Mark Bittman's Fastest Pasta With Spinach Sauce

1 clove garlic
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (or to taste)
About 15 kalamata or other olives, pitted & chopped
1/4 cup plus 1 T extra virgin olive oil
1 pound long pasta, like linguine
1 pound spinach, washed, tough stems removed, chopped
Salt & freshly ground black pepper

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it. Mince the garlic as finely as possible and combine it, in the bottom of a large bowl, with the red pepper, olives and olive oil.
2. Place the pasta in the pot, and cook until it is nearly done. Plunge the spinach into the water and cook until it wilts (less than one minute).
3. Drain the pasta and spinach quickly, allowing some water to cling, and toss the hot pasta and spinach in the bowl with the garlic and olive mixture. Season with salt and pepper and serve. Serves 3 or 4.

Add freshly grated cheese to taste. Try adding 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes or 2 T drained capers.

Braised Leeks with Lemon

4 small - medium leeks (1 bunch)
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
1/4 cup chicken broth
1 tsp. freshly grated lemon zest
Salt & pepper

Discard the tough outer leaves and cut the leeks lengthwise into quarters or eighths, then trim into sections about 7 inches long. Place the trimmed leeks in a shallow dish and soak in cold water to cover 15 minutes, rubbing occasionally to remove any grit.

In a heavy skillet melt butter over moderate heat. Lift leeks out of the water and, with water still clinging to them, add to the skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, five minutes and add broth and zest.

Cover and braise leeks about 5 minutes or until very tender. Season with salt and pepper.

From Gourmet Magazine, February 1995
Mariquita Farm

Corn Lover's Vegetable Stew

2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups 1-inch cubes peeled winter squash (butternut, acorn, kabocha, buttercup, etc.)
1 (16-ounce) can diced, peeled tomatoes
1 1/4 cups corn kernels or 1 (15-1/4 ounce) can whole corn kernels, drained
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 (14 1/2 ounce) can golden or white hominy
1 red or green bell pepper, seeds and ribs removed, cut in 1-inch squares

In a large pot, bring 1/2 cup of the broth to a boil over moderate heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until the onion softens (about 5 minutes). Add the squash, tomatoes, corn, thyme, salt, pepper and remaining 2 cups of broth. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then cover, reduce heat to maintain a simmer, and cook 10 minutes. Add the hominy and bell pepper and return to simmer. cover and simmer until the squash and bell pepper are tender when pierced but not mushy, about 10 minutes. Serves 4.

Chef Chai Chaowasaree's Black Chicken Soup

"Chef Chai Chaowasaree says extracting the full benefit from a black chicken requires long, slow cooking. His method is similar to poaching, letting the chicken sit immersed in liquid over very low heat. "You don't want to rush the heat, you want all the nutrition to come out slowly, slowly, slowly."

"He makes soup using ginseng, ginger and garlic, also believed to have healing qualities and which lend the broth a peppery flavor. Don't bother peeling the ginseng or ginger, he says, and use whole heads of garlic, leaving the paper skins in place."

1 silkie chicken (about 2 pounds), whole or halved
3 thumb-sized pieces ginseng root
6-1/4 cups water
1 thumb-sized piece ginger, smashed
2 large heads garlic, halved
1/2 teaspoon whole peppercorns
Salt or soy sauce to taste
5 dried figs
Sliced green onion for garnish

Cut chicken in half if necessary to fit pot; otherwise leave whole. Soak ginseng in water 1 hour.

Place ginseng and its soaking water in pot; add chicken, ginger, garlic, pepper and salt. Bring to a boil and skim impurities. Reduce heat to a very low simmer (no bubbling at all) and cook until chicken is fall-off-the-bone tender, 2 to 4 hours. Or cook in a crock pot on low heat, about 6 hours. In last hour of cooking, add figs.

Strain soup and debone chicken if desired, or serve with root pieces. Garnish with green onion.

From the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 2002.

Ancient Hippie Yogurt from The Last Whole Earth Catalog

Yes, you can make it at home and you don't need any thermometers or special equipment, either. This is a genuine ancient hippie recipe that really works; it was printed in The Last Whole Earth Catalog in 1971.

3 cups of instant powdered milk
1/2 tsp. unflavored gelatin
1 tablespoon sugar (optional)
1 large can Pet Evaporated Milk
3 tablespoons yogurt (plain, unflavored)
Water

1. Preheat the oven to about 275o F (between 250o and 300o). Soften the gelatin in measuring cup in a bit of water, then add enough boiling water to make one cup. If you want to add sugar, put it in the cup now. Let the mixture cool.

