Simple Tomato and Basil Risotto

Believe it or not I still have basil in my garden. It no longer looks perfect, but it does the job for some fresh herbs. With our garden done for the season all we’re left with is our pots – begonias still hanging on, the yellow mums tempting the squirrels, the rosemary still hangs on and the parsley is still growing. The bush basil though is finishing off and so I thought I’d use some of it up and pick up some tomatoes – they still seem to hanging on at the markets too.

Simple Tomato Risotto            serves 4 (Canadian Gardening Annual 2011)

3 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced

4 cups vegetable stock

¼ cup dry vermouth

2 tbs butter

2 tbs olive oil

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 large leek, sliced

½ cup Arborio rice

1 large handful fresh basil, roughly torn

½ cup grated parmesan cheese

Pour stock and vermouth into a saucepan and warm. Melt 1 tbs butter in another saucepan. Add the garlic and leek and cook for 4-5 mins, until softened. Add the rice and cook for 1 min, until the white dots in the rice appear. Add about ¼ cup of the stock mixture to the rice and stir constantly until the liquid has been absorbed. Continue doing this until the rice becomes tender. Stir in the tomatoes, basil, cheese and remaining butter until well combined.

Comfort Food

With the sun shining bright this morning it’s hard to believe the tumultuous weather we had yesterday. If you didn’t experience it, you’d probably find it hard to believe. I kept waking up throughout the night whenever the rain began shipping across the house. It sounded so violent. Then waking up, the day just seemed like it would be a gloomy one. We laughed as we turned on the lights at 8am as the morning had gotten darker since waking up. That told us it was going to be a weird weather day. The rain came down so hard at times that our eaves-troughing couldn’t keep up and water poured over the sides. The water rose in our backyard (paved unfortunately) and we had to venture out with our rain boots to clear the drain of leaves. At times the rain stopped and the sun peaked out, but then another downpour followed. I’m not sure how many thunderstorms passed over our house yesterday. I know at least four, but I lost count after that. One began to wonder if it was all the same system or many mid-sized ones. The upside: We got a lot of work done at home. It was also a perfect excuse for Sheppard’s Pie.

This recipe is for a vegetarian Shepard’s Pie that is in The MoosewoodCookbook. The first time I made it I was in university and I fell in love with it. I haven’t made it in a while since potatoes don’t agree with me anymore, but my mom suggested trying some local squash we found at the market. It worked perfectly. I picked up two medium green and white squash (I thought they were sweet potato squash, but the vendor gave them another name), pierced them with a fork and cooked them in the oven until tender, about 45 mins. When cool enough to handle, scoop out the seeds and scoop the flesh into a bowl. Continue with the recipe as if they were mashed potatoes. The result: fabulous. The baked squash gave a different flavour and it complemented the vegetable hash perfectly. You may enjoy this version so much that you may just pass by the traditional meat-based Shepard’s Pie. I have yet to try one.

Note: The recipe looks long, but it isn’t, actually. Most of the time is spent chopping your veggies. I have combined steps for ease and I like how it’s turned out, and that is the recipe below. If you’d like the original from Katzen’s Moosewood, click on the link above.

*I left out the cheese this time round and it still all stuck together. Adjust the cayenne to your level of spiciness.

  

Shepard’s Pie         Serves 4-6 / 45 minutes to prepare, 25 minutes to bake

Mashed potato topping:

2 large potatoes

1 tbs butter

½ cup milk

3 cloves garlic, minced

salt and pepper

½ cup fresh parsley, minced

Vegetable hash:

1 tbs olive oil

1 ½ cups onion, minced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp salt

black pepper

1 stalk celery, finely minced

1 lbs mushrooms, chopped

1 lbs eggplant, diced

1 medium bell pepper, minced

2 tsp dried basil

½ tsp dried thyme

½ tsp dried oregano

1 cup peas

¾ cup grated cheese

¼ cup gluten-free bread crumbs

3 tbs cider vinegar

cayenne to taste

paprika

Mashed Topping:

Peel or scrub potatoes and cut into 1 inch chunks. Cook in boiling water until soft. Drain and transfer to a medium-large bowl. Add butter, garlic and milk. Mash well. Add salt and pepper and stir in parsley. Set aside.

