Kasha Pilaf

I have my buddy Andrew to thank for introducing me to Kasha. I had never heard of it, and certainly never tried it, until the first time Andrew and I ate at the Carnegie Deli together. In addition to my usual Corned Beef and Matzoh Ball Soup, Andrew--good Jewish man that he is---insisted that we get a knish or two as well. There were a few kinds to choose from, and of those he picked two: Potato (the classic) and Kasha. At Carnegie, the knish are large and round, and Andrew told me the 'right' way to eat them is to cut them into quarters. It tried the potato first and it was soft and oniony just as I expected....but the kasha knish was a revelation! Nutty and earthy and just a touch (a very tiny touch) sweet, it was the perfect foil to the pastry on the outside. One bite in, kasha was my new love!

From that time on, the Kasha Knish was on the menu anytime I ate at Carnegie. But it was in doing a bit of whole grain eating research that I started to think of what kinds of things I could do with kasha (aka roasted buckwheat) in my own kitchen--not being much of a knish maker--and hopefully enjoying something so whole-grain-healthy in recipes that didn't call for pastry.

Enjoying an abundance of late summer vegetables, and being inspired by the recipe on the back of the Wolff's Kasha box, I made this veggie-filled Kasha Pilaf. The vegetables not only add great flavor to the kasha, but also helps to lighten the dish (whole grains, while very good for you, are somewhat high in calories.) Mixing starches with vegetables is a great way to lessen the calorie count while not feeling cheated, so I try to do this whenever possible.

Use the following recipe as a guide, use as much/little oil in cooking the vegetables as fits your lifestyle, choose vegetables that you either have on hand or you like, and remember you can always add a bit more stock or water, or even some chopped tomatoes (nice and juicy), etc., if it seems a bit dry or you need to 'hold' the pilaf for a bit before serving.

Kasha Pilaf with Summer Vegetables

For the vegetables:

1 medium Onion, chopped
2 cloves Garlic, minced

1 Eggplant, cut into 1-inch dice
1 Zucchini, chopped

1 Pepper, whichever color you prefer, diced
1 stalk Celery, chopped

1 TBS each, chopped fresh Basil and Parsley (or use whatever herbs you enjoy)

Heat a large saute pan, add 1 TBS olive oil, then saute the onion until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the rest of the vegetables, sprinkle with garlic salt and pepper, and cook over med-high heat until cooked through and browned in spots. Remove from heat and mix in fresh herbs. Taste and correct seasonings.

For the Kasha:

2 cups chicken stock (can sub another broth or use water)

2 TBS Butter

1/4 teaspoon Salt (may need to increase if not using stock)

1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder

1/2 teaspoon Onion Powder

1/8 teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper

1 egg (or egg white)

1 cup Kasha (I like Medium Grind)

Heat stock, butter and seasonings in a saucepan to boiling.

Lightly beat egg in a bowl with a fork. Add kasha, stir until the kernels are coated with the egg.

In a separate medium-sized skillet or saucepan (you can use the one you cooked the vegetables in--that's what I do), add the egg-coated kasha. Cook over high heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly, until the egg has dried on the kasha and kernels are separate. Reduce heat to low.

Quickly stir in boiling liquid. Cover and simmer 7-10 minutes, until kasha is tender and the liquid is absorbed.

Stir in the vegetable and herb mixture, taste and adjust for seasoning and moisture, and serve.

Serves 8.

Corn and Edamame Salad

I first found this recipe when I had a glut of fresh summer corn-on-the-cob and was looking for new and interesting ways to use it all up. And it was delicious and I loved it. But I've made it dozens of times since...and most of those using frozen corn, and you know what? It's still incredibly delicious! So if you have fresh corn that you want to use, do it! But if you have no inclination to strip some cobs, or simply want this to be a go-to side made using pantry ingredients, don't feel like you're shorting the recipe, yourself or anyone by using frozen corn. No one will ever be able to tell the difference, and they're going to enjoy it--a lot!--either way.

It's very versatile too--feel free to play around with it. Don't like edamame? Substitute a small white bean instead. Or even black eyed peas. Want it to be less tex-mex-y? Substitute fresh basil for the cilantro....maybe add in a diced, fresh tomato as well. If you don't keep buttermilk on hand (What? You mean everyone doesn't keep this in the fridge at all times? Really? *smile*) and don't feel like buying it for this one little Tablespoon---no problem, just leave it out! The tiny bit of mayo and buttermilk just help to mix all the flavors together.....use a splash of milk or half and half or a little bit more mayo. It'll be fine no matter what, promise.

Don't feel bound by the ingredients, just use it as a guide and switch things up to fit the ingredients you have or your family's taste. You won't go wrong.

