VEGETABLE PAELLA

Serves 4-5
1 T. olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium eggplant, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch dice
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 cup uncooked short-grain white rice (I used 1 and 1/4 cups rice)
1 and 1/2 cups vegetable broth
a pinch of saffron threads
1 tsp. smoked paprika
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
28 oz. can diced fire-roasted tomatoes, undrained
salt and freshly ground black pepper
15 oz. can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
6 oz. jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 and 1/2 cups frozen green peas
2 T. chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp. finely minced lemon zest
chopped black olives and/or feta cheese for garnish (optional)

Heat the oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven. Add onion and cook for 5 minutes. Add garlic, eggplant and bell pepper and cook 3 minutes longer. Stir in the rice, 1 cup of broth and teh saffron, paprika, bay leaf, oregano, red pepper flakes and diced tomatoes with juice.

Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to medium. Season with salt and pepper, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir in the chickpeas, artichoke hearts, and peas. If the mixture seems dry, add the remaining 1/2 cup of broth (or more).  Stir in the parsley and lemon zest and cook until the rice and veg are tender, about 10 more minutes. Remove and discard teh bay leaf. Taste and adjust seasonings, serve hot, sprinkled with olives and feta if you'd like to add them.

Crispy Sweet Potato Roast

Crispy Sweet Potato Roast 
The only thing that you might find exasperating about this recipe is how hard it is to get the measurements just right. I used a 2-quart oval baking dish and needed 5 pounds of smallish sweet potatoes to fill it. If yours are smaller or thinner, you might need fewer pounds. If yours are thicker, you might want to safely buy 6 pounds. It seems safest to buy a little extra, just in case. Mine baked in an hour, but thicker-sliced potatoes could take up to 15 minutes longer. You can absolutely make this ahead of time. It will warm well wherever you go. It can be made up to two days in advance, and still taste as good as day one.
3 tablespoons salted or unsalted butter, melted
3 tablespoons olive oil
Coarse salt and black pepper or red pepper flakes to taste
5 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced thin
2 shallots, peeled and sliced thin

Heat oven to 375°F (190°C). Heat butter and oil together until butter has melted. Pour 2 tablespoons of the mixture in the bottom of a 2-quart baking dish. (Mine is 9.5-by-12-inches, if that helps.) Sprinkle butter/oil puddle with some salt and pepper. Arrange your potato slices vertically in the dish. Add a sliver of shallot between every few slices of potato, if desired. Brush tops of potatoes with remaining butter/oil and season generously with more salt and pepper. Cover dish with foil and bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until potatoes are tender and almost fully cooked. Increase oven heat to 450æF (190°C), remove foil and let roast another 10 to 20 minutes, until tops of potatoes are nicely browned.
If you’d like to finish this with the Thanksgiving Salsa Verde I show here, or at least serve it on the side, place 1 scant cup of parsley leaves, 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, 1 generous teaspoon of fresh thyme and sage leaves, 1 small garlic clove, the zest of 1/2 a lemon and 2 teaspoons capers (rinsed and drained if salted) in a food processor or blender and blend until finely chopped. Drizzle in 7 tablespoons olive oil with the machine running, or enough the mixture is loose and somewhat pourable. Season well with salt and pepper flakes.

Coconut Rice

Easy Thai Coconut Rice

Total Time: 25 minutes

Yield: SERVES 4

Ingredients:

• 2 cups Thai jasmine-scented white rice (for brown coconut rice, see link below)
• 2 cups good-quality coconut milk
• 1 3/4 cups water
• 2 heaping Tbsp. dry shredded unsweetened coconut (baking type)
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. coconut oil, OR vegetable oil
• Optional: 1-2 Tbsp. toasted coconut for garnish (see instructions below recipe)

Preparation:

For a step-by-step version of this recipe, see: Easy Thai Coconut Rice Recipe. To Make Brown Coconut Rice, see my: Brown Coconut Rice Recipe.

1. Rub oil over the bottom of a deep-sided pot. You will also need a tight-fitting lid.
2. Place rice, coconut milk, water, shredded coconut, and salt in the pot and set over medium-high to high heat. Stir occasionally to keep rice from sticking to the bottom of the pot and burning.
3. Once the coconut-water has begun to gently bubble, stop stirring and reduce heat to low (just above minimum). Cover tightly with a lid and let simmer 15-20 minutes, or until most of the liquid has been absorbed by the rice. To check, pull rice aside with a fork. If most of the coconut milk-water is gone, go on to the next step.
4. Replace the lid and turn off the heat, but leave the covered pot on the burner to steam another 5-10 minutes, or until you're ready to eat. Tip: Your Coconut Rice will stay warm this way for up to 1 hour or more, great for when you're expecting company!
5. When ready to serve, remove the lid and fluff rice with a fork or chopsticks. Taste-test the rice for salt, adding a little more if needed. Serve right out of the pot, or transfer to a serving bowl. This rice is excellent served with a variety of both Thai and Indian dishes, such as curries or seafood recipes. If desired, top your rice with a sprinkling of toasted coconut and ENJOY! (see below for toasted coconut instructions). To Toast Coconut: Place 1 Tbsp. dry shredded coconut in a frying pan over medium-high heat and stir ("dry fry") until light golden brown (see: Toasting Shredded Coconut.).
   For a more savory coconut rice, see: Saffron Coconut Rice Recipe (with Spices).
   

