Fresh Tart

Here's a thing: my husband and I are divorcing. It's exactly as sad and stressful as one might imagine, so I've been taking extra steps to take really good care of myself. I already know that eating corn and rice makes be feel pretty lousy - not as lousy as eating gluten - but lethargic and puffy nonetheless, so I've pretty much eliminated them from my diet. I've also made a point of including vegetables in all of my meals, either by juicing, or making smoothies, or eating big salads. Eating light, colorful, crunchy food makes me feel good, fits the season, and makes cooking more fun and interesting.

Although I generally steer away from grains and high carbohydrate food, I do occasionally indulge in quinoa. I just love the nutty taste, and that it makes a terrific breakfast "cereal" as well as a base for a flavor-packed salad. I've been eating a lot of hemp seeds lately because they taste a lot like quinoa, but are even higher in protein and fiber with very few carbohydrates. Now when I make quinoa, I make a 50-50 combination of quinoa and hemp seeds (1/2 cup red quinoa, 1/2 cup hemp seeds, 1 cup water, 1/2 tsp. salt; bring to a boil, cover, simmer for 15 minutes or until quinoa is tender and water is absorbed; eat warm or cover and chill to use in salads or the recipe below).

I also absolutely adore beans and legumes. ADORE. I enjoy them in small servings - they're so lovely in soups or stir-fries or as a binder for savory cakes. The beauty of making crispy cakes (croquettes, really) with quinoa and beans is that you can season them so many different ways. If I'm in the mood for Indian food, I'll use lentils and garam masala and chiles and top them with raita. If I'm craving Mexican food I'll season them with cumin and chiles and top them with chicken, salsa, and cilantro. I'm sure you get the idea...

...so I'll just give you the basic ratios and let you riff on your favorite flavors. You can cook the beans yourself, or open a can of organic refried or whole beans (easily mashed), and in minutes be frying up a crispy cake. Top with a lemon-y salad, or a huge dollop of guacamole (huge!), or a gorgeous pile o' buttery sauteed mushrooms, or a grass-fed burger (like I did just a few minutes ago). Or:

Quinoa Cakes with Arugula & Poached Eggs (Gluten-free)
Serves 2

You can easily multiply this recipe and keep quinoa-bean mixture in the fridge, ready to fry into cakes for any meal of the day.

1 c. cooked quinoa (or quinoa + hemp seeds, see above)
1/2 c. cooked, mashed beans (pinto, navy, black, lentils, etc.)
sea salt
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. chile powder
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. tempeh, chopped (optional, adds protein and firmness)
2 Tbsp. crumbled feta cheese (optional)
2 Tbsp. coarsely chopped pepitas or other nuts (optional)
garbanzo bean (chickpea) flour as needed
olive oil
handful arugula leaves, chopped
squeeze of fresh lemon
2 large, organic eggs
freshly ground black pepper
optional: 4 ramps, halved lengthwise

Fill a medium saucepan 2 inches deep with water. Add enough salt to the water for it to be pleasantly salty. Set over medium-high heat.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together the quinoa, beans, 1/2 tsp. salt, cumin, chile powder, garlic, tempeh (if using), feta (if using), and nuts (if using). Add garbanzo bean flour, a few teaspoons at a time, until mixture is firm. Form into two patties and set aside.

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. When oil is hot, add the quinoa cakes. Fry until nicely browned and crispy (take a peek before flipping) and then carefully flip. Fry until crispy on the second side and transfer to plates. (If using ramps, add another tablespoon of oil to the pan and fry the ramps over medium heat until crispy on both sides. Divide between the two plates.)

When the water boils, turn heat down so that the water is barely simmering—small bubbles should barely break the surface. Crack one egg into a small dish or mug and slide it into the water. Quickly do the same with the second egg. Set the timer for 3 and 1/2 minutes. The eggs whites will look shredded, but that's OK. Make sure the water maintains no more or no less than barely breaking bubbles.

