SHAKSHOUKA

If you haven’t checked out Gather Journal yet, I suggest you get around to it soon. It’s basically a Brooklyn based bi-annual recipe-driven magazine with beautiful photos, inspiring ideas and recipes, and unique ways to dine, drink, harvest, and gather.  I know that Tivoli Mercantile carries it as well as my work-place Finch in Hudson, but if you’re in the city I’m sure you’ll find it with no problem. 

Anyway, I saw a recipe for Shakshouka in this last issue; a Hebrew dish of poached eggs in tomato sauce with peppers, onions, garlic, spices, cheese, and bread to mop it all up with. It’s sort of a Middle-Eastern version of huevos rancheros which we all know how much I loooove. Not to mention, "shakshouka" is just really fun to say. Gather calls for feta cheese but by the time I realized I didn’t have any, I was half-way through cooking so I substituted with mozzarella and parmesan, adding a little sea salt to make up for the saltiness of feta. This undoubtedly turned it into a more Italian-style dish, but it was so absolutely delicious, I didn’t care and want to share it with you anyway. In a blind taste- test, you would swear there was pasta and sausage in the skillet dish. Spices and texture are amazing that way, aren’t they?

INGREDIENTS:

1 yellow onion, thinly slices

3 T extra-virgin olive oil

5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

3 Anaheim or cubanelle peppers, seeded and cut into thin strips

½ t coriander seeds, crushed

1 t paprika

¼ t cayenne 

Black pepper to taste

1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes

1 small bunch of flat-leaf parsley, chopped

4 oz creamy feta, crumbled (OR: about 3 oz diced mozzarella, ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese, and about 1/3 tsp. sea salt)

4 large eggs

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Cook onion in oil in a large cast-iron skillet or sauté pan over medium heat until translucent. Add garlic and peppers and sauté until they begin to soften. Stir in coriander, paprika, and cayenne, and cook stirring until fragrant (about 1 minute). Stir in tomatoes, ¾ cup water, and ½ of parsley. Simmer until fairly thickened- about 25 minutes.

2. Reduce heat to a very gentle simmer. Scatter feta. Using a spoon, make 4 indentations in the sauce. Crack an egg into each indentation, partially cover pan, and cook until eggs are set, about 10-12 minutes.

3. Sprinkle with remaining parsley and drizzle with olive oil. Serve with toasted bread. 

Pumpkin Crème Fraiche Cornmeal Coffeecake with Walnut Streudel and Buttermilk Glaze

Coffee cakes are one of my favorite things because they make such a perfect breakfast, tea/coffee time snack, or dessert. I’ve always been a sucker for sour crème ones, so Beth of Local Milk blog’s crème fraiche addition sounded like a gooood idea. Beth's recipes though usually pretty complicated are some of the most imaginative, creative, and magical ones I've come across. Not only that, but her writing is superbe! Last winter I broke up with Netflix and got lost in her many chronicles 

The special occasion for this moist festive cake was Thanksgiving. When assigned dessert, I immediately thought of pumpkin pie because, well it’s my favorite. This is a crumbly, most, spicy pumpkin cake with a symphony of flavors brought on by the tartness of crème fraiche and buttermilk, the earthiness of the pumpkin, the spiciness of the nutmeg cloves, cinnamon, and ginger, and the sweet of dark and rich brown sugar.  I did cheat and use canned pumpkin, which left me with no pepitas like the recipe called for. Instead, I lightly toasted and chopped up some walnuts which definitely did the trick. 

For The Cake

• 1 1/2 cups lightly packed) cake flour
• ½ cup cornmeal
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• pinch of ground cloves
• A heaping ½ cup coconut oil
• 1 cup packed) brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup crème fraîche
• 1/2 cup  homemade or high quality pumpkin puree
• ¼ cup buttermilk

For the Streusel

• ¼ brown sugar
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 6 Tbsp refrigerated butter
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/3 cup toasted and chopped walnuts (or roasted pumpkin seeds!)

