Some favorites this week include the leek and kale pizza and the Thai-style Brussels sprouts, but the I love celery root so much that both of those recipes rank high too. Enjoy!
Celery Root Soup
Celery Root Sauté
Carrot Puree with Dukkah
Miso Sesame Delicata Squash
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Thai-style Dressing
Brussels Sprout Pasta “Risotto” with Bacon
Braised Kale and Leeks (on a Galette or Pizza)
Celery Root Soup
–adapted from www.davidlebovitz.com
8-10 Servings
This is delicious, elegant and easy to make. If your celery root is smaller or you want to make a smaller batch just adjust everything accordingly.
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, diced
Sea salt
2 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
One large celery root (about 3-pounds), peeled and cubed
3 cups chicken or veggie stock
3 cups water
1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper
Scant 1/8 teaspoon chile powder
In a large pot, melt the butter with the olive oil. Add the onion and cook for about five minutes, stirring frequently. Add the garlic cloves and season with salt, and continue to cook until the onions and garlic are soft and translucent.
Add the celery root and stock. (Or use all water.) Bring to a boil, then reduce to a strong simmer. Cook, with the lid to the pot ajar on top, until the celery root pieces are soft and easily pierced with a paring knife, about forty-five minutes.
Add pepper and chile powder, then purée using an immersion blender, or let the soup cool to a bit and whiz in a blender until smooth. Taste, and season with additional salt and pepper if desired. If the soup is too thick, it can be thinned with water or stock.
You can vary the soup by adding some pieces of crisp bacon as a garnish or a dollop of sour cream or some heavy cream can be stirred in. Chives or parsley would be a nice garnish. But a nice drizzle of good olive oil is perfect too.
Celery Root Sauté
This is the way I prepare celery root when I’m in a hurry and I’m NEVER disappointed and I tend to eat to much of it. . ..
Peel the celery root and cut it into French fry sized batons. Heat a little olive oil in a large, heavy skillet. Now you can also dice a slice or two of bacon if you want and toss that in. Add the celery root and a few pinches of salt. Cook on medium-high heat, tossing fairly frequently, until browning and tender when pierced with the tip of a knife. Adjust for salt and enjoy.
Carrot Puree with Dukkah
–adapted from Ana Sortun’s Spice: Flavors of the Eastern Mediterranean
This is good and the Dukkah (the spice and nut mixture below) is delicious sprinkled on most anything—roasted vegetables, salads, grilled meats, you name it. And you know about harissa, the Morrocan spice paste I’ve used several times before, and how delicious it is.
The way to serve this is to take good bread or baguettes and dip or brush with olive oil, sprinkle with dukkah and spread with carrot puree. It could be part of a simple supper, lunch or a snack or a Thanksgiving appetizer.
2 pounds carrots, well scrubbed and cut into 2-inch lengths
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for dipping
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
5 teaspoons harissa (or much less depending on how spicy your version is—they vary widely so taste first or just add a teaspoon or two at a time and taste again0
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
Sea salt and pepper to taste
In a large saucepan over high heat, cover the carrots with water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain the carrots and return them to the dry saucepan. Cook the carrots for 30 seconds or so over medium heat to dry them out. Remove the pan with the carrots from the heat and coarsely mash them with a fork or whisk. You want a coarsely ground carrot puree, not a smooth puree.
Stir in the olive oil, vinegar, harissa, cumin and ginger and then season the mixture with salt and pepper.
Dukkah
–adapted slightly from Ana Sortun’s Spice: Flavors of the Eastern Mediterranean
This is a little bit of a project, timing the toasting of the spices and then letting them cool but it’s well worth it and it makes enough for several dishes/meals.
1/2 cup almonds
3 tablespoons coriander seeds
2 tablespoons cumin seeds
3 tablespoons sesame seeds
1/4 cup unsweetened dried shredded coconut
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
In a medium skillet over medium heat, toast the almonds until golden, about 4 minutes. Transfer the almonds to a work surface to cool, and then finely chop them.
Put the coriander and cumin seeds in the same skillet and toast, stirring until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Transfer the seeds to a spice grinder and allow them to cool completely before coarsely grinding.
In a medium bowl, combine the almonds with the ground spices.
Put the sesame seeds in the same skillet and toast them over medium heat, stirring until golden, about 2 minutes. Transfer to the spice grinder.
Toast the coconut in the skillet over medium heat, stirring constantly until golden (be careful not to burn!), about 2 minutes. Add the toasted coconut to the grinder and let it cool completely.
Grind the sesame seeds and coconut to a coarse powder. Combine with the almond and spice mixture and season with salt and pepper.
Miso Sesame Delicata Squash
–adapted from The Inspired Vegan by Bryant Terry, via 101cookbooks.com
Serves 4-6
2 pounds delicata squash (~2), halved, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch inch thick pieces
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons molasses
1 teaspoon tamari or shoyu
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 heaping tablespoon white or yellow miso
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon grated lemon zest
5 tablespoons water
8 ounces organic extra-firm tofu, pressed, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
Optional toppings: toasted sesame seeds, chopped arugula, lemon wedges
Preheat the oven to 425F.