While the eggs cook, toss the arugula with a squeeze of lemon juice, a drizzle of olive oil, and a pinch of salt. Arrange the arugula atop the quinoa cakes.

When the timer goes off, use a slotted spoon to scoop one egg out of the water. Tilt the spoon so the liquid drains completely off, then place the egg on top of the arugula. Repeat with the second egg. Top eggs with a sprinkle of salt and a few grinds of black pepper each. Serve immediately.

Is there anything more fun than conjuring something delicious from nothing but your imagination and leftovers? Don't answer that, but instead consider the primal satisfaction that comes from being both resourceful and frugal. I may have read a few too many Laura Ingalls Wilder stories as a young girl, but preparing meals from a perfect recipe with perfect ingredients is neither as fun nor as tasty as making things up as I go from whatever I have on hand. Urban pioneering. Or something.

Anyhow, that's all a long explanation for how I arrived at making this harissa, the of-the-moment condiment that is making its way into every meal at our house. Not only was the harissa itself arrived at in my attempt to not waste lovely ingredients leftover from other recipes, but in turn I'm using the harissa to make up an endless number of flavorful dishes on the fly.

I'm calling this harissa although it's really a deliciously ubiquitous chile-tomato paste, relevant to put a Middle Eastern spin on a dish, but also at home in Tex-Mex and Asian dishes as well. The depth of flavor comes from toasting the chiles and spices as well as roasting the tomatoes. I lean on the grocery-store versions of harissa and chile pastes as much as the next person, but you really can't beat the intensity and freshness of flavor achieved by making harissa yourself. Harissa typically doesn't include tomatoes, but I do love how the tomatoes temper the paste's heat, and add a level of acidity, that I think widens harissa's horizons. Scrape the finished, cooled paste into a jar and enjoy for several weeks, in any way you can think of.

A few ideas to get you started:

Spoon over leftover steak, pork, chicken, tofu, or any number of vegetables and roll into warm corn tortillas.
Smear on grilled flatbread and top with an egg fried in olive oil.
Stir into broth for cooking couscous or rice. Serve the cooked grains with a dollop of yogurt or sour cream, olives, fresh herbs, a crumble of cheese, and toasted nuts. Top with a poached egg to gild the lily.
Swirl into a bowl of pretty much any soup to take it from just fine to truly incredible. Think Asian noodle soups, Italian-style broth soups, Mexican-style tortilla soups.
Whisk into vinaigrettes.
Add to pasta sauces, creamy or tomato, for lovely color and depth of flavor.
Mix into and onto meatloaf or meatballs.
Brush onto grilling or roasting chicken.
Spread on generously buttered bread before making your best grilled cheese sandwich ever. Ditto quesadillas.

Do not be surprised if you consider rubbing it into sore muscles!

Recipe for Chile-Tomato "Harissa" at TC Taste/Minnesota Monthly Magazine.

Fresh mozzarella with tomatoes is everywhere, even in the dead of a Minnesota winter, when it shouldn't be. We've all seen slabs of rubbery cheese layered with slabs of grainy-pale tomato objects and wondered what on earth happened to this pretty salad.

Certainly in the summer, when tomatoes are ripe, the two can be lovely together, but I'm a bit of a fresh mozzarella purist. Addict even. Really good, fresh mozzarella has such a soft, milky taste, a little bit sweet, a little bit salty, at once both silky and toothsome (not rubbery!), that it hurts me a little to smother it with the acidic juiciness of tomatoes, even good ones.

Caprese blasphemy? Perhaps, but try it this way, simply warmed atop eggs and fresh basil, and you might agree.

Recipe for Fresh Mozzarella & Basil Frittata at TC Taste/Minnesota Monthly Magazine.

Here's a potato salad to make all season long, with whatever fresh herbs you have on hand. The creamy, tangy dressing requires nothing more than a quick whir in the blender and ta da! - a bowlful of bright green deliciousness that had me eating it straight from the bowl, goddess-style.

