You guys, if you like cookbooks, and you like vegetables, and you don’t have Ottolenghi’s Plenty, do yourself the biggest favor and order/buy it right now. This is my “go to” vegetable cookbook, and it’s beautiful to boot.

I’ve been on a big cauliflower kick. Having liked it, but mostly ignored it, cauliflower reappeared in my life like that kid you’ve known for years whom you suddenly recognize to be the love of your life.

This is my favorite way of making cauliflower. Ottolenghi is my inspiration, but I’ve modified the recipe slightly. I omit the olives and the bay leaves, and instead, I add curry powder. Curry powder and cauliflower are like chocolate and peanut butter. Heaven.

Roasted Curried Cauliflower
*Adapted from Yotam Ottolenghi’s Saffron Cauliflower recipe in “Plenty”
Serves 4
1 1/2 tsp saffron
1/3 cup boiling water
1 1/2 tsp curry powder (or to your liking)
1 medium cauliflower, divided into florets
1 large red onion sliced (rings)
2/3 cups golden raisins
4 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
4 tbsp roughly chopped parsley

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Put the saffron strings in a small bowl, pour boiling water over them, and let the saffron steep for a few minutes (you can omit this step if you don’t have saffron, add more curry powder and it will save the day).

Add the cauliflower, raisins, onions, curry powder, salt, pepper, olive oil and the saffron with its water into a big bowl. Mix everything together.

Transfer the mix onto an oven proof dish/roasting pan, roast for 40-45 minutes. Stir the cauliflower every 15 minutes to prevent it from burning. I like the cauliflower tender and slightly carmelized (don’t let it get too mushy or too brown).

Once it’s cooked, remove, cool slightly, and then add the parsley. Add salt or pepper if need be.

Don’t leave out the raisins! They plump up during cooking and don’t taste raisiny.

This dish will disappear quickly.

Omg, macaroni and cheese! One of the greatest inventions man has ever made!

On Saturday, I attended my friend’s annual rib-off (a rib cooking competition). This year, he added a new category in the competition: the “mac-off.” Given that the macaroni and cheese competition was in its infancy, there were a few bumps in the road that made the evaluation of the mac’s less than ideal. Most importantly, all of the macs were cold by the time anyone tried them. This is a huge fail. Baked mac n’ cheese is best eaten and evaluated while hot. Period-end-of-story. The second problem was that there were too many entries, see here:

A lot of people didn’t even make it to the end of the table, thusly not all the macs were tried, and how can you award a winner when only a few were sampled? Further proof of this is that the winners were #2 (vegetarian category), and #3 (meat category). The veggie category went all the way up to 10, but it was evident that most people stopped around 6. Ok, I promise, I’m not a sore loser. My mac n’ cheese did NOT hold up well after sitting outside cooling for 2 hours, while the winner’s (#2) did. The winner’s mac n’ cheese was outstanding; I’m not going to lie. But if the conditions were fair, I think mine could have been a safe runner-up. I love this recipe; it’s the shit, but eat it when it’s hot.

Truffle and thyme macaroni and cheese
*My recipe is adapted from the one from Bertha’s Kitchen, published in Saveur May/2011

Serves 10-12

1 lb. elbow macaroni (I like the bigger variety)
4 tbsp. unsalted butter
1/4 cup flour
3 cups milk
1 1/2 lb.s grated cheese – I use a combo of sharp white cheddar, medium orange cheddar, mozzarella, and gouda
1 cup grated cheddar – for the top
1/3 cup grated parmesan – for the top
2-3 tbsp. truffle oil
4-5 sprigs fresh thyme
Kosher salt – to taste
Pepper – to taste
Freshly grated nutmeg – to taste

Pre-heat oven at 375 degrees.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Add pasta, cook halfway through (al dente), drain and set aside.

Heat the butter in a 2-qt saucepan over medium-high heat. Whisk in the flour and cook until smooth, about a minute (you don’t want to brown your roux).  Add the milk slowly, and whisk until your sauce thickens.  It should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.  This will take about 10 minutes.

Add your grated cheeses to the sauce.  Stir until melted and smooth.  Add salt and pepper, and freshly grated nutmeg. Take the sauce off the heat, and add in the truffle oil.* Your kitchen will start to smell amazing.

Stir in the pasta. Add fresh thyme, stir again. Transfer the mixture to a 9″ x 13″ baking dish.

Cover the pasta with the remaining grated cheese and parmesan.

Bake in the oven until the top is bubbly and golden brown, about 35 minutes. If after that time the top is still not browned, you can turn up the oven to broil, and broil the top for just a few minutes (be careful not to burn it, the broiler works fast).

Very important: LET IT COOL 10 minutes before serving. However, don’t wait more than half an hour or the magic will be lost.

The truffle oil is key!