Vegetable Hash:

Preheat oven to 350˚. Heat oil in a large deep skillet. Add onion and sauté over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add garlic, salt, pepper, celery, mushrooms, eggplant and bell pepper. Stir until well combined, cover and cook over medium for 10 minutes. Stir frequently. Add herbs, stir and cover again. Cook for 5 minutes or until eggplant is tender. Remove from heat. Stir in peas, ½ cup cheddar, bread crumbs, vinegar and cayenne. Transfer the mixture to a casserole dish and spread it out. Spread mashed potatoes over hash. Sprinkle remaining cheese over the top and dust with paprika.

Bake uncovered for 25 or 30 minutes or until lightly browned on top and bubbly around the edges.  

Green Vegetable Risotto

In my new found love of risotto here is a nice recipe calling for some nice green vegetables. Even though this nice dish would be ideal in spring and summer when the bounty of fresh vegetables is in its peak, frozen vegetables will still work. Also, sometimes the stores have zucchini on special or there’s a few bags on the discount shelf (I love those shelves!) and it’s the perfect time to make something when the price may deter you.

Like all risotto, I find them quite easy to make. It’s just the stirring that is time consuming, but put some great music on the radio or in the CD player and you’re set to go. Of course, you’re not limited to the vegetables here, you can choose whatever you feel like or whatever the store has that catches your eye. Here, I substituted celery for the peas; I’m not always fond of them.

Green Vegetable Risotto          (from Lighthearted at Home by Anne Lindsay)

4 cups vegetable broth

2 tbs olive oil

½ cup sliced green onions

1 cup Arborio rice

1 cup sliced green beans

12 snow peas

1 cup chopped zucchini

¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

½ cup grated parmesan

Fresh ground pepper

Bring broth to a simmer. In a large skillet heat half the oil then cook the green onion until softened. Add rice and stir to coat. Add about half the broth, ¼ cup at a time, cooking and stirring until each addition is absorbed before adding the next. Stir in green beans and cook for 2 mins. Stir in the peas and zucchini. Stir in remaining stock, ¼ cup at a time, until each addition has been absorbed, until rice is creamy and firm. Stir in parsley, parmesan, pepper, and remaining oil.

Walking Barefoot

Back in the spring I picked up Ina Garten’s Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics. I must admit I was enticed by the photographs and the colour. If there isn’t a photograph, the page is a bright bold colour.

This book caters to one’s senses with a picture for every recipe, snippets with a backstory about the recipe and some tips for entertaining or whatever on the bright pages.

True to the title, these recipes are easy to prepare as there aren’t many complicated steps. Garten helps take a complex dish and makes it do-able. She even takes a twist on pancakes and blintzes in making them relatively effortlessly for a crowd.

Cooking seasonally is made easier as the book contains ingredients that are in season – lighter fare in summer and heartier in winter, tomatoes in summer and squash in winter. In Canada off-season produce can be expensive so it’s nice to have some ideas for using those not-so-popular vegetables.

Everything I had made was not just delicious, but fairly simple to put together.

roasted tomato caprese salad – Roasting the tomatoes put a nice spin on this classic salad

mustard roasted fish – Goes nice with something plain so you can enjoy the creamy mustard and capers

 

mache with warm brie and apples – Why hadn’t I thought of this before?!