Here's also a potato salad to customize to your heart/stomach/cooler's content. I added chopped capers because I was craving their salty punch, but a jar of pickled asparagus beckoned as well. My mom always put chopped hard-boiled eggs in her potato salad, which I didn't love as a kid, but absolutely adore now.

As the season progresses feel free to add:
asparagus
shelled peas or fava beans
cherry tomatoes
fresh corn
sweet onions
torn spinach, arugula, or other greens
green beans
snap or sugar peas

The dressing, as you will (hopefully) soon discover, is as lovely spooned over salad greens, or as a dip for hot or cold vegetables, as it is tossed with potatoes.

Recipe for Green Goddess Potato Salad at TC Taste/Minnesota Monthly Magazine.

Perhaps it's cliche that I read MFK Fisher's The Gastronomical Me and wanted to immerse myself in the world of food, but that's OK. Who wouldn't want to do exactly that after reading that sexy, scrumptious book? My goodness that woman could write, my mouth waters (and my heart swoons) just thinking about it.

There's one passage in particular that has had me making simple cauliflower gratins for years. I purposely don't look back at the specifics, I just count on how incredible she made cauliflower roasted with cream and Gruyere sound, swiped through with crusty bread and enjoyed with cold wine.

Lord.

So here's my version, so simple, so completely gluten-free, so much better than the pasta dish I served to Nathan and John tonight (in my opinion). I threw in some arugula leaves this evening because I had them, but you wouldn't need to include them.

Cauliflower Gratin
Serves 4 as a side or 2 as a main course

1 Tbsp. soft butter
1 head cauliflower, cored, separated into 1-inch florets
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 c. heavy cream
fresh whole nutmeg
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 c. freshly grated Gruyere, Parmesan, or other favorite cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Smear soft butter into a tart pan. Sprinkle minced garlic across the bottom of the pan.

Bring a large pot of nicely salted water to boil. Add the cauliflower and boil for 3-5 minutes, until cauliflower is tender-crisp. Drain thoroughly in a colander, then transfer cauliflower to tart pan, distributing evenly.

Pour cream over cauliflower. Grate a bit of fresh nutmeg over the cauliflower, then sprinkle lightly with a little salt and several grinds of black pepper. Top with cheese.

Bake gratin for 40-45 minutes, until light golden brown. Remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes. Serve warm.

So I had fried cheese for both breakfast and dinner today.

I am ridiculously obsessed with the stuff right now, to such a degree that I kind of embarrassed myself a couple of weeks ago raving about the gluten-free fried cheese curds at Red Stag in NE Minneapolis to Ryan Petz of Fulton Beer. When we ended our conversation with plans for a group brunch, he wryly suggested that maybe we'd best head to Red Stag to assuage my fried cheese craving.

So that's exactly what we did! And the crispy, salty little treats were so good that I ordered a few more rounds while at Red Stag again this past week with a group of the girls.

Apparently my years at the University of Wisconsin taught me well that There is Never Enough Fried Cheese. And that Beer is Food, although that's a different post.

But since I can't very well go running off to Red Stag every time I have a craving for fried cheese, and because tasty cheese curds aren't completely easy to obtain, I created the version pictured with slices of fresh mozzarella coated with egg and almond flour. The trick for cheese contained within - not exploding out of - a golden crust is to freeze it for a bit before frying.

Serve the melty, golden loveliness with marinara sauce and lots of basil for an almost-summer treat.

Fried Cheese with Almond Meal Crust (Gluten-Free)
Makes 4-6 slices

1 ball of fresh mozzarella, sliced into 4-6 slices, a bit less than 1/2-inch thick
2 c. almond meal
1 tsp. salt
1 large egg, lightly beaten in a flat bowl
olive oil for frying
warm marinara sauce & fresh basil for serving

Line a large plate with parchment paper.

