Archives for posts with tag: pine nuts

With over 30 varieties, the world of winter squash is diverse, but many of us have probably only ever eaten butternut or acorn. Such is the modern food system…. And, while there is nothing wrong with mashed butternut or stuffed acorn squash you are missing out if you haven’t had a chance to try kabocha, delicata or spaghetti, which is a paleo’s dream since it substitutes well for pasta in many dishes.

A variety of squash at the farmers market

A variety of squash at the farmers market

If you are looking to step up your winter squash game a lovely place to start is this primer featured on Health Perch. It does a nice job describing how to store and cook several unusual squash varieties.

Health Perch Winter Squash Primer

But, what I like most about it, besides being cute, is that it encourages you to treat winter squash like a savory fruit (it has seeds, so yes, it is a fruit). Too often squash recipes default to sweet, which is fine, but squash can be so much more complex and delicious when prepared with some unusual and savory spices.

The first time I was introduced to savory winter squash was at the Spotted Pig, a now famous West Village restaurant. My boss at the time and I split the Pumpkin Salad with Pine Nuts, Pecorino and Balsamic Vinegar, and I was blown away. Sure, Chef April Bloomfield is known for her juicy burgers and delicate ricotta gnudi, but this salad was life-changing for me as a home-cook.  I had it every time I went back, but I could never figure out how to re-create it at home until one day, when the kitchen gods were smiling down on me, I flipped open a copy of Oprah magazine and discovered the recipe staring back at me. My first thought when I saw the coriander and cumin were “Ah ha! So that’s where that smoky/nutty flavor comes from!” Since then, I’ve not only made this salad a bunch of times, but I regularly use savory spices when I prepare winter squash.

Here’s my take on this salad. I don’t use pumpkin; can rarely find fresh marjoram leaves; and are more likely to have Parmesan than Pecorino cheese in my fridge. Enjoy!

Winter Squash Salad with Pine Nuts, Parmesan and Balsamic Vinegar
Winter Squash Salad

1 butternut squash or 2 delicata squash (about 2 pounds)
2 cloves garlic
1 1/2 ts. kosher salt
1 ts. ground coriander
1/4 ts. ground cinnamon
1/4 ts. ground cumin
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 TB. fresh lemon juice
3 TB. pine nuts , lightly toasted
salt
pinch ground red pepper (cayenne)
2 small bunches arugula , trimmed
1 wedge Parmesan cheese (about 4 ounces)
Aged balsamic vinegar and extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling

Preheat oven to 350°. Peel, seed and cut butternut squash (don’t peel if using delicata) into 1 1/2-inch chunks. Using a mini food processor or a mortar and pestle, chop or crush garlic, kosher salt, coriander, cinnamon and cumin. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil and mix to form a paste.

In a large bowl, toss squash in spice paste. On a parchment-lined, rimmed baking sheet, spread squash in a single layer. Top with another piece of parchment and cover pan tightly with foil; bake until tender, about 20-25 minutes. Uncover and bake until squash browns lightly, 20-25 minutes; cool slightly.
Spiced Winter Squash

Return squash to bowl and drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Add pine nuts, sea salt and ground red pepper. Toss gently to combine.

Arrange 1/3 of squash on a serving platter. In the bowl with the remaining squash, add arugula, the rest of the olive oil and lemon juice, and sea salt to taste; toss gently. Top plated squash with arugula mixture. Shave cheese with a vegetable peeler and arrange on top of salad. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and olive oil to taste.

Lemon Chicken Breasts

I thought I was familiar with all of Ina Garten’s recipes, but I was wrong. I tried this recipe for the first time this week and I’m glad I did. It is one of those dishes that you throw in the oven for awhile so you have time to work on side dishes or just check your email.

I do have one reservation about this dish. While it isn’t hard to make, Ina recommends that you use boneless, skin-on chicken breasts, which can be hard to find. If you have a good butcher I’m sure they will debone them for you, but if you rely on a grocery store for your chicken – good luck. We happened to go to Fairway this week to shop, rather than our usual run around the neighborhood, so I had to rely on what they had. I got bone-in, skin-on chicken because I knew the skin was going to be important to the flavor of the dish. I decided to bone them myself – big mistake. It added another 10 minutes of prep time, and a lot of frustration. My suggestion – buy bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts and just expect this to take 40 minutes to cook. You could probably use cutlets but it will definitely not be as juicy.

Noodles
They will be perfect for sopping up the lovely sauce from the chicken.

Boil salted water and follow the directions on the bag.

Sautéed Spinach

2 TB. olive oil
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 TB. pine nuts (optional)
2 bags or bunches of spinach
salt and pepper
lemon wedge

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat, when the oil begins to shimmer add the garlic and pine nuts, saute for 1-2 minutes. Add spinach to the pot and stir.  As it wilts it will release water; let the spinach saute some more (1-2 minutes), stirring frequently, until the water mostly evaporates. Add salt and pepper to taste, and squirt the lemon wedge over the spinach to serve.