Garlic, Chili and Lime Stir Fry

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup finely chopped shallots or purple onion
• 5-6 cloves garlic, minced or finely chopped
• 1-2 thumb-size pieces galangal OR ginger, sliced into thin matchstick pieces
• 1/2 to 1 small fresh red chili, sliced, OR 1/4 to 1/2 tsp. chili flakes
• 1 medium-size carrot, sliced
• optional: 1 small head cauliflower, cut into florets
• 1 small head broccoli, cut into florets
• 1 red pepper, sliced into strips
• 2-3 cups baby bok choy, or other Chinese cabbage (leaves left whole if not too large, otherwise cut in half or thirds)
• handful fresh Thai basil
• 2 Tbsp. coconut oil or other vegetable oil
• STIR-FRY SAUCE:
• 2/3 cup coconut milk
• 2+1/2 Tbsp. fish sauce (vegetarians/vegans: substitute 2 Tbsp. Thai Golden Mountain Sauce OR 2 Tbsp. soy sauce)
• 3+1/2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
• 1+1/2 Tbsp. soy sauce
• 1/3 to 1/2 tsp. dried crushed chili (chili flakes)
• 2+1/2 tsp. brown sugar

Preparation:

1. Combine all 'stir fry sauce' ingredients together in a cup or bowl. Stir well to dissolve the sugar. Taste-test the sauce, keeping in mind that the first taste should be spicy-salty, followed by sweetness and the rich taste of the coconut milk. Adjust these flavors to suit your taste, adding more lime juice if too sweet or salty (note that it will be less salty when combined with the vegetables).
2. Warm a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the oil and swirl around, then add the shallot/onion, garlic, ginger, and chili. Stir-fry 1-2 minutes, then add the carrot, mushrooms, and cauliflower (if using). Also add 1/4 of the stir-fry sauce. Continue stir-frying 2-3 minutes.
3. Add the broccoli and red pepper plus up to 1/2 of remaining stir-fry sauce, enough to gently simmer vegetables in the sauce (about 2 minutes). Note: this is a 'saucy' stir-fry that is never dry - the sauce is meant to flavor the rice or noodles it is served with.
4. Finally add the bok choy or Chinese cabbage. Add more of the stir-fry sauce as needed, enough to just cover vegetables in sauce. Simmer until bok choy or cabbage is cooked but still bright green with some crispness (2-3 minutes more).
5. Remove from heat and do one last taste-test. If not salty enough, add a little more fish or soy sauce. If too salty or sweet, add another squeeze of lime juice. Add more sugar or chili if desired. Top with fresh basil and serve over Thai jasmine-scented rice. Or, to bring out the coconut flavor, serve with Thai Coconut Rice. Note: Any leftover sauce can be stored for 1 week in a covered container in your refrigerator for future stir-fries (see below for ideas). ENJOY!

LENTIL CHILI

Serve over brown rice....recipe from Yoga Journal

1.5 cups of brown lentils
1 T. olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 15 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1.5 cups frozen corn kernels
3 cups water
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cumin
1 T. chili powder
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
Avocado and cilantro for topping, optional

Cover lentils with water and bring to a boil. Boil 3 minutes and drain.
Meanwhile, heat olive oil in large soup pot over medium heat.
Add onion and saute for about 5 minutes.
Add jalapeno and garlic and saute for another minute. 
Add lentils, tomatoes, corn, water, salt cumin, chili powder and cinnamon.
Bring to a boil. Cover pot and reduce heat to lower. Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Top with diced avocado and cilantro leaves.

Cinnamon Hazelnut Biscotti with Dark Chocolate Chips

Makes 30 cookies - doubles well

 

-3/4 cup butter

-1 cup white sugar

-2 eggs

-1 and 1/2 tsp. vanilla

-2 and 1/2 cups flour

-1 tsp. cinnamon

-3/4 tsp. baking powder

-1/2 tsp. salt

-1 cup chopped hazelnuts

-1/2 - 1 cup dark chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a cookie sheet or line with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Sift together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt; mix into the egg mixture. Stir in the hazelnuts and chocolate ships. Shape dough into two equal logs approximately 12 inches long. Place logs on baking sheet, and flatten out to about 1/2 inch thickness.
3. Bake for about 30 minutes in preheated oven, or until edges are golden and the center is firm. Remove from oven to cool on the pans. When loaves are cool enough to handle, use a serrated knife to slice the loaves diagonally into 1/2 inch thick slices. Return the slices to the baking sheet.
4. Bake for an additional 10 minutes, turning over once. Cool completely, and store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Savory Vegetable Pancakes

From Mark Bitten in the New York Times

Master recipe: (makes 8 little pancakes = one serving)

- Beat together one egg, 2 tsp. water or milk, and 2 T. flour (worked fine with gluten free flour mix).
- Stir in 1/3 to 1/2 cup of any of the ingredients and seasonings below, and season with salt and pepper.
-Works fine to double or quadruple the recipe.

Add a not-too-thin layer of olive oil to a large skillet over medium heat. When hot, spoon in 8 little pancakes , turning once, until golden on both sides (2-3 minutes per side). Serve warm

Fillings:
Chopped olives and chopped rosemary
Diced and sauteed red pepper, add a little cumin
Fresh little spinach leaves, lightly sauteed, with a little curry powder
Green peas, thawed, and sauteed green onion. Garnish with shredded mint leaves
Cherry tomatoes, sauteed and drained, with a little garlic and basil