Pineapple Jalapeno Poppers

Far and away, my favorite part of going to the Greenmarket is, when I have absolutely no idea what to make  for dinner, to allow myself to be surprised and inspired by whatever delicacies I find waiting for me. Of course, being a planner and mildly OCD, this rarely happens. In fact, I almost never allow myself to go shopping without a list; otherwise I end up going crazy and coming home with various delicacies that have no relationship to one another so then I have to go back out to get whatever missing pieces I've neglected. And some of that produce invariably winds up in the trash, neglected and forgotten.


No thank you. So, in an effort to cut down on waste and generally practice more sustainable practices in my kitchen and my life, I use lists. But, also wanting to cook seasonally, I let myself be inspired by what's available. And, sometimes, I cheat.


How do I cheat, you ask? When I have work in the morning (but know I'll get home with plenty of time to go back out to the Greenmarket before they close), I first survey everything at the Greenmarket (it's right next to the subway station), file away what looks most exciting, then go home, put together a list and venture back out, this time with Ozzy and a plan.


Not long ago, I did exactly this. What piqued my interest, you ask? Jalapeno peppers. While I've occasionally seen these gems downtown at the large Union Square Greenmarket, I'd never seen them at my little Tucker Square Greenmarket, across the street from Lincoln Center. Being so excited, I wanted to highlight them as the main course of my dinner, not merely a seasoning. I'd seen a recipe for BBQ Jalapeno Poppers in The Pioneer Woman Cooks, so I figured that was a good enough place to start. Armed with 18 jalapenos (yes, I counted them), I went home and set to work.


Unfortunately, though, I'm actually quite a weakling when it comes to spice. So I needed something (other than the cheese I was stuffing inside) to cut the bite of these peppers. Mandy had made some Jalapeno Poppers with Pineapple, so the cut-up pineapple in the fridge that had been destined for my morning yogurt went into the poppers instead. I also opted to bake these rather than fry them. And, wanting to showcase the freshness of the jalapenos, I decided against breading as well. Make sure everything's at room temperature before you get started; it makes the mixing of the stuffing components much easier. I topped half the poppers (mine) with fresh bacon but it could very easily be left out. Enjoy!


Pineapple Jalapeno Poppers
adapted from The Pioneer Woman Cooks and Home with Mandy

• 18 jalapeno peppers
• 8 ounces cream cheese
• 1/2 cup cheddar, grated (I used a Mexican 3-cheese blend that was very good)
• 1 green onion, sliced
• 1 container pineapple, chopped
• 18 slices fresh bacon, cut in half (optional)
• Barbecue sauce, to taste

Preheat oven to 275 F. Wearing rubber gloves (and after having already taken out your contact lenses for the night -- yes, I did learn that the hard way), slice jalapenos in half lengthwise. Scrape out seeds and membranes with a spoon. If you are less heat-sensitive than I (or if your jalapenos are mild), leave some seeds in; that's where the heat is.

In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, cheddar, green onion and pineapple. Now stuff a heaping tablespoonful of mixture into each jalapeno half. Press down well, so there's very little chance of the stuffing falling out (especially important if you're not using the bacon to hold it in!). Arrange jalapeno halves on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet. If you are using bacon, lay it on top of the open jalapeno half, pressing down to secure it to the filling. Drizzle barbecue sauce on top of either the bacon or cheese filling, depending on which option you're making. Use a pastry brush to spread it around more easily.

Bake in the oven for 1 hour. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Make it a meal: Serve with plain steamed corn -- an excellent antidote to the spicy jalapenos and a bottle of Riesling. I recommend Nein Lives.

Leftovers: These are very rich, so there will probably be leftovers. To repurpose them for another meal, serve over kasha.

Links to other jalapeno poppers noshes:

• Jalapeno Poppers from Food People Want
• Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeno Thingies from The Pioneer Woman Cooks!
• How to Make Homemade Jalapeno Poppers from Eclectic Recipes
• Jalapeno Popper Dip from Big Red Kitchen
• Jalapeno Popper Dip from My Baking Addiction

Black Bean and Cucumber Salad

Black Bean and Cucumber Salad

I don't know how this summer's been for you but, here in New York, it's been hot, hot, hot! Last week there were several days over 100F and, while I know that's mild for some it certainly isn't for us. I'm not terribly heat sensitive but, while our air conditioners made a valiant effort, it was still far too hot in the apartment to cook.

