socca.

In our new apartment, we have a lot more cabinet space.   It's awesome (because who doesn't want more space) but it's also extremely annoying because I now see, on an almost daily basis, the items I purchased, used half of, and are now languishing in the cabinets just waiting to be used again.   

So the challenge has become, how can I use these half finished bags of things. Things like chickpea flour which I bought at one time and only used 1/4 cup of...

And this my friends is how I found myself making socca for dinner one night.   Socca is a chickpea flavored flatbread/gluten free version of pizza and it's quite frankly awesome.   It comes together in about 20 minutes and works with a wide array of toppings (making it an easy way to finish off those bottles of assorted pickled things you have in your fridge).   Our favorite version involves olives, roasted red peppers, and feta which gives it a middle-eastern vibe, but you could easily make it more Italian (with pesto, arugula, and Parmesan).  The possibilities are endless (and it may mean chickpea flour will now be a pantry staple).   

Socca
Recipe adapted from the NYTimes

1 cup chickpea flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil
Toppings of your choice - Feta, roasted red peppers, olives, herbs, roasted tomatoes, goat cheese, sprouts, pesto

Heat the oven to 450. Put a well-seasoned or nonstick 12-inch pizza pan or cast-iron skillet in oven. (If you have a socca pan, obviously that will work well also.)

Put the chickpea flour in a bowl; add the salt and pepper. Slowly add 1 cup lukewarm water, whisking to eliminate lumps. Stir in 2 tablespoons olive oil. Cover and let sit while the oven heats, or for as long as 12 hours. The batter should be about the consistency of heavy cream.

Remove the pan, pour 1 tablespoon of the oil into it and swirl. Immediately pour the batter into the pan and top with desired toppings. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the pancake is firm and the edges set.

Cut it into wedges, and serve hot or warm.  Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 days and eaten at room temperature.    

roasted broccoli and sweet potato bowl with miso-tahini dressing.

Each week I'm responsible for a lot of meals.   Ensuring two adults and one dog are fed healthy wholesome meals (with some cookies thrown in for good measure) is essentially a full time job - one that requires a lot of foresight and planning.   I've turned Sunday into a kind-of bum around the house/prepare meals for the week day. Doing so has helped alleviate some of the stress that comes from getting home from work, walking the dog, and pondering the age old question "what the heck are we going to eat for dinner?".

I've come to rely on roasted vegetables as the base for many meals throughout the week.   Combine roasted potatoes and beans and you're halfway to a breakfast taco for dinner.   Extra roasted cauliflower?  Toss it with bulger and a lemon dressing and you've got yourself a substantial salad that brings to life the flavors of the Middle-East.   But of all the roasted veggie dishes I make, my absolute favor is roasted broccoli and sweet potato with miso-tahini dressing.  It's incredibly easy, absurdly flavorful, and best of all, it's a salad that doesn't wilt which means leftovers work the next day for lunch.  How's that for winning?   

Roasted Broccoli and Sweet Potato Bowl with Miso-Tahini Dressing

Recipe adapted from Goop.  Dressing adapted from the Smitten Kitchen Cookbook

Serves 4

Rice is optional though it makes the whole thing more filling.  Any rice will do though I'm partial to sushi rice since I love sticky rice.   Also some sliced avocado up top makes for a very welcome addition.   

For the Bowl

1 cup sushi rice

1 head of broccoli (about 1.25 pounds) cut into 1 inch pieces

1 pound of sweet potatoes, peeled, and diced into half inch cubes

Salt and Pepper to taste

2 tablepsoons olive oil

Sesame seeds for garnish

For the Dressing

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

1 small garlic clove, minced

2 tablespoons white miso 

2 tablespoons tahini 

1 tablespoon honey (I use Mike's Hot Honey)

1/4 cup rice vinegar

2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil

1 tablespoon Sriracha

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Place rice and cooking liquid in a rice cooker or on the stove. Cook according to package directions.  Set aside.

Coat one large or two smaller trays with a thin slick of olive oil. Layer sweet potatoes on tray(s) and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 20 minutes, until browning underneath. Flip and toss chunks around, then add broccoli to the tray(s), season again with salt and pepper, and roast for another 10 to 20 minutes, until broccoli is lightly charred at edges and sweet potato is fully bronzed and tender. Toss chunks around one more time if it looks like they’re cooking unevenly. 

