Chopped

My parents just visited for a week of eating and cooking fun. One night, we decided to go to an awesome local grocery store called Berkeley Bowl, each pick out ingredients, and then host our own version of the television show "Chopped." I have not had this much fun cooking in a long time, and that is saying a lot. There were three secret ingredients for each of the two courses the three teams were making. We could then use anything in the "pantry" (which we fully stocked with odd items, including buffalo steaks). For the first course, the secret ingredients were hot peppers, beets, and rambatans. The resulting appetizers were harvest nachos, Asian beet salad, and our own beet and cream cheese raviolis over a bed of beet greens with a rambatan salsa. (This is the recipe that will follow.) For the second course, the secret ingredients were eggplant, pumpkin puree, and dried apricots. My parents made puff pastry topped with eggplant, mushrooms, and sausage with an apricot bourbon sauce and pumpkin base. My cousin and her boy made shells stuffed with tofu or sausage (for the respective meat-eaters) and eggplant with a pumpkin apricot sauce and cranberry chipotle cheese. Adam and I made a pumpkin puree topped with chopped apricots and pecans with seared buffalo steaks and pan-fried eggplant with melted blue cheese. Everything was absolutely delicious. It was amazing to see how different everyone's dishes were from the same basic ingredients. If you want a fun cooking night, I definitely suggest "Chopped" at home.


Beet Ravioli over Beet Greens with Rambatan Salsa

This recipe is for 6 ravioli.

3 beets, peeled and quartered
1/3 cup cream cheese, softened
6 wonton wrappers
beet greens from the 3 beets, chopped
10 grapes, sliced
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
6 rambatans, peeled and sliced
1 manzanilla pepper, seeded and sliced thinly

1. Steam the beets in the microwave until tender. Mix in the cream cheese and season with salt and pepper.
2. Take each of the wonton wrappers and fill with a sixth of the beet and cream cheese mixture. Brush a bit of water onto the edges of the wonton. Fold the wonton into a triangle and seal securely. In a pot of boiling water, boil the ravioli two at a time until done, about 3 minutes each.
3. Meanwhile, saute the beet greens in a touch of olive oil. Add the cumin and cinnamon. Season with salt and pepper to taste. At the very end, mix in the grape slices.
4. To make the salsa, combine the rambatans and pepper slices.
5. To plate, make a circle with the beet greens. Place the ravioli in a line in the center of the platter. Top with salsa.

Rustic Comfort

Clearly, the name of the game recently has been comfort food. This is a more elegant and rustic countryside type of comfort food. The heartiness of the sausage and mushrooms paired with the creamy polenta and the side of sauteed chard with garlic is perfect for a chilly fall night.


Mushroom-Sausage Ragu (Food and Wine Magazine, October 2010)

We used veggie sausage instead of meat sausage to make this recipe vegetarian. We also substituted dried porcini mushrooms instead of dried morels because of availability. In addition, we omitted the water chestnuts because neither of us are fans.

1 cup dried morel mushrooms
2 Tbs. olive oil
2 sweet Italian sausages
1/2 lbs. shiitake caps, quartered
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 thinly sliced shallots
6 water chestnuts, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 Tbs. tomato paste
1 Tbs. unsalted butter
chopped parsley, for garnish

1. Soak the morels in 1 1/2 cups of boiling water until softened. Rinse and pat dry; reserve the soaking liquid. In a skillet, heat 1 Tbs. of the oil. Add the sausages, cover and cook over moderate heat until no longer pink within; slice 1/4 inch thick. Heat the remaining oil in the skillet. Add the shiitake, season with salt and pepper and cook until softened. Add the shallots and morels; cover and cook for 4 minutes. Add the water chestnuts. Pour in the morel soaking liquid. Add the sausages and simmer for 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste. Season with salt and pepper. Off the heat, swirl in the butter and sprinkle with parsley. Serve over polenta.

Chili and Cornbread

Chili and corn bread is the ultimate in comfort food meals for me. So when a slight wind picked up in the Bay Area, I immediately wanted to make chili. I wanted to make a different version of this comfort food than I usually do, so I looked to Moosewood for help. Their version of chili turned out to be not so different than mine, but their cornbread included additions that I had never thought of. When in need of a warm, comforting meal, this one is sure not to disappoint.