Cucumbers, Peeled, Seeded and Diced

During this heat wave, I found that I was craving different foods than usual. For example, I usually prefer cooked vegetables to raw but cucumbers (a vegetable I usually dislike) actually sounded quite appealing. See, when I'm really warm, I crave foods with a high water content in a constant effort to keep myself hydrated. I also crave spicy foods, probably because they make me drink more. So I started looking for cucumber recipes. I first stumbled upon a Shrimp and Cucumber Salad but that certainly wouldn't feed the vegetarian. And just leaving the out the shrimps would turn it into a side dish.


So then I found a Black Bean Cucumber Salad. That convinced me to use black beans so I went back to my original shrimp idea and was delighted to find Kalyn's Spicy Shrimp and Cucumber Salad with Mint, Lemon, and Cumin. With some substitutions and a little imagination, we were all set. Enjoy!


Black Bean and Cucumber Salad
inspired by SparkRecipes and Kalyn's Kitchen

• 1 16-oz. can black beans, drained
• 1 teaspoon fish spice blend
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 1 bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 cup celery, diced
• 2 Mediterranean cucumbers, peeled, seeded and diced
• 1-2 teaspoons Sriracha
• 1/2 teaspoon seasoned fleur de sel
• 2 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin, ground
• 2 dashes hot pepper sauce (I use Frank's)
• 1/8 teaspoon Himalayan salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
• 3 tablespoons lemon garlic olive oil

Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Stir well. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.


Make it a Meal: To celebrate summer and keep the meal light, rather than making a traditional grain, go for

Cucumbers, Corn and Wine

some corn, simmered for 10 minutes (if you can bear to keep the stove on for that long). A great wine we recently discovered is Beach House. Mostly Sauvignon Blanc, it's very easy to drink and perfect for a hot summer's night (and, I'm sure, even nicer if you're lucky enough to be by the beach!). For dessert, chocolate (or vanilla or almond) milk! Bon appetit!


Links to other cucumber salad noshes:

• Sesame Cucumber Salad from Simply Recipes
• Julia Child's Cucumber Salad from A Veggie Venture
• Spicy Chinese Cucumber Salad from Use Real Butter
• Sichuan Cucumber Salad from Appetite for China
• Cool as a Cucumber Salad from Gluten-Free Goddess

Summer Roasted Eggplant and Tomato Soup

Summer Roasted Tomato and Eggplant Soup with Phyllo Dumplings

 Like everyone else in the food world, my favorite part of summer (aside from not having to wear a jacket outside) is the produce. Trips to the greenmarket become wonderful discoveries of fresh summer bounty and I have to force myself not to come home with everything I see.


Lately, the vegetarian and I have been traveling a lot so we haven't had time to enjoy the greenmarket as much as we'd like. Our travels took us to Hancock, NY, where we were costarring in a new play that about the founding of Laramie, WY. While this was a lot of fun, culinarily it left something to be desired (aside from an amazing restaurant we discovered on the way home, in Ellenville, NY).

Ozzy

The other thing that's been going on is that, do to some lingering behavioral problems, we had to send Ozzy to boot camp for 2 weeks. Now he's home and we're training him pretty hardcore. It's taxing but, ultimately, will be worth it.


So on our trip to the greenmarket yesterday, we wanted something fresh, non labor-intensive and that we could make into comfort food. There were beautiful baby eggplants at the greenmarket and we picked up several (white and purple). To stick with my theme of miniature produce, I grabbed two pints of cherry tomatoes as well. And, because our basil plant had died while we were away, a bunch of lemon basil came home with us as well.


My favorite way to prepare eggplant is to roast it. This concentrates the flavors without leeching out too much moisture. A quick internet search found a recipe for Roasted Eggplant with Tomato and Feta. I loved the flavors but wanted something more comforting than a warm salad. A quick cookbook search found me a recipe for Summer Roasted Tomato Soup. I put on my thinking cap, combined both recipes, and -- poof! Summer Roasted Eggplant and Tomato Soup was born. Enjoy!