2. Mix the instant powered milk with three cups of water and stir well.

3. In a large glass or pottery ovenproof bowl, mix the evaporated milk with two cups of tepid water. Add the diluted instant powdered milk, the gelatin mixture and the yogurt. Stir thoroughly.

4. Cover the bowl, put it in the oven and turn the oven off. Leave it overnight or about 10 hours. Then, look in the bowl -- it's yogurt! Yield: two quarts.

Pineapple Yam Bake

3 medium yams (about 1 1/2 lbs.) sliced 1 inch thick
3/4 cup crushed pineapple (packed in juice), drained
4 Tablespoons pure maple syrup
2 egg whites

Cook yams in boiling water for 25 - 35 minutes or until very soft and tender. Drain and mash thoroughly until consistency is smooth. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix pineapple and 3 Tablespoons maple syrup into yams. Spoon into a 9 inch round or 8 inch square non-stick baking pan. Beat egg whites to soft peaks; add remaining 1 Tablespoon syrup and beat until stiff; spread with a spatula, using a swirling motion, on top of yam mixture. Bake at 400 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes, or until top is golden.
Yield: 6 servings
Calories: 176, Fat: 1%

From the Searchable Online Archive of Recipes (SOAR)
October, 1997

Orange-Acorn Squash

1 1-pound acorn squash, peeled
1/2 cup orange juice
1 Tablespoon brown sugar, firmly packed
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Cut acorn squash into 1/2-inch thick slices, discarding seeds. Combine orange juice, brown sugar, and ground nutmeg. Place squash and orange juice mixture in a large skillet. Bring juice to boil and reduce heat. Simmer for 25 minutes or until squash slices are tender.

Yield: 4 servings. Preparation Time: 15 minutes. Cooking Time: 25 minutes.
Calories per serving: 114, Fat: 0.3 g, Cholesterol, 0 mg, Protein: 1.9 g, Carbohydrates: 29 g, Dietary fiber: no data, Sodium: 8 mg.

From Sarah Schlesinger's 500 Fat-Free Recipes

October, 1997

Watermelon, Feta and Oil-Cured Olive Salad

This summer I found this simple, refreshing recipe in "WestView," a freebie newspaper published by the [Greenwich Village] Charles Street Association. The dish originated with David Poran, who is the Culinary Director at Balducci's grocery store.

4 cups of seedless watermelon cut in 1/2" dice
1 cup of Greek feta, diced
1 small red onion, sliced paper thin and rinsed in cold water
2 Tablespoons pitted, oil-cured olives
2 Tablespoons olive oil
Black peper to taste

Just combine and serve. Serves four

Surinamese Mixed Rice (Moksi Alesi)

Way back in 1998 I participated in an international vegan mailing list where a member contributed this recipe. I'm pretty sure that I have never eaten an "authentic" version of Surinamese mixed rice, but even if it isn't the real thing, I think it is fairly easy, tasty and unusual.

This is her recipe and her explanation. The author's comments about "forbidden" foods refer to her original version of this dish (she didn't supply the original recipe), which must have contained non-vegan ingredients.

The original post:
Surinam has a very mixed population and thus a very varied kitchen. In daily life we eat "Surinamese" (=Afro-Surinamese), Indian, Indonesian, Chinese and since one year or so American food (Mc Donald, KFC and PizzaHut) as well...

I adapted a recipe that has its roots in the Afro-Surinamese kitchen, but now is appreciated by all inhabitants. I had to do a lot of adapting, for in the original recipe all what is forbidden in our opionon is used! I cook this recipe as a sundays meal.

The aim is that you make a gravy in which you cook rice, split beans and vegetables. In the end the rice is dry AND tasty. I cook from 1 to 5 on the stove. Then I put sauce and rice in the rice cooker, but perhaps it is for a start easier to finisch the cooking on the stove.

The recipe is not too easy to cook in the beginning. You have to develop the feeling how much gravy you need for your amount of rice. But keep trying, for in the end this recipe will be a favourite, espcially if you have to cook for a party.

1 pound brown rice
1/3 pound yellow split beans
1 1/2 pint of water (or a bit more or a bit less...)
1 big onion, in small pieces
1 tomato
2 spoons of tomato paste
1 hot pepper
1 vegan bouillon cube (optional, but it adds to the "Surinamese" taste)
1 cup cubed pumpkin
1 cup white cabbage, coarse cut
salt (optional)
black pepper (a lot!)

