Sun Dried Tomato Tapenade

Ordering the vegetarian option at a large event can make you wish you'd grabbed a peanut butter sandwich before leaving home. This proved true recently when a friend was served a plate of pasta drowning in a cream sauce that was exactly the same shade as the pasta itself. There was not a vegetable on the plate. The only vegetables served came with the meat and fish meals. OK, I understand that when caterers are dealing with the challenges of preparing several hundred meals, the extra effort required to create an appetizing vegetarian dish for the few who request it might not be a priority. But there is really no good excuse for serving a second-rate meal when it's so easy to prepare top-notch meatless fare. Pasta can be a great vegetarian go-to option that is simple, tasty, attractive, and appetizing.


On our first night in Boston, my intrepid husband and I braved the rain and walked across the Neponset River bridge to Dorchester in search of Venezia, an Italian restaurant on the nearby waterfront. Out journey took us on an excursion under the expressway and through one of the old, edge-of-Boston neighborhoods that made me feel nostalgic and happy despite my damp socks. My iPhone GPS was not being helpful, and I was about to head to the pizza place that I could see across the highway when a woman on her porch came to our rescue. Just a few more blocks and we found our destination snugged up against the waterfront. We were seated at a window where we had a spectacular view of the storm, which conveniently cleared up in time for our walk back to the hotel.  The Cavetalli Scicilian was delightful, the cannolis were fresh and rich, and the service was excellent. This was the night before the beige pasta dish was served to my friend, so I was acutely aware of other pasta possibilities. This recipe was inspired by that wonderful meal. The sun-dried tomato topping is a wonderful rustic tapenade, so this simple dish can serve multiple purposes. Toss with your favorite pasta, or serve with crackers, crostini or crudites. Buon appetito!

No-Bake Vegan Pumpkin Pie - Gluten Free

I fully intended to grow pumpkins this fall, but with the extended summer weather I was fooled into believing I still had time to plant. I waited too long. Fortunately, the great pumpkin shortage of 2009 is over and canned pumpkin is available at the grocery stored. Unfortunately, Hurricane Irene ruined much of the pumpkin crop in the northeast, so you might want to stock up now if pumpkin recipes are a part of your holiday cooking tradition.

This pie is one result of my search for plant based foods that my father will eat and actually enjoy. The crust recipe is made from dates and nuts and comes from the Engine 2 Diet, by Rip Esselstyn, a top professional triathlete and now a professional firefighter. The filling is based on a recipe from Love Veggies and Yoga, with a few alterations. It's topped with a cashew cream whipped concoction that tastes as rich as dairy cream, without the dairy. If you plan to make cashew cream, you should begin the night before you intend to use it. If you like it, make a good sized batch. It keeps for several days in the refrigerator, and it can be frozen, too.

Take it out of the freezer at least 30 minutes before serving. The filling is substantial enough to serve at room temp, where I think you get the most out of the pumpkin and spice flavors.

No-Bake Vegan Pumpkin Pie Recipe

White Bean Soup with Herbs

Fall is finally in the air here in North Central Florida and this earthy, flavorful soup is a perfect way to celebrate the cooler temperatures. It's easy to make, and if you use canned beans you can have it on the table in about 30 minutes. This soup gets its flavor from the unbeatable trinity of a carrot, celery, and onion mire pois, along with the addition of lemon and a splash of Marsala wine.

The optional topping comes from Michael Chiarello.

White beans are high in fiber and low in fat. They are appropriate for a diabetic diet, and are a good source of other nutrients, as well. Combine with rice or other whole grains for a complete protein.

Preserved Lemons

Preserved lemons are said to be the "secret ingredient" that gives Moroccan and Middle Eastern foods that special flavor that can be so elusive. They can be used in many dishes, from main meals to desserts. I've been meaning to make them for a long time and when I saw them again recently on a cooking show (wish I could remember which one), I decided the time had come. Although you can order these online, or find them at a specialty market if you are lucky enough to have one of those nearby, they are easy to make yourself. Of course, you have to wait a month before you can use them, but I figured that would give me plenty of time to find recipes to make using these flavorful fruits.