Chili with Tofu or TVP (Moosewood Restaurant New Classics, The Moosewood Collective)

3 Tbs. olive oil
1 Spanish onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 Tbs. ground cumin
1 Tbs. ground coriander
1 to 2 tsp. chili powder
1 medium zucchini or yellow summer squash, diced
1 large red or green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped
1 cake tofu, frozen, thawed, and ground, or 12 to 14 oz. prepared textured vegetable protein
3 cups diced tomatoes with juice (28-oz. can)
2 cups cooked pinto beans with liquid (15-oz. can)
2 cups cooked red kidney beans with liquid (15-oz. can)
2/3 cup tomato paste (6-oz. can)
2 Tbs. minced fresh parsley
your favorite salsa and/or Tabasco sauce or other hot sauce to taste
salt to taste
shredded Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese, or sour cream

1. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. Add the onions and garlic and saute on medium-high heat until soft. Add the cumin, coriander, and chili powder and stir well. Mix in the diced squash and peppers, cover, and continue to cook for about 3 minutes. Stir in the ground tofu or textured vegetable protein and cook for several more minutes until heated through.
2. Meanwhile, in a soup pot, heat the tomatoes and beans on medium heat. Stir in the tomato paste. Transfer the hot skillet ingredients to the pot and stir well. Add the parsley and season with salsa or Tabasco sauce and salt.
3. Serve in bowls or mugs, topped with sprinklings of cheese or dollops of sour cream.


Blue Cornmeal Muffins (Moosewood Restaurant New Classics, The Moosewood Collective)

I could not find blue cornmeal at my local grocery store, so I just used yellow cornmeal.

1 cup blue cornmeal
1 1/2 cups unbleached white flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbs. sugar
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese, lightly packed
2 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 1/4 cups milk
1 1/2 cups minced red bell peppers
1 fresh green chile, seeded and minced

1. Preheat the oven to 350. Prepare a standard 12-cup muffin tin by either lightly brushing the cups with oil or lining them with paper liners.
2. In a large bowl, sift together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Stir in the cheese. In a separate bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Stir in the oil, milk, peppers, and chiles. Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour in the liquid mixture. Stir just to combine without overmixing. Spoon about 1/3 cup of batter into each muffin cup.
3. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until golden brown and a knife inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool on a rack.

Apple Season

Fall is definitely apple season, and I want to use them every way I can. This Apple Onion Cheese Gratin was an incredibly delicious way to eat the season's bounty. It was rich and creamy with a nice tang from the apples and onions. We paired this side dish with chicken and tofu covered in a mustard, maple syrup glaze and a simple salad. The glaze consisted of 3 parts mustard to 1 part maple syrup and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. I have to say that this is one of my favorite fall meals I have had in a while.

Apple Onion Cheese Gratin (Moosewood Restaurant New Classics, The Moosewood Collective)

1 cup milk
1 Tbs. butter
1 Tbs. unbleached white flour
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. salt
pinch of ground cloves
4 cups peeled, cored, and sliced apples, such as Mutsu
1 cup chopped onions
2 cups grated Cheddar or Gruyere cheese
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup bread crumbs

1. Preheat the oven to 350. Lightly oil an 11 x 7-inch baking dish.
2. In a small pot, scald the milk, bringing it almost but not quite to a boil. In another small pot, melt the butter and whisk in the flour. Slowly add the scalded milk, whisking continuously until the sauce starts to thicken. Add the nutmeg, salt, and cloves and stir for about a minute, until thick. Remove from the heat and set aside.
3. Spread the apples and onions evenly in the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle on the grated cheese and pour the sauce over the top. Scatter on the walnuts and bread crumbs (seasoned with brown sugar, if you like).
4. Bake uncovered for 45 minutes, until the top is golden and crisp.

Comforting Curry with a Kick

We had one really brisk week here, so I was inspired to make a bunch of warm, comforting meals. This Fall Vegetable Curry was one of them. It was quick and easy, not to mention healthful and delicious.

Fall Vegetable Curry with Cashew Basmati Rice (Cooking Light, October 2010)

1 1/2 tsp. olive oil
1 cup diced peeled sweet potato
1 cup small cauliflower florets
1/4 cup thinly sliced yellow onion
2 tsp. Madras curry powder
1/2 cup organic vegetable broth (such as Swanson)
1/4 tsp. salt
1 (15-oz.) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
1 (14.5-oz.) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes, undrained
2 Tbs. chopped fresh cilantro

1. Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add sweet potato to pan; saute 3 minutes. Decrease heat to medium. Add cauliflower, onion, and curry powder; cook 1 minute, stirring mixture constantly. Add broth and next 3 ingredients (through tomatoes); bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle with cilantro; serve with yogurt.

Cashew Basmati Rice

Cook 1 cup basmati rice according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Stir in 1/4 cup unsalted cashew pieces and 1/4 tsp. salt.