Corn-and-Edamame Salad

Based on a recipe by Shawn Edelman of Ruby Foo's

4 cups Corn (cooked and cooled)

1 1/2 - 2 cups shelled Edamame (cooked and cooled)(*see note)

1/4 cup diced Red Onion (**see note)

1/4 cup diced Red Pepper

1 TBS fresh chopped Cilantro (*** see note)

1 TBS Mayonnaise (light is fine)

1 TBS Buttermilk

1 Lemon, freshly squeezed

1 splash Hot Sauce (I use Frank's)

2 1/2 teaspoons Dried Ginger (**** see note)

1 teaspoon Garlic Powder

1 teaspoon Salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground Black Pepper

In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients together. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for an hour or so in the fridge---taste and correct seasoning (including the amount of red onion).

I have made it and served it right away....but then be sure to check the leftover for seasoning correction the next day. (And keep in mind the note about the onion, below.)

This salad is good served chilled or at room temperature.

And--bonus!-- the low amount of mayo/dairy makes it a great bring-to-a-picnic (where it'll be sitting out for a long time) option.

Notes:

* Frozen, shelled edamame is available in most grocery stores these days. Is *definitely* available in Asian grocery stores. If you can only find in the pod, it will only add 10 more minutes to have to shell it yourself. Or use another bean instead.

**Go easy on the onion! You never know how potent your onion is, so put in just a bit, let it rest a bit, and taste. It's easy to add more later, but hard to recover from putting too much in to begin with.

***Cilantro is something I don't use very often. So when I do buy a bunch, but don't use it all, I wash, dry and freeze the extra in a ziplock bag, so I have it on hand for next time. Using frozen fresh cilantro (or basil) has worked for me, and is definitely better than the taste of the dried herb in this recipe.

****Using Fresh Ginger (as in the original recipe) is great in this recipe, but I've worked it up using dried so that I can still make it when I don't have a knob of fresh ginger on hand.

Chive Buttermilk Dressing

I'm one of those people, I admit it, that just simply don't like bottled salad dressing. I'd much rather quickly sprinkle a salad with olive oil, vinegar, salt, pepper and maybe an herb or two than pour on some pre-made concoction.

But I do have a whole bunch of dressings that I make in batches and am very happy to have on hand. My Buttermilk Chive Dressing is one of them.

And from my experience, serving a homemade dressing is a *very easy* way to impress your guests. I think it's because most people either don't want to bother making their own, like the bottled dressings just fine, or simply don't think of making it themselves....so when you serve salad with a dressing you made yourself, it usually elicits some very favorable responses! *smile*

This is a very light, yet flavorful dressing. Perfect for spring and summer salads (though truth be told, I enjoy it all year long.) Not too 'gloppy' and not so fattening that you may as well be eating french fries rather than a salad...just enough flavor to enhance. I'll even use some of this, along with a bit of mayo, when making Chicken Salad---it adds moisture and flavor to the chicken salad, while cutting down greatly on fat (because you'll need less of the mayo).

Buttermilk Chive Dressing

2 TBS Fresh Lemon Juice
3/4 - 1 teaspoon Sea Salt (or whichever salt you prefer)
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground Black Pepper (or to taste)
1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder (* see note)
2 generous TBS Mayonnaise
3 TBS Buttermilk Powder (**see note)
1 cup well-shaken Buttermilk
1/2 cup chopped Fresh Chives

Put all ingredients, except the chives in a mason jar, cover and shake to combine. Add the chives and shake again. Taste for seasoning, correct and you're done! See--so, so easy!

You can serve it right away, but this will greatly benefit from some time in the fridge. It will thicken and the flavors will all come together.

This will last at least a week in the fridge---maybe even longer, I've just never had any left longer than that.

Notes:
*You can use a fresh garlic clove, minced, instead of the garlic powder--but be careful--the fresh garlic can get stronger and stronger if you plan on keeping this for a while. Also, if you plan to make a double batch or more, don't increase the fresh garlic--still just use the one clove--using more seems to simply take over and ruin the more delicate lemon, buttermilk and chive flavors. You can always adjust the level using a bit of garlic powder or garlic salt before serving.

**Buttermilk Powder is something you can find in just about any grocery store, it will be in the baking aisle, near the powdered milk and the like. It adds body to the dressing and ups the buttermilk 'tang'...but you can absolutely leave it out if you'd like. I would then add another TBS or so of the mayo, just to give it a bit more body...but if you're watching fat and calories, you can simply leave it out---the resulting dressing will be a bit thin, but still delicious--and a perfect pairing for softer lettuces such as Boston or Red or Green Leaf.

Is Less Really More?

Pasta. Cheese. Cream. Layered and heated together until bubbling. This sounded *right* up my alley. At least, that's what I thought when I saw this recipe: White Lasagne with Parmigiano Besciamella (Lasagne in Bianco) in Gourmet magazine a few months ago.

