Recipes

This is the time of year when we are so lucky to live where fresh vegetables abound. We should take advantage of this, as vegetables should be the most important part of our diet.

Also, there are so many delicious and interesting ways to prepare them. Try enticing folks to consume more vegetables to go with their meat and pasta dishes.

• Head of Cauliflower
• Bunch of Broccoli
• Olive Oil
• 2 Cloves of Garlic crushed
• Basil and your favorite herbs and/or spices

Rinse and clean the cauliflower and broccoli. (Remove and save stalks of both vegetables so you can make your own veggie water to use in making other dishes.)

Cut both into serving pieces and place these in your favorite roasting dish that you have covered with olive oil.

Add to the dish any herbs or spices that you favor.

Place the pan in the oven you have preheated to 375 degrees. How long you cook this dish depends on whether you like your vegetables: crunchy or soft. I like mine crunchy.

If you choose, you can add other veggies like pieces of carrots and/or peppers. Salt and pepper to taste. These veggies can be added to some cooked pasta, adding cheese like Pecorino Romano, if desired.

Beets

• 4 or 5 yellow and/or red Beets
• Olive oil
• Mint leaves
• A couple of cloves of garlic

One vegetable that we should be preparing more is beets. If you are lucky and also get beet greens, they can be prepared as any side dish to go with a meat or fish dish, as a leafy green

Wash the beets and place them in a pot with enough water to cover them. Cook until they are soft enough for you to pierce the beets with a knife.

Remove them from the heat and allow to cool. Take off the outer skin and cut the part off each beet that is the remnant of the stem.

Cut the beets into pieces and place in a baking dish with olive oil and a clove or two of garlic. Put the pan into he oven at 375 degrees for enough time; they will need to sofen fully. Toss the fully cooked beets with a bit more olive oil and mint leaves. This dish can be served hot or cold as a salad. Beets are very healthy, besides being delicious. Vegetable dishes are considered to be superfoods and go well with any meat or fish dish.

Now that the-winter-that-wouldn’t-give-up finally did, it’s time to turn our sights to the wonderful products our gardens, local farms, and waters provide for us. Let’s start with one of my favorite appetizers, which involves more clever shopping with a sharp eye than it does cooking

Tomatoes and Mozzarella

• Ripe tomatoes sliced thin
• Capers, rinsed
• Mozzarella, sliced thin
• High quality extra virgin olive oil

• Roasted red peppers*
• Fresh basil
• Sun dried tomatoes cut in half
• Italian bread

Slice tomatoes and place on a platter as the bottom layer, the only layer that covers the entire platter. Place sliced mozzarella on tomatoes without completely covering the tomatoes. 

Crisscross with red pepper strips, being sure to add juice from peppers if they are homemade. Dot with sun dried tomatoes pieces on top. Sprinkle with capers. 

Drizzle olive oil and place basil leaves on top. Serve with crusty hard bread

Roasting Red Peppers

The quality of this dish depends upon quality of the ingredients. For instance, the red peppers are better if you make them yourself. This is easy.

Wash peppers and place on a baking sheet. Put in the oven on broil and as each side blackens turn the pepper. When all sides have blackened, remove from the oven and allow to cool. 

When I was a kid, cooks used to put the peppers in a paper bag to cool. (I no longer do this.) Once peppers have cooled, remove outer skin. Tear the flesh of the peppers into strips.

Put peppers pieces in glass containers and cover with olive oil to preserve. A raw clove of garlic can be added to a container if so desired. A jar of peppers freezes beautifully.

By

Phyllis Mallah

Smoked Chicken

• 1 whole chicken, preferably organic

• A barbeque with a cover

• Powdered ginger

• Garlic powder

• Soy sauce

Since you are smoking the chicken you will need to create a drip pan to go under the chicken.  Place a piece of heavy duty aluminum foil in the center of the bottom grate.  Fashion sides and heap the charcoal around the foil. 

•  Prepare the chicken by rinsing under running water and patting dry. 
• Bathe the chicken in soy sauce.  If salt is a problem, Bragg is a safe alternative. 
• Rub the skin of the chicken with plenty of garlic powder and ginger. 
• When the coals are ready, place the chicken on the grill breast side down and close the cover.  
• I usually pour the liquid left in the dish over the chicken. 
• As the breast begins to brown, turn the chicken, breast side up.  Chicken is done when the skin is golden brown crispy. 
• This will take as long as the size of your chicken and fire.

Roasted Vegetables

• Try roasting a variety of vegetables: eggplant, Brussels sprouts, zucchini (yellow and green), tomatoes, peppers, asparagus, and even carrots. 
• Prepare the vegetables by cutting them in even pieces. 
• Oil a baking pan and season the vegetables with a variety of herb and spices, i.e. cinnamon, basil, onion and garlic powder, thyme, etc.  
• You can even add bread crumb and/or grated cheese. 
• Finally, splash a bit more olive oil on the vegetables and put in hot oven about 375 degrees. 
• Watch the vegetables until you can figure how long it takes for each kind of vegetable to cook. 

