasta. I know. How is that even possible? Trust me we tried to reason with him, we pleaded, we begged, but not a single rigatoni or rotini would pass his lips.

Not liking pasta is not an option in my house; it is my go-to comfort food, and a feature in 99.9% of my favorite dishes, and not liking pasta is, quite frankly, akin to declaring war on all that is good and tasty, not to mention a sign that we may not be genetically related after all. The end of this trying period in our relationship and eating habits came by accident when I, one day, decided to make an orzo salad. Arriving at the table, my son took one look at the dish, said "Yum, rice!" and tucked in. I would love to claim credit for a master stroke of genius, but it was an accident, and oh, what a happy accident. Soon after that innocent mistake, the son in question tried more and more different shapes of pasta and came to the inevitable conclusion that it is not the work of the devil, but rather the most marvelous blank canvas for all sorts of saucy and vinaigrette-y deliciousness.

This recipe comes from a recent discovery of a website which I see myself spending many happy hours browsing in - it is a collection of vegetarian recipes from various authors at www.vanillaandbean.com. The recipe below makes more than enough to fill four sizable bowls for an easy supper.

Lemon Garlic Orzo with Roasted Vegetables
Serves 4
Adapted from Vanilla and Bean

1/3 cup toasted pine nuts
8 oz crimini mushrooms, cut into quarters
1 red pepper, sliced
2 yellow peppers, sliced
1 bunch asparagus, woody stem-ends discarded, and cut into 1" lengths
12 oz cherry tomatoes, halved
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 large shallot, sliced
olive oil
2 cups vegetable broth
1 cup orzo
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
3 TBSP chopped fresh basil
3 TBSP chopped fresh parsley

Dressing:
2 TBSP olive oil
1 TBSP lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 425F (220C).
2. Combine mushrooms, bell peppers, asparagus, tomatoes, garlic and shallot on a large rimmed sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and stir to coat the veggies.
3. Roast in the oven for 30-40 minutes until veggies are tinged with brown at the edges.
4. Heat the vegetable broth in a saucepan until boiling, then add orzo and simmer for 15 minutes until orzo is tender. Drain off excess broth.
5. Make the dressing by whisking together the olive oil, juice, salt and pepper.
6. In a large bowl, when the orzo and veggies have cooled a little (they can be warm, but not piping hot, or they will melt the feta), mix them together (including all the juices from the veggies) with the feta, pine nuts and the dressing.
7. Garnish with herbs to serve.

Conquering the food pyramid

Five portions of vegetables per day? No problem! Take that, food pyramid! We are currently acing this vegetarian lark! Child number three, whilst not committed to being vegetarian after the end of January (burgers are the sticking point - he may love them more than me, if the truth be told, sob sob) seems to be enjoying eating more vegetarian food, and does want to continue to do so after next week. The challenge for me, is finding vegetarian dishes that are rich and flavorful enough to satisfy our palates. We love rich sauces and deep flavors, and whilst those are easy to achieve with a slow-cooked piece of meat in the mix, they are harder to achieve with vegetables alone. We therefore often rely upon cheese to add that flavor hit that we crave. That is all well and good, and there is no risk of any of us going vegan, but I am always on the look out for recipes for veggie dishes that don't rely on a sprinkling of cheddar of grating of gruyere. The dish below fits the bill (although, full disclosure, it does benefit from a lovely dollop of spiced yoghurt on the top, so is not diary-free unless you skip that addition).

The book from which this recipe originates is a new acquisition (yes the cookbook addiction lives on). The book is Les Legumes: Vegetable Recipes from the Market Table by Pascale Beale. My favorite cookbooks are those which not only contain fabulous (and approachable rather than overly complicated) recipes in their pages, but also those with the kind of photography that turns a plate of food into food porn. This one definitely fits that bill, and I foresee many happy evenings flipping through the pages, dribbling in anticipation. It's also organized by type of vegetable, so when I pick up my veggie bag from the farm, or when I see what is in season, I can then flip to the right section and plan the week's foodie indulgences accordingly. I did tweak a fair amount here but was very happy with the results, and definitely felt confident that we had more than satisfied the food pyramid (and our bellies and taste buds) by the end of the meal.

Vegetable Tagine with Za'atar
Serves 5

For the Za'atar:
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup chopped fresh oregano leaves
1/4 cup chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 tsp sumac
1 tsp sesame seeds

For the tagine:
1 red onion, peeled, halved and thinly sliced
3 leeks, trimmed, rinsed and cut into 1/2" rounds
4-5 green onions/spring onions/scallions, cut into 1/2" pieces
4 shallots, peeled and cut into thick slices
12 oz asparagus, woody ends removed and cut into 1" pieces
1 bunch chard, stops removed and leaves thinly sliced
1lb green beans, cut into 1" lengths
1/3 cup golden raisins/sultanas
3 cups vegetable broth
1 tsp sumac

For the yoghurt:
2 cups Greek yoghurt (I used fat-free)
2 preserved lemons, finely chopped
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/8 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp curry powder