While vegetables roast, prepare sesame-miso dressing: Combine everything in a blender and run until smooth, scraping down sides once. Taste and adjust ingredients if needed.

Assemble bowls: Scoop some rice/grains into each, then pile on the roasted sweet potatoes and broccoli. Coat lightly with sesame-miso dressing and finish with toasted sesame seed duo. Serve with extra dressing on the side.

spicy sweet potato chip and avocado sandwich.

Last week's issue of the NYTimes dinning section stole my heart because my love of sandwiches knows no bounds.   It is safe to say that after reading the article about how to build a better sandwich, I had a SERIOUS hankering for something stuffed between two slices of bread.   

And so I made one epic sandwich.  

Some may scoff at the idea of a sandwich containing no meat.  While vegetarian sandwiches are not the norm, they are incredibly delicious especially when they encompass lots of different textural and flavor elements. The key to a good sandwich is juxtaposition - something crunchy with something soft.  Something spicy with something sweet.  If you can get that balance right the sandwich possibilities are endless. 

This particular sandwich has it all - crispy, crunchy homemade sweet potato chips.  Creamy avocado and a particularly addicting spicy special sauce.  It's not neat and it's not pretty but it's good and satisfying and absurdly delicious.   

Spicy Sweet Potato Chip and Avocado Sandwich

Recipe adapted from Dolly and Oatmeal

Makes 2 Sandwiches

1 large sweet potato, sliced lengthwise to about 1/8-inch thickness

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

Large grain sea salt + fresh ground pepper

1 teaspoon smoked Spanish paprika

1 ripe avocado, sliced

Micro greens, sprouts, small lettuce, etc.

2 ounces of goat cheese

4 slices bread (or 2 rolls), toasted

Spicy Special Sauce (see below for recipe)

Pre-heat oven to 375° and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Set aside.

Mix sliced sweet potatoes, oil, paprika, a couple pinches of salt, and a few grinds of pepper, until potatoes are evenly coated.  Spread potatoes in a single layer, do not overlap or overcrowd.

Bake for 15 minutes, then flip each potato over and bake for an additional 15 minutes.  At this point some potatoes might be crisp; if so, remove from baking sheet and transfer to a large platter or plate. Continue this process until potatoes are lightly browned and crisp.  Let potatoes cool in a single layer. (Placing them on top of one another while still hot will result in a soggy chip.)

Remove spicy sauce from fridge and spread a good amount on both sides of the bread.  Add avocado, chips, micro greens, and goat cheese, and top with remaining slice of bread

Spicy Special Sauce

1 teaspoon good dijon mustard

2 1/2 tablespoons mayonaise or vegenaise

2 tablespoons ketchup

1 teaspoon sriracha

1/4 teaspoon maple syrup

Whisk all ingredients together in a small mixing bowl; cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at 1 hour or up to 1 week

slow cooked chickpeas on toast with poached egg.

"If you want to make it dinner put an egg on it.  If you want to make a dinner put an egg on it.  Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh."

-Lyrics written by me but sung to the tune of Beyonce "Single Ladies".  

I've mentioned it before and I'll mention it again, throwing an egg on just about anything makes it a meal. It's my cooking motto, my life motto, my "I don't know what to eat but we are hungry so an egg it is" motto. The fact that I now have a song to go along with it just further reinforces the fact that this is a completely valid maxim.  

Most throw an egg on recipes come about out of necessity and the need to use up what we have languishing in the fridge.  On occasion I stumble across one that drives me to make it out of sheer desire for the end product. That is is why this particular recipe got made.  

Yotam Ottolenghi knows his way around vegetable and grains and beans so when he tells you to make to make a chickpea dish that takes 5 hours to cook, you may think that sounds absurd, but you do it because he always seems to know best.  And boy does the man does know best.  This recipe is brilliant. Chickpeas are bathed in an amp-ed up tomato sauce that leaves them as tender as can be.  They are piled high on sour dough toast and topped with that requisite egg and a sprinkling of za'atar.  It's warm and comforting and impossibly addicting especially with a the mix of runny yolk and tomato sauce.  Eggs and winter just belong together.  