Summer Roasted Tomato and Eggplant Soup

Freshly Pureed Soup

adapted from A Slob in the Kitchen and Green Lite Bites

• 4 small Japanese eggplants
• 1 small white eggplant
• 2 pints cherry tomatoes
• 2 teaspoons olive oil, divided, plus more as necessary
• 6 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1 cup lemon basil leaves, chopped
• 1 15-ounce can chickpeas
• 1/2 cup feta, crumbled
• 1 red onion, minced
• 6 cups chicken stock

Preheat oven to 400 F. Toss eggplants, tomatoes, olive oil (at least 1 teaspoon), garlic, salt, basil, chickpeas and feta together.on an aluminum foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Roast 45 minutes, stirring halfway through and adding more olive oil if eggplant has dried out. Remove from oven and set aside.

In a stockpot, heat 1-2 teaspoons olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and cooking, stirring, 5-10 minutes, until onion has turned translucent. Add roasted mixture and stock. Cover, raise heat to high and bring to a boil. Remove cover, lower heat to low and simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and puree with an immersion blender. Season with additional salt and, if desired, black pepper, to taste. Serve warm.

Phyllo, hot out of the oven

Make it a Meal: While you can serve this as an appetizer in a multi-course meal, it is also heavy enough to be a wonderful main dish. While everything roasts, make some phyllo dumplings (a wonderful stand-in for croutons) by wrapping basil and/or feta cheese in phyllo packages. While soup cooks, bake phyllo 15 minutes in a 375 F oven. Serve in soup or alongside. To drink, I'd recommend a rose, specifically a 2010 Biohof Pratsch. A sauvignon blanc would be nice as well. And for dessert? Pomegranate seeds. Bon appetit! 

Leftovers: Make a pound of pasta and pour over as much soup as you want instead of a prepared sauce. Yum!

Links to other roasted eggplant noshes:

• Roasted Eggplant and Tomato Soup from Simply Recipes
• Roasted Eggplant with Mint from White on Rice Couple
• Spicy Grilled Eggplant with Red Pepper, Parsley, and Mint from Kalyn's Kitchen
• Roasted Eggplant Soup from Smitten Kitchen
• Roasted Eggplant Pesto from Fat Free Vegan Kitchen

Falafel and Baba Ghanoush

Pita with Falafel and Baba Ghanoush

How often do you cook dinner? Lately I've been finding cooking an entire meal more and more daunting. It's summer and far too nice out to spend unnecessary amounts of time in the kitchen. I also don't have the time to put extra energy into meal planning these days. And never mind trying to make more than one meal if I want non-vegetarian fare. However, much as I'd often like to, we can't have pasta every night!


So I've started, slowly, moving out of my comfort zone and explore foods from other cultures -- cultures that are naturally more bent towards vegetarian-friendly foods than Jewish and French cuisines (where the majority of my cooking experience lies). My first stop on this voyage is Middle Eastern, a cuisine the vegetarian and I frequently indulge in when eating out but, other than a few examples, one I never cook at home. But no more!

Lettuce, Tomatoes, Cucumbers and Onions 

First up was falafel, a ball or patty traditionally made from ground chickpeas and/or fava beans. We opted for chickpeas and, rather than relying on various hot sauces for flavoring, we added lots of spices right in with the beans. The flavor was delicious. The texture, unfortunately, left something to be desired. The falafel patties never quite stayed together so we ended up with fried crumbles more than we did patties. Inside a pita, all was soon forgiven. But any suggestions to improve the texture are much appreciated!


Falafel is traditionally served with tahini, a paste of ground sesame seeds, but, always looking for an excuse to sneak extra vegetables into our diet, I took that a step further and served it with baba ghanoush, a spread made of roasted eggplant with tahini. Enjoy! 