Fall Feast

Adam and I love hosting dinner parties for our friends. And, we love to take menus from cookbooks and recreate them. We did just that, with a few tweaks of course, a few weeks ago, and it was a great success. We started the meal with a blue cheese ball, an elegant take on the old port wine cheese ball, and poached olives with garlic. The entree consisted of shiitake mushroom risotto in acorn squash, oatmeal-molasses bread, and a simple salad. We finished this indulgent meal with pumpkin bread pudding topped with vanilla ice cream. All of this fantastic fall food and fantastic company made for a wonderful fall night.


Date, Walnut, and Blue Cheese Ball (Cooking Light, November 2010)

We could not find any dates when we were making this recipe, so we substituted dried black Mission figs instead.

1 cup (4 oz.) crumbled blue cheese
1 Tbs. nonfat buttermilk
5 oz. fat-free cream cheese, softened
3 oz. 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
3 Tbs. minced pitted Medjool dates (2 to 3 dates)
1 Tbs. minced shallots
1/2 tsp. grated lemon rind
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/4 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 1/2 Tbs. finely chopped walnuts, toasted

1. Place first 4 ingredients in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed 2 minutes or until smooth and creamy. Add dates, shallots, lemon rind, salt, and pepper; beat at medium speed until well blended, scraping sides of bowl as necessary.
2. Spoon cheese mixture onto a large sheet of plastic wrap. Form into a ball, using a rubber spatula. Wrap cheese ball in plastic wrap; chill overnight [or freeze for an hour if you are short of time].
3. Combine parsley and walnuts in a shallow dish. Unwrap cheese ball; gently roll in nut mixture, coating well. Place on a serving plate. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.


Farro "Risotto" with Shiitakes in Roasted Acorn Squash (Vegetarian Planet, Didi Emmons)

2 large acorn squashes, halved and seeded
3 Tbs. butter
1 cup minced onion
1 1/2 cups minced fennel bulb or celery stalks
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 1/2 cups cracked farro (or cracked spelt)
1/3 cup sherry or white wine
4 1/2 cups water or vegetable stock
1 tsp. salt
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste
2 cups chopped shiitake mushroom caps

1. Preheat the oven to 400. Slice a bit off the outside of each squash half so that the halves won't wobble on plates. Bake the squash flesh side down on a baking sheet for 1 hour or until the flesh is tender.
2. Meanwhile, heat 1 1/2 Tbs. butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and the fennel or celery. Saute the vegetables, stirring occasionally, for about 8 minutes, or until they have softened.
3. Add the garlic, and saute 2 minutes more. Add the farro, and saute, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the sherry or wine, and continue stirring. When the wine is absorbed, add 1/2 cup of the water or stock and the 1 tsp. salt, and stir as the mixture simmers. Add another 1/2 cup water or stock once the first is absorbed, and stir occasionally. Continue adding liquid in this manner until it is all added and absorbed, about 30 minutes. When the farro is tender but slightly chewy, stir in the Parmesan cheese and salt and pepper to taste. Take the skillet off the heat.
4. In a smaller skillet, melt the remaining 1 1/2 Tbs. butter. Saute the shiitakes over medium heat, stirring often, for 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Fold half of the shiitakes into the farro, and reserve the rest.
5. Assemble the dish: If the squash has cooled, reheat it in the oven. Then place the squash halves cut side up on plates, and fill them with the warm risotto. Mound the risotto so that one-quarter of it fits in each half. Top the risotto with the remaining sauteed shiitake, and serve right away.


Pumpkin Bread Pudding (Vegetarian Planet, Didi Emmons)

About 1/2 baguette, cut into 2-inch-thick slices
3 extra-large eggs
3 1/2 cups whole or low-fat milk
1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
1 Tbs. minced fresh ginger, or 2 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup white sugar
1 cup baked pumpkin flesh (you don't need to puree it) or canned pumpkin puree
3/4 cup brown sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350. Cover the bottom of a 10-by-13-inch baking dish with a single layer of the sliced bread. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, nutmeg, ginger, vanilla, white sugar, and pumpkin. (If you are using fresh pumpkin, the pumpkin will be somewhat lumpy.) Pour this mixture over the bread slices. Push down on the bread slices so they soak up the liquid. Let them soak for 10 minutes.
2. Bake the pudding in the lower third of the oven for 45 to 50 minutes, until a knife inserted into the pudding comes out clean. Let the pudding cool for 10 minutes.
3. Sprinkle the brown sugar evenly over the pudding. Place the pudding under the broiler, keeping the oven door slightly open. Keeping close watch, broil the sugar until it begins to bubble. Remove the pudding and let it cool.