Sauteed Brussels Sprouts with Olives, Almonds, and Parmesan

Now that I'm working from home up in Seattle, it can sometimes be a challenge to come up with new lunches that are different and quick to prepare. This dish really came together as a result of looking through our fridge and trying to make something up with what was left - a pound of brussels sprouts - and some staples that I always have on hand: olives, parmesan, and slivered almonds. It turned out to be almost a Mediterranean-inspired brussels sprout dish and a flavor combination that I wouldn't have thought of (brussels sprouts and olives) but one that worked surprisingly well. Although I love both, I've come to enjoy brussels sprouts almost more when they are sliced and sauteed than roasted, and they're just as easy to prepare. I ate this as a sort of big salad for one, but it could also be great for two served with bread or even over the top of orzo, or alternatively as a side dish.

Sauteed Brussels Sprouts with Olives, Almonds, and Parmesan
Serves 1-2 as a main dish, 4 as a side (can also be easily doubled)

Active Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes

Extra virgin olive oil
~1 lb. brussels sprouts, sliced (I slice mine lengthwise into about 4 pieces per sprout)
1/4 c. pitted kalamata olives, cut in half lengthwise
1/4 c. parmesan cheese (cut several thin slices and then crumble or tear apart into rough pieces)
1/4 c. slivered almonds
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Kosher salt
Black pepper

Heat 1 T. of olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the brussels sprouts and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, for approximately 5-10 minutes or until they start to soften and brown. Meanwhile, heat the almonds in a small dry skillet over medium low heat and toast while the sprouts are cooking (keep an eye on these as they can burn; transfer to a bowl when starting to turn golden brown). Remove from the brussels sprouts from the heat and stir in the almonds, olives, parmesan, lemon juice, another pinch of salt and some fresh ground pepper, and combine.

Simple White Bean, Swiss Chard, and Tomato Soup

It's been about 2 months since my last post and I hope that will be the longest gap by far that I'll ever have away from this blog! Between a big promotion at work, buying a house, and moving from the Bay Area to Seattle, I can say that I am certainly coming out of one of the busiest periods of my life, which didn't leave much time for either cooking or blogging. Fortunately, now that we're getting settled in Seattle (we just made the big move last week), I'm planning to re-balance and get back to the cooking and creating that I love. My recipes are also apt to become even more seasonal, as the Northwest has true seasons as opposed to California which never really gets a winter and has very extended and different growing seasons. In the short time that we've been in Seattle the weather has actually been beautiful with little rain, and I have to say that I missed the fallen leaves and crisp, clean air. It also makes you want to roast, bake, and make soups. Even with our kitchen a little bit of a mess with the move-in process, I was able to easily whip up this simple, delicious soup (which also happens to be vegan). A great one for the weeknights served with some good bread.

Simple White Bean, Swiss Chard, and Tomato Soup
Serves 4

Active Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes

1 T. extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 bunches swiss or rainbow chard, leaves separated from stems, with stems diced and leaves well chopped
2 cans cannellini or great northern white beans, rinsed and drained
2 14.5 oz cans diced tomatoes
1/4 t. crushed red pepper flakes
4 c. low sodium vegetable broth or 4 c. water with 2 low-sodium vegetable bouillon cubes
Kosher salt
Black pepper
1 T. aged balsamic vinegar

Heat a large stockpot or dutch oven with the tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and chard stems and cook, stirring occasionally, until stems start to soften, about 3-5 minutes. Add the tomatoes with their juices, the drained beans, red pepper flakes, the vegetable stock or water w/bouillon and 1 t. kosher salt. Bring to a near-boil, add the chard stems, and stir until they start to wilt and become incorporated into the soup, a few minutes. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 25 minutes, or even longer if you have the time - it only gets better. Stir in the balsamic vinegar, add some freshly ground black pepper, and taste for seasoning (my bouillon cubes were no sodium so I added another 1 1/2 t. of kosher salt). This recipe is also great reheated the next day.