Slow Cooked Chickpeas on Toast with Poached Egg 

Recipe from Plenty More by Yotam Ottolenghi  

I wont lie that a little bit of goat chesse spread on the grilled sourdough is a mighty fine (and delicious) addition.  

Rounded 1 cup/220 g dried chickpeas, soaked in water overnight with 2 tsp. baking soda
1 tbsp. olive oil, plus 1 tbsp. to finish
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped (about 1 cup/140 g)
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 teaspoons tomato paste
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
¼ tsp. smoked paprika
2 medium red peppers, cut into 1/4-inch/5-mm dice (about 1 1/4 cups/180 g) (Can also use canned roasted tomatoes) 

1 2/3 cups/300 grams crushed or diced canned tomatoes
½ tsp. superfine sugar
4 slices sourdough bread, brushed with olive oil and grilled on both sides
4 eggs, freshly poached (or over easy)
2 tsp. za'atar
Salt and black pepper

Drain and rinse the chickpeas and place them in a large saucepan with plenty of water. Place over high heat, bring to a boil, skim the surface, and boil for 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Place the oil, onion, garlic, tomato paste, cayenne, paprika, red peppers, 1 teaspoon salt, and some black pepper in a food processor and blitz to form a paste.

Wipe out the chickpea saucepan, return it to the stove over medium heat, and add the paste. Fry for 5 minutes (there’s enough oil there to allow for this), stirring occasionally, before adding the tomato, sugar, chickpeas, and a scant 1 cup/200 ml water. Bring to a low simmer, cover the pan, and cook over very low heat for 4 hours, stirring from time to time and adding more water when needed to retain a sauce-like consistency. Remove the lid and cook for a final hour: The sauce needs to thicken without the chickpeas becoming dry.

Place a piece of warm grilled bread on each plate and spoon the chickpeas over the bread. Lay a poached egg on top, followed by a sprinkle of za’atar and a drizzle of oil. Serve at once.

black bean burgers.

Well we are back.  Discussing food!  Real food and not liquid food.  I've never been so excited.  Especially since we are discussing black bean burgers which are my new favorite thing after having a most epic one a couple of weeks back when Tyler and I had date night at the new burger joint in Jersey City.  It was so epic that I spent the better part of the last 2 weeks researching recipes and trying to come up with a homemade version that would make me dance in my seat the way that one did. 

There burgers will satisfy carnivores and vegetarians alike.  They are meaty, filling, and beyond flavorful due to a combination of peppers, onions, and spices galore. Sure you could omit the spices so they don't feel so Southwestern but my thought is it's better to embrace this characteristic and let the burger be it's awesome Tex-Mex/South-West self.  I like to serve them on (homemade) hamburger buns (recipe coming later this week!) with pepper jack cheese, sliced avocado, pickled jalapenos, ketchup, and mayo because a burger can really be enhanced by the sum of it's parts (that and the fact that I have a love affair with toppings and condiments).

Oh! And don't forget the chips.  

Black Bean Burgers

Recipe adapted from Serious Eats

Makes 6 – 8 Patties

2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained

4 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided

1 small to medium sized yellow onion, finely chopped 

1 large poblano pepper, finely chopped (about 1 cup)

3 medium cloves garlic, minced

1 chipotle chili in adobo sauce, finely chopped, plus 1 teaspoon sauce
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon smoked Spanish Paprika (Hot)

1/3 cup finely crumbled feta or cotija cheese

1 whole egg

3/4 cup panko bread crumbs

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cheese as desired, such as pepper jack, cheddar, muenster, or Swiss (optional)

6 to 8 hearty hamburger buns, toasted

Condiments as desired, such as chipotle mayo (or regular mayo), ketchup, mustard, or mayonnaise (optional)

Toppings as desired, such as shredded lettuce, sliced onions, avocado, and pickled jalapenos (optional)

Adjust oven rack to center position and preheat oven to 350°F. Spread black beans in a single layer on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Place in oven and roast until beans are mostly split open and outer skins are beginning to get crunchy, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly.