Combine almond meal and salt on a large plate. Dip one slice of cheese in the beaten egg, then dredge the cheese slice in the almond meal mixture. Lay the cheese slice on the parchment paper. Do the same with the remaining cheese slices.

Put the uncovered plate of cheese in the freezer for 30 minutes.

Add 1/4-inch deep olive oil to a medium skillet and heat over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, fry the cold cheese slices a couple at a time, until golden brown on both sides. Transfer slices to a paper towel-lined plate and fry the rest of the cheese. Serve cheese hot with warm marinara sauce & fresh basil.

A potato galette is simply thin slices of potatoes, fat, and seasoning layered into a shallow pan and roasted until crusty and browned. It's traditional to serve alongside a roast of some sort, and definitely do that, because you can imagine crusty, buttery potatoes do a fine job of soaking up meaty juices of almost any type.

But a potato galette also makes a killer meal all on its own, particularly alongside (or underneath!) a tart arugula salad. In fact, invite people over if you make one, otherwise...you will eat the whole thing by yourself. As healthful as a tart arugula salad is, it will not offset the regret of eating an entire galette on your own; I know this from experience.

I make galettes two ways and I'll leave it to you to decide which you prefer: Just potatoes and butter, or potatoes and butter with cream. Both yield a crispy top and bottom, but the cream version is creamier vs. crispy. The boys in my house prefer the all-butter version, I prefer the cream. It was not a bad weekend enjoying both!

Buttery potatoes make me badly want a glass of wine, so I checked in with my friend Jason Kallsen, social media marketing for The Wine Company and author of The Grilling Man blog, for the perfect wine pairing. He suggests a richer wine but with acid, perhaps a fine-tuned California Chardonnay such as LIOCO Russian River Valley or Chateau Montelena.

I suggest you take his advice and enjoy together al fresco. This is Minnesota's most perfect outside dining weather, right now. Enjoy!

Recipe for Potato Galette at TC Taste/Minnesota Monthly Magazine.

Are you still with me?  It's been a lot of beans this last week, I know, but keep in mind that any of these dishes can be frozen for a future warm dinner.

This version is sort of dal meets chana masala - two of my two favorite bean dishes.  I've had the chana masala recipe - via the always awesome Smitten Kitchen - on my mind for quite awhile.  I substituted my black lentils for the garbanzos for a ridiculously delicious result.

Just try to save yourself enough for lunch the next day (when it will taste even better).  I predict failure.

The whole comes together quickly (most of the ingredients are easily measured out spices) and delivers Indian take-out heaven without the take-out hassle.  When it's 5 degrees outside, that's worth something.  Pair with basmati rice or warm naan and finish with a dollop of thick yogurt.

(Also see Using a Pot of Beans Part I: Poached Egg Over Lentils, Bacon & Cabbage; Using a Pot of Beans Part II: Almost-Instant Vegetable Bean Soup; and Using a Pot of Beans Part III: Lentil Hummus.  Click here for the whole series.)

Curried Lentils (or Any Beans!)
Adapted from Chana Masala recipe by Smitten Kitchen
Serves 2

1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 medium onion, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp. grated fresh ginger
1/2 fresh, hot green chili pepper, minced
2 tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. ground cumin
pinch ground cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 tsp. cumin seeds, toasted and ground
1 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. garam masala
1 c. tomatoes, chopped small (fresh or canned)
1/3 c. water
2 c. cooked beans (lentils or chickpeas)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 lemon (juiced)

Heat oil in a large skillet. Add onion, garlic, ginger and pepper and sauté over medium heat until browned, about 5 minutes. Turn heat down to medium-low and add the coriander, cumin, cayenne, turmeric, cumin seeds, paprika, and garam masala. Cook onion mixture with spices for a minute or two, then add the tomatoes and any accumulated juices, scraping up any bits that have stuck to the pan. Add the water and chickpeas. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes, then stir in salt and lemon juice.

Eat up or put a lid on it and reheat it when needed. Curries such as this reheat very well, later or or in the days that follow, should it last that long.

