Not Just For Thanksgiving: Pumpkin Feta Tart

french pumpkin tart with feta cheese

February is my least favorite month for cooking.  Oh sure, there is plenty of chocolate for Valentine’s Day, and little else to do besides putter in the kitchen all month.  Even so, every year, right about the middle of February, I lose steam.  With minimal produce for inspiration, and the holiday festivities a faded memory, I cave to take-out and frozen pizza more often than I’d like to admit. 

Do the winter blues hit you too?

As I sit here wishing for spring, planning my vegetable garden and dreaming of tiny strawberries, I’m attempting to jump start spring with a round of spring cleaning.  Today we tackled the basement and the kitchen cabinets.  And do you know what I found lurking at the back of my pantry?  A can of pumpkin.  It may not be a farmer’s market basket, but this vitamin-filled little can really jazzed up our quick winter supper.

You already know about my love of pumpkin.  Layered in a yogurt parfait, swirled into oatmeal, stuffed in ravioli, or baked in a cupcake, you really can’t go wrong with canned pumpkin. The slightly sweet earthy pumpkin works wonderfully with the salty tang of the feta and the nutty flavor of the swiss chard in this simple tart. A sliver of this tart would probably be a very nice appetizer for a fancy dinner party, but a big wedge also works well as a main course served with a big arugula salad dressed in good olive oil and lemon juice.

I like this Easy Olive Oil Tart Crust recipe from the wonderful Chocolate & Zucchini but you can use any tart crust you like.  You could even use refrigerated pie crust dough here and I’m sure the tart would still turn out wonderfully.  I do think that a good tart pan, with a removable bottom, is pretty important, though.  Before investing in a tart pan (really, not a very big expenditure) I made many mediocre tarts in a pie plate.  The too-deep, flat sides of the pie dish result in a soggy crust, and an unpleasant filling-to-crust ratio.  If you don’t have a tart pan, you might be better off making a rustic crostada – just roll out the dough on a baking sheet, spread the filling in the middle, leaving a two-inch border.  Fold the crust edges into the middle, brush with a bit of oil, and bake until golden.

Pumpkin Feta Tart

Serves 6 (as a main course)

1 recipe of tart crust dough 

3/4 cup thinly sliced onion

2 teaspoons olive oil

2 cups thinly sliced fresh swiss chard

salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary

2 cups canned pumpkin

2 eggs, beaten

3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Carefully press the crust into a 12-inch tart pan with a removable bottom.  Refrigerate the crust while you prepare the filling.  Saute the onion in oil over medium heat until soft and just beginning to darken. Add in the swiss chard and cook 1 minute more. Season liberally with salt and pepper and stir in the rosemary.  Remove from the heat.  In a medium sized bowl, stir the pumpkin and the eggs well to combine.  Season with salt and pepper.  Remove the crust from the refrigerator.  Spread the pumpkin mixture evenly in the crust.  Sprinkle the swiss chard mixture evenly over the pumpkin mixture and top with the feta cheese. Bake for 20-25 minutes.  Serve warm or room temperature.

Published in: on February 18, 2012 at 8:16 pm  Comments (11)  
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Orange Quinoa Pancakes

whole grain pancakes breakfast

Sometimes, when it snows, I crave warm, comforting winter foods.  Spicy soups, hearty stews, cheesy quiches, and yes, syrup-drenched pancakes.  Other times, mid-snow storm, I’ll find myself with a hankering for summer sweetness.  I’ve been known to bake up a batch of blueberry corn muffins in a blizzard, and always keep a pint of strawberry ice cream in the freezer for snow days.

I spent the last week in Florida for work, and came home yesterday to this winter wonderland. Sweet, juicy oranges and pretty pink grapefruits were everywhere in Florida. So, of course, I stuffed a few in my suitcase. I’m glad I did because as soon as I got home, I was craving the sunny, bright orange flavor. But, as expected, I was also in the mood for a hearty winter breakfast.

These orange quinoa pancakes fit the bill. They are both sweet and nutty. The hearty texture fills my belly and fortifies me against January weather, while the light orange flavor gives me hope that summer is out there, months away, but out there – eventually. Full of protein, fiber and vitamin C, these delicious little pancakes provide enough power to propel me through shovelling the driveway.  (OK, actually, Jeff does most of the shovelling around here, but after a few pancakes, I certainly could get out there and clear the sidewalks!)