1. Cook the yellow split beans half done. Throw the cook water away.
2. Simmer the onion a few minutes, add the small cut tomatoe and the bouillon cube, simmer about five minutes. Add, if neccesary a bit of water.
3. Add the half cooked split beans and the tomato paste. Add the water. Stir, and simmer another five minutes.
4. Add the pumpkin and cook till pumpkin is half done.
5. Taste the sauce. Add black pepper. The sauce should taste rather strong.
6. Add the drained rice. The sauce level should be a phalanx above the rice. If necessary, add some water. Taste the gravy again! Stir, let the sauce cook, and put cabbage and hot pepper on top, and put the pot on the lowest possible gas. (The pepper gives a special flavour)
7. Simmer for about half an hour. Taste if the rice is nearly done. Sprinkle if necessary a bit of HOT water over the rice and cook another five minutes. Take the hot pepper out of the pot and stir the cabbage carefully - with a fork - through the rice. Put the pepper back.
8. Simmer for another five minutes. The rice should be dry and tasty.
9. Take the pot of the stove, take the lid of the pot and leave the rice five minutes untouched.
10. Cut the hot pepper in very small pieces (with a fork and knife, so that you don't burn your hands.)
11. Serve with cucumber, onions and tomatoes in vinegar.

Succes and have a good meal.

Myrna Laret
Paramaribo, Surinam

Hot Buttered Rum

4 oz boiling water
2 oz dark rum
1 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp butter
1/4 tsp grated nutmeg

Dissolve the sugar into boiling water in a mug. Add rum and butter and stir. Garnish with nutmeg on top.

Mom's Passover Bagels

"Most of my mom's recipes have disappeared, but this one was written inside a 1949 edition of Leah Leonard's Jewish Cookery, a book that now sits on my shelf. Mom noted that she got the recipe from Dr. Evelyn B. Katz in March, 1952. These are light, airy rolls, nothing like bagels; they are called "bagels" simply because they have a hole in the middle. You can use these to make sandwiches during Passover and they are great right out of the oven and slathered with butter."

3 eggs
1/3 cup oil
2/3 cup water
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup matzo meal

Bring to a boil the water, sugar, salt and oil and remove from fire. Add matzo meal, stir well and cool. Add 3 eggs, one at a time. Roll into balls and put on a greased sheet and make a hole in the center with finger. Bake at 375o F for 45 minutes.

Shari Lewis's No-Fry Latkes

This low-fat version of traditional fried potato pancakes was created by the late Shari Lewis (mother to Lambchop), who starred in one of the best children's TV programs ever.

2 cups russet potatoes, peeled and shredded (about 3 medium potatoes)
1 cup onion, finely chopped
1 cup toasted wheat germ
2 egg whites
4 to 6 turns of the pepper mill
1/2 teaspoon salt
Oil spray

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. In a large bowl, thoroughly mix all ingredients into a batter.

Coat two baking sheets with oil spray. Drop 1/4-cup cupfuls of batter onto the prepared sheets; press the pancakes down with the back of your dampened hand.

Bake 15 minutes; then turn and bake 10 minutes longer, or until latkes are browned all over (but not blackened at edges). Serve with applesauce or sour cream (low-fat if you must). Makes approximately 14 latkes.

Trisha's Unbelievably Easy Dip

Trisha Baker gave me this recipe. Amazingly simple and good.

1 cup salsa
1 cup sour cream

Stir the salsa and sour cream together and chill for at least an hour to let the flavors blend and mellow. Serve at room temperature. That's it!

Baked Cecci (Garbanzo Beans)

½ cup olive oil
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
6 cloves garlic, finely sliced
1 dried chili (mild or hot)
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
2 bay leaves
3 cups cecci soaked at room temperature for 24 hours
5 - 6 cups of vegetable broth
10 threads of saffron
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 450o F. Warm the olive oil over medium high heat in a large heat and oven-proof casserole. Add the onions, garlic, chili, coriander and bay leaves and sauté for 5 minutes. Drain the cecci and add to the pan with the rest of the ingredients. Cover, bring to a boil, and place in the hot oven. Bake until the beans are soft and cooked through, about 45 minutes to one hour. Season to taste and serve with a crusty loaf of bread.