In a large bowl, toss the squash with 1 tablespoon of the sesame oil. Spread the squash on a parchment-lined or well-greased baking sheet in a single layer and roast for 40 minutes, turning over with a fork after 20 minutes, or until golden on both sides.
In the meantime, in a medium-size bowl, whisk together the molasses, tamari, maple syrup, miso, orange juice, lemon juice, lemon zest, water, and the remaining tablespoon of sesame oil. Add the tofu, toss to coat, and set aside.
When the squash is deeply golden on both sides, remove from the oven.
Transfer the squash to a 2-quart baking dish. Pour the tofu mixture over the squash, and gently toss. Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes, or until a good amount of the marinade boils off. Toss a couple times along the way. Finish under the boiler if you like, or if you like a bit of extra color on top. Remove from the oven, and season with salt, if needed. Finish with some toasted sesame seeds, chopped arugula, and/or herbs, and serve immediately with lemon wedges on the side (to squeeze on top).
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Thai-style Dressing
–adapted from Food52.com
I included this recipe last fall and can’t wait to make it this coming week whenw e get our first Brussels sprouts. 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.
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
1/3 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.
Brussels Sprout Pasta “Risotto” with Bacon
–inspired by Around my French Table by Dorie Greenspan
Serves 3-4
As Dorie notes, “this is risotto” the way that finely sliced apples are carpaccio, which means not at all. . .” but the technique is just enough reminiscent of risotto that I appreciate the reference and continue to use it.
1 1/4 lbs. Brussels sprouts (if you have a half share 1 lb will be just fine), washed, trimmed and cut in half lengthwise and then sliced into thin half moons
1 medium onion, diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 slices bacon, diced
1 1/3 cup tubetti (or ditalini or other small pasta) (Pastaworks has tubetti)
4 cups flavorful vegetable broth (homemade veggie bouillon) or chicken stock
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup grated Parmesan or other hard, grating cheese (Asiago Stella is a good, cheaper alternative)
Salt
Lots of freshly ground black pepper
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and a few pinches of salt and cook for 5 minutes to soften a bit and then add the bacon. You may need to reduce the heat a bit and cook for another 5 minutes or so until the bacon is beginning to render but is not crisp. Now add the broth or stock and bring to a boil. Add the pasta, stirring well and then simmer for about 10 minutes uncovered. Now add the Brussels sprouts, stir well to incorporate and then cover and cook for another 7 or 8 minutes until the sprouts are tender. At this point add the cream and a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper. Cook uncovered for about 3 minutes until it thickens slightly.
Stir in the Parmesan and adjust salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.
Braised Kale and Leeks (on a Galette or Pizza)
Leeks and kale make for a wonderful combination. You can serve this is a side dish or, surprise, surprise (!) fry an egg in one side of the pan and call it dinner. Or you can spread it on buttery crust and bake a savory galette or spread it on pizza dough and sprinkle with a little Parmesan and have yourself a lovely, hearty pizza. I think it’s particularly good on Grand Central Bakery’s whole-wheat pizza crust.
1 large bunch kale, well washed, trimmed and cut into thin ribbons and stems finely chopped
2 medium leeks or 1 large one, well washed and cut into thin half-moons
1 tablespoon butter and 2 tablespoon olive oil
Salt
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
¼ – 1/2 cup grated Parmesan or Gruyere or sharp cheddar (if you’re making a galette or pizza)
In a large skillet heat the olive oil and butter over medium-high heat. Add the leeks and stir well and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Add a bit of salt, the red pepper flakes (if using) and the kale, stir well and cook, covered for about 10-15 minutes until all is tender. Stir occasionally and make sure things aren’t browning or drying out. Turn down the heat and/or add a little water if that’s the case. Taste and adjust seasoning.
For a Galette pastry:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into
pieces
1/4 cup Greek or whole milk plain yogurt
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup ice water
To make the pastry dough, combine the flour and salt in a bowl. Cut the butter into the flour mixture using a pastry blender or pulse a few times in the food processor, until the mixture resembles coarse meal with some pea-sized pieces too. In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream, lemon juice and water and drizzle mixture over flour and butter and using a fork, quickly stir it to combine. The mixture will turn into lumps, which you want to quickly pat into a ball; do not overwork the dough. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour or up to 48 hours.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
On a floured work surface, roll the dough out into a 12-inch round. Transfer to an ungreased baking sheet. Spread kale and leek mixture over the dough, leaving a 1 1/2-inch border. Fold the border over the vegetables, crimping the dough slightly as you go.
Bake until golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven, let sit for 5 minutes, then slide the galette onto a serving plate. Cut into wedges and serve hot, warm or at room temperature.
For a pizza:
Preheat oven to 500 degrees F with a pizza stone on the bottom wrack of the oven if you have one.
Roll or stretch out the pizza dough and brush a little good olive oil on the dough. Evenly spread the kale and leek mixture over the dough and sprinkle with cheese. Bake until the crust is browning and the topping bubbling. If you don’t want the cheese to get brown you can just sprinkle on the cheese when you take it out of the oven.