*Truffle oil is worth the dough it costs. It really tastes amazing, the truffle taste is super concentrated, and it adds so much incredible flavor to pastas, potatoes, soup, etc.

*Copper river salmon, y’all!

It’s wild salmon season! Maybe it’s having been born and raised in the Northwest, but even as a vegan-leaning person, I have a hard time giving up salmon. I’ve already done a salmon recipe on here, but I’m always trying to figure out new ways to make it.

I make salmon about every other week for the family I cook for. I’ve been cooking for them for about 9 months. I’ve probably made salmon 72 times this past year. I’ve seared it, grilled it, baked it low and slow, baked it at a super high temp, baked it covered, uncovered, etc. and so forth.

Here’s what I’ve learned!
1. Making a paste with some combination of herbs, salt, pepper, lemon zest, and oil is the way to go.
2. Baking is better than searing. Grilling is awesome, but I don’t always want to deal with a grill.
3. I’ve found that the optimal baking temperature is 400-425 degrees. I cook the fish uncovered for 10-12 minutes depending on the fillet size. Fish doesn’t need long, so check on it if you’re not sure. To check if you’re salmon is done, you can do two things. 1) Press on it gently. It should feel firm and slightly resistant. Too firm and it’s overdone. 2) Stick a knife blade through the thickest part. Pull it out, and press the blade against your lip. If the blade feels hot, it’s done. Easy, right?

This recipe comes from my brain.* God, I love fresh dill. I also love lemon. I also love garlic. There seemed to be no reason that all 3 shouldn’t be combined in some easy way to put all over some beautiful salmon. I bet you could rock this on some halibut if you aren’t into salmon.

garlic, dill, lemon salmon
Serves 4

Ingredients
2 pounds salmon
2-3 cloves garlic
Handful of dill – chopped fine
Zest of one large lemon
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
1-2 Tbl. olive oil
Kosher salt
Pepper

This is so easy it hardly needs a recipe.

Preheat your oven to 425 (or grill it)

Get out a small bowl. Zest your lemon into it. Press your garlic into the bowl (a garlic press works really well for this recipe, you could also mince it and use a mortar and pestle). Chop up your
dill super fine and add it to the mix. Squeeze half a lemon into the bowl. Scoop in at least a teaspoon of kosher salt (more if you’re a big salt fan). Grind up some pepper over that (to taste). Glug about 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil into the bowl. Stir it all up. It should be thick and paste-like, not too thin and oily. If you added too much lemon juice or oil, you can always add more garlic, salt, and dill (you could use the extra paste on some veggies and roast em’).

Rub the paste all over the salmon fillets (as seen above). Place in baking dish (it can be a pyrex 9×10 thing, or a cookie sheet, or whatever). Bake for 10-12 minutes or until done.

I like to serve this with a horseradish or a mustard sauce. Both of which are also super easy to make. To your liking, use a combination of mayo, plain greek yogurt, whole grain mustard or prepared horseradish, a little apple cider vinegar, salt and pepper, stir, yum.

*I’m sure there are lots of recipes like this out there. If so, hoorah! Great minds think alike, and I in no way intend to take credit for inventing this combination of ingredients. I just don’t have an existing recipe to attribute it to.

This is my new favorite breakfast. Making muesli is easy enough, but its preparation poses a psychological challenge (for me). Muesli is best prepared the night before you intend to eat it. If you’re an exceptional meal planner, or the kind of person who packs a lunch in the evening, then you’re bound to have no problem making muesli. If you’re like me, and you get home after a long day at work, and are barely capable of making a cup of tea, muesli proves itself to be a little more challenging. That said, if you wake up with a muesli craving, you can get by with soaking it for only an hour (this statement is probably an abomination to the Europeans). The longer it sits, the yummier it gets.

The ingredients, and how much of each you add, are all a matter of taste. Someday, when I have slightly more time on my hands, I’ll combine all the muesli ingredients from scratch. At this point, I buy a pre-made muesli mix from the bulk bins at Nature Mart in Los Feliz. Trader Joe’s sells a blueberry muesli that’s not too bad either.

Muesli
Serves 2
Ingredients
1 1/2 – 2 cups muesli
1 banana*
1/2 cup blueberries (frozen or fresh)
1 cup raspberries (frozen or fresh)
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
3/4 – 1 cup milk (I like almond milk or whole grain milk)
1 tsp ground flax seed
Maple syrup/honey/yogurt
*I’ve also made muesli with cut up apple, nectarine, peach, plum, etc.

In a bowl: chop up the banana, add fresh fruit, squeeze lemon all over, add the milk, mix it up, cover, and stick it in the fridge over night. When you wake up, take it out of the fridge, the liquid will be absorbed. Drizzle with maple syrup or honey, or add some yogurt and enjoy.