While beans roast, heat 2 tablespoons oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onion and poblano and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add chipotle chili and sauce, cumin, chili powder, and paprika, and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Place mixture in food processor and pulse about 5 times until the mixture is finely chopped. Transfer mixture to a large bowl.

When beans are slightly cooled, transfer to food processor. Add cheese. Pulse until beans are roughly chopped (the largest pieces should be about 1/3 of a full bean in size). Transfer to bowl with onion/pepper mixture.  Taste and add salt and pepper as necessary. Add egg and bread crumbs.. Fold together gently but thoroughly with hands. Patty mixture can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days at this stage.

Form bean mixture into 6 to 8 patties as wide as your burger buns. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large non-stick or cast iron skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add 4 patties and cook, swirling pan occasionally, until well browned and crisp on first side, about 5 minutes. Carefully flip and cook until second side is browned, about 5 minutes longer, adding cheese if desired. If cooking more than 4 burgers, cook in batches, keeping cooked burgers on a rack set in a rimmed baking sheet in a 200°F oven while second batch cooks.

Spread top and bottom buns with chipotle mayonnaise or other condiments as desired. Add toppings to top or bottom bun as desired. Place patties on bottom buns, close burgers, and serve immediately.

(the best) kale salad.

My mom and I have always shared the same sentiment that salads made by other people are infinitely better then salads made by yourself.   

Until now.  

This salad has changed everything. I simply can't get enough of.  I dream about it and find myself wondering if time somehow manages to slow down on the days I bring it for lunch.  

The combination of sweet currants, nuts, crunchy croutons, and creamy cheese ensures that each bite has a wide variety of textural contrasts which is the key (in my humble opinion) to a great salad.  One that you keep returning to bite after bite.  Oh and a stellar dressing helps to.  This one is a tart mustardy vinaigrette that manages to keep things oh so interesting.  

(The Best) Kale Salad

Serves 2 Generously 

The other key to kale salads is to dress the salad at least an hour before you are ready to eat it.  The dressing helps to soften and tenderize the leaves.  I've been known to dress it before I leave for work and it's perfect hours later which ensures this is an utterly flexible recipe.  

1 bunch Tuscan (aka lacinato) kale, washed and thinly sliced (about 7 cups)
1/3 cup almonds, toasted and chopped
Generous 1/3 cup currants
1/2 cup ricotta salata or feta, crumbled
2 cups cubed bread, toasted for croutons
Salt and pepper

For the Dressing

4 1/2 teaspoons dijon mustard
1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons honey
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 teaspoons sherry vinegar
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste

To make the dressing:  Place all of the ingredients in a jar with a lid.  Shake to combine the ingredients. Taste and adjust the seasonings as necessary.  Set aside.

Place the kale, almonds, currants, and crumbled ricotta salata in a large bowl.  Season with salt and pepper. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to combine.  Allow the salad to rest for at least at hour at room temperature.  When ready to serve toss in the croutons.  Divide among two plates.  

farro, roasted pepper, and tomato salad.

I got it into my head this weekend that I needed to cook with farro, which means the boy and I went on a supermarket adventure looking for this grain, which we eventually found in the organic section of Shop Rite next to the rice.  I felt victorious for having located it and promptly brought it home.  (It should be noted that I am a girl who lacks patience, which means when I have an idea/thought/craving I can’t think of anything else.  I am like a dog with a cone on its head.)  The reason for my sudden infatuation with farro stemmed from this recipe that I saw in Plenty (my latest cookbook obsession).  Something about the simplicity of the dish spoke to me but I also felt that I could add some end of season produce into the dish to make it a little substantial ( because I look for every opportunity to add in more farmers market produce).  The farro gives a lovely nutty taste to the salad and it also provides some much needed crunchy texture to the red peppers and tomatoes.  The dressing is perfection – sweet and tangy with the perfect amount of spice.  I foresee farro salads becoming my lunch of choice. 

Farro, Roasted Pepper, and Tomato Salad

Recipe adapted from Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi

Farro is the better cooler sister to quinoa (or that's at least how I feel).  The texture is amazing and it tastes more substantial which I love. I planned on making this for lunch which means I wanted to bulk the dish up with some extra vegetables.  Cherry tomatoes and spinach were my extra vegetable add-ins but I imagine cucumbers or corn would also be lovely.   I also plan on making a more fall version with butternut squash which I will report back on! 