I first wrote about this recipe a few weeks ago when I described our trip to San Francisco.  My friend Maud's brother Arthur made a delicious kale salad for us, and I couldn't wait to make it at home and post it for you.  In the process of raving about it on Facebook, I found out that the recipe originally came from Maud and Arthur's sister Abigail!  She claims she didn't make it up herself, but I'm happy to give her credit for introducing it to me via Arthur.  She said that Arthur added the nuts (a good addition).

The kale in the salad is raw, yet tender, because it sits tossed with some lemon juice for a bit (the acid tenderizes the greens).  In fact, I kept leftovers in the fridge overnight and enjoyed it completely the next day.  Abigail notes that it is always popular on buffets - as we all know, it's not easy to find a green salad that can sit nicely (and even improve) on a buffet!  I'm thinking...Thanksgiving.  Yes.

I brought some to Debbie & Stu the Wine Genius' home last week and had Stu asking me for the recipe over the weekend.  I've got a nasty double-whammy sinus infection/pneumonia going on - grrr - so I've been a little slow posting this.  But here it is!  I made it for myself today, in fact, adding garlic to give my immune system a kick in the you know what.

I also added fresh dill, since I love fresh dill with lemon juice and feta cheese.  You could add your favorite fresh herb, or none at all, per the original recipe.  Thanks Arthur and Abigail!

Abigail and Arthur's Kale Salad
Serves 4

1 large bunch Lacinato kale (also known as Dino kale - it's crinkly, like dinosaur skin!), center ribs removed, leaves cut into thin strips (chiffonade)
1 shallot, sliced thin
1 1/2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 small clove garlic, minced (optional)
1/2 tsp. Kosher salt + more
1/3 c. pine nuts or chopped walnuts, toasted
1/3 c. crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup small dill sprigs (optional)
freshly ground black pepper

About one hour before you plan to eat, put kale and shallot in a large bowl.  In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, and 1/2 tsp. salt.  Pour the dressing over the kale and toss to coat thoroughly.  Let sit for one hour.

To serve, add toasted nuts, feta cheese, and dill sprigs to salad and toss thoroughly.  Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

I posted this recipe a few weeks ago at Dara & Co./Minnesota Monthly magazine, plus I've written about this dish here before too.  What can I say?  It's one of my favorites.  I thought I'd better put it out there one last time before lovely cherry tomatoes say good-bye until next summer...

If you like tomatoes and bread - which of course you do - then you'll love this simple summer gratin.  Cherry tomatoes and bread are tossed with garlic, Parmesan cheese, fresh parsley, and olive oil, then baked until the bread is crusty and the tomatoes are tender and just starting to burst.  I could sit down with the pan and call it dinner, but that's not very friendly, so instead I make a big salad and split it with my family.  It makes a terrific, easy dinner party dish, especially alongside grilled lamb chops or a whole roasted chicken.

If you manage to save a smidge for leftovers - and that's no small feat - the gratin is fantastic the next day, reheated until hot and crunchy and topped with a poached egg.  Add a shower of more fresh herbs, plenty of salt and pepper, and you've got yourself a killer brunch.

Cherry Tomato & Bread Gratin
Jacques Pepin
Serves 4

One 6-oz piece of day-old French baguette with crust, cut into 1-inch cubes (although fresh bread works nicely too)
1 1/2 lbs. small cherry tomatoes
1/3 c. extra-virgin olive oil
3 medium garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/2 c. chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/2 c. plus 2 Tbsp. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Lightly oil a 10-inch ceramic quiche dish.  In a large bowl, toss the bread cubes with the tomatoes, olive oil garlic, parsley, 1/2 c. Parmesan, and salt and pepper.  Scrape the mixture into the baking dish and bake in the center of the oven for 35 minutes, or until the bread cubes are browned and crisp and the tomatoes are very tender.  Serve warm or at room temperature.