Zucchini has such a presence in spring and summer, and even though the weather isn’t cooperating, it IS almost summer. While I love all vegetables, zucchini is probably my least favorite. It can be bitter, and it has a weird shoe-y after taste (to me). But it’s so easy to find, and so easy to use, and therefore I think a good recipe for zucchini is worth noting.

The only tool thing this recipe requires that you may not already own is a Japanese Mandoline. This purchase is worth the minor investment. Mandolines are amazing (ratatouille, chips, thin slices of cucumber, ribbons of veggies, etc. etc.)

This recipe is both pretty and yummy. I’ve made minor changes, but mostly it’s the recipe from America’s Test Kitchen: 30-Minute Suppers, which is a magazine found on newsstands right now.

*feta served on the side for non-dairy eaters

Zucchini ribbon salad with olives, mint and feta

4-6 small zucchinis (depending on size)
3 tablespoons shredded mint
1/2 cup halved kalamata olives
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Dressing:
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
Juice of half a lemon (depending on size, or to taste)
Zest of half a lemon
Salt and pepper

Slice the zucchini into thin ribbons, lengthwise; preferably by using a Japanese mandolin, but you could also try doing this with a vegetable peeler. I like my ribbons to be on the thin side, about 1/16 of an inch thick.

Halve some olives, julienne or shred some mint. Crumble some feta.

Combine and whisk the dressing into a small bowl.

Combine the zucchini ribbons with the olives, mint and feta. Pour dressing over the salad. Lightly toss. Serve immediately.

Enjoy…

*Pre-baking

I make granola every week for the family I cook for. It’s one of my favorite recipes; it’s easy, satisfying, and you feel all Martha-Stewarty-Ina-Garteny for making something from scratch that most people normally purchase at a store.

This particular granola is golden, crunchy, and delicious. As a bonus, as you bake it, your entire home will smell amazing; it’s better than any scented candle, and just as good as homemade apple pie.

The recipe comes from Mark Bittman, and shockingly no added oil is necessary. If you’re into sticky chewy granola, pass on this. If you’re interested in a lower-fat, super crunchy, tasty cereal, try it out.

I follow the recipe almost exactly as instructed, but I’ve added some notes…

Ingredients
6 cups rolled oats (not quick-cooking or instant)
2 cups mixed nuts and seeds- I chop up almonds and pecans, but any combo of nuts/seeds equaling two cups will work!
1 cup dried unsweetened shredded coconut – optional
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, or to taste – I like more
Dash salt
1/2 to 1 cup honey or maple syrup, or to taste – I use 1/2 a cup of honey and 1/2 a cup of maple syrup. When I’ve done all honey, the taste is too strong for me. Texture seems better with maple syrup too.
1 cup raisins or chopped dried fruit- optional – I use 1/2 a cup of golden raisins (jumbo), and 1/2 a cup of dark raisins

*Post-baking

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, combine oats, nuts and seeds, coconut, cinnamon, salt and sweetener. Place on a sheet pan and put in oven (I like to line my pan with foil). Bake for 30 minutes or a little longer, stirring occasionally (SUPER IMPORTANT – I stir it every 8-10 minutes at the beginning, and every 5 minutes towards the end). Mixture should brown evenly; the browner it gets without burning, the crunchier the granola will be. THE GRANOLA IS VERY EASY TO BURN; I advise against too much multi-tasking while it’s in the oven, and defintiely stay in the kitchen.

2. Remove pan from oven and add raisins or dried fruit. It’s important to add the fruit while the pan is hot; the raisins plump up this way. Cool on a rack, stirring once in a while until granola reaches room temperature. Transfer to a sealed container and store in refrigerator; it will keep indefinitely. If you store it in a cupboard, it keeps about a week.

A lot of people are disgusted by beets. Even more people seem to be disgusted by beet soup. In high school history class, I was assigned to do a group presentation on the former Soviet Union. My group decided that we should use borscht as a visual aid. I called up my grandmother, and she whipped up a batch. I brought in a pickle jar full of the deep reddish purple cabbagy soup. Everyone unanimously believed that this liquid was not only inedible, but was the world’s most perfect torture device. All you needed to do was sneak up on your unsuspecting victim, open the jar, and let them get a whiff of the garlicky beet soup.

For that reason, I don’t make borscht often. I rarely make food that I don’t share, and Borscht is a hard soup to get people excited about. In my humble opinion, the masses are wrong. Borscht is my favorite soup, period-end-of-story.

This week, I made some borscht for the family I cook for. Once I decided to make it, I called my grandmother and got her recipe. For one, it’s my favorite version of the soup. For two, it’s my Russian grandmother’s recipe for Pete’s sake. It’s the real deal.

There are perfectly interesting recipes for borscht out there; and I’m sure they’re delicious. Many of them involve beef or beef broth, but I prefer vegetarian borscht.