Sometimes I roast two different vegetables at a time and the hot oven warms the house at the same time.  Experiment!      

By

Phyllis Mallah

Though the calendar says it is fall, the nip in the air heralds the coming winter.   To warm our bodies from the inside out, try making a big pot of the soup.  This recipe combines many of the ingredients which are as good for our bodies as they are delicious.

Looking at this recipe, it may seem like a great deal of work, but I have timed the preparation and am usually able to complete it in about 35 minutes.  When the cooking is done you can eat hearty bowls of soup for a week, if stored in the frig properly.  It beats turning up the thermostat and is a lot cheaper.

Healthy Vegetable Soup

• 1 ½ cup of chopped leek

• 2 to 3 Parsnips

• 3 cloves of crushed garlic

• 3 stalk of celery with leaves

• 1 tbs. of olive oil

• 3 large carrots

• A bulb of fennel

• 1 Red pepper

• 2 Zucchinis

• A cup of cooked acorn squash

• Small can of tomatoes

• 1 ½  cup of cooked beans of choice

• 4 to 5 cups of stock 

• 5 or 6 leaves of a dark leafy green

• Herbs (parsley, thyme, rosemary, bay leaves fresh if available)

• ¼ teaspoon oregano

• ¼ teaspoon of cumin

• 1 cup of barley

• Salt and pepper to taste

How To Make A Healthy Vegetable Soup

• In a large pot put leeks, garlic, and olive oil.  
• Cook, stirring occasionally until leeks are wilted.  
• Add chopped parsnips and 2 cups of stock, cook until vegetables are soft.  
• Remove the pot from source of heat till the contents are cool enough to work.   
• Using your favorite whirring device, whir the vegetable mixture until you have created a thick base. 

• Return pot to heat source and continue to add chopped vegetables: celery, carrots, fennel, red pepper, zucchini, tomatoes, and beans.  
• Stir in the acorn squash (which will sweeten the soup) and the rest of the stock.  
• Cut the leafy green leaves in to small pieces. (Kale and beet greens are the most nutritious.)

Depending on the size of your vegetables you may need more stock (water is also acceptable).  Obviously, if you have fresh herbs use them instead of the dried ones, though dried herbs are, of course, fine.  

Oregano is the herb that has the highest in antioxidants, so feel free to add more if you like.  You may also substitute brown rice, small whole wheat pastas like couscous, or the Italian fregola.  Cook soup until the vegetables are tender about an hour.

By

Phyllis Mallah

Glorious summer is over.  The chill of fall is in the air.  It’s time for dishes that warm the house as well as the body.  Here is one of my favorites that incorporate some of the offerings of the end of the season. This turkey dish is my own concoction and a crowd pleaser.

Turkey Thighs With Brown Rice

• 2 Turkey thighs

• ½ Cup of brown rice

• 10 Cloves of garlic

• ½ Cup of wild rice

• 20 Grapes halved                         

• Broth of your choice to cook rice

• 15 Sliced mushrooms

• Toasted sesame seed oil

• ¼ cup of soy sauce (Bragg may be substituted for low salt)

How To Make Turkey Thighs With Brown Rice

• Rinse thighs and pat dry. 
• Stuff garlic cloves under the skin of the turkey and place thighs in a large enough pan to hold mushrooms and grapes. 
• Place extra cloves around the turkey.   
• Soy sauce and sesame seed oil are poured onto the thighs and surround the meat with the grapes and mushrooms. 
• Cook thighs skin side down in a 350-degree oven. 
• Cook the rice in the broth.  

• When meat is cooked, and the length of time will depend on the size of the thighs, turn thighs over to brown skin. 
• Smash cloves of garlic into the juices collecting in the bottom of the pan scraping up the caramelized bits from pan. 
• Remove meat and mix rice into the sauce with grapes and mushrooms. 
• Slice meat and place on top of the rice mixture.  Obviously, this same method can be used with chicken or Cornish game hens.

I can be reached at my e-mail address: [email protected].  Have a peaceful winter and keep cooking!

By

Phyllis Mallah

Glorious summer is over.  The chill of fall is in the air.  It’s time for dishes that warm the house as well as the body.  Here is one of my favorites that incorporate some of the offerings of the end of the season.  The stuffed peppers are my Grandma Italiano’s peasant fare.