1. Preheat oven to 350F (180C).
2. Combine the ingredients for the fresh Za'atar.
3. Combine the red onion, leeks, green onions and shallots on a large baking tray and toss with the Za'atar and some salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes, by which time they should all be soft and starting to brown.
4. Place the roasted vegetables (and any juices in the baking tray) in a large dutch oven and stir in the asparagus, green beans, chard and golden raisins. Add the vegetable stock and remaining 1 tsp sumac and bring to the boil. Cook over a lower heat, gently bubbling for ten minutes. If the mixture seems too dry, then add a little more stock, and cook with the lid on, to prevent any more evaporation.
5. In a bowl, mix together the ingredients for the yoghurt topping.
6. Serve the tagine over couscous or quinoa with a dollop of yoghurt on top.

It's pie Tim, just not as we know it...

My husband needs sympathy. There is nothing he likes more that a good steak, lamb stew or a meat pie. And yet, this joyfully carnivorous father of three children, is now the father of three vegetarian children. Yikes! Now I like to think I am supporting this difficult transition for the man, I really do, but I'm not cooking several different meals for those of us still living at home. So, like it or not, he is eating a lot more vegetarian food. And this week that mean't that pie WAS on the menu, just not the kind of pie he might have picked off a menu. But a good pie it was indeed! Not the quickest to throw together as it isn't pastry-based, so you can't simply buy ready-made shortcrust and be done with it, but it was nice to have something a bit different. And it was very satisfying and filling, despite the lack of any meat in there. Something for the regular recipe rotation then, and sorry Tim, you'll get used to it, really, you will...

Chard and Smoked Gouda Pie
adapted from Simply Organic by Jesse Ziff Cool and France Ruffenach
Serves 4-5

2 cups shredded raw potatoes (don't bother to peel them)
1 shallot, finely chopped
7 large eggs
1/4 cup AP flour
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
olive oil
olive oil spray
1 red onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 large bunch Swiss chard (I used red, hence the pink tinge in the photo above)
1 1/2 cups shredded smoked Gouda cheese
1 cup milk
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs

1. Preheat oven to 400F (220C). Lightly oil a 9" deep-dish pie plate.
2. Use some kitchen roll to pat dry the potatoes. Then mix them with one of the eggs, the chopped shallot, the flour, salt and pepper.
3. Use your fingers or the back of a spoon to spread this mixture evenly in the pie plate, so it goes evenly across the base and all the way up the sides (it'll end up being about 1/2" thick). Spray with olive oil spray. Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes or until the crust is browned.
4. Prepare the chard - wash and pat it dry, then cut out the center ribs and chop them. Take the leaves and chop them separately into smallish pieces.
5. Heat some olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, then saute the red onion for about 4 minutes or until soft but not brown. Add the garlic and the chopped chard ribs and continue to cook for another 3 minutes. Add the chard leaves and cook until they have wilted. Drain off any excess liquid.
6. In a large bowl, beat the remaining 6 eggs with the milk, oregano and 1 cup of the cheese. Add the chard mixture and stir together.
7. Pour the chard and egg mixture into the pie crust, then sprinkle the top with the breadcrumbs and remaining 1/2 cup cheese.
8. Reduce the heat to 350F (180C) and bake the pie for another 30 minutes by which time the top should be browning and a knife inserted into the middle should come out relatively clean, showing that the eggs are cooked. Let the pie stand for 15 minutes to set completely before serving.

An antidote to cold gray days

What will be immediately obvious when you look at the photo below is that, unlike most of my foodie pics, it was taken after a fair amount of the meal had already been eaten. You've got to love a dish that is so delicious that you can't wait to snap a pic before tucking in, and almost forget to snap a pic entirely! It's a good job I remembered eventually, as leftovers were not much in evidence after this meal. For us it checked all the boxes - spicy but not hot-spicy, just flavorful-spicy, filling, and nutritious. Winner!

To be fair, I should have known it was going to be a hit, as I found out about this recipe through word of mouth - apparently it has featured on a number of posts, been instagrammed around the globe in every direction, and has even been made on the Today program, where Hoda Kotb's tastebuds were suitably tickled. So I am merely jumping on a bandwagon, but a tasty bandwagon it is :-)

The main thing I changed was to substitute cilantro (coriander) for the mint, as, whilst I love mint in cold dishes, sweet or savory, I'm not a huge fan of it in hot dishes. I know, I know, minor hang-up, and if you don't share my predilections (or whatever the opposite of predilection) then feel free to put the mint back in (in which case, use 1 cup mint for the recipe, sprinkled over the top at the end for serving).