 

easy sole meuniere – A nice lemony fish dish

 

 

maple roasted butternut squash – Just as good without the bacon

 

indonesian grilled swordfish – Mmmm what an interesting blend of flavours that doesn’t overpower the fish

 

oven roasted vegetables – These are best eaten right away and perfect to enjoy those spring veggies

 

parmesan roasted broccoli – So good The Honey served himself seconds

 

baked blintzes – Perfect for serving a large group for brunch

 

 

All the recipes below have been written using a gluten-free alternative (ie gf bread instead of baguette)

Roasted Tomato Caprese Salad          (serves 6)

12 plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise, seeds removed

¼ cup olive oil

1 ½ tbs balsamic vinegar

2 large garlic cloves, minced

2 tsp sugar

Salt and pepper

16 oz fresh mozzarella

12 fresh basil leaves, julienned

Arrange tomatoes on a baking sheet, cut sides up, in a single layer. Drizzle with the oilive oil and balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle with garlic, sugar, 1 ½ tsp salt, and ½ tsp pepper. Roast for 2 hrs at 275° until the tomatoes begin to caramelize. Allow tomatoes to cool to room temperature. Cut mozzarella into slices less than ½ inch thick (and in half if the slices are larger than the tomatoes). Layer the tomatoes alternately with the cheese on a platter and scatter the basil on top. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle with a little olive oil.

Mustard Roasted Fish       (serves 4)

4-8oz fish fillets

Salt and pepper

8oz crème fraiche

3 tbs Dijon mustard

1 tbs whole grain mustard

2 tbs minced shallots

2 tsp drained capers

Place the fish fillets on a baking sheet or ovenproof dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Combine the crème fraiche, mustards, shallots, capers, 1 tsp salt and ½ pepper in a small bowl. Spoon the sauce evenly over the fish, making sure the fish is completely covered. Bake fo 10-15 mins at 425°, depending on the thickness of the fish. Serve with some of the sauce from the pan spooned over top.

Mache with Warm Brie and Apples    (serves 4)

Slices of gluten-free bread (probably 2-3 slices per person)

12 oz brie, cut into 4 wedges

6 tbs honey

3 tbs roasted and salted pistachios (2 oz shelled pistachios)

4 oz mache leaves

1 tbs balsamic vinegar

3 tbs olive oil

Salt and pepper

1 large Granny Smith apple, cored and thinly sliced

Place bread slices on a baking sheet and bake at 350° for 6-8 mins, until crisp. Arrange the four wedges of brie snugly in a layer in a ceramic/glass baking dish. Drizzle honey over top, scatter the pistachios on top and bake for 3-5 mins, just until the brie begins to ooze. Place the mache in a large bowl and toss gently with the olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Divide salad on four plates and place a wedge of brie in the centre of each plate. Place a quarter of the apple slices on each place. Place 2-3 slices of toasted bread on each plate. Sprinkle plate with salt and pepper. Drizzle plates with honey leftover in baking dish.

*If you can’t find mache lettuce, any light lettuce would work just as well

Easy Sole Meuniere   (serves 2)

½ cup gluten-free flour

Salt and pepper

4 fresh sole fillets

6 tbs butter

1 tsp grated lemon zest

6 tbs lemon juice

1 tbs minced fresh parsley

Combine gluten-free flour, 2 tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper in a shallow plate. Pat the sole dry with a paper towel. Heat 3 tbs butter in a large pan over medium until it begins to brown. Dredge two fillets in the seasoned flour on both sides and place them in the hot butter. Lower the heat to medium-low and cook for 2 mins on each side. While the second side cooks, add ½ tsp of the lemon zest and 3 tbs of the lemon juice to the pan. Put the fish on ovenproof plates and pour the sauce over them. Put them in the oven at 200° to keep warm while repeating the process with the last two fillets. To serve, sprinkle with parsley, salt and pepper.

Maple Roasted Butternut Squash   (serves 6)

1 large butternut squash

1 head garlic, separated but not peeled

2 tbs olive oil

2 ½ tbs maple syrup

1 tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

2 oz thinly sliced pancetta, chopped

16 fresh sage leaves

Gluten-free bread for serving

Peel and seed squash and cut into ¾ -1 inch cubes. Place the squash and garlic cloves on a baking sheet in one layer. Toss with olive oil, maple syrup, salt and pepper and bake for 20-30 mins at 400°, turn once during baking. Sprinkle the pancetta and sage evenly over the squash and bake another 20-30 mins, until the squash and garlic are tender and caramelized. Season to taste and serve hot with gf bread for spreading the roasted garlic.