I love quinoa, and often cook up a big batch all at once.  Leftover cooked quinoa is great in pancakes, of course, but also adds bulk to salads, makes for a tasty omelet filling, and is delicious as a breakfast porridge when heated with a bit of milk and honey. You could certainly play around with the flavors here, and other fruits as well.  Adding some banana slices and a handful of raisins to the pancake batter would be yummy. But for today, I’m all about the Florida citrus! These pancakes don’t have much sugar, but if your oranges are good and sweet, just a tiny drizzle of honey is all it should take. 

protein breakfast fruit vegetarian

Orange Quinoa Pancakes

Serves 4

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup whole wheat flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

pinch of salt

2 tablespoons sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cup milk

2 tablespoons vegetable oil (plus extra for the pan)

1 egg

1 cup cooked quinoa

2 large oranges

2 tablespoons honey

Sift together the flours, baking powder, salt, sugar and cinnamon.  In another bowl, wisk together the milk, oil and egg.  Stir the dry ingredients into the wet, and stir in the quinoa.  Zest both of the oranges, avoiding the white pith, and add the orange zest to the batter.  Set the batter aside and let it rest for a few minutes.  Meanwhile, peel the remaining pith from the oranges, and cut the orange segments between the membranes, into little slices. Drizzle the orange segments with the honey and set aside. Heat a greased nonstick skillet (or griddle) over medium heat.  Spoon a scant 1/4 cup of batter per pancake into the heated greased pan and cook until the edges firm.  Flip and cook another two minutes until golden. Continue to cook the pancakes in batches.  Serve warm topped with the orange and honey mixture.

Published in: on January 21, 2012 at 7:55 pm  Comments (13)  
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Quinoa Banana Breakfast Porridge

hot breakfast cereal with quinoa and banana

I love fall for many reasons; bright orange leaves, crisp breezy weather, big Halloween pumpkins, and the amazing apple fritters sold at the cider mill down the road. Drool.  I have to limit myself to only a half-dozen per season or who knows what might happen.

This morning I remembered another (healthier) reason that I love fall – porridge.  Just the word porridge makes me feel all warm and cozy!  It conjures images of a roaring fires and fuzzy socks.  I rarely eat hot cereal in the summer months, but come fall, I start to crave a comforting bowl of chewy, nutty goodness. And quinoa makes for an extra nutty porridge, not to mention an extra nutritious breakfast.  Chock full of vitamins and protein, this is the real breakfast of champions.

If you haven’t jumped on the quinoa bandwagon yet, breakfast is a good time to do so.  The quinoa makes for a great texture here.  With oatmeal, grits and rice pudding I often feel the need for a bit of crunch, a few nuts or a sprinkle of granola.  But the quinoa provides such an interesting mouthfeel and so much robust flavor, that I find nuts unnecessary. Even so, some toasted almonds would be lovely sprinkled on top.  So would flaked coconut.  I went for a bit of extra sweetness with the chopped dates, but the possibilities are endless. And if two bananas for two servings sounds like a lot, well, it is.  But trust me.  Sweet silky bananas and fluffy, chewy quinoa are an alluring combination. 

hot breakfast cereal ingrediants

Quinoa Banana Breakfast Porridge

Serves 2

3/4 cup water

3/4 cup plain unsweetened almond milk

1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed

pinch of cardamom

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

2 medium ripe bananas, chopped

1/4 cup chopped dried dates (optional)

In a small saucepan, bring the water and almond milk to a simmer.  Stir in the rinsed quinoa and the spices and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring every so often, for about 15 minutes.  Add in the chopped bananas and cook, stirring, until most of the liquid is absorbed and the bananas chunks begin to break down.  Spoon into two bowls and top with the dates, if desired.  Serve hot.

Published in: on October 16, 2011 at 6:26 pm  Comments (12)  
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Fennel Apple Salad with Fresh Chickpeas and Honey Walnut Dressing

rosh hashanah side dish

Of all holiday food traditions, apples and honey may just be my favorite.  Crisp, sweet apple slices drizzled with rich, floral honey – what could be better? Oh sure, I love Hanukkah latkes and Thanksgiving pumpkin pie, but the simplicity of apples and honey is just so fresh, compelling and versatile.

