Lamb Meatballs with Feta, Lemon and Mint

From SmittenKitchen

Meatballs
3 to 8 tablespoons water
2 pounds ground lamb
1 large egg
1 1/4 cup (about 70 grams) breadcrumbs, fresh or plain, such as Panko
1/2 cup (55 grams) crumbled feta cheese
3/4 teaspoon table salt
Pinch of red pepper flakes
2 small garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons chopped parsley
2 tablespoons (35 grams) tomato paste
Zest of half a lemon
2 tablespoons olive oil

Sauce
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
A couple glugs of red wine or white/dry vermouth (optional)
1 28-ounce (795 grams) can of crushed or pureed tomatoes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Zest of half a lemon
3/4 to 1 teaspoon table salt
Pinches of red pepper flakes (to taste)
1/3 cup (about 45 grams) pitted, chopped kalamata olives
1 tablespoon thinly sliced mint leaves, plus more for garnish
2 tablespoons roughly chopped parsley, plus more for garnish
Juice of one lemon
1/4 cup (30 grams) crumbled feta, for garnish

Make meatballs: If you plan don’t plan to brown the meatballs, use only 3 tablespoons water. If you do, use all 8 tablespoons (1/2 cup). In a large bowl, combine all meatball ingredients except oil; I like to do this with a fork. Using wet hands, form mixture into small (1 1/2 to 2-inch diameter) meatballs; I have taken to using a large (just shy of 3 tablespoon) cookie scoop for easy sizing.

Brown meatballs: Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil and heat it through. Evenly space meatballs in pan and very carefully turn and roll them so that all sides become brown. Don’t worry if they don’t remain perfectly round; mine never do. Don’t worry if some pieces become stuck to the pan; they will deliciously infuse the sauce in a minute. Drain meatballs on a paper towel-lined plate.

[If you prefer not to fry your meatballs before cooking them in the sauce, you can cook them right in the sauce — it will take about 10 minutes longer.]

Make sauce and finish cooking meatballs: Pour out all but 1 tablespoon fat from skillet and return to medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add wine or vermouth and scrape up any bits stuck to the pan. Cook until the liquid almost disappears. Add tomatoes, oregano, lemon zest, salt, pepper flakes, olives (if you’re using them now), mint and parsley. Bring mixture to a simmer and return meatballs to the pan. Cover with a lid and cook at the lowest simmer for 20 to 24 minutes, until meatballs are cooked through. Squeeze lemon juice over meatballs and sauce.

Serve: Sprinkled with additional olives, feta and herbs. We had this with orzo and aGreek salad.

Ethereally Smooth Hummus

Ethereally Smooth Hummus

from SmittenKitchen
Recipe adapted from Ottolenghi’s stunning new dream of a book; technique is my own madness

This is probably where you expect me to give you a soapbox speech about why it is so important that you soak your own chickpeas. And you know, think they taste wonderful, especially if you treat yourself to some of the best. But, I also make it with canned chickpeas quite often (Goya is my favorite, for perfectly cooked, intact canned beans, each time) and it’s perfectly excellent. Below, I’ve included instructions for both.

Makes 1 3/4 cups hummus

1 3/4 cups cooked, drained chickpeas (from a 15-ounce can) or a little shy of 2/3 cup dried chickpeas (for same yield)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda (for dried chickpeas only)
1/2 cup tahini paste
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, or more to taste
2 small cloves garlic, roughly chopped
3/4 teaspoon table salt, or more to taste
Approximately 1/4 cup water or reserved chickpea cooking water

Olive oil, paprika or sumac, pita wedges (brushed with olive oil and sprinkled withza’atar, or a combination of sesame seeds and sea salt), and/or carrot sticks [optional] to serve

If using dried chickpeas: There are multiple methods to cooking them, and you can use whichever is your favorite, or Ottolenghi’s, or mine. Ottolenghi’s is to put the chickpeas in a large bowl and cover them with at least twice their volume of cold water, leaving them to soak overnight. The next day, drain them, and saute them in a medium saucepan with the baking soda (which many find reduces the gassy effects of fresh beans) for about three minutes. Add 3 1/4 cups water and bring it to a boil. Skim any foam that floats to the surface. They’ll need to cook for 20 to 40 minutes, sometimes even longer, depending on freshness, to become tender. When tender, one will break up easily between your thumb and forefinger. My method is similar, but I often put mine in a slow-cooker on high with the baking soda for approximately three hours, so I don’t have to monitor them as much.

