Tag: vegetables

Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Homemade Garlic Mayonnaise.

Published on by KellyInTheKitchen5 Comments

There are certain recipes that all chefs should know how to prepare. Some are grand and time-consuming, like coq au vin or borsch, and others are simple and versatile, like cream scones or chicken stock. Often these types of recipes are all about getting the technique right, which can be much more difficult than it sounds. I always have a couple of difficult recipes that I’m working on, trying a few times to make sure I’ve got them right before I post anything about them. Luckily for me, homemade mayo was one I got right the first time! It takes a strong arm, a steady hand, and a good eye, but it really isn’t so difficult when you get down to it. A whisk here, a few drops there, followed by a bit of frantic whisking-while-pouring, and you’ve got yourself a beautiful homemade mayonnaise. Crispy golden brown Brussels sprouts are the perfect accompaniment to this garlic mayo, but you’ll definitely have some leftovers on you hands, so go crazy and mayonnaise it up while you’ve got this beautiful fresh stuff around. Chicken salad sandwiches maybe? Or BLTs spread with a generous glob of mayo on perfectly toasted wheat bread? If there ever were a time to be glamorous and indulgent with your food, it’s when you’ve got access to your own homemade mayonnaise.

INGREDIENTS

for Brussels sprouts:
a few handfuls of Brussels sprouts, the smaller ones halved and the larger ones quartered
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

for mayonnaise:
1 egg yolk, room temperature (raw egg warning blah blah blah)
1 tsp vinegar (I used white vinegar)
3/4 tsp dijon mustard
not quite 1 cup oil (I used a mixture of olive and canola, with a bit more olive than canola)
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Toss Brussels sprouts with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and spread in a single layer on a foil-lined pan. Bake until slightly crispy and browned.

While the Brussels sprouts cook, mix up the mayo. Whisk together egg yolk, vinegar, and mustard. Whisking constantly, add a few tiny drops of the oil mixture at a time until the mixture emulsifies. Add the rest of the oil in a steady stream until it’s all incorporated into a smooth, pale yellow mayo.

 

At this point, whisk in the lemon juice, salt, pepper, and garlic.

That’s all! Scoop the mayo into a ramekin and serve it as is, at room temperature, or cool it off in the fridge for a while. Serve as a dip with the hot Brussels sprouts. You’ll have a lot of mayo leftover, so do something amazing with it (it won’t last as long as preservative-y store-bought mayo so use it up quick!).

Poule au Pot.

Published on by KellyInTheKitchen1 Comment

Sunday didn’t start out rainy. I woke up at 9:30, and despite feeling a bit low-energy, I grabbed my yoga bag (which I somehow had the foresight to pack the night before) and headed out the door to get my butt kicked for an intense hour and a half. By the time I left the studio, it had become overcast, and a cool, late summer rain was falling. As I walked an umbrella-less mile back to my apartment, I realized it was the perfect weather for that rare and elusive treat: light comfort food. In other words, it was time to make poule au pot! I first saw this peasant’s poached chicken and vegetable dish being prepared on one of my favorite cooking shows, Laura Calder’s French Food at Home. It’s incredibly easy and serves up all beautiful and mellow, with buttery flavors that make you think it’s more indulgent than it is. Since the chicken and veggies are poached, you not only have a very healthy dish on your hands, you’ve also got a whole bonus pot-ful of super-flavorful chicken broth leftover, to do with as you wish. And as for the chicken, I serve it in a pool of hot broth with the veggies and a little pile of quinoa on the side, but let me tell you, it is perfect for chicken salad too. Whatever you do with it, poule au pot has all the warming and homey power of comfort food, with none of the greasy richness. This is the magic of chicken in a pot–what’s not to love?

INGREDIENTS

1 whole chicken
2 bay leaves
5 whole cloves garlic, skin on
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1/2 tsp dried sage
1/2 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp dried tarragon
salt and pepper to taste
3 turnips, halved
2 parsnips, peeled and cut to about the size of the turnips
3 carrots, peeled and cut to match the parsnips
3 celery stalks, cleaned and cut in two
2 leeks, sliced longways, halved shortways, and washed (I find it’s easier to cut leeks first, then wash them after)
1 onion, quartered (Laura Calder suggests pearl onions, but I didn’t have any)

DIRECTIONS

Place the chicken in a deep pot, breast-side up. Fill the pot with water until it covers the chicken. Add the bay leaves and garlic and bring to a boil. Skim the foam off the surface of the water every few minutes.

