edamame hummus

March 16, 2013
appeteaser, the underwear diet
2 Comments

1 medium or 2 small garlic cloves
1 bag frozen, shelled edamame, thawed, small handful reserved
2 tsp tahini
1 tsp cumin
kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Extra virgin olive oil, for garnish
Black pepper, for garnish

1. In a food processor, pulse garlic until it is broken down into bits.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients and whirl, adding water as necessary to achieve desired consistency, until smooth.
3. Spoon into a bowl and garnish with reserved edamame, a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, and a healthy crack of freshly ground black pepper.

vinegar-braised red cabbage with caraway

March 16, 2013
somethin' on the side
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1 medium head red cabbage
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp caraway seeds, toasted
1/2 cup vinegar (I used rice wine, but any mild variety will suite this dish)
3 tbsp honey
kosher salt and black pepper, to taste

1. Halve the cabbage, remove the core and slice.
2. Heat the butter and oil in a pot over medium-high heat and add the cabbage. Stir to coat the cabbage with the butter and oil.
3. Add the caraway seeds, vinegar, honey, salt and pepper and stir.
4. Cover the pot, turn the heat to medium-low, and allow the cabbage to cook for 25-30 minutes, or until softened.

I always enjoyed this side dish next to a big hunk of baked macaroni and cheese, and occasionally pot roast or lamb. Feel free to dollop with yogurt.

corn fritters for breakfast

March 9, 2013
appeteaser, sweet thang, the main event
2 Comments

photo(4)Adapted from this recipe, doctored to make it my own. It still needs some work (more seasoning, mainly) but I think it’s a good start.

1/3 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 cayenne pepper
3/4 tsp dried rosemary
1 large egg, separated
3/4 cup corn (I had frozen, which I thawed)
1 cup peanut oil, for pan-frying
Powdered sugar, for dusting (optional)
Maple syrup (optional)

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, paprika, cayenne, and rosemary.
2. Combine the egg yolk with corn kernels and add to the dry ingredients. Stir until just combined. (The mixture will be very dry.)
3. Heat the oil in a heavy-bottom pan over medium-high heat.
4. Beat the egg white until soft peaks form. Fold into the corn mixture.
5. Add large spoonfuls of the corn batter to oil (it should bubble and sizzle immediately when added to the pan).
6. Once the fritters are golden brown on the bottom, carefully flip and continue cooking until golden brown on that side.
7. When done, remove from the pan and drain on paper towels. Dust with powdered sugar and serve with maple syrup (optional).

mujaddara

March 6, 2013
the main event, the underwear diet
1 Comment

Mujaddara, though humble, inexpensive, and not terribly attractive, should be the star of your vegetarian dinner. Nobody puts mujaddara in a corner.

1 1/4 cup brown rice
1 cup lentils
1.5 tbsp cumin
2 tsp chili powder
Juice of 1 lemon
3 scallions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp butter
2 onions, thinly sliced
greek yogurt, for serving
parsley sprig, for garnish

1. Prepare brown rice and lentils according to the package directions.
2. When both are done, combine and gently toss with cumin, chili powder, scallions, mint, parsley, salt and pepper.
3. While the rice and lentils are cooking, heat olive oil and butter in a large pan over medium-low heat. Add the onions, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until they start to become translucent, about 10 minutes. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook for 5 minutes more, adding water as needed to deglaze the bottom of the pan. Then increase the pan to high heat to char the onions and crisp them a bit.
4. Serve the brown rice and lentil mixture warm, topped with the caramelized onions and a dollop of Greek yogurt and parsley sprig.

photo(3)