Green Beans al Dente in a Luscious Warm Rosemary Vinaigrette

24 November 2008 Filed In: beans, Christmas, Dairy-free, Easter, Fall, Gluten-free, green beans, Salad, salads, Side Dish, Soy-free, Spring, Summer, Thanksgiving, Vegan, Vegetarian, Winter


What with all the delicious mushy orange things going into our feast 
for Thursday, there seemed to be a derth of green, 
crunchy things. The traditional dish is, of course, the Green Bean 
Casserole, which can be good, but you know what? So 
often in those casseroles the green beans are these sad, little limp 
creatures that fail to excite.
As I daydreamed and perused at the Union Square Market last 
Friday, my eye landed on the Flying Pig’s stall. Uncured 
bacon?  Crunchy green beans?  Yes!  
A real recipe begin taking shape when I saw our little rosemary 
plant languishing on the window sill after lugging the 
bacon back home.  I’m not sure what it is about New York City 
rosemary growing, but it gives me a black thumb. Each time 
the guy who sells me the rosemary plant swears up and down 
that it can be grown indoors in the city, and each time it slowly 
shrivels, turns brown and expires. I’ve tried everything: more 
water, less, more fresh air, less, cold air, warm air.  And, yes, I 
am one of those crazies who even tries singing to it and talking 
to it in the hope that it might find the will to live. Alas! Unh 
uh. Another one bites the dust.  
But, before it leaves this world entirely, it will be the star of this 
Thanksgiving dish in a warm and wonderfully fragrant 
rosemary vinaigrette.
Consider involving your mini-chefs in your feast-making this 
year. It will make their food taste even better if they have a 
role in making it, and you will get to spend time together 
making new family traditions. My daughter whisked the 
dressing for this dish-such a simple thing. Later, my 
husband and I overheard her telling her grandparents, 
with a thrill of importance in her voice, on the phone how 
she’d been “helping Mommy cook everything”.  
Maybe now she can come up with a city rosemary-growing strategy.


Green Beans al Dente in a Luscious Warm Rosemary Vinaigrette

*1 T. Dijon mustard
*1 medium clove of garlic, finely minced
*2 t. fresh rosemary, finely minced
*1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil
*2 T. apple cider vinegar
*2 pounds of green beans
*5 slices of local, uncured bacon (optional, of course)
*salt and pepper, to taste

Cook the slices of bacon till nice and crispy.  Chop and set aside.

Together: In a medium-sized bowl, measure out the vinegar, the mustard, and throw in the garlic and rosemary.  Your mini-chef will give this a good whisk.  Then Big Person will start very very slowly adding the olive oil as your mini-chef continues to whisk away.  Add enough salt and pepper for your taste.  When it’s all hanging together nicely, set the dressing aside and begin the green beans.

Big Person: Steam the green beans just till they turn bright green, remove them from the heat and, using tongs, place them in a serving bowl.  You could also submerge them in an ice bath at this point, but who has the counter space or time when cooking this for a huge feast?   

Next, pour the dressing into a small saucepan.  Turn the heat on to medium-low, and whisk every now and again till the dressing is warm but not at all hot.  

Together again:  Big Person will pour the dressing over the green beans and sprinkle with the bacon if you’re adding it.  Toss and serve immediately.

7 Comments | Comment On This Post

Share this post!

Have a Great Weekend!

22 November 2008 Filed In: all the rest

Oh, there are so many pumpkins to bake off, pie crusts to get ready and put in the freezer, and…blush!…a Thanksgiving menu to plan.  Yes, it’s true, this particular mummy has been so crazy busy these days, that she hasn’t planned out her menu for Thursday’s feast.   After wandering aimlessly through Union Square Market yesterday, picking up a few seasonal odds and ends there, I still have yet to sit down and make a cohesive plan. 

To procrastinate further, though, here are a few food-related distractions I plan on trying out from around Blogland:

*These genius (and cute!) cookies from Creative Confectionery seem like the perfect weekend treat to bake with the kids.
*Know that my daughter and I will master these easy breezy “Nested Eggs” from Sweet Paul for breakfast tomorrow morning.  
*Want to test out this santori recipe via A Day That is Dessert.  MMM.
*And, will place my order for a few stocking stuffers from Etsy seller Eternal Sunshine’s shop, including these adorable knit clementines.  
*Want to go slurp noodles and canoodle with my husband at Soba Ya in my old ‘hood.
*Pop in for a Wicked Hot Chocolate, snag some chocolate turkeys, and preview the Christmas creations from Jacques Torres.
Also, if you have a Thanksgiving recipe we just cannot miss out on this year, please post a comment here or email me-especially if it is something that our family can make together.  Any inspiration would be much appreciated.  Happy Weekend!

2 Comments | Comment On This Post

Share this post!