After the foam has stopped forming, add the thyme, rosemary, sage, parsley, tarragon, and salt and pepper. Cook on a low boil for 30 minutes.

After 30 minute have passed, flip the chicken over so that the breast side is down. Turn the heat down slightly and cook another 10 minutes.

Next, add the turnips, parsnips, and carrots. Cook for 10 minutes.

Then add the celery and onion. Cook 5 minutes.

Finally, add the leeks to the pot. Cook 5 minutes.

That’s all! After a total of 60 minutes of chicken-poaching, with the veggies staggered so that they’re all just perfectly fork-tender, you’ve got an efficiently glorious dish that will make you pat yourself on the back a few times. My, you’re a good chef. Now eat some chicken.

Unemployed Shepherd’s Pie.

Published on by KellyInTheKitchen3 Comments

A shepherd without a flock, a shepherd’s pie without any meat. This is an “unemployed shepherd’s pie” because there are no animals being shepherded into it! A little twist on a previous recipe, my vegetable pot pie, this yummy baked veggie and quinoa dish crowned with creamy mashed sweet potatoes is a meatless, gluten-free, almost guilt-free indulgence (there’s a cup of half and half in it, which adds some fat and keeps it from being vegan). A creamy, savory, and super filling dish, it’s also totally versatile, so play around with the veggies. Carrots and celery are always welcome, spinach or leeks would be a great addition, and maybe add a little bit of hot sauce right into the quinoa to provide a bit of a kick. It’s meant to be a flexible, peasant-food-y kind of meal for a chilly, hungry night. Vegetarian comfort food at its best!

INGREDIENTS

2 large sweet potatoes, thoroughly washed
1 cup quinoa
1 1/2 cups vegetable stock
1 medium onion, medium dice
1 small shallot, minced
1 tsp fresh rosemary, minced
1/4 tsp hot paprika
1/4 tsp cumin
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup frozen broccoli, cut up
1 cup frozen peas
1 tbsp potato starch or corn starch
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp white wine
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 cup half and half, divided
1 tsp fresh parsley, chopped

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Pierce each potato a few times and place on a baking sheet. Bake until soft, about an hour. Set aside.

Add quinoa and vegetable broth to a small pan. Bring to a boil, then turn down and simmer until all the liquid is absorbed. Set aside.

Add olive oil to a pan over medium and cook onions, shallots, paprika, cumin, rosemary, salt, and pepper until the onions have softened.

Stir in the garlic and cook 1 minute. Then add broccoli and cook until starting to soften.

Add peas and stir, cook for 30 seconds, and stir in the starch. Turn down the heat to medium low and cook for one minute.

Now add the soy sauce, wine, and lemon juice. Cook for another minute.

Stir in 3/4 cup of half and half and simmer until it becomes like a thick sauce. Remove from heat.

In a large bowl, combine quinoa, vegetable mixture, and parsley.

In another bowl, mash the sweet potatoes, skins on, with the remaining 1/4 cup of half and half.

Spread quinoa mixture into a greased pan and top with the mashed sweet potatoes (mashed if you’re more patient than I was–I just kind of roughed them up a bit and spread them over). Sprinkle with additional salt and pepper if you like.

Bake 1 hour or until the top starts to get crunchy in places. Cool a bit before serving and dig in!

Baked Zucchini and Summer Squash Chips.

Published on by KellyInTheKitchen1 Comment

I always seem to buy zucchini and summer squash as a pair. I’m not sure why they always go together in my mind, and I never eat one without the other. For whatever reason, these vegetables are a couple, and I intended my recipe to be no exception to that rule. But while I was slicing up these green and yellow beauties, I wondered, why should they always go one with the other? It’s just as tasty to pair two zucchini or two summer squash—I defy their ingredients to tell the difference. In fact, I firmly believe that a vegetable can and should be with any vegetable partner they choose, regardless of what the traditional pairing might be. So make these chips with whatever you’ve got in the fridge and celebrate the right of everyone–vegetable or even human–to be with whoever they work best with!