These Apples ‘N Honey Pancakes, that I shared with you last year, make a nice Rosh Hashanah breakfast. But this year I was searching for the perfect holiday dinner side, something to go with the brisket.  A rich, meaty dinner calls for something light but flavorful, and this salad fits the bill.  I love the incredible crunch of the apples and fennel, especially served with tender, juicy meat.

fennel apple salad

I was lucky enough to find green chickpeas at the market yesterday.  If you’ve never used fresh green chickpeas, they are a wonderful, rare treat.  It does take a few minutes to shell them , but the slightly crunchy bite is worth the effort.  If you can’t find green chickpeas, I wouldn’t suggest canned or dried chickpeas here.  Edamame would actually be a better substitute.  Either way, this healthy salad also makes a great, quick lunch, in case a big brisket dinner isn’t on your menu this week.

green chickpeas

Fennel Apple Salad with Fresh Chickpeas and Honey Walnut Dressing

Serves 6

2 apples ( I used Fuji)

1 bulb fennel, fronds attached

1/2 cup shelled fresh green chickpeas (or cooked shelled edamame)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

2 tablespoons walnut oil

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon honey

salt and pepper to taste

Slice the apples into match sticks. Remove the fennel fronds, chop two tablespoons of the leafy green fronds and discard the rest. Thinly slice the fennel bulb. Place the apples, fennel fronds, fennel bulb, parsley, and chickpeas in a large bowl.  In a small bowl, wisk together the walnut oil, lemon juice and honey. Toss the salad with the dressing.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Published in: on September 25, 2011 at 3:40 pm  Comments (11)  
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Pumpkin Yogurt Breakfast Parfait

breakfast parfait

Labor Day is behind us, which means no more white pants, but lots more pumpkin goodness. 

I love this time of year.  Sweet corn and heirloom tomatoes are still abundant, but the homey scents of winter squash and cinnamon fill the kitchen.  And let’s be honest, white pants are totally still in the wardrobe! But so are lightweight sweaters and corduroy pants. 

I’m not quite ready to dive into a from-scratch pumpkin pie, but breakfast is a great way to ease into the season.  Pumpkin also happens to be super healthy, although most pumpkin-laced treats are filled with enough lovely butter and sugar to mask all those vitamins and fiber. But this not-too-sweet breakfast is decadent and beautiful despite the lack of butter.  And the best part is that is takes just five minutes – yes, five minutes!  Which means that even weekday breakfasts can be exciting, healthy, and pumpkin-filled.

Pumpkin Yogurt Breakfast Parfait

Serves 2

12 oz plain low fat Greek yogurt

1/2 cup canned pureed pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling!)

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

pinch of allspice

2 tablespoons honey

4 tablespoons chopped toasted walnuts, plus extra for garnish

4 tablespoons sweetened dried cranberries

In a small bowl, combine half of the yogurt with the pumpkin, cinnamon, allspice and  honey. Spoon a dollop of pumpkin yogurt into each of two glasses.  Top with a sprinkle of walnuts and dried cranberries.  Top with the plain yogurt, then the remaining walnuts and cranberries, and the remaining pumpkin yogurt. Garnish with additional walnuts if desired.

Published in: on September 5, 2011 at 6:29 pm  Comments (23)  
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Almond Muesli

bircher musali

I’d love to tell you all that I sit out on my deck each morning, savoring a steamy cup of coffee with frothed milk, leisurely reading the newspaper, thoroughly enjoying a three-course homemade breakfast on good china. But the truth is, I usually run out of the house with my hair still wet and scarf down breakfast at my desk. 

Which is why I have a bit of an obsession with hotel breakfasts; they are a calm, pleasurable, and relaxing way to start the day. And I especially love European hotel breakfasts.  A basket of flakey pastries, a big pot of coffee, and a buffet of flavorful cheeses, fresh fruits, and, best of all, bircher muesli. 

The Intercontinental in Bucharest, Romania makes a lovely, creamy bircher muesli.  So does a tiny Bed and Breakfast outside Bansko, Bulgaria.  A little Inn near Toulouse, France serves a version so wonderfully rich that no amount of tiny, fresh, sweet strawberries can turn these cream-laden oats into a healthy breakfast.

I’ve been experimenting for years, trying to recreate my favorite European breakfast experiences.  The very best traditional bircher muesli is usually made with oats, nuts, dried fruit, full-fat yogurt and heavy cream.  Perhaps it’s a difference in the yogurt, or my discomfort using more than a splash of cream in what should be a healthy breakfast, but I have never quite mastered bircher muesli.

I’ve tried combinations of yogurt, milk, apple juice, soy milk, and cream, some better than others.  In fact, soy milk was a surprising front runner. And then last weekend, I was wandering around Whole Foods with my friend Laran, who happens to be allergic to soy.  We were chatting about the merits of a portable breakfast when it occurred to me that, instead of soy milk,  almond milk might just be the thing to elevate my muesli. And I was right. All the creaminess, and no off flavor.  It may not be quite the traditional European bircher musali, but it is certainly a delicious, healthy, portable breakfast. 

I love that I can make this the night before, and then grab it out of the fridge as I start my mad dash to work in the morning. It would, of course, be just as tasty were I to spoon it into a pretty glass and savor each bite while admiring my sunny flower beds.