Spiced Chickpea Stew with Coconut and Turmeric
Serves 4
Slightly adapted from New York Times' Alison Roman's recipe

1/4 cup olive oil
4 cloves garlic
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2" piece of ginger root, grated (or 2 TBSP ready prepared pureed ginger)
salt
ground black pepper
1 1/2 tsp ground dried turmeric
1/2 tsp crushed red chili flakes
2 15.5oz cans chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
2 14 oz cans reduced fat coconut milk
2 cups vegetable stock
1 bunch Swiss chard, stems removed, and thinly sliced
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro (coriander leaves)
rice to serve

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add garlic, onion and ginger and cook, stirring occasionally until the onion is translucent and softening (3-5 minutes).
2. Add turmeric, chili flakes and chickpeas and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until the chickpeas are sizzling and starting to break down a bit. They might even start to brown.
3. Remove about 1 cup of the chickpea mixture from the pan and set aside.
4. Add coconut milk and stock to remaining chickpea mixture in the pan and stir, scraping up any browned spices etc that have stuck to the bottom of the pan.
5. Use a potato masher to partly mash some of the chickpeas in the pan as the mixture comes up to the boil. You don't want it to become smooth,  just break up some of the chickpeas so that they help to thicken the stew as it cooks.
6. Turn the heat down and simmer, stirring occasionally for 30 minutes, by which time the mixture should have reduced a little and thickened (and your kitchen will smell divine!)
7. Add the Swiss chard and the reserved chickpeas and stir them in. Cook for a further 5 minutes until the greens have wilted. Taste and season with more salt and pepper if necessary.
8. Serve over rice, sprinkled with fresh cilantro.

Nuts and grains and greens...oh my!

I know, I know. It's been a while (don't worry - we have been eating, just not blogging). But this is early January, a time for resolutions and the conviction that you might actually be able to pull them off. So here I go, determined to blog more this year. To be honest, I need to - my addiction to trying out recipes and tweaking them isn't going anywhere, and it is one of my healthier addictions, so probably best to follow where it leads! And, if I don't blog about them, I don't have a record of the recipes, so repeating the fabulous ones is way more difficult.

The other resolution for the month (and hopefully beyond) is the obvious and ubiquitous 'eat more healthily' one. We generally eat pretty healthily in this house, but...ahem... December is a bit of an exception! (Oh Peppermint Bark, how do I love thee?). In addition, all three of my children have recently become vegetarians. Number three is not yet completely committed, but is determined to try it out for a month first. Nevertheless, it does mean broadening my repertoire of veggie feasts. Fortunately no one is going vegan (because cheeeeeeeeeese!). Otherwise the slightly grumpy, "why-can't-I-eat-meat-for-dinner" husband would probably be leaving home.

I am hoping to win round Mr I'll-wither-away-if-I-don't-eat-meat to a healthier lifestyle though, as his choices are not always made with health and longevity in mind, shall we say. My goal is that we become what I think is known as 'flexitarian'. We'll eat vegetarian most of the time, but occasionally we will tuck into a steak, or a pulled pork sandwich if we feel we want to. My hope is that recipes like the one below are tasty and satisfying enough to make that a rare occurrence. Fingers very crossed!

The recipe in question is a great salad because it is filling and checks a lot of the boxes, with whole grains (farro), plenty of vitamins from the veggies, antioxidants, protein from nuts, and tasty tasty feta cheese (because cheeeeeeeese!). It isn't a throw-it-all-in-the-bowl-and-toss-to-serve simple five minute salad, admittedly, but it is worth a bit of time and effort and can also be made well ahead of when you want to serve it. (I served it at room temperature, but I'm sure it would be great hot or cold too).

Roasted Sweet Potato, Kale and Farro Salad
Serves 5
Adapted from cookieandkate.com

1 1/2 cups semi-pearled farro
2lbs sweet potatoes (2 large), peeled and cut into 1" cubes
olive oil
2 tsp sumac
salt and black pepper
1 bunch laminate (or Tuscan) kale, ribs removed and thinly sliced
1 large shallot, halved and thinly sliced
2 TBSP red wine vinegar
2 TBSP sugar
2 medium lemons
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 cup of fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped
1/4 cup roasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped
2/3 cup crumbled feta cheese

1. Preheat oven to 425F (220C).
2. Juice the lemons and whisk the juice with 1 TBSP of olive oil, the dijon mustard and some salt and pepper. In a large bowl, toss this mixture with the sliced kale, massaging it into the kale leaves, as this will help them soften. Leave aside for at least 30 minutes (but it isn't a problem if you leave it for longer).
3. Spread out the sweet potato cubes on a large oven tray, and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with sumac and salt and pepper, and toss to combine. Roast in oven for 30 minutes by which time the sweet potato will be fork tender and starting to brown at the edges (and your kitchen will smell delicious!)
4. Cook the farro by adding to boiling salted water and simmering for 15-20 minutes (should be chewy and tender but not soft when cooked). Drain and leave to cool.
5. Combine the sliced shallot with sugar, vinegar and 1/2 cup of water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Cook over a medium heat for about 8 minutes by which time the liquid should have reduced a little (and your kitchen will smell even better!). Set aside
6. To assemble the salad, drain the onions, and mix with the cooled farro, marinated kale and roasted sweet potato. Stir in the fresh mint and the feta, and then sprinkle the hazelnuts over the top.