Stir Fried Asparagus with Sesame Seeds

Sautéed Kale with Tahini Sauce

INGREDIENTS

1 pound kale, well rinsed

2 T olive oil

1 cup chopped onion

1 clove garlic, minced

Salt

4 Tbsp tahini (use tahini made with toasted sesame seeds, not raw)

2 Tbsp lemon juice

3-4 Tbsp water

1/2 teaspoon dark sesame oil

1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds for garnish

STEPS

1. Using a sharp paring knife, cut out the rib of each kale leaf. Discard or compost. Slice the leaves roughly 1/2-inch thick.

2. Heat olive oil on medium high heat in a large sauté pan. When hot, add the chopped onion. Cook for a couple of minutes until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for a minute more.

3. Add the kale to the sauté pan. Even if you have a pretty large pan, the kale will be practically falling out of it. Put in as much as you can and use tongs to turn over and mix with the oil and onions. After a couple minutes the kale should wilt a bit so you can add the rest of the raw kale. Cook, turning the kale leaves over occasionally until the kales leaves have wilted and are tender. Sprinkle a little salt over the kale leaves while cooking.

4. While the kale is cooking, whisk together the tahini, lemon juice, water, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and dark sesame oil. Add more salt and sesame oil to taste.

5. Once the kale is done, toss in the sauce, reserving a little to drizzle on top.

Serve, topped with a little sauce and toasted sesame seeds. Serves 4.

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Sweet-Potato and Parsnip Purée

Ingredients
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
4 parsnips, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup whole milk
3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preparation
Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and parsnips and boil gently until tender, about 12 minutes. Drain well and transfer to a food processor.
Add butter and purée until smooth. Add milk, brown sugar, and salt and blend well. Season with pepper. Serves 4.

Gourmet | January 2001

Swiss Chard

Ingredients
1 lb swiss chard (1 bunch)
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp heavy cream
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan
Salt and Pepper

Steps
Preheat the oven to 400F.

Wash chard leaved in several changes of cold water.

Pull the stems out of each leaf and cut stems into 1/2 inch chunks. Dry the leaves on paper towels or spin in a salad spinner.

Put the stems in a 2 inch deep baking dish that is large enough to accommodate all the chard leaves later (I use an 8 by 8 pyrex). Drizzle with 1 Tbsp olive oil. Add a pinch of salt and pepper and mix well. Roast in the middle of the oven until the stems are tender and golden brown, about 20 minutes.

Pile the leaves on top of the stems. Drizzle with remaining 1 Tbsp olive oil. Toss with tongs and return to the oven. Roast until the greens wilt, about 5 minutes.

Stir in the cream, taste and add more salt and pepper if needed. Sprinkle with Parmesan and return to the oven until cream is bubbly and Parmesan is melted. Serves 2.

Beyond Salmon

Spinach with Sesame and Garlic

Ingredients
3 Tbsp dark sesame oil
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 lb fresh spinach, large stems removed, roughly chopped
1 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp soy sauce
Salt to taste
1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds*

Steps
Put 2 Tbsp of the sesame oil in a large skillet over medium heat; a minute later add the garlic. As soon as the garlic begins to sizzle, add the spinach and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is completely wilted. Turn heat to low.

Stir in the sugar and soy sauce and cook for a few more moments. Turn off the heat; add salt to taste. Serve hot, warm, room temperature, or cold, drizzled with the remaining sesame oil and sprinkled with sesame seeds.

* To toast sesame seeds, heat a stick-free skillet on medium high. Add raw sesame seeds and use a spatula or wooden spoon to stir. The seeds will make a popping noise and jump up, almost like popcorn. They will toast very quickly, so stir constantly until they begin to brown and smell like they are toasted. Remove from pan into a separate bowl as soon as they are done.

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Roasted Baby Carrots

Ingredients
1 1/2 lbs of 5 inch long baby carrots, carefully washed, greens cropped to 1 inch above top of carrot
1 red onion, peeled, cut into 8 wedges
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp fresh chopped rosemary, or 1 teaspoon of dried rosemary
Garlic powder
Salt and pepper

Steps
1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Gently toss together the carrots, red onion, rosemary to coat with the olive oil. Lay out on a rimmed baking pan. Sprinkle with garlic powder, salt, and pepper.

2. Roast for 30 to 40 minutes on middle rack or bottom rack, until well browned. Serves 4.

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Baby Bok Choy with Cashews

Ingredients
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup chopped green onions, including green ends
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 pound baby bok choy, rinsed, larger leaves separated from base, base trimmed but still present, holding the smaller leaves together
1/2 teaspoon dark sesame oil
Salt
1/2 cup chopped, roasted, salted cashews

Steps
1. Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan on medium high heat. Add onions, then garlic, then bok choy. Sprinkle with sesame oil and salt. Cover, and let the baby bok choy cook down for approximately 3 minutes. (Like spinach, when cooked, the bok choy will wilt a bit.)

