Posts by: Andrew Cohen
Lemony Grilled Squash
This is a quick and simple preparation that adds pizzazz to a vegetable that many see as pretty bland. Although marinating is something that is normally associated with meat, many vegetables benefit from marinating as well. Using salt here would result in flabby vegetables, so do not salt until just before grilling.
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Tagged with: squash
There are a few variations of this dressing, and many stories as to its origin. The story that is generally accepted in the restaurant world is that Caesar Cardini invented the recipe “on the fly” once when the restaurant was packed and he was out of some ingredients. A quick scan of the pantry gave these ingredients along with the salad base, and then he prepared the salad at tableside for flair. Cardini family legend has it that Caesar did not put in anchovy as he didn’t like them. Supposedly these were added later by a relative. The salad traditionally is made with smaller whole leaves from closer to the center of the head, and the leaves were picked up or cut with knife and fork. I make the dressing without egg yolk because I am lazy. You can also substitute mayonnaise for the egg yolk. Yolk or mayo really do give you a much richer dressing that coats the leaves beautifully, but the flavor is still quite good without them. You will need to use more olive oil to get the right emulsification of the dressing instead.
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Caesar Salad
Quite popular in its original form, the Caesar Salad has enjoyed a renaissance that has lasted for over the last decade and then some. The salad has become a vehicle for everything from chicken to seafood to beef. There have been some versions that shared little with the original but the name and Romaine lettuce. Here is the stripped down version close to the original. The salad was supposedly first concocted from things Caesar Cardini had on hand at his restaurant when he was faced with a large party and was out of many ingredients. It was prepared tableside with much flair.
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From what I can gather, “Roman Style” here means “with mint”. I love mint, and I love artichokes. So…
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INGREDIENTS:
1 bunch of collard greens 1 half of a spring red onion 1 teaspoon bacon fatContinue reading »
This is a simple dish that can be eaten hot or room temperature, as an appetizer or as a light main dish with a salad or soup. You can use other greens in this as well, such as arugula or spinach, and it is a great way to use greens that look less than perfect.
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Tagged with: arugula • chard • cheese • eggs • kale • mustard greens • onions • spinach • tomatoes • turnip greens
INGREDIENTS:
½ bunch scallions, green parts and whites separated and sliced finely 2 cloves garlic, peeled and de-germed and minced 1 leaf of fresh sage, slivered finely 1 cup farro ¼ cup white wine 3 cups liquid (water, stock, a combination) Salt and pepper to taste 2-3 tablespoons olive oilContinue reading »
I like my tabbouleh good and green. I use a lot of mint if I have it, or I just use flat leaf parsley if I don’t. If tomatoes are in season, I use them as well. If not, well-I just don’t use them, but only use good tomatoes as there is nowhere for a lousy tomato to hide here. I find tabbouleh a great way to use up the lemons on my Meyer lemon tree when it goes into overdrive, and tabbouleh keeps for a couple days so it helps when I need something fast. Look for bulghur in bulk bins instead of boxes. It is usually fresher and tends to be a slightly larger grain which I prefer.
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Tagged with: green onions • Italian parsley • lemon • Meyer lemon • parsley • scallions • vegan • vegetarian
To me, “white balsamic vinegar” is a bit of a misnomer as one of the things that give balsamic vinegar its particular flavor is the succession of barrels it goes through over time. The white balsamic version is lighter and subtler than regular balsamic vinegars, and makes a nice dressing or sauce for when you want to complement more delicate flavors.
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This recipe comes from my sushi bar days. This is based on the frugality typical of Japanese Buddhist cuisine. We used a lot of spinach and had a lot of stems sitting around. I had seen a recipe where the “root crowns”-the cluster of stems that gather into the root at the end of the bunch- were blanched and dressed and served as a little side dish. We served these as a little gift from the chef when people first sat down. The hardest part of this recipe is cleaning the crowns. Lots of water is the trick here. You won’t get a lot of these from a bunch, but they are worth doing as the take little time and are very good.
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These packets are three recipes rolled into one. It seems like a long recipe, but it is not really hard. It does require a little time, but the rewards are great, and the steps can be broken up over a couple days or more. This is an easy recipe to expand, and all elements of the dish freeze well, so making extras is a good idea. You can freeze the lentils alone or combined with the vegetables, or freeze the entire packets for another meal. Once you have done this dish you will find shortcuts or variations of your own. The recipe is three parts; the lentils, the vegetable hash, and the assembled finished timbales (another name for the finished packets). When cutting up vegetables for the recipe, just remember that everything should be around the size of the lentils-keeping in mind the lentils will expand a little when cooked.