When I was a kid I ate nothing but chicken cutlets, hamburgers, pizza, pasta, rice, potatoes, bread, cheese, corn and peas. As I got to be a teenager I added a few items to the list, such as steak and salad. An exciting palate, it wasn’t. In fact, it wasn’t until I was in my early 20’s, and lived in California’s Bay Area for a year, that I started to be adventurous with food. I was at least 22 before I even tried hummus for the first time! You want to know what finally got me to try new things? I felt left out. In California, I was exposed to so many new foods that I was tired of always saying no. Moving to CA was already a big adventure, so why not eat a little shrimp?

These days, I eat, or at least will try, almost anything. At the same time that I started to eat a bunch of new foods, the whole country seemed to become exposed to a lot of new items which are now relatively easy to get at the grocery store or a farmers market. Arugula, fennel, kalamata olives, etc. are all foods that I didn’t have to reject as a kid – I had never heard of them!

Expanding the variety of foods I eat has also made me a better cook because I now have more ingredients to experiment with. One tip for getting over the fear of preparing or eating something for the first time is to have it with something else that you already love. For example, take this week’s recipe for sausage with caramelized red onions and radicchio. Maybe you haven’t had or cooked radicchio before, but you love sausages and caramelized onions. How bad could it be? Pairing one new thing with a few, old favorites is a less scary way for you, or others in your family, to try new things. So, try it – you’ll like it!

(Meals should feed four adults and take about 30-40 minutes to prepare, or the time it takes Patrick to give Eliza a bottle and put her to bed.)

Meal #1: Panko-Crusted Salmon + Fennel and Parmesan Salad
Meal #2: Sausage with Caramelized Red Onions and Radicchio + Green Salad
Meal #3: Lemon Chicken Breasts + Sautéed Spinach
Meal # 4: Penne alla Vodka + Green Salad

Your grocery list, excluding the usual pantry items:

parsley – 1 bunch
fennel – 2 heads
lemons – 5
red onion – 2 medium
radicchio – 2 large heads
spinach – 2 large bunches or bags
panko breadcrumbs
Italian plum tomatoes (diced or crushed) – 1, 35 ounce can (or 1 large and 1 small can)
penne – 1 box
egg noodles – 1 bag
heavy cream – small container
balsamic vinegar (if you don’t already have it)
Parmesan cheese (if you don’t already have it)
dried oregano (if you don’t already have it)
fresh or dried thyme (if you don’t already have it)
pine nuts (optional)
salmon fillets, skin on – 4 (6-8 oz. each)
sausages – 1-2 per person depending on their size
chicken breasts – 4 bone-in, skin-on (if you have a butcher get them to debone the chicken)
dry white wine
vodka

 

Every Christmas, my Dad gives me a new cookbook. Of course, I can buy a cookbook anytime of the year, but this tradition is special to me, and I like to save the cookbook I am most excited about for him to give to me. This year, the choice was easy –  Jerusalem: a Cookbook. Written by two chefs, one Jewish and one Muslim originally from said city, this gorgeous book is full of interesting recipes and some history about the food culture of the region. Italian food may always be my favorite cuisine, but Middle Eastern is a close second. I could eat hummus everyday, and often do; so, I was super excited to dive into this cookbook.

The following recipes are the first that I have had a chance to try. I do not have the vocabulary to describe just how delicious this chicken dish is. To say that it is tasty or mouthwatering or even mind-blowing is not doing it justice. Not to give short shrift to the roasted squash and red onion side dish, but nothing compares to this chicken.

(Note: I didn’t include this meal during a regular meal plan post because a few of the ingredients are a bit unusual, and while it is deceptively easy to prepare, the marinating makes it more of a weekend dish.)

bil-hanā’ wa ash-shifā’!
be’te-avon!
(bon appetit in Arabic and Hebrew – I hope!)

Roasted Chicken with Clementines and Arak
Serves 4

Chix and Clementines_Web

6 ½ TB. arak, ouzo or Pernod
4 TB. olive oil
3 TB. freshly squeezed orange juice
3 TB. freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 TB. grain mustard
3 TB. light brown sugar
2 medium fennel bulbs
1 large chicken (about 2 ¾ lb.), divided into 8 pieces, or the same weight in skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs
4 clementines, unpeeled, cut horizontally into ¼-inch slices
1 TB. thyme leaves
2 ½ ts. fennel seeds, lightly crushed
salt and freshly ground black pepper
chopped flat-leaf parsley, to garnish

(Note: I made this with skin-on, bone-in chicken breasts and they didn’t produce as much cooking liquid as chicken thighs or a whole chicken so I skipped the last step. I also couldn’t find fennel seeds and it was okay without.)