Pear-Pomegranate Lassis

20 November 2008 Filed In: beverages, Christmas, cooking class, Drinks, Gluten-free, pear, pomegranate, Soy-free, Thanksgiving, Vegetarian, yogurt






We blended up some gorgeous pink Lassis this week in cooking class.  The kids put all of the ingredients into their bowls and waited so patiently till it was their turn to blend and watch the red and white things mix together and turn rose. The Lassis, basically Indian smoothies, were met with many glugs of approval.

Here we’ve used calcium and magnesium-rich almond milk, which you can make or buy, and antioxidant-rich ruby red pomegranates, a splurge from California, and fragrant local pears, so ripe that they were pretty much sitting out on our counter begging to be used in this lassi recipe.

Please substitute any milks in these that suit your family-rice, almond, cow’s, oat, soy etc. all work interchangeabley.  And for the Big Person version, a few sloshes of rum or pomegranate vodka would be perfect for the holiday season…mini-chefs aside.  

Pear-Pomegranate Lassis

For the liquid:
*2 c. plain or vanilla yogurt
*1/3 c. pomegranate juice***
*2/3 cold water
*1 c. almond milk
*1 t. ground cardamom
* the seeds from one pomegranate, a few reserved for the garnish
*a ripe, juicy pear, peeled, cored, and roughly chopped

For the garnish:
*a tablespoon of sliced almonds
* a few of the reserved pomegranate seeds
*sprigs of mint

Measure out and pour all of the liquid ingredients into a blender and cover.  Have your mini-chef flip the switch and watch it whir.  This is a great time to talk about how white and red make…PINK!

Garnish with the almonds, pomegranate seeds and springs of mint.

***If pomegranate juice is too pricey, then you can definitely cut this ingredient and substitute another 1/3 c. water with delicious results

4 Comments | Comment On This Post

Share this post!

Two Chicks Phyllo Tart

17 November 2008 Filed In: beans, chicken, chickpeas, Dairy-free, Fall, lunchbox, Main Dish, phyllo, pies, Soy-free, Spring, Summer, Thanksgiving, Winter


One of my astute friends says that you could pretty much wrap anything in phyllo, and it would taste good.  It’s like bacon that way.  

This chicken/chickpea filling is simple, in execution and in flavor, and very nutritious.  It could easily become vegetarian (or vegan for that matter) just by replacing the chicken with another favorite veggie or more chickpeas and by replacing the chicken stock with a veggie stock.  The two chicks, of course, are the ‘en and the ‘peas-general kid pleasers, both.  Making the filling is not difficult, but it does require a bit of vigilence, so be prepared to stand by the pot and stir till it’s done. 
This particular tart-making technique is from The Domestic Goddess, herself, Nigella Lawson and turns out a gorgeous and delicious tart. 

Oh, and don’t be overly impressed (re: scared to death) of cooking with phyllo.  Please!  You, Big Person who have brought up a baby and then a toddler, have surely done everything in your life one-handed by now, usually with your “bad” hand.  You are very much equipped to take on a little old thing like phyllo dough.

Two Chicks Phyllo Tart
*One whole skin-on, bone-in chicken breast, cooked and shredded
*an onion, grated
*2 T. olive oil + 1 T. for brushing the phyllo 
*3 medium carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
*1 c. basmati rice
*4 c. chicken stock
*2 c. chickpeas, cooked
*2 t. ground cumin
*a handful or two of golden raisins
*1 t. fresh thyme (or ground thyme to taste if there’s no fresh available)
* a squeeze of fresh lemon or orange juice
*salt and pepper to taste
*4 T. butter, melted, for brushing the phyllo 
*1 package of phyllo, thawed
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.  Set out a baking sheet wide enough to hold an 8 or 9-inch springform pan.
Together: Let your mini-chef paint the entire inside of your springform pan with a bit of the melted butter using a basting or a pastry brush.  
Big Person:  Make the filling.  First heat up the 2 T. olive oil in the bottom of a medium-large saucepan over medium heat.  Add the grated onion and stir into the warm butter.  Let cook about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the rice, and stir so that each grain gets coated with the oil and onion.  Throw in the carrots.  You will now begin stirring with little break, so make sure that your mini-chef has a great activity to do in the meanwhile.  Begin adding the stock, 1/2 cup or so at a time.  Stir the mixture very frequently-constantly really.  Once that 1/2 cup of stock has been absorbed completely, add another 1/2 cup.  Repeat until all of the stock is absorbed.  Take your pan off of the heat, and scoop the ingredients into a big bowl so that your mini-chef can help you with the next step.
Together again: Stir the cumin, thyme, chicken, chickpeas, golden raisins, and a squeeze of the lemon or orange juice into the rice mixture.  This should be a fairly rich and sticky mixture.  Set aside.
Now, set up your work space just like you would if you were doing a craft: Unwrap and unroll the phyllo.  Cover it with a damp kitchen towel while you set up the rest.  Have your springform pan right in front of you and the phyllo, combined melted butter and olive oil, and the pastry or basting brush (a large brush tends to work best with the minis) right in front of your mini-chef.  
Now uncover the phyllo.  Your mini-chef will paint the entire surface with the butter-olive oil mixture.  Show them how to use a lightish hand with this-although that might be a bust!  Then, the Big Person will peel off the first sheet of phyllo and begin to cover first the bottom and then the sides of the pan with the buttered phyllo.  You’re making a shell in which to put the filling.  A couple of sheets to line the bottom should do before you begin placing pieces along the bottom and sides.  You should have phyllo hanging off the sides, and it will most likely look like an un-godly mess.  Good job!  That’s exactly how it SHOULD look.  Cover up the last couple of sheets of phyllo with the damp cloth again while you put the filling into the phyllo shell.
Now help your mini-chef fill the base you’ve made.  Smooth all the filling into the pan.  Begin to fold over the strange looking, overhanging sides into the center of the tart to make the top layer and seal in the filling.  Last, butter the couple of extra sheets of phyllo, scrunch (etc.) and place atop the tart with artistic finesse.  Paint the top with butter/olive oil.
Big Person: Place on the baking sheet and then into the oven for about 20 minutes or until the top begins to turn golden-brown.