Almond Muesli

Serves 2

1 cup rolled oats

1 tablespoons oat bran

1/4 cup sliced almonds

1/4 cup  dried fruit (such as chopped apricot, cherries, raisins, etc)

1 cup unsweetened almond milk

2 tablespoons honey

1/2 teaspoon cardamom

2 cups fresh mixed berries

Stir all ingredients except the berries together in a bowl until well combined.  Cover and refrigerate overnight.  To serve, stir well and then spoon the muesli into bowls and top with plenty of berries.  This recipe doubles easily, and keeps well in the fridge for up to three days, but be sure to wait until the last minute to add the berries.

Published in: on August 14, 2011 at 5:34 pm  Comments (10)  
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Not Quite Mom’s: Creamy Chipotle Cauliflower

roasted cauliflower with pepitas

When I was a kid my mom would make a dish she called ‘Hungarian Cauliflower’.  Steamed cauliflower, topped with strained yogurt and toasty bread crumbs with a sprinkle of bright paprika. I haven’t had it in years.  In fact, I hadn’t even thought about it in years – until a few weeks ago.

My mom’s Hungarian Cauliflower was earthy, crunchy, creamy and delicious – a weeknight favorite. It’s funny how old favorites fizzle, though, when you move out on your own.  I can’t tell you why I’ve never made Hungarian Cauliflower, or the famous family ‘Albergetti’ (something akin to homemade Spaghetti-O’s) or even my mom’s potato-chip topped chicken noodle casserole.

But when I stepped into Michael Schlow’s new Boston restaurant, Tico, I can assure you that Hungarian Cauliflower was the last thing on my mind.  I was looking for spicy two textured beef tacos, and sweet tres leches ice cream … not a blast from the past.

Then a small plate of creamy, smoky cauliflower florets arrived on our table, and I was transported. The cauliflower was roasted, not steamed, and the creamy sauce laced with chipotle. But the food memory was there nonetheless.  Tico’s cauliflower was topped with a bit of crumbly, salty Mexican cheese, and crunchy fava beans – not exactly bread crumbs, but quite a flavor combination.

After that meal at Tico, I bought a head of cauliflower thinking I’d make Mom’s Hungarian Cauliflower. Of course, as soon as I got home I realized that we had no bread crumbs – not even a lonely crust of bread from which to make bread crumbs.  Typical of my haphazard shopping. But then again, most of my recipe innovations arise from missing ingredients.

So I roasted the cauliflower and tossed it with chipotle-laced yogurt, sprinkled it with a bit of salty cheese, and a few pumpkin seeds from the back of the cupboard. And I have to say, it turned out quite wonderfully. This recipe has all the nutty flavor and smokey punch of the dish at Tico and all of the homey creaminess of my mom’s cauliflower. And even better… this version is seriously healthy.

Creamy Chipotle Cauliflower

Serves 4 as a side dish

1 medium head cauliflower

1 tablespoon olive oil

salt and pepper

3/4 cup fat free Greek yogurt

1 tablespoon bottled chipotle hot sauce

1/4 cup pepitas (hulled pumpkin seeds)

1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Cut the cauliflower into bite-sized florets.  Toss the cauliflower with the oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Arrange the cauliflower in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast about 25 minutes until browned on the edges. Cool slightly.

Meanwhile, mix together the yogurt and the hot sauce. Arrange the pepitas on a baking sheet and roast in the 400 degree oven for 3-5 minutes, until lightly toasted. Toss the cauliflower with the yogurt mixture and top with the cheese and pepitas.  Serve warm.

Published in: on May 19, 2011 at 6:42 pm  Comments (15)  
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Sweet Potato and Gorgonzola Gnocchi with Truffle Oil

gnocchi with truffle oil

My mother hates beets.  And until I was in graduate school, and a friend served roasted beets at a dinner party, I thought I hated them too.  Turns out I absolutely adore beets.  She also hates olives, so I maintained that I did as well, and didn’t eat one until a high school trip to France, where I discovered the beauty of little Nicoise olives.

I was lucky, though, I suppose.  My mother made most foods exciting, even healthy ones.  Pulling apart artichokes was a fantastic game to get the heart, eating broccoli was devouring tasty little trees.  One of my mother’s favorite meals is a simple baked sweet potato slathered with good butter.  And her enthusiasm was catching.  We had no idea that the sweet, orange flesh was healthy, we just knew that we loved it.