Recipes abound for making these, and I researched multiple sources, but I want to give special credit to Sprouted Kitchen for the clear, simple to follow directions and beautiful photographs. It's a simple process requiring only a large Mason jar, a bag of Meyer (or other) lemons, some salt, and a few spices if you are so inclined. Not all recipes call for the additional spices, but I could not resist the urge to add a few extras.

Banofee Pie

My brother Larry is a very dynamic person. He is charming and witty, a brilliant lawyer, a collector of fine British automobiles, and an aficionado of fine wines. He is an award winning trumpet player, and an international man of mystery. He is also an excellent cook. So when he sent me a recipe, along with its entire history, and followed that up with a phone call the very same day, I knew that Banoffee Pie was coming to my kitchen soon.

This dessert is said to have originated in England at The Hungry Monk restaurant in East Sussex, UK. Bananas and toffee combine to create Banoffee, a rich, sticky, and heavenly combination embraced by a Graham cracker crust and topped with a cloud of homemade whipped cream. Invite company when you make this. It is far too tempting to keep it around the house for long.

With only 5 ingredients, this recipe is as easy as can be. Making the toffee, though, can take time. What the British call toffee is better known in Florida as Dulce de Leche, or milk candy in Spanish. It is often made by submerging an unopened can of sweetened condensed milk in a pot of boiling water, and allowing it to simmer for 3 hours. By that time, the milk has darkened and become a sweet, thick confection. Sounds exciting. And maybe a little scary. Cooking for Engineers offered a microwave approach, but the mention of liquid napalm made me nervous. I settled for the comfort of a familiar double boiler. I should also tell you that when I bought the sweetened condensed milk, I also bought a can of Nestle's Dulce de Leche. Hey, it's the same thing...they just did the 3 hour cooking in a can for me. I made the toffee in the double boiler, and it was delicious. Then I opened the ready made can and guess what? Just as good. I can now whip this up in no time.

Fire-Roasted Beet Timbale with Wild Rice

This is perfect, even if you don't like beets. You can substitute butternut squash for the beets and have an equally delicious dish. (Or be crazy and do the beets and squash together -- it looks a bit like a traffic light but more festive.) This timbale is the perfect meal because it is easy enough to make on a weeknight, satisfying, and impressive enough to serve to company.

Beets are often paired with goat cheese, and I love the combination. Gary prefers feta. Both cheeses work well with the roast vegetables. Make it vegan by eliminating the cheese and lightly dressing the timbale with your favorite vinaigrette.

Preparation and assembly are a snap.There's some cooking time involved, but you are free to go and do other things. The beets can be prepared a day ahead and reheated or served cold, but I like them best when they are hot off the grill. They can also be roasted in the oven for about the same amount of time at 350F.

INGREDIENTS
The following quantities are per timbale
1 med beet (about 2 1/2" across)
1 cup prepared wild rice
1/4 cup goat cheese or feta cheese
2 teaspoons pistachios, shelled and very coarsely chopped
handful of arugula or watercress

PROCEDURE

• Heat up the grill. When coals are hot, push all the coals to one side.
• Wash and trim beets. You can grill them peeled or with skins on. They caramelize more when peeled and the sugars can rise to the surface. They are milder roasted with skins on.
• Wrap in a sealed foil packet. 
• Place on grill away from coals. Cover, making sure to leave the vents open.  Check back in 45 minutes to an hour. Turn the package over and wait another 30 - 40 minutes. Check by carefully unwrapping a small bit of the foil packet and inserting a knife into the beet. Beets should not be too soft, but they should not be crunchy, either. You'll know.
• Prepare wild rice according to package directions. Change it up and substitute your favorite quinoa recipe for the rice.
• Assemble:  
• Set a 3 inch round tube mold on a serving plate. Press in 1 cup rice or quinoa.
• Spread cheese on top of grain.
• Sprinkle on about 2/3 of the nuts.
• Top with chopped roasted beets or butternut squash.
• Garnish with remaining nuts and arugula.

