Our Geek Life » Vegetarian

The Taste of Summer

g33kgurrl — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 13:32:46 +0000

I love having four distinct seasons in Virginia. It gives me so much to look forward to in terms of the fresh local produce that is available. Summer brings such great treats as peaches and melons, and zucchini and fresh herbs. One of my favorite summer dishes is another Fine Cooking gem that includes pasta, herbs and zucchini. It’s a quick and easy dish to whip up. Cook just enough for your meal because it doesn’t taste anywhere near as good day 2.

I recommend a tomato, cucumber, red onion salad in a balsamic vinaigrette as a fantastic and easy accompaniment to this pasta feast.

Penne with Zucchini, Fresh Herbs and Lemon Zest

Kosher salt
3/4 lb. whole wheat penne
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium zucchini (8 oz. each), cut in half lengthwise and sliced crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick half moons
4 large cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
3 Tbs. coarsely chopped fresh mint
3 Tbs. coarsely chopped fresh basil
3 Tbs. coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the penne and cook according to package instructions until al dente.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the zucchini and cook, stirring occasionally, until barely tender and just starting to brown, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is soft and fragrant, an additional 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat. Stir in the lemon zest, 3/4 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper.

Reserve 1/2 cup pasta cooking water and drain the pasta. Add the pasta to the zucchini mixture along with the Parmigiano, mint, basil, and parsley. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Toss to combine, adding some of the reserved water if necessary to moisten the pasta, and serve immediately.

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The Taste of Fall — Pumpkin Risotto

g33kgurrl — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 23:28:05 +0000

I still don’t have the food blog up, but I wanted to share this absolutely fabulous risotto that I made tonight.

I roasted a pie pumpkin yesterday after cutting it into large chunks, tucking cloves of garlic in between the slices, drizzling generously with olive oil, and adding a little sea salt and pepper. I cooled it overnight in preparation for making the risotto today.

I don’t often cluck about what I cook, but I must say that this is absolutely fabulous. I need to write down the recipe to share on the new blog once it goes up. But for now, I’m sharing the pictures below to keep you anticipating this recipe.

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Spinach and Artichoke Salad with Couscous Cakes and Feta

g33kgurrl — Tue, 26 May 2009 01:39:20 +0000

Dressing

2 tbl fresh lemon juice
1 tbl sour cream or greek yogurt
1 tsp finely chopped mind
5 tbl extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Couscous cakes

3/4 cup couscous
Kosher salt
1 large clove garlic, peeled
1/4 cup packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
1/2 cup canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
Finely grated zest of 1 medium lemon ( about 1 1/2 tsp)
3 tbl oil (vegetable or canola)

Salad

8 oz baby spinach, washed and dried (about 6 lightly packed cups)
1-14 oz can artichoke bottoms, drained, rinsed and sliced
15 cherry tomatoes, halved
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 oz. crumbled feta (about 1/4 cup)

Make the dressing

In a small bowl, combine lemon juice, sour cream and mint. Slowly whisk in the olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Make the Couscous cakes

Put the couscous and 1 tsp salt in a medium bowl. Add 1 cup boiling water to the couscous. Cover the bowl and let sit for 4-5 minutes.

Coarsely chopped the garlic in a food processor. Add the parsley and pulse until finely chopped. Add the chickpeas and 1 tsp. salt. Pulse until coarsely chopped.

Uncover the couscous and fluff with a fork. Stir in the chickpea mixture, eggs and lemon zest until well combined. Press the couscous mixture into a 1/4 cup measure, smooth the top and invert the measuring cup to release the cake onto a plate. Repeat with the remaining couscous mixture to make 9 cakes.

Heat 1 tbl oil in a skillet over medium heat until shimmering hot. Add 5 of the couscous cakes to the skilled and use a spatula to lightly flatten the cakes so they are about 3/4 inch thick. Cook, flipping once, until crisp and golden brown on both sides, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Add the remaining 1 1/2 tbl oil to the skillet to cook the remaining cakes.

Assemble the Salad

In a large bowl, toss the spinach, artichokes, and tomatoes with about three-quarters of the dressing. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Divide between 3 large plates. Top each salad with 3 couscous cakes, sprinkle each salad with feta and drizzle the remaining dressing.

Courtesy of Fine Cooking.

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