Drain the chickpeas (saving the chickpea broth for soups or to thin the hummus, if desired) and cool enough that you can pick one up without burning your fingers.

Whether fresh or canned chickpeas: Peel your chickpeas. I find this is easiest when you take a chickpea between your thumb and next two fingers, arranging the pointy end in towards your palm, and “pop!” the naked chickpea out. Discard the skin. I get into a rhythm and rather enjoy this, but it’s also already established that I’m a weirdo.

In a food processor, blend the chickpeas until powdery clumps form, a full minute, scraping down the sides. Add the tahini, lemon juice, garlic and salt and blend until pureed. With the machine running, drizzle in water or reserved chickpea cooking water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until you get very smooth, light and creamy mixture. I find I need about 4 tablespoons for this volume, but you may need slightly more or less.

Taste and adjust seasonings, adding more salt or lemon if needed. I do recommend that you hold off on adding more garlic just yet, however. I find that it “blooms” as it settles in the fridge overnight, becoming much more garlicky after a rest, so that even if it doesn’t seem like enough at first, it likely will be in the long run.

Transfer the hummus to a bowl and rest it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, longer if you can. To serve, drizzle it with a little olive oil, and sprinkle it with paprika. Serve it with pita wedges or carrot sticks.

Tabbouleh

Tabbouleh
Serves 6-8

from David Lebovitz

Anissa’s recipe uses plenty of flat-leaved parsley. When shopping, if weighing them, each bunch I bought weighed between 3 to 4 ounces, or 85 to 115 grams, but if you want to be certain, simply weigh them at the market so you know you have the amount called for in the recipe. Once home, pick the parsley and mint leaves from the stems and wash them in a salad spinner. -dl

• 3 tablespoons (30g) fine bulgur
• 3 medium (600g) firm ripe tomatoes, diced into small cubes
• 2 (50g) spring onions or scallions, trimmed and very thinly sliced
• 14 ounces (400g) flat-leaf parsley, most of the stalks discarded, leaves washed and dried
• 2 cups (20g) mint leaves (no stems), washed and dried
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice (or Lebanese seven-spice mixture)
• 1/4 teaspoon finely ground black pepper
• salt to taste
• juice of 1 lemon, or to taste
• 2/3 cup (150ml) extra virgin olive oil
• 4 gem lettuce heads, washed and quartered

 

1. Rinse the bulgur in several changes of cold water. Drain well and put in a bowl. Stir it with a fork every now and then to help it fluff up.

2. Put the diced tomatoes in a bowl and set aside while you prepare the herbs. A word of warning: do not chop the herbs with a mezzaluna. This will only bruise them.

Using a razor-sharp knife, grab as much of the parsley and mint as you can handle in a bunch, and slice them very thin, to end up with nice, crisp slender strips.

3. Drain the tomatoes of their juice and put in a large bowl. Add the spring onion and herbs. Sprinkle the bulgur all over. Season with the cinnamon, allspice and pepper. Add salt to taste. Add the lemon juice and olive oil and mix well. Taste and adjust the seasonings if necessary. Serve immediately with the quartered gem lettuce.

Charred Romaine with Tomatillo Dressing

from Bon Appetit

 

INGREDIENTS

TOMATILLO DRESSING

• ¼ medium white onion, quartered
• 1 small tomatillo, husk removed
• 1 jalapeño, sliced, seeds removed
• 1 garlic clove
• ¼ avocado, chopped
• ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

SALAD AND ASSEMBLY

• 1 small poblano chile
• 2 heads of romaine lettuce, outer leaves removed, halved lengthwise
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Kosher salt
• 1 avocado, chopped
• ¼ medium white onion, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 2 oz. Cotija cheese, finely grated
• 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro stems

 

Directions

TOMATILLO DRESSING

• Bring onion, tomatillo, jalapeño, garlic, and 2 cups water to a boil in a small saucepan. Reduce heat and simmer until onion is very tender, 6–8 minutes; let cool. Drain, reserving cooking liquid.
• Purée onion mixture with avocado and cilantro leaves in a blender. With motor running, gradually add oil and 2 Tbsp. cooking liquid and blend until combined. Add lime juice; season with salt and pepper.