Put the first six ingredients in a large mixing bowl, and add 2 ½ ts. salt and 1 ½ ts. black pepper. Whisk well and set aside.

Trim the fennel and cut each bulb in half lengthwise. Cut each half into 4 wedges. Add the fennel to the liquids, along with the chicken pieces, clementine slices, thyme, and fennel seeds. Stir well with your hands, then leave to marinate in the fridge for a few hours or overnight (skipping the marinating stage is fine, if you are pressed for time).

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. Transfer the chicken and its marinade to a baking sheet large enough to accommodate everything comfortably in a single layer; the chicken skin should be facing up. Once the oven is hot enough, put the pan in the oven and roast for 35-45 minutes, until the chicken is colored and cooked through. Remove from the oven.

Lift the chicken, fennel, and clementines from the pan and arrange on a serving plate; cover and keep warm. Pour the cooking liquid in a small saucepan, place over medium-high heat, bring to a boil, and then simmer until the sauce is reduced by one-third, so you are left with about ⅓ cup. Pour the hot sauce over the chicken, garnish with some parsley, and serve.

Roasted Butternut Squash and Red Onion with Tahini and Za’atar
Serves 4

1 large butternut squash, cut into ¾ by 2 ½ inch
2 red onions, cut into 1 ¼ inch wedges
3 ½ TB. olive oil
3 ½ TB. tahini paste
1 ½ TB. lemon juice
2 TB. water
1 small clove of garlic, crushed
3 ½ TB. pine nuts
1 TB. za’atar
1 TB. coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

(Note: this made a lot more sauce than I think you need. Either cut the measurements for the sauce ingredients in half, or use the extra sauce on another dish. It would be great over grilled chicken or as a dip for pita bread. I used my extra sauce with this dish from Smitten Kitchen, later in the week.)

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees.

Put the squash and onion in a large mixing bowl, add 3 TB. of the oil, 1 ts. salt, and some black pepper and toss well. Spread on a baking sheet with the skin facing down and roast in the oven for 30-40 minutes, until the vegetables have taken on some color and are cooked through. Keep an eye on the onions as they might cook faster than the squash and need to be removed earlier. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.

To make the sauce, place the tahini in a small bowl along with the lemon juice, water, garlic and ¼ ts. salt. Whisk until the sauce is the consistence of honey, adding more water or tahini if necessary.

Pour the remaining 1 ½ ts. oil into a small frying pan and place over medium-low heat. Add the pine nuts along with ½ ts. salt and cook for 2 minutes, stirring often, until the nuts are golden brown. Remove from the heat and transfer the nuts and oil to a small bowl to stop the cooking.

To serve, spread the vegetables out on a large serving platter and drizzle over the tahini sauce. Sprinkle the pine nuts and their oil on top, followed by the za’atar and parsley.

By now, you have probably gathered that while I love cookbooks and online recipe generators I rarely stick to the script. For me, cooking is like an improv show at the Upright Citizens Brigade; you never know what you’re going to get! I work with what I think is the best of a recipe, and then I tweak it so that it is faster, easier and (hopefully) more delicious. A few of this week’s meals are like that. I tried something once, and when I made it again I changed it up. Feel free to do the same with my recipes!

Just a few of the cookbooks I use for inspiration

Just a few of the cookbooks I use for inspiration

(Meals should feed four adults and take about 30-40 minutes to prepare, or the time it takes Patrick to give Eliza a bottle and put her to bed.)

Meal #1: Honey-Soy Salmon + Baby Bok Choy with Cashews
Meal #2: Italian “Stir Fry”
Meal #3: Chicken Breast Sautéed in Sweet Red Onion and Lemon + Parmesan Roasted Broccoli
Meal #4: Brussels Sprouts and Pork (or Beef) Stir Fry + Rice

Your Grocery List, excluding the usual pantry items:

scallions – 2 bunches
baby bok choy – 1 lb.
pepper (red, yellow or orange) – 1
jalapeno pepper – 1
brussels sprouts – 1 lb.
red onion – 3
lemon – 3
zucchini – 1
summer squash – 1
carrots – 2 medium
broccoli – 2 large bunches
plum tomatoes – 3
ginger – 1 piece (you can freeze or refrigerate the rest)
pine nuts – ¼ lb (optional – if you buy them, freeze the extra)
salted cashews, ¼ lb.
ricotta cheese – small container (optional)
bottle of pesto (optional)
Parmesan cheese (if you don’t already have it)
bottle of sesame oil (if you don’t already have it)
bottle of rice vinegar (if you don’t already have it)
bottle of oyster sauce (if you don’t already have it)
salmon fillet, 1 ½ lbs.
boneless, skinless chicken breast – 1 ½ lb.
boneless, pork chops – 2 (4-6 oz. each) OR skirt steak, 8 oz.