Falafel

Falafel

adapted from How to Cook Everything and One Perfect Bite

• 1 3/4 cups dried chickpeas
• 6 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 yellow onion, quartered
• 1 teaspoon coriander, ground
• 1 tablespoon cumin, ground
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• safflower oil, for deep-frying
• 6 pita breads
• 1 head romaine lettuce, shredded
• 2 slicing tomatoes, cut into wedges
• 1 red onion, sliced
• 2 kirby cucumbers, sliced
• baba ghanoush (recipe follows)

Put chickpeas in a large bowl and cover with water. Let soak for 24 hours. They will double/triple in volume. Drain the beans well and transfer to a food processor along with all other ingredients through the lemon juice. Pulse until very finely minced but not pureed. Heat a large skillet over a medium-high flame and pour in safflower oil until it coats the pan by at least 2 inches. Heat oil until it flows like water in the pan and a pinch of batter sizzles immediately. Take heaping tablespoons of batter and shape into small patties, using a spoon to shape them as tightly as possible to give them the greatest chance of staying together. Fry in oil, until nicely browned, about 2 minutes on each side. Stuff pita with lettuce, falafel, tomatoes, onion and cucumbers. Drizzle with baba ghanoush. Serve immediately.

Baba Ghanoush

Baba Ghanoush

adapted from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone and One Perfect Bite

• 1 large American eggplant
• 3 cloves rocambole, coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup sesame paste
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon Himalayan salt
• lemon garlic olive oil
• Italian parsley, chopped

Preheat oven to 425F. Slash eggplant in several places so it won't explode in the
oven. Place on a baking pan and bake 40 minutes. Let rest until cool enough to handle. Peel off eggplant skin and discard. Squeeze flesh a bit if very watery. Transfer to food processor and puree with rocambole, sesame paste and water. With motor running, drizzle in lemon juice. Add salt. Transfer puree to a bowl. Drizzle olive oil on top and garnish with parsley.

The Whole Spread

Make It a Meal: This is really a meal in itself. I'd recommend it with a rose or sauvignon blanc. Perhaps some yogurt for dessert. Bon appetit!

Leftovers: Make some big couscous and mix in the baba ghanoush and falafel. Yum!

Links to other falafel noshes:

• An Easy Falafel from The Hummus Blog
• Baked Sweet Potato Falafel from 101 Cookbooks
• Baked Falafel Patties with Yogurt-Tahini Sauce from Kalyn's Kitchen
• CrockPot Falafel from A Year of Slow Cooking
• Chickpea Falafel from The Perfect Pantry

Blueberry Amandine Tart

Blueberry Amandine Tart

A little over a week ago, the vegetarian turned 30. In his honor, I wanted to bake something. Now, as you know, I'm not much of a baker, so I needed something reliable and easy. But muffins are boring (and the only thing I bake with any frequency) so I wanted to find something more fun. And that would feel at least semi-seasonal. Something that, for better or for worse, I could feature here.


Searching for inspiration, my first stop was the freezer where I found some frozen blueberries from our frozen farm share. Great, I thought, I'll use blueberries. The next stop was the cookbook shelf, where I saw Clotilde's book, Chocolate & Zucchini. Like many, Chocolate & Zucchini was the first food blog I discovered. I was living alone in Paris, in a garret apartment in the 15th arrondissement. I was a student, studying abroad, and it was my first time living alone and being responsible for all my own meals. While I had neither the funds nor the resources to sample most of Clotilde's creations, I used to sit at my computer, reading about her delicacies while savoring my homemade eggs, lentils or pasta -- my three most regular meals in those days. This was, of course, before I moved to a real apartment in the 1st arrondissement, experimented in the kitchen and started my own blog. Six years and six apartments later (how time flies), cooking for someone who's never seen my Paris (though he was there many moons before we met) and is slowly being introduced into the world of food and expanding tastebuds, it seemed only fitting to return to Clotilde for advice.


The recipe I ultimately settled on was a Blueberry Amandine Tart. Since I don't trust myself as a baker enough to potchke with a tart recipe (and because I couldn't imagine what I would change), I left it exactly as printed in the book. Exact that I used a store-bought pate sablee.


So how was it? Delicious. My only complaint was that the center never quite firmed up. Perhaps this was because my crust was 9-inches, perhaps because my blueberries were frozen. Or maybe that's the way it was supposed to be. Anyway, the almonds were the perfect antidote to keep the tart from becoming too sweet (I thoroughly recommend buying them already blanched rather than doing it yourself. You can find the recipe on page. 188-189 of Chocolate and Zuccini. Enjoy!


Make it a meal: Whenever I make dessert, I want to ensure my diners save room for it! So I make a one-pot meal, usually pasta, to go with it. In this case, I made Spaghetti with Cheesy Tomato Sauce (tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella). And to drink, Champagne Cocktail for me and Electric Lemonade for the vegetarian. Bon appetit!