SALAD AND ASSEMBLY

• Prepare grill for medium-high heat. Grill poblano, turning occasionally, until charred and blistered, 6–8 minutes. Let cool. Peel and finely chop.
• Drizzle cut sides of romaine with oil; season with salt. Grill, cut side down, until charred, about 3 minutes. Turn and grill just until warmed through, about 30 seconds.
• Spoon dressing onto plates and top with romaine, charred side up, avocado, onion, and poblano. Drizzle with lime juice; season lightly with salt. Scatter Cotija cheese and chopped cilantro stems over.

Tandoori baby potatoes with herb yogurt

from Indian Vegetarin Feast by Anjum Anand

*I would double the potatoes because the tandoor marinade and topping make enough for more potatoes and they taste really good. 

Ingredients

for the potatoes

• 8 baby potatoes
• salt 
• 2 T butter

for the tandoori marinade 

• 2/3 cup greek yogurt
• 1 3/4 t ground cumin
• 3/4 t garam masala
• 1 t ground coriander
• 1/4-1/2 t chili powder
• 1 t paprika
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
• scant 1/4 oz. gingerroot, peeled weight, grated
• 2 T vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 T lemon juice

for the topping 

• 1 cup greek yogurt
• 1/3 t black pepper
• handful chopped cilantro leaves
• 1/2 onion, minced
• 1 green chile, seeded and minced, or to taste
• 2 T dried cranberries or raisins (optional, if going for sweet/savory)
• 1-2 T milk, if needed 

Directions

1. Peel the potatoes and halve. Bring lots of salted water to the boil in a large saucepan. Add the potatoes and boil for eight minutes. Remove and, when cool enough to handle, use a spoon to scrape out a deep depression so that the potatoes look like boiled egg halves where the yolk has been removed.
2. Mix the ingredients for the tandoori marinade in a bowl. Add one good teaspoon of salt (the marinade only coats the potato so the salt will not seem excessive). Place the potato halves in the bowl, turn to coat in the marinade and leave to marinate for 30 minutes. Mix together all the ingredients for the topping, adding the milk if the consistency seems a little thick, and season to taste.
3. Preheat the oven to 220°C. Place the potatoes, flat side up, on a baking tray and place on the middle shelf of the oven. Cook for 20–25 minutes, or until the marinade looks properly dried. Now turn the potatoes over, move the rack to the top of the oven, and continue to cook for eight to 10 minutes. Turn again and cook for a final eight to 10 minutes. They should be tender by now (check by piercing one of the largest potato halves with a knife).
4. Meanwhile, melt the butter and brush it over the potatoes. Spoon a rounded teaspoon of topping on to each potato half and serve immediately.

Creamy Cashew Dressing

adapted from modern veganista and Dr. Ben Kim

Ingredients:

• 1 cup raw cashews 
• 1/4 cup water (more as you blend)
• 1 cloves garlic
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• Sea salt, to taste
• 1 tablespoon chives or green onions (optional)

Directions:

• Blend all ingredients until you get a smooth and creamy sauce – start with just a 1/4 cup of water and add more as you blend until you reach a consistency that you like; for a thinner version that’s good for salads, use more water; for a thicker version that’s good for pasta dishes, use less water.