And while I generally believe that sweet potatoes need no adornment other than a pat of butter, the mild sweetness actually works as a wonderful foil for all sorts of flavors. So when I saw that the NC Sweet Potato Commission was looking for bloggers to come up with recipes, my mind began to whir.  I love the contrast of sweet and salty, and took that as inspiration for these gnocchi.  They are rich and pungent but light and sweet. Truffle oil is rarely a bad idea, but in this case it is especially exciting, bringing a deep savory essence to the sweetness of the gnocchi. The higher water content of sweet potatoes makes for a more doughy gnocchi, but I love that extra chewy bite, as it seems a bit heartier.

With so many flavors, so much depth, these gnocchi are a wonderful main course all on their own.  They are impressive and beautiful enough to serve for a special occasion, but aren’t actually difficult to make.  And you can even prepare the dough in advance.  If you haven’t attempted gnocchi, give these a try, it’s easier than you think. And while rolling pretty little ridges into your gnocchi takes some practice, if they are crooked or off center or simply not there at all, I can promise you that nobody will notice once they taste them.

sweet potato dumplings

Sweet Potato and Gorgonzola Gnocchi with Truffle Oil

Serves 4

2 large sweet potatoes (about 2 lbs)

2 eggs, beaten

8 ounces gorgonzola dulce, divided

21/2 cups flour, plus more for rolling

salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons truffle oil

2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Prick the sweet potatoes all over, place on a baking sheet and bake 50-60 minutes until tender.  Cool, peel and mash in a large bowl. Stir in the eggs.  Reserve 4 tablespoons crumbled gorgonzola dulce and stir the remainder into the sweet potato mixture.  Add the flour 1/2 cup at a time, stirring well to combine.  Add a few pinches of salt and plenty of freshly ground black pepper. 

Divide the dough into four portions.  Turn out one portion on a floured surface.  Knead lightly, and then roll out the dough into a long rope about one inch thick.  Cut the rope into 1-inch portions.  If you want, you can then roll the gnocchi on a fork to create ridges.  Repeat with the remaining dough.  (At this point, the gnocchi can be frozen in a single layer on a wax-paper lined baking sheet and then transferred to a freezer-safe container for up to a month).

Cook the gnocchi in a very large pot of boiling salted water.  Once the gnocchi float to the top, boil for two minutes more, a total of about 5-6 minutes. Drain the gnocchi very well and divide among four plates.  Sprinkle each plate with some of the reserved cheese, a bit of chives, and some additional black pepper.  Drizzle each portion with truffle oil and serve right away.

Published in: on March 2, 2011 at 9:01 pm  Comments (23)  
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Farmer’s Market Ratatouille

  

ratatouille 

It’s not very often that I get up enough chutzpah to contradict Julia Child, but in the case of ratatouille I really have to take a stand.  

zucchini

Photo by Joanna Hamblin

 

Child’s version of ratatouille requires the careful separate cooking of each vegetable, before layering the elements in a casserole for slow simmering.  Now, I have no doubt that this time-consuming stew is lovely, and full of exciting textures.  But if we’re going for authenticity, I have to point out that in all my time in France I never once met any home cook who made ratatouille in this way.  All of the French moms I know simply throw the veggies in a big pot, turn the heat to low, and stir every so often.  That’s it.  In fact, the word ratatouille apparently comes from the French touiller, which means “to stir”.  Yes, stir – not arrange in fussy little layers.  

dedham farmers market tomatoes

Photo by Joanna Hamblin

 

I love our local Dedham Farmer’s Market. Thanks to the farmer’s market manager, Joanna Hamblin (who happens to take some lovely photos), you can see how fantastic our market has been this summer.  The richness of the market is something of a blessing and a curse.  I get so excited about the overflowing stalls of veggies and fruits and jams and breads that I generally come home lugging so much more than Jeff and I can manage to eat in a week.  But ratataouille to the rescue!  I’ve been making huge batches of this stuff. We’ve been having ratatouille with dinner over grilled chicken or on swordfish kebabs, or for a simple lunch with warm pita.  Sometimes I toss it with pasta and a bit of goat cheese, or use it as a filling for omelets.  And lately I’ve been loving ramekins half-filled with ratatouille, topped with an egg, and baked until the white sets.  With a bit of baguette this is just about the best summer meal imaginable.  

farmers market

Photo by Joanna Hamblin

 

If you don’t have herbes de Provence on hand, feel free to use equal amounts of basil, savory, and fennel.  In fact, pretty much anything goes in this forgiving stew.  The recipe is not set in stone, but you can find my favorite version here in this month’s Cozy, Delicious column in the Dedham Transcript, on WickedLocal.com. 

ratatouille 

Published in: on August 15, 2010 at 1:23 pm  Comments (36)  
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