Strawberries in Balsamic Vinegar

2 pints (1 quart) strawberries
4 to 6 teaspoons sugar (as needed, to taste)
1 to 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (to taste)

Clean the strawberries by wiping them with a damp paper towel.

Hull the strawberries, and halve or slice them, depending on their size. Place them in a shallow dish and sprinkle them with sugar. Cover and let sit for at least several hours, stirring them or shaking the dish every now and then. (If they are going to sit for much longer than 3 or 4 hours, cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Allow to come to room temperature before serving.)

Sprinkle on the vinegar, and serve in small individual bowls, with cookies alongside, if desired.

Serves 4 to 6.

Note: The strawberries can be sliced and sugared up to a day in advance. The vinegar should be sprinkled on within 30 minutes of serving. This recipe was adapted from Mollie Katzen's book, "Still Life with Menu." Perfectly ripe berries taste exquisite like this, and it is also a magical way to salvage imperfect or underripe berries, too.

Dried Apricots Baked with Vanilla

You can serve this with cream or ice cream, but this is lovely and light just as it is.

1 cup dried apricots (about 25 small apricots)
1 inch long piece of fresh vanilla bean (halved lengthwise - use only the seeds) or 1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup warm water
1 tablespoon sugar

Preheat the oven to 350o F. Cover the apricots with the warm water and let them stand for 15 minutes if they are already plump and soft, at least 30 minutes if they are hard and dry. Drain, but reserve the water.

Put the water and vanilla bean seeds or vanilla extract in a small, ovenproof baking dish and mix well. Add the apricots, sprinkle them with the sugar, cover with foil, and bake until the water is nearly absorbed, about 1 hour. Turn each of the apricots over in the syrup, cover and refrigerate. Serve chilled.

Will keep in the fridge for at least a week.

Jacques Torres' Chocolate Mousse

You can buy prepared chocolate cups in most fancy-foods stores, or use the mousse to fill a cake or a sweet pastry shell. This recipe contains no sugar - if you want a sweeter mousse, you can use a sweeter variety of chocolate.

14 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted
1 quart heavy cream
Prepared chocolate cups
Raspberries or other berries, to taste

Using an electric mixer or whisk, whip the quart of cream to soft peaks. Add about 1/3 of the whipped cream to the melted chocolate. Fold gently with a rubber spatula. Gently combine the mixture with the remaining cream (do not over-mix or you will deflate the cream). Spoon into serving dishes. If you are feeling ambitious, place the mixture in a large pastry bag or cornet (a piece of parchment paper rolled into a cone, with a cut tip) and pipe the mousse into the prepared chocolate cups or pastry shell. Top with berries and serve.

Yield: About 10 cups.

Chicken With Apricots

Also wonderful with prunes, dried peaches or dried cherries. If using organically-dried fruit, soak for a couple of hours before cooking.

1 cup dried apricots
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup red wine
1 chicken, cut into serving pieces
1 medium onion, chopped
salt & freshly ground pepper
2 T. butter (optional)

Combine the apricots in a bowl with vinegar, wine and 1/4 cup water. Let soak while you brown the chicken.

Turn the heat to medium high under a 12 inch nonstick skillet and add the chicken pieces, skin side down. Cook, rotating (but not turning over) the chicken pieces so they brown evenly. When nicely browned (don't rush!), turn them skin side up. Make space in the pan to add the onion and cook it, stirring occasionally for a minute or two, until the onion has softened a bit.

Add the apricot mixture and bring to a boil. Cook for a minute, then turn heat to low and cover. Cook until chicken is done (about 15 minutes). Uncover, raise the heat and season with salt and pepper. Boil the liquid in the pan to thicken; it shouldn't be watery. If using butter, add it as the sauce is cooking down. Serve with a cooked grain or bread.

Paglia e Fieno

I discovered this is amazingly rich and delicious dish in Venice. The name means straw and hay -- a reference to the pale yellow and green colors of the pasta.

1 cup (½ pint) heavy cream
2 egg yolks
2 cups cooked peas
1 cup coarsely chopped prosciutto (about 4 oz.)
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt & pepper
8 oz. green (spinach) fettuccine
8 oz. white fettuccine

In a large bowl, mix the cream, egg yolks, peas, prosciutto and cheese. Cook the fettuccine in boiling salted water until al dente. Drain and add to bowl. Toss until well coated and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Creamy Curried Sweet Potato Soup

1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
1 2/3 cups coarsely chopped onion
1 large clove garlic, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon coarsely grated ginger
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/8 teaspoon hot pepper flakes, optional
2 ½ pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick
6 cups no-salt-added chicken stock
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Fresh goat cheese

1. Heat oil in a nonstick pot large enough to hold all the ingredients. Sauté onion until it begins to brown (about 10 minutes). Add garlic and sauté, stirring, for 30 seconds.