 

 

Easy Everyday Lentil Curry

Easy Everyday Lentil Curry

from Indian Vegetarian Feast by Anjum Anand 

Serves 4

Ingredients

• scant 2/3 cup yellow lentils (mung dal), washed well
• generous 1/3 cup red lentils (mansoor dal), washed well
• 1/2 onion minced
• 1/3 oz. gingerroot, peeled weight, minced
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
• 2-4 green chilies, whole but pierced with the tip of a knife
• 2 tomatoes
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• salt, to taste
• 1 1/2- 2 tablespoons ghee or unsalted butter
• 2 rounded teaspoons cumin seeds
• 1/8 teaspoon asafetida
• 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
• 3/4 teaspoon ground coriander
• handful chopped cilantro leaves 

Directions

• Place both types of lentils in a bowl and wash in several changes of water, until the water runs clear. Now place them in a large pan with water to cover by 2 inches and bring to a boil. Skim the surface of any scum. Add the onion, ginger, garlic, chiles, tomatoes, turmeric, and seasoning. Return to a boil, reduce the heat, then simmer, partially covered, until the lentils are cooked and the curry starts to look homogeneous, around 40 minutes.
• Heat the ghee or butter in a very small pan and let it pool on one side. Add the cumin seeds and asafetida. Once the seeds darken, add the garam masala and ground coriander and take off the heat. Pour into the lentils, add the chopped cilantro, and serve. 

Warm Kale Salad with Toasted Coconut and Sesame Oil

Warm Kale Salad with Toasted Coconut and Sesame Oil

from Heidi Swanson in Super Natural Every Day

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 3 1/2 lightly packed cups of chopped kale
• 1 1/2 cups unsweetened large-flake coconut
• 2 cups cooked farrow or other whole grain

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, sesame oil, and soy sauce. Put the kale and coconut in a large bowl and toss well with about two-thirds of the olive oil mixture. 
3. Spread the kale evenly across two baking sheets. Bake for 12-18 minutes, until the coconut is deeply golden brown, tossing once or twice along the way. If the kale mixture on the top baking sheet begins to get too browned, move it to the lower rack. 
4. Remove from oven and transfer the kale mixture to a medium bowl. Taste. If you feel it needs a bit more dressing, add some and toss. Place the farrow on a serving platter and top with the tossed kale. Serve warm. 

 

Grilled Pizza Dough

Ingredients

• 1 cup warm water (105°F to 115°F)
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 envelope dry yeast
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 cups (or more) all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

Preparation

Combine water and sugar in a food processor. Sprinkle yeast over; let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes. Add oil, then 3 cups flour and salt. Process until dough comes together, about 1 minute.

Turn dough out onto floured work surface. Sprinkle with rosemary. Knead until dough is smooth and elastic, adding more flour by tablespoonfuls if dough is sticky, about 5 minutes.Lightly oil large bowl. Add dough; turn to coat with oil. Cover bowl with plastic, then towel. Let stand in warm draft-free area until dough doubles, about 1 hour. To test that the dough has risen sufficiently, push two fingers into it. The depressions should remain.

Punch down dough. Knead dough in bowl until smooth, about 2 minutes. Divide dough into 4 equal pieces. Stretch out each piece on floured surface to 9-inch round. To prevent the dough from sticking as you stretch it, use flour sparingly; too much will result in a tough crust.

Place 2 dough rounds on grill. Grill over medium heat until top of dough puffs and underside is crisp, about 3 minutes. Turn rounds over. Grill 1 minute. Transfer to baking sheet with well-grilled side up. This side of the dough becomes the surface that will hold the toppings.

Finish off in the broiler. 

Summer Tomato Pie

Ingredients

• 1 recipe pastry for a single 9-inch pie crust

• 3 tomatoes, thinly sliced

• 2 teaspoons salt

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

• 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

• 1/4 cup mayonnaise

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
2. Press pie crust into a 9-inch pie pan; prick bottom and sides with fork.
3. Bake crust in the preheated oven until lightly browned, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool completely.
4. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
5. Place tomatoes in a single layer of a colander; sprinkle with salt. Let sit for about 10 minutes to release moisture. Blot excess moisture with a paper towel. Arrange 1 layer of tomato slices around the bottom of the cooled pie crust, overlapping the slices. Sprinkle half the garlic and half the basil onto tomato layer. Sprinkle half the Cheddar cheese and half the mozzarella cheese over basil layer. Repeat layering with remaining tomatoes, garlic, basil, Cheddar cheese, and mozzarella cheese. Spread mayonnaise over the top mozzarella cheese layer.
6. Bake in the preheated oven until cheese is melted and bubbling, about 30 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.