Romanesco with Tomato and Olives

 

Romanesco broccoli (aka Roman cauliflower) is an alien looking piece of produce!  Neon green, spiky trees protrude from a cauliflower-like head.  This dish is fun to make and to eat!  You can easily substitute cauliflower, broccoli, or some other fibrous veggie for this dish.  Serve with your favorite side to soak up the juices, such as bread, pasta or rice.

Serves 2-3.

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp olive oil

1 onion, medium sized, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (more or less depending on amount of heat you want) 

1 cup tomato, pureed or finely diced (canned or fresh)

1 cup water or stock

1 head of Romanesco, core removed and cut into individual "trees"

1/2 tsp oregano

1/4 cup olives, preferably kalamata, quartered

2 Tbsp tomato paste

1/4 tsp salt

Heat the oil over medium heat and saute the onion for about 5 minutes until softened.  Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and stir for 1 more minute.  Add the rest of the ingredients, stir well, cover and bring to a simmer over med-high heat.  Reduce heat to med-low and simmer for about 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until veggies are tender.  Season with salt to taste, serve immediately.  Enjoy!

Hearty Greens with "Bacon" Ragout

This a juicy and yummy dish that can be made with any type of hearty greens! Turkey bacon was used here but other meats could be substituted too (bacon, sausage, etc.). Serve with bread, rice or pasta to soak up the juices.
Serves about 2
Ingredients:
1 bunch of hearty greens (kale, collard greens, chard), stems removed and chopped to 1 inch slices
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
3 strips of turkey bacon, about 1/4 lb, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 cup water or broth, plus more if needed
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1/4 tsp salt (as needed, depending on saltiness of meat used)

Heat the oil over medium heat and saute the onion until soft, about 4 minutes.  Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and saute another 1 minute, then add the meat and cook (stirring frequently) until cooked to desired consistency, about 3-5 minutes.  Add the chopped greens, water or broth and tomato paste, stirring well.  Cover and bring to a simmer over medium heat then reduce to medium-low heat and simmer for about 45 minutes or until greens are soft.  Stir occasionally and add more water or broth as needed.  Add salt to taste and serve.  Enjoy!

Carrot Yogurt Salad (Haydari in Turkish)

This is a creamy carrot salad with raw garlic to add some kick!  My mother-in-law taught me this dish and we eat it a lot at home. With carrots in season, it is an easy side dish to put together.  You can also add zucchini to the carrots which makes a nice mix.
Serves about 2.
Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups shredded carrots
3 Tbsp veggie oil
1 cup plain yogurt
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp salt

Heat the oil over medium heat and add the carrots.  Stir frequently for about 10 minutes to soften the carrots without browning them.  Remove from heat and allow to cool for 20-30 minutes.  Once cool, combine the sauteed carrots, yogurt, garlic and salt and mix well. Season with more salt if desired.  Serve immediately or refrigerate until needed.  This goes well with pita chips, spicy foods or many other dishes.  Enjoy!

Creamy Potato and Leek Soup with Beans and Broccoli

Potato and leek soup is amazing on its own!  This time I added some beans and broccoli for a more hearty soup.  You can also substitute onions for leeks and use other veggies beside broccoli. The use of an immersion blender (a recently purchased tool for me) makes pureeing much easier than cooling and blending the mix.
Serves about 4
Ingredients:
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 cups chopped leeks, white and soft green part only (about 3 leeks)
4 cups of water or broth
3 cups potato, peeled and coarsely chopped (about 3 medium potatoes)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
1/4 tsp Italian seasoning
1 cup milk
1 15 oz. can of beans, (preferably white beans such as navy or cannellini) drained and rinsed
1 cup chopped broccoli (fresh or frozen), florets and stems
shredded cheese for garnish

Heat the oil over medium heat, add the garlic and stir constantly for about 1 minute.  Add the leeks and saute another 1 minute, then add the water or broth, potatoes, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes and Italian seasoning and stir well. Cover and bring mixture to a boil then reduce heat to med-low and simmer for about 30-40 minutes until all is tender.  If you have an immersion blender, use it to puree the mix. Otherwise cool the soup 1 hour or more and puree in a blender, in batches if necessary filling only half way per batch (the first part can be done ahead of time, 1-2 days and kept in fridge before pureeing).  Return to pan if necessary and add the milk, beans and broccoli and return to a simmer over medium heat for about 15 minutes uncovered.  Adjust liquid content to desired thickness (add water to liquefy or simmer longer for a thicker soup). Season to taste. Serve with bread for dipping and shredded cheese on top, such as Parmesan or Swiss.  Enjoy!