Cashew Cream

This is the BEST thing to happen to vegetarian cooking, ever! Cashew cream is a versatile ingredient and a vegan substitute for butter, milk or cream. Whipped up with a little vanilla and sugar, it makes a wonderful dessert topping. Added to soups, you have all the texture and richness of cream, without the dairy product. It even makes vegan mashed potatoes just as comforting as their traditional counterparts.

A great dairy substitute

I discovered Cashew Cream in Tal Ronnen's cookbook, The Conscious Cook. Since then, it has become a staple in our kitchen. Freshly made, it will keep for about 3 days in the refrigerator, but it freezes well. Freezing can make it a bit lumpy, so give it a whirl in the blender once it has thawed.

Cashew cream is made with raw cashews and water. Raw cashews have little flavor, but with just a little nudge, they happily take on the personality of other ingredients. They contain enough fat to provide the creamy texture needed to fill out many recipes, and they provide a foundation for delightful sauces, soups, and even vegan "cheeses". This recipe is reproduced verbatim from The Conscious Cook. It is also published on Tal Ronnen's web site. If you are not already familiar with his creative cooking, I encourage you to visit.

CASHEW CREAM

INGREDIENTS
2 cups whole raw cashews (not pieces, which are often dry), rinsed very well under cold water

PROCEDURE

1. Put the cashews in a bowl and add cold water to cover them. Cover the bowl and refrigerate overnight.
   
2. Drain the cashews and rinse under cold water. Place them in a blender with enough fresh cold water to cover them by 1 inch. Blend on high for several minutes until very smooth. (If you’re not using a professional high-speed blender such as a Vita-Mix, which creates an ultra-smooth cream, strain the cashew cream through a fine-mesh sieve.)
   
3. To make thick cashew cream, which some of the recipes in this book call for, simply reduce the amount of water when they are placed in the blender, so that the water just slightly covers the cashews.
   

Makes about 2 1/4 cups thick cream or 3 1/2 cups regular cream
Prep time: 10 minutes, plus soaking overnight.

Quick & Easy Spinach Turnovers

After work last Friday I made a beeline for home. Nothing was going to divert me from the most direct route away from work to the refuge of my favorite chair, a glass of wine and a good book. I did not stop at the market, or even make the customary call to say I was on the way. If I had a plan for dinner, I don't remember it. Fend for yourself seemed like a good approach to the evening. As it turned out, company was coming for an impromptu happy hour. For some reason I cannot simply throw a bag of chips in a bowl and set it out. For one thing, I rarely have a bag of chips around -- they tend not to last long around here. But I did have a package of phyllo dough in the freezer and a fresh bag of spinach. That, along with a few staples and some dried spices, was sufficient to put together a quickie version of Spanokopita, or a spinach pie. In fact, these single serving editions had the advantage of being finger food. They also took only a fraction of the time the traditional dish takes. A variety of other fillings comes to mind, too.

They are best served at room temperature, or just slightly warmer. Leftovers make an easy lunch. 

Jamaican Rice with Pigeon Peas and Cocunut Milk

When one of my many brothers recently married, I was asked to assist in planning the reception menu. While I was delighted to do this, it would not be right to leave out another of my many brothers, who happens to be an absolutely amazing chef and the host for the reception party. In fact, it seemed that in the case of this particular party we needed to include absolutely everyone in the planning. For a while it felt like "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" and then I remembered that a lot of my life feels like that, except that we are Italian, not Greek. There are similarities.

The reception menu was truly a combined effort. I come from a large family, and everyone of us has lots of ideas, which we feel the need to express loudly and often. Do not misunderstand: this can be a very valuable tool in the right hands. With everyone donating ideas, it is not difficult to snatch up enough of them to put together a menu with an actual theme while giving everyone some say in the menu. That is exactly what happened when we put together this event. I really wish I had it on video. It would be an excellent demonstration of effective decision making amongst team members who have wildly varied ideas and only a ghost of a common theme: Hawaii.