7 Comments | Comment On This Post

Share this post!

Cooking Class: Sweet Potato Casserole with Caramelized Pecans and Crunchy Marshmallows

13 November 2008 Filed In: cooking class, Fall, Gluten-free, pecan, Side Dish, Soy-free, sweet potato, Thanksgiving, Vegetarian, Winter






The Tribeca Yummies are going to have a whole repertoire of holiday classics under their belt before the end of this semester of cooking class.  What Thanksgiving menu could be complete without a dish of sweet potato casserole?  
To tell the truth, personally, I’m not a huge fan of the goopy marshmallows that usually top this dish.  The smooth sweet potato puree layer needs something crunchy to distinguish the texture from something you might find in a jar of baby food.  We pumped up the creaminess of the smooth layer with some coconut milk and then rounded everything out with crunchy broiled mini-marshmallows and caramelized pecans.  
Most of the kids could barely get the ingredients into their 
ramekins. A lot of the mummies were standing around the 
class-sized casserole asking for seconds,
thirds…for them or for their Yummies? Probably both.

Sweet Potato Casserole with Caramelized Pecans and Crunchy Marshmallows

* 4 1/2 c. sweet potato puree***
*3 T. freshly squeezed orange juice
*1/3 c. light brown sugar (packed)
*2 organic eggs
*1/2 c. coconut milk (lite is fine)
*1/4 c. (4 T.) melted butter
*1 t. ground cinnamon
*2 c. mini-marshmallows
*2 c. raw pecan halves
*2 T. honey ( we used 1 T. buckwheat honey and 1 T. orange blossom)
*2 T. dark brown sugar (packed)
*2 T. water
*3 T. butter, cut into pieces
*1/4 t. salt

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.  

Together: Butter a 9×13 inch baking dish.  Put the sweet potato puree, O.J., 1/3 c. brown sugar, eggs, coconut milk, melted butter, and cinnamon in the bowl of an electric mixer.  Beat at a medium-high speed for 3 minutes.  (If doing this by hand, make sure you get all of the stringy bits from the sweet potato puree.)  Spread the sweet potato mixture in the pan in an even layer.  

Big Person: Put the baking dish in the oven, and bake 30 minutes.  

Meanwhile, make the caramelized pecans.  First line a large baking sheet with a couple of sheets of parchment paper.  Set aside.   In a medium saucepan, over medium heat, whisk the honey and dark brown sugar together with 2 tablespoons of water. After the mixture comes to a simmer, continue whisking for one minute.  Add the butter and the salt and continue to whisk, bringing everything back up to a simmer and cooking for a minute or two.  Add the pecans and stir with a rubber spatula to coat the nuts with the caramel.  Continue to cook, stirring, another minute, and then dump the nuts onto the parchment paper to cool for a few minutes.

After the sweet potatoes are out of the oven, let your mini-chef give you handfuls of mini-marshmallows and direct you as to where they should go on top of the sweet potatoes.  There should be one layer of marshmallows across the top of the entire pan.  Stick the pan back in the oven, and cook for 7 minutes, or till the marshmallows have melted and spread.  Turn the broiler on and brown the marshmallows for 2-5 minutes, or till the marshmallows are your desired shade of brown.  

Pull the pan out of the oven and immediately stick the pecans on top.  The gooey caramelized pecans should melt just slightly into the marshmallows and stick there nicely.

***To make the puree, prick sweet potatoes all over with a fork.  Place in the oven on a baking sheet and bake at 375 degrees F for an hour, more or less depending on the size of the potatoes you’re using.  When they’re soft, pull them out of the oven, cool and then peel away the skins.  Puree the sweet potatoes in a food processor, blender, or with an immersion blender till very smooth.


10 Comments | Comment On This Post

Share this post!