Rainbow Vegetable Soup with Farro

This time of year is an interesting one for cooking because we're starting to transition into fall but still have some late summer produce, which makes this soup a perfect blend of the two.  I call this recipe rainbow soup because it has so many different beautiful colors in it, which of course is exactly what you want to get a variety of nutrients. This soup was also even better over the next day or two reheated (as many soups are). The farro (a whole wheat grain) tends to soak in additional liquid as it sits so if you're serving leftovers add just a a little water to loosen up the soup a little before heating. I think adding some freshly grated parmesan cheese at the end really ties all of the flavors together, but if you're vegan this soup will fit the bill without. In either case, I like to drizzle just a bit of olive oil over the soup in each bowl before serving, which I think adds a lovely flavor.

Rainbow Vegetable Soup with Farro
Serves 6

Active Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

1 lb summer squash, diced
1 onion, diced
3 carrots, diced
1 lb. roma tomatoes, diced
1 bunch rainbow chard, leaves stripped from stems and chopped
2 ears corn, kernels cut off the cob
1 c. farro
1 bunch of thyme
2 bay leaves
6 c. low sodium vegetables stock (or 6 c. water with 3 low to no salt bouillon cubes - I like the Rapunzel brand)
Kosher salt
Extra virgin olive oil
Freshly grated parmesan cheese

Heat 2 T. olive oil in a large stockpot or dutch oven. Add the onion and a pinch of salt and saute for about 5 minutes until it starts to soften. Add the carrots and squash and saute for about another 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, farro, and vegetables stock as well as 1 t. kosher salt, the bay leaves, and the bunch of thyme (you can strip off the leaves, but I find that while the soup is simmering they will melt off - you just have to remove the stems before serving). Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a low to medium-low setting and simmer for 45 minutes until the farro is cooked but al dente. Stir in the corn and chard and keep stirring for a minute to incorporate the chard. Let simmer another 5 minutes. Taste for additional seasoning, then ladle into bowls and top with a drizzle of olive oil and some parmesan cheese.

Eggplant, Heirloom Tomato, and Chickpea Curry

I've been getting eggplants in my CSA box over the past few weeks and trying to figure out new ways to use them. I came across some recipes that used just the flesh of the eggplant in curry dishes (versus dicing it up and including the skin) and I thought this would bring a nice texture and meatiness to a vegetarian curry dish. I also had some heirloom tomatoes and some canned chickpeas on hand, and with some spices you can easily create this dish in a pinch. My favorite thing about these type of Indian-inspired curries is that they are so healthy and leave you feeling great after you eat them. The spices in this curry are also great for you - the turmeric is an anti-inflammatory, and the red chile flakes can help speed up your metabolism.

Eggplant, Heirloom Tomato, and Chickpea Curry
Active Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes

Serves 3-4

1 T. ghee (clarified butter), coconut oil, or olive oil (use the latter 2 for a vegan option)
1 large eggplant
2 medium or 1 very large heirloom tomatoes, diced
1 15 oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 yellow onion, diced
2 t. ground cumin
1 t. ground turmeric
1 t. ground coriander
1/2 t. dried red chile flakes
Kosher salt
Brown rice, for serving

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Cut the top off the eggplant and half lengthwise. On a baking sheet or sheet pan, drizzle a little olive oil in 2 places where you'll put the eggplant halves. Sprinkle some kosher salt on each eggplant half, then place the cut side down on the olive oil spots and rub around to coat. Transfer to the oven and cook for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the onion, garlic, and tomatoes. Heat the ghee or other oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and saute until softened, about 7-8 minutes. Add the tomatoes, chickpeas, cumin, turmeric, coriander, chile flakes, and 1/2 t. kosher salt and stir to combine, then reduce heat to a simmer and cook for about 5 minutes or whenever the eggplant is done.

Remove the eggplant from the oven, flip it over with a spatula, then use the spatula or a spoon to spoon the flesh of the eggplant into a small bowl. Mash it slightly with the spatula or spoon, then transfer to the pan with the other vegetables, stir to combine, and simmer for another 3-5 minutes. A nice shortcut for the rice in this recipe is Trader Joe's frozen organic short grain brown rice, which I always have on hand and only takes 3 minutes to reheat. Serve the curry over brown rice or with naan.