For the Dressing

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (from about 1 medium lemon)

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon honey (Mike’s Hot Honey is wonderful here)

¼ teaspoon ground allspice

¼ teaspoon smoked paprika, plus more for garnish

½ garlic clove, minced

¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

¼ teaspoon ground pepper

For the Farro Salad

1 cup farro

2 cups packed baby spinach

1 ½ cups cherry tomatoes, halved

2 roasted red peppers (homemade is best but jarred works as well), diced

10 black olives, pitted and quartered

1 tablepsoon fresh thyme

3 ounces goat cheese

For the dressing: Whisk together all of the ingredients and set aside. 

For the farro salad: Bring 2 ½ cups of water to boil over high heat.  Add the farro, reduce heat to a simmer and cover, cook according to directions on the package, anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour.  When done, drain in a colander or sieve, rinse under cold water and the return the farro to the pot.  Add the spinach and cover for 5 minutes so the heat of the farro just barely wilts the spinach. 

Remove the lid from the pot and add the tomatoes, roasted red pepper, olives, thyme, goat cheese, and dressing. Toss gently and season to taste with salt and pepper.  Serve with a sprinkle of paprika.

green bean, potato, and tuna salad.

I am one of those people who bring their lunch to work.  I realize that this is the norm in some industries, but in the world of finance doing so makes you stick out like a sore thumb.  I used to try and bring inconspicuous items like turkey sandwiches and chicken noodle soup, but sandwiches generally feel less then chic and elegant.  When you’re forced to eat all your meals at your desk, you want to try and bring a little French je ne sais quai to your meal. 

To make my lunch feel a little more special and a little less like I’m eating in a white walled cubicle (when I’d rather be eating on a bench in the sun), I’ve taken to making salads.  We are not talking about bagged lettuce mix salads (the horror!) but rather positively French salads filled with farmer’s market vegetables and some kind of protein. 

My current version features skinny haricots verts (a green bean with a fancy name) with baby red potatoes, chopped egg, and olive oil packed tuna.  I use the olive oil the tuna comes in to make a tart and spicy vinaigrette that I drizzle over the whole thing while the salad is still warm.  The warm vegetables soak up the vinaigrette which makes each bite taste creamy and rich.  The dish is at its best the next day once the flavors have melded, making this the perfect easy lunch that tastes like so much more.  If only I had macarons for dessert (and white wine to drink!)

Green Bean, Potato, and Tuna Salad

Serves 4

This is my version of a nicoise salad (so French!).  In addition to being a super fabulous lunch, it also makes the perfect meal for an impromptu alfresco dinner especially if you serve it with a wedge of brie and crusty bread.  Finish the meal with a bar of the best dark chocolate you can buy.  Simple and wonderful.

For the salad

1 ¼ pound green beans washed and ends removed, cut in half on a diagonal

1 pound red baby potatoes washed and quartered (or more if bigger)

3 egss

1 can good olive oil packed tuna (this is the time to splurge)

Salt and pepper to taste

For the dressing

Olive oil from can of tuna (about 3 tablespoons, add fresh if not enough)

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (plus more to taste if you like lots of mustard)

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

1 teaspoon honey

Salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot, bring water to boil, salt your water, and add green beans.  Cook 3-4 minutes, depending on how crisp you like your beans.  Remove from the pot with a slotted spoon and place in large bowl.  Rinse beans with cold water to stop cooking. 

Add potatoes to pot, cook until fork tender, about 6-8 minutes depending on the potatoes size.  Remove from pot with a slotted spoon. Add eggs to pot and cook 10 minutes. 

While eggs are cooking, make dressing.  Drain tuna olive oil into a small bowl.  Add tuna to the green beans and potatoes.  Combine mustard, white wine vinegar, and honey with the oil.  Stir to combine.  Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

Remove eggs from pot, and dunk in cold water.  Peel the eggs, halve them, and dice each half.  Add eggs to the beans, potatoes, and tuna.  Season beans and potato mixture with salt and (lots of!) pepper to taste.  Mix in dressing, and toss to coat.  Taste, and adjust seasonings as necessary.