Links to other blueberry amandine tart noshes:

• Blueberry Amandine Tart from Baked Alaska
• Blueberry Amandine Tart from The Casual Baker
• A Bit of a C&Z Weekend from Chocolate & Zucchini Forums
• Blueberry Kuchen from Lady Gouda
• Seven Questions with Marty Curtis (with a picture of a blueberry muffin) from seven spoons
• Open-Faced Fresh Blueberry Pie from The Kitchen Sink
• Chewy Blueberry Oatmeal Cookies from Dinner with Julie
• Blueberry Boy Bait from Blue Jean Gourmet

Beetroot, Butter, Pomegranate Salad

Beetroot, Butter, Pomegranate Salad

Whew! It's been a while! And I've even been cooking (three recipes in the to-be-blogged file). So accept a few posts in short succession, if possible. What have I been doing, you ask? A whirlwind trip to Los Angeles, another show and some family medical issues (everyone's fine now and the vegetarian and I are both home).


Several weeks ago, just before we to LA, I had a few beetroots hanging out in the fridge, left over from the butter borshch. As I've mentioned, the vegetarian is not such a huge fan of beets, so I decided that a side dish (which he wouldn't necessarily eat) would be the best bet. It was warm out that day and we were tired after spending the afternoon preparing for LA so I didn't want to cook more than necessary. And I wanted something fresh-tasting. Janna Gur's The Book of New Israeli Food provided the inspiration I needed. The beets would become a salad, then, dressed with pomegranate concentrate, cilantro and some pomegranate seeds.


But, since I knew the vegetarian would eat the majority of the other meal components, I wanted to make the salad a little more substantial. On the internet, I found a Herring with Potato and Beetroot Salad. While interesting, I wasn't going to go about cooking herring, especially since I would be the only one eating them. And I had no potatoes. But what really caught my eye about the recipe was the dressing for the beetroots: melted butter! So melted butter replaced the olive oil and I had a fresh, sweet salad for dinner and several lunches as well. Enjoy!


Beetroot, Butter, Pomegranate Salad
adapted from The Book of New Israeli Food and CookEatShare

• 3 red beets
• 2 tablespoons pomegrante juice concentrate
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 chiles de arbol, dried and crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt
• 1/2 cup cilantro leaves
• 1 cup pomegranate seeds
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add beets and cook for 45 minutes, until tender. When cool enough to handle, slide off peels and dice. Transfer to a large bowl and add pomegranate juice concetrate, lemon juice, chiles and salt. Let marinate 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt butter for about 10 seconds in microwave. Next, stir cilantro and pomegranate seeds into beet mixture. Pour melted butter on top. Serves 6.

Make it a meal: If, like me, you're feeding someone who's not very fond of beets, make sure your other 

Beets, Buckwheat, Black Beans, Cserzsegi Fuzseres

dishes can be a meal in themselves. I recommend buckwheat cooked simply with salt and black beans cooked with cumin. Mix both together and sprinkle with cilantro and pomegranate seeds. If your beets came with greens, steam them for 7 minutes over the boiling beets and add to buckwheat and black beans. To drink, I recommend gewurtztraminer or a Hungarian cserszegi fuszeres. Bon appetit!

Links to other beetroot pomegranate salad noshes:

• Beetroot and Carrot Raw Salad from A Life (Time) of Cooking
• Golden Beet and Pomegranate Salad from Simply Recipes
• Beetroot and Pomegranate Tabbouleh from Green Gourmet Giraffe
• Bulgur, Celery and Pomegranate Salad from 101 Cookbooks

Butter Borshch

Butter Borshch

My show closed on Saturday night and, after 3 weeks of wearing a corset, coming home late and barely cooking, I was really looking to make something restorative and nutritious for dinner last night. That always makes me think of soup. But so soon after Passover, the last thing I wanted was matzoh ball soup. I also knew I needed this soup to be chock full of vegetables, to make up for all the fried bar food I'd been eating late nights after performances. And I have a little jar of fresh bay leaves -- a gift from a cast member that I was eager to sample. Since spring produce isn't quite here yet, I started thinking about root vegetables. But I wanted a green as well. So I asked myself: what root vegetables have delicious edible greens? Beets, of course! Borshch it was, then.