Nonna’s Stuffed Italian Peppers

• 6 Cubanelle peppers

• 10 to 15 leaves basil

• Hard bread (about a cup and a half)

• Chopped celery heart with leaves

• 1 whole very ripe tomato chopped

• 2 to 3 tablespoons of grated

• A few Roma tomatoes

• Parmesan cheese

• Chopped parsley to taste
• Pepper

• ¼ teaspoon Oregano

• 2 to 3 tablespoons of golden raisins

• 2 tablespoons of capers rinsed                 raisins

• 2 tablespoons of pine nuts

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

How To Make Nonna’s Stuffed Italian Peppers

1. Wet hard bread until soft.  Squeeze out excess water.
2. Put bread into a bowl with chopped up ripe tomato. Add capers, parsley, oregano, pine nuts, sliced celery with leaves, raisins, cheese, and black pepper.  Mix with a little olive oil.

3. Cut the tops of the peppers.  Clean the inside of the peppers removing seeds.

4. Stuff the pepper with the bread mixture.  Put the peppers into a frying pan, searing the peppers on each side.

5. Place the peppers in a baking dish.  Add a couple of sliced Roma tomatoes and more basil.  Bake in a 350 degree oven until peppers are soft.

By

Phyllis Mallah

With the longer days and warm sun, the seeds we put in the ground in early spring have germinated and are growing.  Basil flourishes, and what better dish to prepare than one of my favorite and easiest recipes – Genovese Pesto.  This dish also uses one of our early vegetables, asparagus. 

Linguine With Genovese Pesto

• 25 Basil leaves

• 2 cloves of garlic

• 5 Tbsp. extra virgin Olive Oil       

• 1/3 cup of freshly grated Romano cheese

• 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

• Pinch of salt

• 12 ounces of linguine

• 1 to 2 small potatoes peeled and cut into sticks

• 1/3 cup asparagus (green beans also work nicely)

How To Make Linguine With Genovese Pesto

• Put basil, garlic, olive oil, and salt into food processor and process at medium speed for a short time. 
• Add both cheeses and process briefly. 
• Cook the pasta, potato, and asparagus together until done. 
• Toss together while pasta is still warm.

Rabbit, a lean meat which has been neglected by Americans and is a favorite in Europe, can be purchased and prepared in the following savory dish.

By

Phyllis Mallah

Manhattan Clam Chowder

• 6 slices bacon, cut into small pieces
• 1 diced onion
• 1 carrot diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 1 green pepper, peeled, ribs removed, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 can (28 oz.) plum tomatoes
• 2 medium white or yellow potatoes peeled & diced

•  2 tbsp. Chopped parsley (reserved for garnish)
• 3 cups clam juice
• 1 bay leaf
• Pinch of dried thyme leaves
• 3 dozen medium clams shucked and chopped (preserving liquid)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Tobasco to taste (optional)

Sauté bacon until crispy brown. Remove bacon bits onto paper, towel to drain, and reserve.

Add onions, carrots, celery, peppers and garlic. Cover pot and cook over medium-slow heat, occasionally stirring until vegetables are soft and translucent
(about 8 minutes).

Add tomatoes, potatoes, clam juice, bay leaf and thyme. Bring to simmer and cook
till potatoes are tender (about 15 minutes).

Add clams and their juices, return bacon bits to chowder and cook two minutes more. Remove bay leaf.

Season with salt and pepper and Tobasco (if used). Garnish with parsley. Serve with crispy French bread or saltine
crackers.

By

 Adelayde’s Kitchen

One of nature’s most nutritious foods, which most of us do not  attempt to cook, are fresh beans of all kinds (fava, cranberry, and lima to mention a few). When confronted with the plethora of choices of beans produced on Long Island, take a plunge. Be brave and give them a try, you’ll never regret it. Here are a few foolproof and simple ways to begin cooking beans.

Basic Bean Recipe

• 1½lb of beans in their shell
• 1 to 2 cloves of garlic
• 2 shallots 
• ½ cup of stock (vegetable or low sodium chicken)
• Fresh thyme
• Virgin olive oil

Shell the beans and rinse them.  Cover the bottom of a large sauce pan with olive oil.  Using the side of a large knife, crush the cloves of garlic and gently sauté the garlic until it is a delicate golden.  Mince the shallots and add to the mixture, cook for about 3 or 4 minutes (until they soften).  

Put the beans into the pot and stir to coat the beans with oil for another couple of minutes. Add the stock, pepper, and the fresh thyme.

Cook beans for about half an hour until they are soft and tender then add some salt. Put a tablespoon of tomato paste into the beans. This dish can be served with another (that needs a little richer flavor) or added to kale.

Beans and Kale

• A bunch of Ragon’s Tongue or regular kale (or any leafy green)
• 2 to 3 cloves of garlic
• ½ cup of stock
• Cooked Yukon Gold or yellow flesh potato 
• Olive oil

Wash and devein (remove main stalk) leaves.  Rip  or cut the leaves into bite size pieces.  Cook the leaves using the bean recipe above.  Stir the leaves until coated and cover, steaming for about 10 minutes.  When the leaves are tender, add the beans, the potato (thinly sliced), and mix.  Allow the three vegetables to stand for at least an hour to meld flavors.

By

Phyllis Italiano