Summer's Bounty Quinoa

Summer is definitely one of my favorite times to cook because the quality and quantity of so many fruits and vegetables are at their peak. I received a large bunch of basil in my CSA box recently and wanted to come up with another way to use it besides in pasta. I ended up using quinoa as the base of the dish, combining it with a basil puree, and adding cherry tomatoes, corn, romano beans (similar to green beans, but slightly flatter and bigger), red onion, and some feta. The result was a flavorful, satisfying, healthy, and very summery dish that was equally good warm or at room temperature.

Summer's Bounty Quinoa

Serves 4 as a main dish, 6-8 as a side

Active Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

1 c. quinoa

2 c. water

2 c. packed fresh basil leaves

1 clove garlic, minced

Extra virgin olive oil

Kosher salt

Black pepper

2 ears white corn, kernels cut off the cob

1 large red onion, peeled, halved, and thinly sliced

1 lb. romano beans or green beans, ends snapped or trimmed off, then chopped

1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

1/2 c. feta cheese, crumbled

Put the quinoa and water into a medium sized saucepan, cover with a lid, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20-25 minutes, until liquid is absorbed.

Meanwhile, prep the vegetables. Then, in a large skillet, heat 1 T. olive oil over medium heat. Add the red onion and a pinch of salt and saute for about 7-10 minutes, or until softened. Set aside in a medium-sized bowl and cover with foil or a kitchen towel. Return the skillet to heat, add the corn and a pinch of salt and saute for 1-2 minutes, stirring, then remove from the pan and set aside in the bowl with the onion. In a small saucepan, bring some water to a boil for the beans. Cook for 3-4 minutes, then drain and add to the bowl with the onion and corn.

Add the basil, garlic, 1/2 t. kosher salt and 1/8 t. black pepper (or, a few grinds) to a food processor. Measure out 1/4 c. olive oil. Start the food processor, then slowly add in the olive oil until it comes together.  

When the quinoa is done, add the basil puree and stir to combine. Then, add in the reserved onion, corn, and beans as well as the tomatoes and feta and stir to combine. Season to taste for additional salt and pepper, garnish with a sprig of basil (if you have any left over) and serve.

Summer Corn "Chowder"

The corn around here in Northern California has just started to come into season and I've been thinking of new ways to use what is possibly one of my favorite vegetables. I've done corn salad, corn salsa, cornbread, you name it, but never tried corn chowder. One of the things that has held me back is that they tend to always be quite heavy and cream-laden, which is not exactly what you want in the middle of the summer. I found a recipe in my Outstanding in the Field cookbook which brought up the notion that corn has so much flavor and a creamy consistency on its own that you don't really need cream. I took the basis of that idea and came up with my own (easier) version, which I think is now certainly one of my favorite soups - and I really like soup.

Summer Corn "Chowder"

Serves 6

Active Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

6 ears corn (white or yellow, whichever looks best)

1 large yellow onion

1 carrot, small diced

1 1/2 lb. yukon gold or fingerling potatoes, peeled and diced

1 t. dried summer savory

2 bay leaves

5 c. water

Kosher salt

1 T. extra virgin olive oil

1 T. butter

Creme fraiche, for serving

Chopped chives, for serving

Heat the olive oil and butter in a large stockpot or dutch oven or medium heat. Once the butter melts and starts to foam, add the onion and a pinch of salt. Saute for about 5 minutes or until softened and translucent. Add the carrot and saute another 3-5 minutes until it starts to soften. Add the potatoes, corn, and summer savory and saute for 2 minutes. Add the water, bay leaves and 2 t. kosher salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low/medium-low and simmer for about 40 minutes until the potatoes are cooked. Then, either use a hand immersion blender to blend the soup slightly so that you end up with some smoothness and still some chunkiness, or take about half of the soup out of the pot and pulse in a blender or food processor until pureed slightly. Return to pot if you used a blender/food processor, stir, ladle into bowls, and if you'd like to do as I did, top with just a little creme fraiche and chives (these are already stirred in in the picture above).

Summer Vegetable Lasagna with Tomato-Pesto Sauce

Summer's harvest is starting to show up in our CSA box around now in Northern California and we just received our first summer squash as well as a huge bunch of basil this past week, along with some rainbow chard. One of my favorite things to do with the first vegetables of each season is make a new variation of my lasagna recipe. This time, since I had such a large amount of basil and I know that the flavors of pesto go so well with summer squash (try simply grilling it and topping it with some pesto for a side dish in the future), I thought I'd create a combination tomato-pesto sauce to work into the lasagna and really complement the vegetables. Lasagna is a dish that has a lot of individual components, but none of them are difficult. It's a great thing to make on a weekend night when you want to cook in - we always make a whole pan for the two of us and eat the leftovers for dinner the next night (this reheats really well).

