Recipes
Happy Thanksgiving and happy cooking!
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Thai-style Dressing
Dijon-Braised Brussels Sprouts
Celeriac Notes
Celeriac Remoulade
Parsnip (or Potato) and Celery Root Cake
Red Curry with Potatoes and Butternut Squash
Roasted Squash, Shallot and Mushrooms (as a tart or over greens)
Squash and Raisin Tea Loaf
Pumpkin Pie
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Thai-style Dressing
–adapted from Food52.com
I made these for dinner tonight and I ate 2/3 lb. by myself. This is a knock-you-over-the-head kind of dish. It’s not for the faint of heart but if you like strong, fresh flavors and unusual combinations please try it. I will be making it over and over again.
2-3 tablespoons very thinly sliced cilantro stems, plus 1/2 cup leaves
3 tablespoons chopped mint (optional—I did not have any and it was still superb)
2 pounds Brussels sprouts
Combine the vinaigrette (below), cilantro stems, and mint in a bowl, and set aside.
Peel away any loose or discolored outer leaves of the Brussels sprouts, trim the ends and cut the sprouts in half. Cut any especially large ones in quarters. Wash well and shake or pat dry with a towel.
Now you can either roast the Brussels sprouts in a 400 degree oven tossed with a bit of olive oil or you can start them on the stove top in 2 large skillets, cut side down in a splash of oil. If you do the latter, cook them undisturbed like this over medium high heat for about 8-10 minutes until nicely browned on the cut side. Then move the skillets to the oven and continue roasting for about 15 minutes until tender but not at all mushy.
And if you don’t have two large skillets or are cooking more sprouts for a larger crowd, roast them in the oven: toss them with 1 tablespoon of oil per pound and spread them on a baking sheet, cut sides down. Roast in the oven, checking for browning every 10-15 minutes, tossing them around with a spatula only once they start to brown nicely. The sprouts are ready when they are tender but not soft, with nice, dark brown color.
When ready to serve (warm or at room temp), toss the Brussels sprouts with the dressing to taste and cilantro leaves, and toss once or twice to coat. You might not need quite all the dressing so start with 2/3 of it.
Fish Sauce Vinaigrette
½ cup fish sauce (adjust to taste — some fish sauce brands are saltier)
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
Juice of 1 lime
¼ cup sugar
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 to 3 Serrano chili very thinly sliced, seeds intact
Combine the fish sauce, water, vinegar, lime juice, sugar, garlic, and chiles in a jar. Taste; If too salty, add more water and/or lime juice. This vinaigrette will keep for up to a week in the refrigerator.
Dijon-Braised Brussels Sprouts
–adapted from smittenkitchen.com
This is worthy of the Thanksgiving table and I would happily eat it and a few other sides and skip the turkey. This dish is complex and lovely.
Serves 4 as a side dish
1 pound Brussels sprouts
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup vegetable broth (I use homemade veggie bouillon)
2 to 3 shallots, peeled and thinly sliced (or the equivalent amount of regular onion)
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 scant tablespoon smooth Dijon mustard (or more to taste)
Trim sprouts and halve lengthwise. In a large, heavy 12-inch skillet heat butter and oil over moderate heat. Arrange halved sprouts in skillet, cut sides down, in one layer. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, to taste. Cook sprouts, without turning until undersides are golden brown, about 5 minutes. (If your sprouts don’t fit in one layer, brown them in batches, then add them all back to the pan, spreading them as flat as possible, before continuing with the shallots, wine, etc.)
Add the shallots, wine and stock and bring to a simmer. Once simmering, reduce the heat to medium-low (for a gentle simmer), cover the pot and cook the sprouts until they are tender can be pierced easily with the tip of a paring knife, about 15 minutes.
Remove the lid, and scoop out Brussels sprouts. Add cream and simmer for three or so minutes until slightly thickened. Whisk in mustard. Taste for seasoning, and adjust as necessary with more salt, pepper or Dijon. Return Brussels sprouts to the pan and if sauce is a little thin, simmer for another minute or two and then serve hot.
Celeriac Notes
I love celeriac! It’s good raw and cooked, mashed or pureed or fried in baton-sized pieces in bacon fat. Cook it, diced until very tender and mash like you would potatoes or mixed with potatoes or roast with rutabaga and carrots.
Celeriac Remoulade
A classic Celery Root Remoulade exclusively uses mayonnaise in the dressing, which is good but I suggest a combination of Greek yogurt and mayonnaise for a slightly tangier and fresher flavor here but by all means use just mayonnaise if that’s what you have.
And again, quantities are approximations so adjust depending on the number of people you’re feeding, etc.
Scant 2 lbs. celeriac, peeled
¼ cup good mayonnaise
¼ cup whole milk Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons whole grain mustard
2 teaspoons Dijon-style mustard
A little white wine or cider vinegar
Salt and freshly ground pepper
You can either grate the celeriac in a food processor or if you can, use a sharp knife or a mandolin to cut it into matchsticks. Toss the grated or cut celeriac with 1 teaspoon sea salt most of the lemon juice. Let rest for at least 15 minutes and up to 30.