But the vegetarian isn't such a fan of beets, so I wanted there to be enough other flavors in the borshch that it wouldn't taste overwhelmingly of beets (just clean and earthy). So we added in onions and carrots and sauteed all the earth vegetables in butter. Instead of cabbage, I used the beet greens and even half a package of diced tomatoes from Winter Sun Farms.


So did it work? Did the vegetarian learn to like beets? Yes and no. He loved the flavorful broth we created (and wasn't even turned off by the reddish color!) but found the texture of the beets off-putting. But that's fine; I had made enough side dishes for him to be satisfied with the broth stirred in and I was able to have extra soup for lunch today. Enjoy!


Butter Borshch
inspired by Cooking with PETA and Russian Cookbook

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 yellow onion, minced
• 2 beets, grated
• 2 carrots, grated
• 3 cups broth (vegetable or chicken)
• 1 cup sauce tomatoes, diced
• 1 bay leaf (fresh, if possible)
• beet greens from 1 bunch beets, stems and leaves chopped and separated
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt, plus additional garlic salt to taste
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper, freshly ground, plus additional red pepper flakes to taste

Melt butter in a pot over medium-low heat. Add onion, beets and carrots and saute until fragrant, about 15 minutes. Pour in broth, tomatoes and bay leaf and simmer 5 minutes. Add beet greens stems and simer another 5 minutes. Add beet green leaves, lemon juice, salt and pepper and simmer, stirring well, 5 minutes, until greens are tender and flavors are melded nicely. Remove bay leaf and serve. Makes 4 1/2 cups.


Make it a meal: If, like me, you're cooking for someone who may not be crazy about borshch, make side 

Make it a Meal

dishes that could qualify as a meal in themselves. Staying in Eastern Europe, buckwheat is great either on the side or stirred into the borshch. For some extra protein, how about some nutty black-eyed peas? And traveling back around the world, some sauteed bok choy brings in an extra dose of greens. A bottle of red wine to drink and for dessert, fresh blueberries. Bon appetit!


Links to other borshch noshes and thoughts:

• Borscht from Simply Recipes
• Vegetarian Borsch from nami-nami
• Borscht Soup with Garlic Bread from Christine' s Recipes
• Creamy Beet Borscht from Lisa's Kitchen
• Jennifer Wildeboer talked about vegan borshch in her interview on food52
• Borscht from Wandering Chopsticks
• Borsht from Jew And The Carrot
• Borscht from The Kitchn
• Azu, the Tatar meat stew from nami-nami
• Borscht keeps the cold at bay -- canned vs. homemade borscht from Slashfood
• Simply Borscht from Papawow
• part of The Omnivore's Hundred, as listed on Chocolate & Zucchini

Fast and Easy Passover Cooking: Asparagus with Parmesan Butter

Asparagus with Parmesan Butter, outside on our terrace

For those who celebrate, happy Easter! For us Jews, it's still Passover. And, at least here in New York, the weather is finally fully spring. Ozzy and I wandered about, playing in a park for a time, before coming home for lunch. Asparagus is one of the ultimate spring foods. And, lucky me, I had a bunch of it feeling neglected in my vegetable drawer. That decided lunch!


But what to do with it? For seders, we often roast asparagus with matzoh crumbs. But that was far more complicated than what I was after. Also, the vegetarian (who isn't especially fond of asparagus) is in Albany, having a third seder with his family (I couldn't go due to a performance last night) so I was only cooking for one. A quick internet search produced the idea to broil them with some old Parmigiano-Reggiano and butter. I had these alone, but they'd also be delicious alongside some chicken (if you're not kosher, of course). And, if you don't like (or don't have) any asparagus, the butter was like the richest, most delightful garlic butters I've ever tasted. It would be delightful on any other vegetable, matzoh or even pasta or bread. Enjoy!


Update: Jaden at Steamy Kitchen is hosting a Spring Fling whose theme is asparagus! So get your asparagus noshes over to her and celebrate the spring bounty!


Asparagus with Parmesan Butter
adapted from a recipe at Epicurious

• 1 bunch asparagus, ends snapped off
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated
• leaves from 1 stalk fresh basil, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt, plus additional for salting water
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper, ground

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add asparagus and cook 3 minutes. Remove and drain very well.