And that, friends is how I come to offer you a recipe for Jamaican Rice with Pidgeon Peas. Hawaii is an island, Jamaica is an island, and my brother and new sister-in-law have visited both. 'Nuff said.

For many years I worked for a man from Jamaica whose wife was a wonderful cook. She made jerk chicken for my wedding a decade ago, and I always enjoyed her rice and peas. She didn't share recipes, but she did have occasion to eat my rice and peas and gave it her stamp of approval. Enjoy.

Spinach and Garbanzo Beans

Eureka! Quick, easy, delicious, comfort food. What more can you ask for? I have made this twice in the past week, and taken leftovers for lunch. Smoked paprika adds a warm, well -- smoky -- flavor. It is not your mother's paprika. The recipe is super flexible, so have your way with it. Leave out the bread, add more tomato sauce, do what you will.Let me know what you discover.

I love this as a main dish. Serve it with pita chips or a good, rustic bread with olive oil. It is also ideal for a tapas party dish. This recipe comes from Smitten Kitchen.


INGREDIENTS

• 4 T olive oil, divided
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 cups good bread, crust removed, cut into 1/2 inch cube 
• 1/2 t cumin
• pinch crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 T white wine vinegar (or red)
• 1 can garbanzo beans (chickpeas) drained and rinsed
• 2/3 cup tomato sauce ( I had an open jar of "Hot Sicilian", a current favorite)
• 1 10 oz package pre-washed spinach
• smoked paprika to sprinkle on top, optional
• lemon juice to drizzle on top, optional

1. In a deep skillet, heat 2 T olive oil. Fry the bread cubes until they are golden (about 3-4 minutes) then add the remaining olive oil, garlic, cumin, and crushed red pepper.
2. Transfer to blender or food processor, add vinegar, and process to a coarse, crumbly paste.
3. Return to skillet. Add garbanzos and tomato sauce. Cook, stirring occasionally, until beans are hot and thoroughly coated.
4. Add spinach to mixture in pan. Stir gently until spinach is just wilted (more if you prefer). 
5. Drizzle with lemon juice and add a dusting of smoke paprika, if you like.

pan-seared polenta

The wonderful thing about greens is that there are so many different kinds. Whether you stick with familiar spinach or venture into more esoteric varieties, greens are packed with vitamins, easy to prepare, can be dressed up for the most elegant dinners, and they taste great. Greens are a good source of iron and vitamin K. They also come prepackaged. Use this recipe for any kind of greens. Here are some of our favorites:

• Beet greens: with their ruffled green leaves and deep red stalks, beets are beautiful. They pack an unbelievable energy boost. Feeling a bit tired? These are the greens for you.
• Turnip greens: tangy, but subtle flavor. Substantial without being overpowering. Matte, dark green leaves with lots of texture.
  
• Collards: a Southern New Year's Day tradition along with Black-Eyed Peas. A tougher leaf than turnip greens, so require a little longer in the pan. Collards are best after the first cold snap, which sweetens them up a bit.
• Swiss Chard: rivals beets for beauty with rich green leaves and bright red stems. Cook stems first, as they take longer than leaves.
  
• Spinach: with its smooth, glossy green leaves, spinach makes a pretty presentation. Don't overcook this frequently abused leafy green veggie.

Sauteed Greens

Yield: 2 servings

• 1 T. Olive Oil
• 1/2 cup chopped onion (red is attractive)
• 1/4 cup nuts (pine nuts, walnuts, sugared pecan pieces)
• 1 lb greens

Optional finishes:

• drizzle a small amount of sesame oil on cooked greens and toss
• add crumbled Feta cheese and toss (especially good with pine nuts)
  

Heat olive oil in skillet. Saute onion on medium-low heat until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add greens and saute until just wilted. Add nuts, toss and saute for another minute or two, taking care not to let the greens get mushy. Greens should be tender, but still retain their individual leaf shapes.

Greens make a great side dish, but can become a main dish if served over rice or another grain.