Whisk the remaining ingredients in a small bowl and pour over the veggies. Mix well and adjust seasoning.
Parsnip (or Potato) and Celery Root Cake
–adapted from Tender by Nigel Slater
Serves 3-6, depending on whether as a side or main
You can make this as written with parsnips if you have parsnips leftover from last week’s share or you can substitute potatoes for the parsnips.
Parsnips can have woody and fibrous cores but if they are quite fresh they probably don’t and you don’t need to cut out the core. Taste a thin slice raw and see how it seems. I’ve found that local, fresh parsnips are quite tender all the way through, even the really big ones.
You want to slice your veggies very thin. A sharp knife works great if you’re comfortable and a bit practiced and the food processor is a good alternative too.
1 large onion, thinly sliced
2 medium or 3 smaller parsnips, scrubbed and thinly sliced (or the equivalent of potatoes see headnote).
1/2 a medium celery root, peeled and thinly sliced
4 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon fresh or dried thyme, chopped up a bit
6 tablespoons vegetable broth or stock (I use veggie bouillon)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Preheat oven to 375 Degrees F.
Toss the sliced onion and veggies in a large bowl with they thyme, at least a teaspoon of sea or kosher salt and plenty of pepper. You need to be generous with the salt.
Put the butter in a baking dish and place it in the oven while it’s preheating. When the butter is melted add the veggie mixture and combine well and pack the veggies down as evenly as possible. Pour the stock or bouillon over the mixture. Place a piece of wax paper or aluminum foil over the veggies and press down firmly. Bake for an hour and then remove the foil and turn your oven up to 425 (or to broil if you’re in a hurry) and cook for another five minutes or so until the top is nicely browned and the veggies are very tender.
Red Curry with Potatoes and Butternut Squash
This is a dead simple, delicious, comforting bowl of sustenance that I could eat every week all winter.
Butternut squash, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces – about 3 cups
Potatoes, scrubbed but not peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces – about 3 cups
2 shallots, thinly sliced
1 can coconut milk (full fat preferably)
2 heaping teaspoons red curry paste (Thai and True is my favorite (and local) brand) (this make for a medium-ish heat level -use less if you’re sensitive)
lime or lemon juice
5 kaffir lime leaves (optional but wonderful)
Scant tablespoon of soy sauce or tamari
Scant tablespoon or so of fish sauce (optional)
Salt
Chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
Add 1/3 cup or so of the thick, almost solid part of the coconut milk to a large pan and “fry” it over high heat for a minute or two. Add the curry paste and the sliced shallots and sauté for 2-3 minutes until the curry paste is fragrant. Add the rest of the can of coconut milk and about ¾ can’s worth of water and the potatoes and squash and the lime leaves, if using, and bring all to a simmer. Cook slowly until the potatoes and squash are tender. Add the soy and fish sauce, a bit of salt and then serve with a generous squeeze of lime or lemon juice with rice or as is.
You can also top it with lots of chopped fresh cilantro.
Roasted Squash, Shallot and Mushrooms (as a tart or over greens)
If you have any greens, braising or salad, lying around, serve this glorious, golden, mixture on a bed of lightly dressed greens with a generous drizzle of balsamic vinegar. Alternatively you can spread this lovely mixture on a sheet or two of puff pastry.
1 lb. of peeled, deseeded butternut squash, cut into ½-inch thick slices
3-4 shallots, peeled and cut into quarters
2 tablespoon olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
A few rosemary and/or thyme sprigs
2 cups mushrooms, thickly sliced (you can use most anything from shitake to white or brown button to lovely things like porcini or chanterelles)
1 sheet ready-rolled all-butter puff pastry (optional)
100g washed-rind cheese (taleggio or the like- optional – see headnote)
Preheat the oven to 375F. Put the squash and shallots on a large sheet pan. Pour over the oil, season and scatter on the herbs. Roast for 30 minutes, stir in the mushrooms and cook for 20 minutes more, until everything is cooked and starting to caramelize (don’t let it color too much, because it will be cooked further later on if you’re going the tart route).
Turn the oven up to 400F if you’re going to make the tart. Set the vegetables aside in a bowl. Lay the pastry sheet on the sheet pan and score a border 1 1/2 inches all around the edge; don’t cut right through. Spread the roasted vegetables over the pastry, leaving the border clear. Slice the cheese thickly and arrange on top. Add more herbs and seasoning, and bake for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown and bubbling. Serve with a salad of bitter or peppery greens to balance the sweet squash and shallots.
Squash and Raisin Tea Loaf
–adapted from Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall via the Guardian
Grated pumpkin or squash works just as well as carrot in a cake, making for a moist result. This delicious loaf is also made without any oil or butter. This cake is not very sweet. Makes 12 generous slices.