2. To make the curry flavoring, add ginger, cumin, coriander, cardamom, turmeric and optional hot pepper flakes and stir well. Add sweet potatoes and stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes until potatoes are soft.

3. Remove the sweet potatoes from the soup and mash; return to pot (if you don't mind washing more stuff, you can puree the soup in a blender or food processor). stir well, season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve hot in mugs with a spoon of cheese on top and stir a bit to melt the cheese.

White Bean and Tomato Soup

Garnish with fresh herbs or croutons, serve with bread and a small salad for a great winter meal.

2 medium onions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ cup celery, chopped
½ cup leeks, chopped
Smoked ham hock or bacon (optional)
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ lb. dried Great Northern white beans, soaked overnight in cold water, rinsed and drained
1 cup tomatoes, diced (canned is fine)
12 cups chicken stock or broth

Fresh basil or parsley (optional - as garnish)
Croutons (optional - as garnish)

Sauté the onions, garlic, celery and leeks in the olive oil; if using ham hock or bacon, add it to the pan. Add the beans, tomatoes, the juice from the tomatoes and stock. Simmer for 1 - 1 ½ hours and serve hot.

http://www.texaswren.com/soups.htm#White%20Bean%20and%20Tomato%20Soup%20by%20annulla%20(Brooklyn,%20New%20York,%20USA)

Winter Squash and Apple Soup

I don't cook very often, but when I get in the mood - especially on a snowy winter day - this soup is one of my favorites. Simple, easy and it makes the whole place smell wonderful.

2 cups butternut or buttercup squash, peeled, seeded & chopped
2 cups sweet potato, peeled & chopped
3 medium cooking apples, peeled, cored & chopped (Spartan, Macintosh or similar)
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cups water or just enough to cover apples and veggies
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon Chinese 5 spice or pumpkin pie spice
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Bring the vegetables, apples and water to a boil in a saucepan on high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer 30 minutes, or until all the vegetables are tender. Add the seasonings and use a blender to process the mixture. Heat in the saucepan again on low heat until hot. Keeps 3 - 5 days refrigerated. Serves 6.


Notes: "Winter squash" is used to denote a hard-shelled varieties that be stored for months; it is distinct from summer squash such as zucchini. Of course, these days, both types are available year-round. Pumpkin pie spice is a mixture of cinnamon, cloves, ginger, allspice and nutmeg.

http://www.texaswren.com/soups.htm#Winter%20Squash%20and%20Apple%20Soup%20by%20Annulla

φακές (that's Greek for lentil soup!)

Well, I can't find my mom's recipe, but this is very similar.

1/2 pound of small brown/green lentils, soaked overnight
1 pound of ripe tomatoes or 1 large can of tomatoes
4 1/4 cups of water
2 - 3 medium onions, minced
6 cloves of garlic, peeled
5-6 carrots cut in thin rounds
2 stalks of celery, chopped
1/2 cup of olive oil
2 bay leaves
salt
black pepper

Soak the lentils overnight, then rinse and drain. Pick through to remove any small stones or sticks, then set aside.

Puree the tomatoes in a food processor bowl or blender or open the can. Add tomatoes and liquid to a stock pot. Add water, bay leaves, onion, garlic, carrots, celery and some salt & pepper.

Bring to a boil & add the lentils and oil. Reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook about 3 hours or until lentils are soft and starting to break apart.

Remove from the heat, take out the bay leaves. If needed, add more salt and pepper to taste. Lots of people add a little vinegar when they serve this soup, but it is really up to you.

This tastes even better the next day.

Poached Salmon

I found a bunch of recipes for poached salmon and tinkered with them until I had a version that was simple enough to make in a few minutes yet still tasty.

1 lemon, sliced thinly
1 large onion, sliced thinly
1 large salmon steak or 2 fillets
A few whole, black peppercorns

Place the lemons, onions and peppercorns in a shallow pan. Add a few inches of water and bring to a boil.

Wash the salmon, the gently add to the pan and cover.

Turn down the flame and let simmer for 10 minutes. Drain, lifting carefully from the water to avoid breaking. Cool & serve. Good with a bit of fresh dill.