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Ohitashi are a classic of Japanese cuisine. Typically, they spinach is marinated in a broth based on “dashi”, which is a broth made of dried smoked bonito flakes and seaweed. This is a simpler version using water. To make this even easier, simply remove the stems entirely from the dish, then microwave the spinach to wilt it. This keeps in the refrigerator for a couple days.
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Baja Marinade
This recipe just sort of happened one afternoon in summer long ago. It is still a favorite. Originally used on top sirloin steaks, this marinade is very versatile. This makes for great tacos, so make extra of whatever protein you choose. It also works on tofu, but it is best if you press the tofu overnight and then marinate it all day before grilling. Add 2 more tablespoons of oil for one block of pressed tofu to keep it from sticking to the grill.
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Orecchitte with Lemon Rapini “Sauce”
I like the idea of using vegetables as the sauce on pasta. This is a perfect example.
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Tagged with: rapini
Tagged with: collards
Here is another mei quin and shiitake recipe. This version has a little more depth of flavor that comes from the Ground Bean Paste, and the shiitake flavor is less prominent. Although based on traditional Chinese techniques and ingredients, I doubt you’ll find it in any restaurant. My family loved it, even the kids.
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Sometimes I just get in the mood for something from my childhood, and when it comes to salads, this does it. This is based on a taste memory of the Thousand Island dressing from the now defunct Marshall Field’s Department store in Chicago. This dressing is great on turkey sandwiches or salads with lots of chunky veggies in it.
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Although this seems like a lot of ingredients, this recipe utilizes two components that are then combined for the end product. The second set of ingredients is used to flavor the choi and uses the stems that would usually be discarded, which bothered me. When I first did this recipe, I was tossing the stems into a small teapot that “was there” to keep them out of the way-thus the genesis of this idea.
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Vinaigrettes are usually thought of as oil and vinegar dressing. In actuality, vinaigrettes can be used as a sauce, especially for fish and poultry, on sandwiches, as a marinade, or even as a pasta sauce. Vinaigrettes are great poured over roasted vegetables such as potatoes, parsnips, and beets, while still warm so the flavors are absorbed. This makes an excellent salad, and is, in fact, how German potato salad is made.
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I was in the mood for salad, but wanted something a little creamer than the usual vinaigrette. I also wanted something a little light as I was dressing baby greens. My Meyer lemon tree had just given me an abundance of fruit also, so all these things were playing in my mind as I opened the refrigerator. Here is the result.
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Here is a “suite” of dressings that all turn on one basic dressing called “amazu”. Amazu is the dressing you get on your basic sunomono, or cucumber salad at Japanese restaurants. The rest are just variations on a theme. When it comes to oil, I keep it very light. Instead of the basic 3:1 ratio of vinaigrette, if I use oil with this dressing I go very lightly, making what is sometimes called a “slack” in restaurants. The idea is to use just enough to help the flavors stick to the food. Usually, this is something like a 1:1 ratio.
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I love arugula, and am always looking for new ways to use it. I find the arugula is sharp enough without the addition of cheese, and almonds are used instead of pine nuts, which are also a little sharp, but almonds “talk” to the nuttiness of arugula. A knife works best for this as a food processor over works the arugula and gives it a slippery texture, plus it tends to cook it a bit. Also, I enjoy the whole process of cutting the arugula by hand-the smell as you cut the leaves and nuts, the sounds-it is a form of meditation.
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INGREDIENTS:
1 bunch of beets 1 teaspoon olive oil salt and pepper to taste 2 tablespoons of water 1-2 tablespoons vinegar such as white balsamic or sherryContinue reading »
Tagged with: basic • beets • chioggia beets • gluten-free • golden beets • Red Ace Beets • roasted • vegan • vegetarian
INGREDIENTS:
2 cups roasted beets 1 Tbsp neutral flavored oil such as grapeseed or olive oil 1 Tbsp unsalted butter 2 oz. orange juiceContinue reading »
Tagged with: beets • chioggia beets • gluten-free • golden beets • radishes • Red Ace Beets • roasted • sauteed • vegetarian
This is a fancy appetizer I did for a party once, but it is so good it keeps showing up. Although I like the stacked presentation a lot, this salad works equally well when simply tossed in a bowl and then put onto plates. Also, since I like it so well, the 3 inch diameter salad isn’t always large enough.
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Quick and easy, this dish is quite flexible. Just add whatever herbs you want, change the liquid around, add chili flakes or not, you could even add a little grated Parmesan to the pan at the end if you wish. Make it your own!
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Tagged with: broccoli
This is a variant of an old standby around here, and is similar to what you get when you order Chinese Chicken salad. The dressing is good for many things-try it on sliced cucumbers. You can add things to this slaw to fancy it up easily; try chopped dates and peanuts, or raisins or green onions.
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