My grandmother’s methods surprised me, but the resulting soup speaks for itself: it smells like fresh dill and garlic, mingled with rich earthy beets. The carrots mellow the flavor and the color of the finished soup, and the addition of tomato sauce is curiously important. If you’re into beet soup, or want to torture some beet-haters, give this a go.

My Grandmother’s Borscht
*Measurements do not need to be exact
1 Medium onion
2 Stalks of celery
2-3 Beets (Medium Large)
2 Carrots (Large)
2 Potatoes (Any kind will work)
3-4 Garlic cloves – minced (add more or less depending on how much you like garlic)
1 Small cabbage – sliced thin (Savoy is our preference, but any white cabbage should work)
1 Bunch of fresh dill – chopped (add to your liking)
1 Bunch of fresh Italian parsley – chopped (see above)
1/2-1 Teaspoon of Citric Acid or Sour Salt (I find this in the Middle Eastern or Kosher sections of the store, but if you can’t find either, use lemon juice)
Olive oil
Salt and Pepper

Sour cream (to dollop into the soup when it’s finished)

Fill a large pot with water, 3/4 of the way full or whatever you feel will make a good amount of soup. Add a quartered onion and two stalks of celery to the pot. Bring the water to a boil and let it simmer for 15 minutes.

In the mean time, peel the beets and carrots. Shred them in a food processor or by hand:

So pretty, right?

Take out the onion and celery from the simmering pot of water. Add the potatoes, cubed.

While the potatoes are cooking, sautee the beets and the carrots in a separate pan on medium high (5-8 minutes). You want to soften them, and get their juices going, without cooking them fully.

Once the potatoes are almost cooked, add the thinly sliced cabbage to the pot. Give the cabbage a minute or two to settle in, and then add the softened beets and carrots. At this point, add citric acid or sour salt (or lemon juice). This will brighten the flavor of the borscht and enhance its color. Season the soup with salt and pepper.

While all the vegetables are simmering away in the broth, I quickly make a very simple tomato sauce. You can use store bought sauce if it’s great, but this one is super easy. I mince two cloves of garlic and sautee them in a pan. To that I add 2 cups of diced canned tomatoes and 1-2 tablespoons of tomato paste. Season with salt and pepper. I let the sauce cook for about 10-15 minutes. Once it’s cooked, add the sauce to the soup. You should end up adding 1 1/2-2 cups of sauce to your pot.

Let the borscht simmer for 30-40 minutes. Make sure all of the vegetables are fully cooked.

After 30-40 minutes, add 2-3 cloves of minced garlic. Also add the fresh dill and parsley. Let the soup cook for an additional 10 minutes.

Taste the soup, and add salt and pepper if needed.

You can serve the borscht hot or cold (we prefer hot). Top with sour cream and freshly chopped dill.
Borscht always tastes even better the next day.

I’m easing back into blogging after an unintentional hiatus. It seemed good to start with the thing I prepare most regularly at work: crudite platters.
I cut up veggies and make dips (hummus/eggplant) every day. I never did either of these things until I started cooking for the family I work for. I’m all about it now.
*
I generally make my own hummus and baba ghanoush. I’ll save the hummus recipe for later, but I’m pretty sure the eggplant recipe is adapted from Smitten Kitchen. That said, I was having trouble finding this recipe on her site, so maybe I’m wrong (my apologies for not knowing the exact source).

Eggplant Dip:
2 medium eggplants
1 white or yellow onion – small dice
3-4 cloves garlic – minced
1 cup greek yogurt
Lemon juice
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven, 375 degrees.
Poke holes in the eggplant(s) with a fork, and place on a baking sheet. Put the eggplants in the oven, and let them bake for 45 minutes to an hour, or until the eggplant is deflated and the skin is wrinkly and brown.
Remove the eggplant, let it cool.
Scoop out the insides, discard the skin.
Put the eggplant into a colander, let the liquid from the eggplant drain. Eggplants contain A LOT of liquid. Watery dip=gross.
While that’s happening, small dice an onion and mince your garlic. In a pan, sautee the onion with salt until golden brown. Add the garlic and cook it with the onion until it too is slightly brown (for a more garlicky flavor, don’t brown the garlic, just cook it slightly). Add strained eggplant to the pan, and let it mingle with the onion and garlic. You only need to cook this another minute or so; you just want the eggplant to absorb as much of the onion/garlic flavor as possible.
Remove the mixture and let it cool (stick it in the freezer if you’re impatient – I am).
Once cooled, use an immersion blender or regular blender to puree the mixture.
Add yogurt, lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste.

I like to make big batches of this because it’s time consuming and delicious.

*Sadly, eggplant dip is not pictured. That’s two different kinds of hummus.
**The beautiful looking magenta veggie is watermelon radish. It’s in season in Cali right now, so so so delicious.