Summer Vegetable Lasagna with Tomato-Pesto Sauce
Serves 4-6

Active Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

~1lb. summer squash (such as yellow crookneck), diced
1 bunch rainbow or swiss chard, leaves ripped from stems and chopped
~1 lb. white mushrooms, diced
Whole wheat, brown rice, or regular dried lasagna noodles
1 15 oz container whole milk ricotta cheese
2 eggs
3/4 c. freshly grated parmesan cheese
4 oz. grated mozzarella cheese
28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
2 c. packed basil leaves
1/4 c. pine nuts, toasted
1 clove garlic, minced
Kosher salt
Black pepper
Extra virgin olive oil

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Figure out how many lasagna noodles you will need to create three layers of noodles in your baking dish (approximately 13x9) and set the baking dish aside. In a similar size Pyrex or other dish, lay the noodles inside, then fill with the hottest tap water that you can get (or near-boiling water from a tea kettle) and add a dash of olive oil to keep the noodles from sticking. This is my shortcut to boiling noodles for lasagna - they soften while you prepare the other ingredients.

Chop up the summer squash and mushrooms and heat a large skillet over medium heat with a drizzle (1-2t) of olive oil. When the skillet is ready (you'll know once the oil moves easily across the pan when you tip it), add the summer squash and a pinch of salt. Saute for about 5 minutes or until softened, then set aside in a bowl. Add some more olive oil to the pan, then add the mushrooms and a pinch of salt and a little pepper. Saute for about 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, and meanwhile prepare the chard. When the mushrooms are done, set aside in another bowl, then add a little more olive oil to the pan and cook the chard with a pinch of salt, stirring rather frequently, for about 3 minutes until wilted slightly, then set aside in another bowl. Notice that I season each component separately so that the entire dish is seasoned.

Next, prepare the pesto by placing the 2 c. packed basil leaves, minced garlic clove, and pine nuts in a food processor. Start the processor, then slowly add in the olive oil until the mixture starts to come together but isn't too oily - about 1/3 c. Scoop out of the food processor into a small bowl and stir in 1/2 t. kosher salt and 1/4 t. pepper (or a few generous grinds from a pepper grinder). I don't add cheese to this pesto since there is enough in the rest of the dish.

In a medium-sized bowl, add the crushed tomatoes, 1/2 c. of the pesto, and 1 t. kosher salt to make the sauce.

Grate the parmesan cheese. In another medium sized bowl, add the ricotta, eggs, 1/2 t. salt, and 1/4 c. of the parmesan cheese and stir until blended.

Now it's time to assemble. Add about 1/2 c. of the sauce to the bottom of the pan and smear to create a light coating (so the noodles won't stick to the bottom). Lay down a layer (1/3) of the noodles, then approximately 1/2 of the ricotta mixture. I find that using my hands in lasagna, while messy, is best to distribute the components, so spread the ricotta out with your fingers. Then, top with approximately 1/2 of the squash, 1/2 of the mushrooms, and 1/2 of the chard (also using your fingers). Top with about 3/4c. of the sauce (the sauce doesn't need to be in exactly an even layer as it will cook together). Repeat with another layer of noodles, the remaining 1/2 of the ricotta, 1/2 of the squash, 1/2 of the mushrooms, 1/2 of the chard, and another 3/4 c. sauce. Top with the final layer of noodles, then the remainder of the sauce. I try to more carefully spread out the sauce on this final layer as you ideally want the noodles to be coated so they don't dry out in the cooking process. Then, top with the mozzarella cheese, and finally, the remaining 1/2 c. of parmesan cheese. The great thing about making lasagna this way is since you've already pre-cooked many of the ingredients, you just have to pop it in the oven for 30 minutes. It should have a nice golden brown crust when you remove it and it's important to let it sit for a few minutes before serving so that the lasagna stays together. Enjoy!