For Glaze

• 2 Tbsp buttermilk
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 350°F and grease an 8” cast iron skillet or cake pan.
2. In a mixing bowl whisk together the first 9 ingredients. Set aside.  
3. In a second mixing bowl mix crème fraîche, pumpkin puree, and buttermilk. Set aside.
4. In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or by hand with a rubber spatula), cream coconut oil and brown sugar until well combined.
5. With the mixer on low (or while manually mixing), add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl after each is incorporated.
6. In three additions add the dry and wet ingredients, starting with the dry and ending with the wet. Mix to only just combine; don't over mix.
7. Pour batter into skillet and bake for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, make the streusel.
8. Combine all ingredients for the streusel except the pepitas/walnuts using two knives to create a crumbled, sandy mixture. Mix in the pepitas/ walnuts.
9. After 20 minutes remove the cake, sprinkle the streusel on top, and bake for an additional 25-30 minutes until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean save a few crumbs.
10. While cake cools, make the glaze by whisking the powdered sugar 1/4 cup at time into the buttermilk. You can add more sugar to make it thicker or more buttermilk to make it thinner as you please.
11. Drizzle glaze over cooled cake & serve with coffee!

Butternut Squash Black Bean Stew (with leftover millet)

 Because I had so much leftover millet from the previous recipe, I've been incorporating it into at least one meal a day. It curbs my hunger, gives me energy for the day, and satisfies any sort of carb-like craving. Last night I grabbed all the vegetable stragglers in my fridge and decided to use them up in a stew; a kitchen sink soup of sorts. Lately I've been adding cinnamon to everything; even when it doesn't make sense. Last night that meant adding it to this salty-miso brothy stew. It was incredible! I had to share. You can do a lot of substitutions here to incorporate whatever leftovers you personally have. Add the vegetables at different times, depending how long their cooking time is (squash, carrots, etc should be added first, and greens last) I would stick with the butternut squash/ black bean/ cinnamon/ miso combination though. It might sound strange, but it really hits the spot on a cool fall night.

Ingredients:

• 2 T virgin coconut oil
• 32 oz. organic chicken broth
• 15 oz. can black beans
• 2 cups diced butternut squash
• 2 cups thinly sliced shiitake mushrooms
• 2 minced garlic cloves
• 1 medium sized yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 1 bunch tuscan kale, roughly chopped
• salt to taste
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper (optional)
• 2 T mild white miso
• 1 1/2 cups cooked millet

1. Add 2 knobs of coconut oil to a large soup pot on medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, 1 T miso paste, and stir until golden and translucent.

2. Add diced squash and stir around a bit before adding the chicken broth. Reduce heat to medium and let boil lightly for about 15 minutes. Add another 1 T miso, cooked millet, shiitake mushrooms, black beans, and cinnamon.

3. Once the mushrooms have cooked and you're satisfied with the flavor of the broth (another 15 minutes or so), add the kale. Put a lid on the pot and let the flavors meld together for another 10 minutes.

Serve hot with buttery toast or sliced avocado.

MILLET BRUSSEL SPROUT DEEP DISH WITH CASHEW RICOTTA (gf, vegan)

On my last trip to the city, I had dinner at a restaurant called Glasserie on Commercial St. in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. The fact that my friend Molly cooks there was enough to lure me in. Anyplace she works was guaranteed to be special. Anyway, besides having the most delicious bottle of red and a brothy foraged bowl of rice, chanterelles, and nettles, I had some roasted parsnips with cashew ricotta. I ate this thinking it was cashews  + ricotta cheese and that it was perfect. 

The next morning, I took missing my first train as a sign I should treat myself to brunch so I went to The Butcher’s Daughter on the LES, which I’ve been meaning to go to for a while now. Scanning the menu, I realized everything was vegan. But the spicy kale salad had almond parmesan on it and the cashew ricotta kept popping up again. I finally put two and two together and realized there is no cheese involved in cashew ricotta. (I’m probably very, very behind in this discovery. Cut me some slack). As soon as I got home, I threw some raw cashews, lemon juice, water, and a pinch of salt in a blender until it was creamy and smooth, stuck a spoon in, and just couldn’t believe I was just making it for the first time. It tastes JUST like ricotta, but even better- even smoother. A revelation!