2. Remove cover. Lower heat to low. Stir and let cook for a minute or two longer, until the bok choy is just cooked.

3. Gently mix in cashews. Serves 4.

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Simple Asparagus

Ingredients
1 bunch of medium sized asparagus, about 1 lb
2 Tbsp of the most exquisite extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon lemon zest - freshly grated lemon rind
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Steps
1. Prepare the asparagus by rinsing them thoroughly, break off any tough, white bottoms and discard. Cut into 1 to 2 inch sections, slicing the asparagus at a slight diagonal.

2. Fill a medium sized saucepan half way with water, bring to a boil. Add the asparagus and reduce heat slightly to a simmer. Parboil the asparagus for exactly 2 minutes. Drain the hot water. While the asparagus are still hot, toss them in a bowl with the olive oil, Parmesan, and lemon rind. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm or room temperature.

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Stuffed Mushrooms

Ingredients
15 large button mushrooms, wiped clean
1/4 red bell pepper, diced
1/4 sweet yellow onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
3-4 tbsp Parmesan cheese, shredded (divided)
1 tbsp mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
1/2 block of low fat cream cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsp Italian style bread crumbs

Steps
Preheat oven to 375 degrees and spray a tin foil lined baking sheet with cooking spray. Wipe the mushrooms clean with a damp towel then carefully remove stems. Add the mushroom stems, bell pepper, onion and garlic to a food processor and mix until chopped finely. Combine mushroom mixture in a large bowl with 2 tablespoons of Parmesan, mozzarella, basil, cream cheese, salt and pepper. Taste and re-season if needed. Scoop filling into mushroom caps. Sprinkle bread crumbs and remaining Parmesan on top of each mushroom and place on baking sheet. Bake uncovered in the oven for 15-20 minutes.

For The Love Of Cooking

Yam Souffle

Ingredients
4 large yams (approx. 4 pounds)
3T butter
1/2 c heavy cream
2 egg yolks, beaten
2 egg whites at room temp.
Pinch cream of tartar

Steps
Bake yams at 375 for 30 minutes. Prick and bake 30 more minutes or until very soft.

Scrape flesh into a bowl, mash with the back of a spoon and season with salt and pepper. They can be prepared up to this point a day ahead.)

Heat butter and cream in saucepan just until the butter melts. Stir into yams and add egg yolks.

Beat egg whites with pinch of salt. When frothy, add cream of tartar and beat until stiff peaks form. Fold into the yam mixture.

Spoon into buttered 1 1/2 quart shallow baking dish. Smooth the top and score it lightly. Optional: sprinkle with brown sugar.)

Bake at 475 for 15-20 minutes, until yams are puffed and lightly browned at the edge.

Gourmet Magazine
October 1984

Roasted Eggplant

Ingredients
skinny purple eggplants
2t olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
Garlic cloves
Plum tomatoes, chopped (or one 8oz can of chopped plum tomatoes)
1T grated Parmesan cheese
1T dried oregano

Steps
Preheat oven to 375.
Cut off stem end of each eggplant, slice into 2-inch chunks and place in casserole
Sprinkle with olive oil and top with freshly ground black pepper
Cut each garlic clove in half and nestle among eggplant pieces
Layer tomatoes atop eggplant and garlic
Top with cheese
Roast for 15 minutes. Turn and continue cooking for another 15 minutes
Top with oregano

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Spinach with Sesame and Garlic

Ingredients
3 Tbsp dark sesame oil
1 Tbsp minced garlic (or less – to your taste)
1 lb fresh spinach, large stems removed, roughly chopped
1 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp soy sauce
Salt to taste
1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds*

Steps
Put 2 Tbsp of the sesame oil in a large skillet over medium heat; a minute later add the garlic. As soon as the garlic begins to sizzle, add the spinach and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is completely wilted.

Turn heat to low.

Stir in the sugar and soy sauce and cook for a few more moments. Turn off the heat; add salt to taste.

Serve hot, warm, room temperature, or cold, drizzled with the remaining sesame oil and sprinkled with sesame seeds.

* To toast sesame seeds, heat a stick-free skillet on medium high. Add raw sesame seeds and use a spatula or wooden spoon to stir. The seeds will make a popping noise and jump up, almost like popcorn. They will toast very quickly, so stir constantly until they begin to brown and smell like they are toasted. Remove from pan into a separate bowl as soon as they are done.

Adapted from The Best Recipes in the World.
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