Pasta. Cheese. Cream. You may be wondering where the "Less" part comes in. *smile* I make many, many kinds of lasagna. Most with tomato sauce and meat and layered vegetables *in addition* to the pasta and cheese and cream. So for me, this recipe really did represent "less".

What made me really want to try it, was when they talked about its delicate-ness and lightness in the description. I thought, this might be the first lasagna I make that would be a good first course to a meal....or maybe even a side dish for roasted or grilled meats....I'll give it a try!

So I made it, followed the recipe faithfully---something very unusual for me, but in this instance I thought it was the way to go....and was left eating something not particularly delicate or light...but just bland. It certainly wasn't bad...but neither did it give you those "let me have just another sliver" or "I seem to have cut it on an angle, let me just trim it and gobble up those scraps" thoughts that any really tasty dish of pasta, cheese and cream, *all melted together*, should have. *Sigh* Guess I should have tinkered a bit.

But...on the positive side, this may give me a canvas (with workable measurements, no less!) to make that light-yet-delectable first-course-heft lasagna that I was hoping for. I'm thinking of adding in a dash of hot sauce, some truffle oil/salt/cheese, perhaps some sauteed mushrooms or spinach, a layer of thinly sliced prosciutto...not all together of course, but any one or two could just be just the thing this recipe needs to sing the way I want it to, while still leaving it in the delicate/light/"less-is-more" category.

I just hope I don't have too many more failures to report on before I find that just-right combination!

Behold the Mighty Loaf

I found the original recipe in Gourmet years ago. I don't follow it exactly, rather it is the inspiring recipe for whatever meats/cheeses/herbs I either have in my fridge or think will compliment what I'm serving it with/serving it for. The one change I always make is using fresh herbs (about 1 Tbsp) instead of the dried herbs called for in the recipe. The loaf shown here was made with Sopressata, Rosemary and Gruyere (that I cut into small dice). And I would urge you to be generous (and not leave out!) the sprinkling of coarse salt on the outside of the loaf--it adds greatly to the finished bread. (And if it is a health concern for any one you may be serving it to, it flicks right off, so everyone can be happy! *smile*)


Here's a look at it through the various stages:

This is an amazingly versatile bread. Make one large loaf, and you have a large, fluffy slice on which to build an amazing sandwich--think a slather of olive tapenade, a layer of moist chicken breast, slices of juicy tomato dusted with garlic salt and pepper, a layer of crisp greens...topped with another of these fluffy meat-and-cheese-studded slices, and my-oh-my, you have a sandwich that makes you want to be a bit better dressed when you go to take a bite. *smile* A sandwich worthy of a great, crisp glass of wine alongside for lunch. A sandwich that sets you up to demand a high brow dessert--such as a Tiramisu or fruit-topped Zabaglione--as the only fitting ending to such a lunch.

Split the dough and make two, still good-sized, loaves---and you have a bread that slips effortlessly into a bread-basket...npt overwhelming the other choices, but making a great compliment and addition....or a bread that can be sliced thinly and served unadorned as an appetizer...it is just-right along side a cocktail or a glass of wine. I have often had a slice or two with a glass of wine as mid-afternoon snack. (Um, me, having a snack? Who'd believe it? *smile*) It's that perfect 'weight' as a snack or appetizer--not too 'bready', not greasy or heavy, as other snacks can be, so it doesn't fill you up too much and take away from the dinner to follow, but it has that salty-smack from the meat and cheese so it hits all the notes needed to feel snacky. So, so good.

For those of you novice bread-bakers out there: this is a good loaf for you to try. The large amount of yeast, the white flour and the tasty additions to the dough make it sure to come out tasty no matter what. So take it from me, if you're thinking you want to make your own bread but are nervous because you don't have much experience, make this one--you'll be glad you did!

Tuscan Breakfast

A breakfast my Grandfather would be proud of!


Does anyone else eat fresh, sliced tomatoes with their eggs? It's something my Italian grandparents did, and something that I really love...though I don't know of anyone else who likes it the way I do. *smile*

So after my trip to the Greenmarket this morning, I served up fried eggs and slices of Early Girl tomatoes with my Salami Rosemary Bread (recipe coming in a new post shortly)....with strong, dark coffee of course. Just as my Grandfather would have wanted.

Highlights from Berkeley

Was out visiting family for a long weekend, and managed to fit in a few of my favorite treats while I was there: A visit to Peet's for a great cup of coffee...then on to The Cheese Board Collective for a Sourdough Cheese Roll...
And a scone or two....
And thus fortified, we strolled through town until we hit the farmer's market and I discovered my new favorite thing ever:
The Pretzel Croissant.

Oh my god.

Buttery, flaky, *salty* goodness! If I thought they'd survive the trip I would've lined my suitcases with them. Simply killer.