¾ cup light brown sugar, packed
4 large eggs, separated
about 3 cups packed grated raw butternut squash
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
¾ cup golden (or regular) raisins, roughly chopped
1 cup ground almonds (I grind raw almonds in my little zyliss cheese grater—the food processor does not do this well as it doesn’t get fluffy and fine like the grater. You can also by almond flour)
2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
Pinch of salt
½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Preheat oven to 335 degrees F. Line a 9-inch round cake pan with a circle of parchment paper and grease the sides. Whisk the sugar and egg yolks for two to three minutes, until pale and creamy. Lightly stir in the grated squash, lemon zest and juice, raisins and ground almonds. Combine the flour, salt and spices, sift these in, then fold them in. Beat the egg whites until they hold soft peaks. Beat just a bit off the egg white into the batter to loosen it, then fold in the rest as gently as you can.
Tip into the prepared pan. Bake for about an hour, until a skewer comes out clean. Leave to cool for 10 minutes in the pan, than transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.
All Butter Pie Crust
–adapted from Chez Panisse Fruit by Alice Waters
This dough is easy to make, appropriate for many uses including free-form galettes both sweet and savory and any pie. And it’s flaky and delicious and not too hard to handle.
You do want to have your butter and water quite cold (I sometimes put the butter in the freezer for 10 minutes or so before I start) and handle everything as little as possible. This recipe makes enough for 1 double-crusted pie or two single crust pies or 2 galettes or tarts.
2 cups all purpose flour (you can do half whole wheat pastry flour and half apf too)
1 teaspoon sugar
¼ – ½ tsp kosher salt
12 tablespoons (1 ½ sticks) butter, chilled, cut into ½-inch pieces
7 tablespoons ice water
Whisk the flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl until well mixed. Using a pastry blender cut 4 tablespoons of butter into the mixture until the texture resembles coarse cornmeal. Cut in the remaining butter until the largest pieces of butter are the size of large peas. You want those butter chunks so don’t overwork it. With a little practice cutting the butter in takes about 3 minutes total.
Sprinkle the ice water into the mixture in several stages stirring with a fork as you go. Try to hit the driest looking spots and keep adding until you’ve used up all the water. Stir a couple of more times with the fork and then start running your hands through the crumbly mixture. Let the mixture run through your fingers and repeat half-a-dozen or so times. Then try to bring the mixture together with your hands into two balls. You can press it a bit but you don’t want to knead it. It will be a bit crumbly and if it’s really not coming together drizzle in another tablespoon of water. Split into two, more or less equal halves and press into a disk on a piece of plastic wrap. Cover tightly and chill for at least 20 minutes. You will be amazed how after some time to rest the dough becomes quite elastic and smooth even with all those visible butter pieces.
You can store the dough in the fridge for about 2 days or in the freezer for about 2 months (well wrapped). It can take on a bit of a grayish color in the fridge after a day or two but don’t let that worry you, it’s just fine.
Pumpkin Pie
This is a fairly classic recipe, with the exception of the sour cream and optional rum.
To make the pumpkin puree, cut the pumpkin in half and scrape out all the strings an seeds. Place the pumpkin cut side down on a sheet pan (cookie sheet with sides—important since the pumpkin will give off liquid that you don’t want all over your oven) and bake at 375 until the pumpkin is very tender and begins collapsing—about 45 minutes but will vary based on size of pumpkin of course. When cool, remove the skin (which should be separating from the flesh already. If you have a food processor or blender there is no need to push the pumpkin through a strainer. If you do not, then take the time to put it through a strainer or a food mill. You’ll get a much silkier pie.
1 9-inch single crust Pie shell, chilled (not partially baked using ½ of above recipe)
1 ¾ cups pumpkin puree
(see above)
2 large eggs, at room temperature
3/4 cup (packed) light brown sugar
1 cup whole milk or cream
1/3 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoons ground ginger
Pinch of ground cloves
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
Pinch of salt
2 tablespoons dark rum (optional)
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Lightly sweetened lightly whipped cream, for topping
Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 450°F. If you have a pizza stone, put it on the rack you’re going to use and preheat the oven with it. The crust will not get soggy this way!
Roll out your pie dough and place it in pan and crimp edges as described in apple pie recipe above, though your just crimping a single layer of crust, the technique is the same. Chill pie shell in the fridge while you make the filling.
Put all of the filling ingredients in a food processor and process for 2 minutes, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl once or twice and pour the filling into the chilled pie shell. Alternatively whisk all the ingredients well in a bowl.
Bake pie (directly on pizza stone) for 15 minutes at 450, then reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and continue to bake for 35 to 45 minutes longer or until a knife inserted close to the center comes out clean. (If you don’t want to create a slash in your masterpiece, tap the pan gently—if the custard doesn’t jiggle, or only jiggles a teensy bit in the very center, it’s done.) Transfer the pie to a rack and cool to room temperature.
Serve the pie with lightly sweetened whipped cream