This cashew ricotta and a recipe from Naturally Ella inspired this deep dish. I figured If I was omitting dairy , I might as well go gf too since these dietary restrictions or lifestyles seem to go hand-in-hand these days. I substituted coconut oil for the olive oil and butter the original recipe called for, gf flour instead of the whole wheat flour, coconut milk instead of cow’s milk, and cashew ricotta in place of the cheese. If you really want cheese or pasta, you can easily substitute them in this recipe. I’d go for gouda or cheddar with penne. But seriously, if you’re a mac n- cheese enthusiast like myself, this will thrill you just the way I tell it to you. The flavors all go so well together. The coconut milk is thick and compliments the cashew.  I reheated the dish the next day and it melted together again the way actual cheese does. 

Here’s why this is such a healthy dish:

Millet is chock full of magnesium, has a sweet nutty flavor, and is one of the most easily digestible and non-allergenic grains out there. It is one of the few grains that is alkalizing to the body. 

Brussel sprouts have more glucosinolate ( cancer-fighting component) than any other food besides broccoli. They also have lots of vitamin K, vitamin C, and FIBER. 

Cashews are rich in iron, phosphorus, selenium, magnesium and zinc. They are also good sources of phytochemicals, antioxidants, and protein.

CASHEW RICOTTA:

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked
• 1/2 cup water
• juice of 1 large lemon (or 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar)
• sea salt & cracked pepper, to taste
• (Nutritional yeast would also be a good idea)

Soak the cashews for at least two hours in a bowl of water (aids in digestion), covering the cashews about an inch of water as they will puff up a bit.

Drain cashews and place all remaining ingredients into a blender or food processor, blend scraping down sides as needed until creamy. ( Leaving it a little chunky will provide more texture but that’s up to you.

BRUSSEL SPROUT MILLET CASSEROLE:

  Ingredients:

• ½ lb brussel sprouts
• ½ T melted coconut oil
• 1 cup cooked millet
• 1 T coconut oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1T GF all-purpose flour (or whole wheat flour if you’re not going gf)
• ¾ cup light coconut milk
• ¼ teaspoon salt (I used truffle salt. WOW)
• ½ teaspoon  roughly chopped fresh thyme
• 1 cup cashew ricotta cheese

Cook millet: toast 1 cup dry millet in a sauce pan until golden and fragrant. Add 2 cups water and a pinch of salt. Give a good stir and bring to a boil. Put a lid on and let simmer for about 10-15 minutes until all water is absorbed and millet is fluffy. (This will give you leftovers which are great for breakfast)

Preheat oven to 400˚.

Halve or quarter brussel sprouts, toss with ½ T melted coconut oil, and roast until tender and lightly brown, 20-30 minutes.

Once brussel sprouts are almost ready, melt coconut oil over medium heat. Add minced garlic and cook for one minute, whisk in flour and cook for one more minute.

Whisk in coconut milk, salt, and thyme. Continue to heat and whisk mixture until it thickens. Once mixture starts to boil and has thickened, remove from heat and stir in cashew ricotta. 

Toss together cooked millet, roasted brussel sprouts, and cashew ricotta mixture. Pour into a small baking dish. Return to oven and bake for another 15-20 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly and browning.

Serve HOT.

AUTUMNAL BLISS- PUMPKIN SOUP AND ROASTED PUMPKIN SEEDS

 PUMPKIN SOUP WITH CREME FRAICHE AND HAZELNUT GREMOLATA WITH A ROASTED PUMPKIN SEED, CRANBERRY, AND GOAT CHEESE ARUGULA SALAD

 These days you may hear my mom yell every girl at the market’s name followed by “get out here right now!”. You might feel awkward by the anticipation of watching us all get yelled at. Then she’ll throw her hands in the air and her head back- “look at the light!” she’ll mandate us. The way the afternoon light hits the trees on 9G around 4 pm is unbelievable. She goes on to say “see, something to be thankful for” after listening to us all gush about boys, diets, money problems, etc. I find it impossible not to be happy this time of year. The sun on the orange, yellow, crimson leaves makes the  air surrounding us golden. leaving feelings of warmth, wealth, and contentment.