*To make this vegetarian I left out the pancetta. I also couldn’t find fresh sage and dried worked just as well.

Indonesian Grilled Swordfish    (serves 6)

1/3 cup gluten-free soy sauce

¼ cup canola oil, plus extra for the grill

2 tsp grated lemon zest

¼ cup lemon juice

¼ cup minced ginger

2 tbs minced garlic (4 cloves)

2 tbs Dijon mustard

6 swordfish steaks

Salt

Combine gf soy sauce, canola oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, ginger, garlic and mustard in a bowl. Pour half the sauce in a low flat dish, place the fish in the dish and pour the remaining sauce over top. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hrs.

Remove fish from the marinade and sprinkle the fish with salt. Place it on the grill (medium-hot) or pan and cook for 5 mins on each side, just until no longer pink in the middle. Place on a platter, cover with foil and allow the fish to rest for 10-15 mins.

*I used marlin steaks (less expensive and were easier to find). You could use whatever fish you like. Being winter I have no access to my BBQ and so did them on the stove. Still tastes delicious.

Oven Roasted Vegetables    (serves 6)

2 small fennel bulbs, tops removed

1 lb small potatoes

1/3 cup olive oil

Salt and pepper

1 lb string beans, trimmed

1 bunch thin asparagus, ends removed, cut diagonally into 3-inch pieces

¼ cup grated parmesan cheese

Cut the fennel into 6 wedges, cutting through the core to keep the wedges intact. Cut the potatoes in half and place both vegetables on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with 2 tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper and toss. Roast the vegetables for 25-30 mins at 425°, until the potatoes are tender, tossing once while cooking. Toss the beans and asparagus with the roasted vegetables and roast another 10-15 mins, until the green vegetables are tender. Sprinkle on parmesan cheese and roast for another minute or two until the cheese melts. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve.

Parmesan Roasted Broccoli   (serves 6)

4-5 lbs broccoli

4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced

Olive oil

1 ½ tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

2 tsp grated lemon zest

2 tbs lemon juice

3 tbs pine nuts, toasted

1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

2 tbs julienned basil leaves

Cut the broccoli florets from the stalks, leaving an inch or two of stalk attached, discarding the rest of the stalk. Cut the larger pieces through the base of the head, pulling the florets apart. You should have 8 cups of florets. Place the florets on a sheet pan. Toss the garlic on the broccoli and drizzle with 5 tbs olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 20-25 minutes at 425°, until crisp-tender and the floret tips are browned. Remove from the oven and toss with 1 ½ tbs olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, pine nuts, parmesan and basil.

Baked Blintzes   (serves 8-10)

For the batter:

1 ¼ cup milk

2 tbs sour cream

4 tbs butter, melted

1 tsp vanilla extract

4 extra large eggs

1 1/3 cups gluten-free flour

2 tbs sugar

1 tbs baking powder

For the filling:

3 cups ricotta cheese

8 oz mascarpone cheese

2 extra large eggs

1/3 cup sugar

1 tbs grated lemon zest

2 tbs lemon juice

½ tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp salt

Blueberry sauce

Butter a 9x13 inch cake pan. For the batter, place all the ingredients in a bowl and blend until smooth. Pour half the batter (about 1 ¾ cups) into the dish and bake for 10 mins at 350°, until set. For the filling, whisk together the ricotta, mascarpone, eggs and sugar in a large bowl. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, vanilla and salt and mix until thoroughly combined. Spread the cheese filling over the baked pancake. Carefully spoon the remaining batter to cover the cheese. Return the pan to the oven and bake another 35-40 mins, until the top is lightly golden  and the filling is almost set. Remove from the oven and allow to stand 10-15 mins. To serve, cut the blintzes into squares with fruit sauce.

*I used an nice homemade rhubarb jam instead of the blueberry sauce and it was really good. Use any kind of fruit sauce or jam that you like.