Baked Zucchini and Summer Squash Chips | KellyintheKitchen | 2 zucchini and/or summer squash, 3 tbsp half and half, 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese, 1 clove garlic, 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs, 1/2 tsp Lawry's seasoned salt, pepper

INGREDIENTS

2 zucchini and/or summer squash, sliced about 8th of an inch thick
3 tbsp half and half
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
1/2 tsp Lawry’s seasoned salt
pepper

Just the Recipe link: Baked Zucchini and Summer Squash Chips

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 425 F.

Put half and half in a shallow dish. Put parmesan, garlic, bread crumbs, Lawry’s seasoned salt, and pepper in a bowl and whisk together.

Using one hand for dipping in half and half and the other for tossing in crumbs (so that neither hand gets cake-y), dip each slice of zucchini first in the half and half…

…and then into the bread crumbs, coating each side.

Place slices in a single layer on a foil-lined baking sheet.

Bake until golden brown and crispy. Serve immediately. Any ideas for a dip? They’re good on their own, but I’m sure there’s a great dip out there that I wasn’t able to think of.

And thanks for indulging my soapbox moment—even us food bloggers feel the need to take a stand every once in a while :)

Baba Ganoush.

Published on by KellyInTheKitchen7 Comments

I’m no farmer and I don’t know anything about the seasonality of produce. Visiting most American grocery stores, the average shopper would have no idea when various fruits and veggies were in season, because stores sell pretty much everything, all year round. And while it can be nice to have fresh avocados in winter and apples in spring, there’s really nothing as good as in-season local produce, picked by farmers and eaten by me on the very same day! On Saturday morning at the farmers market, I saw more eggplants in more different varieties than I even knew existed, so my keen non-farmer Spidey Sense tells me it must be eggplant season in the midwest. I picked up a nice big one and made this classic Middle Eastern roasted eggplant spread. Go get your own before the season passes!

INGREDIENTS

1 large eggplant
4 cloves garlic, peeled and cut in half
1 tbsp good quality extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp tahini
2 tsp lemon juice
fresh parsley, chopped
1/8 tsp hot paprika, plus more for dusting
salt and pepper to taste

A successful morning at the farmers market.

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Pierce eggplant 8 times. Place on hot grill or directly on gas stove over medium high flame. Turn so that each side chars evenly.

When the skin is charred, remove from heat.

Stuff garlic cloves into the slits in the eggplant.

Roast on baking sheet for about 20 minutes, until eggplant is completely softened. Set aside to cool.

While eggplant cools, combine all other ingredients in a bowl.

When the eggplant has cooled enough to touch, cut off the stem and peel off as much of the skin as you can.

Cut into three pieces and add to a food processor along with all other ingredients.

Spoon into a bowl and dust with more paprika. I forgot to do it for the photo, but an extra drizzle of olive oil isn’t a bad idea either.

Corn and Cilantro Fritters.

Published on by KellyInTheKitchenLeave a comment

The Midwestern US is known for our amazing summer sweet corn. Every year my family and I look forward to corn’s seasonal grocery store debut, and anytime we’re driving around rural Illinois and Iowa in the summer, we can’t help but stop at the roadside sweet corn stands to pick up an ear or twenty. Despite the awful drought we’ve had here this summer, my local farmers market had a lot of sweet corn this weekend, and for cheap too! I bought a bag and took it home to make yummy things. Here is one of them!

INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 egg
1/4 cup milk or cream
1 tbsp vegetable oil, plus more for frying
1/4 tsp baking powder
salt and pepper to taste
2 small ears of corn (1 large ear), cooked, with the kernels cut off
handful chopped cilantro

DIRECTIONS

Whisk together flour, egg, milk or cream, oil, baking powder, and salt and pepper.

Add cilantro and corn and stir to combine.

Heat a pan over medium and add a splash of vegetable oil. Spoon batter into pan and cook until the bottoms are golden brown.

Flip and fry until the other side is browned and the middles are cooked through.

Garnish with Greek yogurt and more cilantro and serve immediately. Thank you, farmers of the Midwest!!