Halloween is coming up and that means pumpkin time. It means mums, Indian corn, apples, cider donuts, cider, pies, scarves, cashmere sweaters, cool foggy mornings, sun-drenched afternoons, and pink October sunsets. Neil Young- "Harvest Moon" is played daily in addition to Hocus Pocus. There is lots of cheesy popcorn in bed, cheese and apple plates, and mac n' cheese. It means goldenrod crowns, marigold garlands, coffee with soymilk, cinnamon and honey, dripping honeycomb on warm buttered toast.  The earthy smells mingle with the sweet; summoning a scent of sugared leather dipped in honey. 

I love running around and throwing myself down in a pile of leaves; just lying there while the foliage floats down like natural confetti. 

Halloween to me will always bring back memories of Jane, Colette, and Lara’s home on Fraleigh St. Colette though a few months younger than me was my mentor growing up. She taught me all things magic- fairies, witches, goblins, ghosts…Her back yard was the most magical nook in Red Hook. Her mom Jane who passed away a couple years ago was responsible for the most enchanting yard of flowers, herbs, swings, hammocks. She’d cut our sandwiches in small triangles and kebob banana slices with mini marshmallows. She’d become a child long enough to inspire us before returning to being a woman. I’d watch her drink red wine with dirt under her nails from working; her hair wild and curly hearing her  laugh and think “one day I want to be just like that”.  Halloween meant popcorn, horror movie marathons, pillow cases of candy, and homemade costumes. A pack of kids littered across the carpet trading tootsie rolls for blow pops and a group of best girlfriends in the back- still in costumes doing grown up things. I like to remember Jane especially on this holiday and thought I’d share with whoever else knew and misses her. Rest easy Jane...

In honor of Halloween and Jane, I made some pumpkin soup from Darryl Estrine’s  (a chef/photographer I met doing a shoot for Table Magazine) book “Harvest to Heat” as well as a salad created around roasted pumpkin seeds (which I looove). This pair tastes like AUTUMN INCARNATE. My Dad felt he was eating the season.

PUMPKIN SOUP WITH CRÈME FRAICHE AND HAZELNUT GREMOLATA

For the gremolata:

¼ cup dry roasted hazelnuts, coarsely ground

Zest from 1 orange

¼ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

For the soup:

One 2-pound sugar pumpkin, peeled halved and seeded, or 2 cups cooked, pureed pumpkin

4 T unsalted butter

Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

¼ cup hazelnuts, skinned and roasted

1 T canola oil

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

5 garlic cloves, finely chopped

4 cups vegetable or chicken broth

1 T fresh lime juice

½ tsp hot sauce

½ cup crème fraiche, for garnish

1. For the gremolata, mix all the ingredients in a small bowl. Cover and refridgerate until ready to use.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. If using a whole pumpkin, lay it cut size up on a roasting pan and put 1 T butter in the center of each half. Season generously with salt and pepper, cover loosely with aluminum foil, and roast in the oven until the flesh is very tender, about 40 minutes. When cool enough to handle, use a kitchen spoon to scoop the pumpkin flesh out and set aside. Discard skins. In a small coffee grinder or food processor, process the nuts and oil into a paste. 

3. In a large heavy-bottomed pot, melt the remaining 2 T butter over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic, season with salt and pepper, and cook stirring until the onions have softened and become translucent, about 8 minutes. Stir in the cooked pumpkin and hazelnut-oil paste. Add the broth and bring to a simmer, stirring frequently to prevent sticking, about 10 minutes. Season with the lime juice and hot sauce. Carefully transfer the soup to a blender and liquefy (working in batches if necessary). Adjust with salt and pepper. 

4. Portion the hot soup into 4 bowls, garnish with a spoonful each of crème fraiche and gremolata, and serve.

FOR THE SALAD: 

 1. Rinse the seeds in colander and then dry in a kitchen towel.

2. Toss in a bowl with 1 T olive or pumpkin seed oil, generous sprinkle of maldon salt, fresh black pepper, and 2 pinches of nutmeg. Spread out on a cookie sheet and roast next to the pumpkin at 350 degrees F for about 25-30 minutes.

3. Toss arugula with a quick pour of apple cider vinegar, olive oil, and about 2 T  chevre or fromage blanc

4. Put salad and plate and top with a small handful of cranberries and pumpkin seeds.