Meanwhile, cream together (I did this in the food processor because I'm lazy) butter, Parmigian-Reggiano, basil, garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Turn broiler on high. Spread asparagus out on a broiler-safe pan and spread butter mixture over them as evenly as possible. Broil 3 minutes. Serve warm. Bon appetit!


Links to other asparagus parmesan butter noshes:

• Sauteed Asparagus with Butter and Parmesan from RecipeGirl
• Purple/Pink Asparagus with Butter & Parmesan from thepassionatecook
• Vermicelli with Butter, Parmesan, and Asparagus Tips from What Did You Eat?
• Slow Butter Braised Asparagus from Steamy Kitchen
• Creamy Orzo with Asparagus & Parmesan from Sugar & Spice by Celeste
• Asparagus with Fried Egg and Parmesan Cheese from Steamy Kitchen
• Asparagus with Garlic Butter and Parmesan from Dancing on My Table
• Asparagus Risotto from Simply Recipes
• Spring Asparagus and Pancetta Fettucine from Guilty Kitchen
• Pan Fried Asparagus with Parmesan, and Asparagus Ribbons from food52
• Rosemary & Parmesan Crusted Asparagus from eat make read

Easy Passover Recipe: Whole Baked Yams with Spicy Molasses Butter

Baked yam with spicy molasses butter

There are several things that keep me from blogging as often as I'd like. The most obvious, of course, is cooking. Truthfully, when the vegetarian and I are both working, we order in or eat prepared meals far more often than I'd care to admit. When I do cook, I make extra food and we reheat leftovers throughout the week. Or if I'm the one with the busier schedule, the vegetarian makes some variation of his signature baked ziti. None of these options are "worthy" of being written up.


When I'm the one making dinner, there are two routes I follow. One, which you see featured here, involves poking through several cookbooks and the internet, focusing heavily on what's local and seasonal, turning the recipe into a balanced meal and, of course, putting my own spin on things to keep you, readers, interested. The other, far less involved cooking, is based upon a perusal of the fridge and pantry and little to no advance planning or shopping. These recipes are rarely innovative or particularly interesting. However, they are tasty, fast and easy to pull together.


These days, I have two strikes against doing any interesting cooking. First, it's Passover, which usually requires more innovative cooking than usual but, when I'm tired and the majority of  the vegetarian's regular diet is made up of forbidden (to Ashkenazi me) kitniyos, it makes reheated leftovers seem ever-more appealing. And, really, how many matzoh brie variations can I give you? Secondly, I'm performing five nights a week in The Family Shakespeare, a fabulous new play (if I do  say so myself). So while I am often starving when I arrive home at night, there certainly isn't time to first start cooking then.


With all that said, I've decided to include a new feature on the blog: Fast and Easy recipes. These are often thrown together, based off of recipes I've found on the internet. They are primarily inspired by ingredients I already have at home, supplemented (to a greater or lesser degree) by any additional shopping the vegetarian or I have been able to complete. Since it is Passover, this one is Kosher for Passover. Though the butter is quite dark and not pretty, it's certainly delicious, especially alongside some matzoh meal polenta. This came about because I realized I had an obscene amount of butter in the fridge and the majority of a bottle of blackstrap molasses leftover from my chunky banana bran muffins. Enjoy!


Whole Baked Yams with Spicy Molasses Butter
adapted from Epicurious

• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoons blackstrap molasses
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ground
• Tangerine zest, from 1 tangerine, grated
• 1 teaspoon chili powder (if you don't eat cumin on Passover, find a blend without or make your own)
• 1/4 teaspoon Himalayan salt
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 6 garnet yams

In a food processor, combine butter, molasses, cinnamon, zest, chili powder, salt and pepper until completely uniform. Let rest while you cook the yams.

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a large baking pan with aluminum foil. Cut a 1/2-inch deep slit lengthwise down the middle of each yam, stopping about 1 inch before each end. Place on baking sheet and bake 1 hour, 15 minutes.

When cooked, remove yams from pan and, using the slit for help, open up. Spoon 1 tablespoon molasses butter on top and mash well. Bon appetit!

Links to other molasses butter noshes:

• Cindy's Molasses Cookies from use real butter