Paella

Jesse's mom was nice enough to gift me saffron rice, which is cool because saffron itself is so expensive I would never be motivated to buy it. So of course the first thing I thought to do with the fabulous yellow rice was to make paella. I have to be honest and say the only local ingredients in the paella were the seafood, onions and
garlic. I splurged and bought frozen peas for the occasion, because I felt like the dish really needed that green pep. Or maybe I'm just longing for spring...

Now I have no idea if I made paella authentically, but it definitely tasted great. First Jesse steamed a half dozen clams until the opened. Meanwhile, I sauteed some sausage and scallops together until they browned slightly. Next, I sauteed onions and garlic in olive oil until softened, then added rice, peas, the water reserved from the clams, a splash of wine, and some vegetable stock and let it simmer until
almost cooked. Then I added back in the clams, scallops, and sausage, and we feasted. I can't wait to do it again, next time maybe with more clams and calamari.

Dark Days Challenge Week 7: Sausage Pizza and Roasted Beet Salad

I've made pizza before, but it always came out dense and crunchy throughout. This time I was amazed to open the oven and see a beautiful golden brown puffy crust. It may have actually risen this time because I used sugar instead of raw honey. I know I shouldn't use raw honey, since I've read it sometimes has bacteria that can kill yeast, but I love the idea of using local honey too much to give it up. Well maybe I should.

Or it could have been because I kneaded the dough in the food processor instead of by hand. I have always been afraid of using the dough option on my food processor, worried that the dough would come out over-kneaded. However, it was so amazingly easy and quick that I'll have to do it again. I'm horribly inefficient at kneading dough. First I am never sure if the consistency is right so I keep adding water and flour. Then I feel like I'm kneading forever but the dough never stops being sticky. But 45 seconds in the food processor and the dough was perfectly kneaded.

I topped this with flavorful DiPaolo turkey sausage, tomato sauce, and some parmesan. I'm not big on cheesy, greasy pizzas and can thus hardly stand most pizzeria pizzas these days - so this simple combination was enough for me. On the side, we enjoyed a roasted beet salad again. Amazing how I gobble down roasted beets these days, when I barely knew beets existed before this year.

Pizza Dough
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup white flour
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup warm water
1 1/2 tsp instant yeast
1 tbsp olive oil
3/4 tsp raw sugar

1 cup tomato sauce (from a jar or can since it's winter)
2 large cloves garlic
1/2 onion
1/3 lb turkey sausage, not in casing

Pour flour and salt into a food processor and stir to combine. In a small bowl, combine water, yeast, oil, and sugar. Pour wet mixture into food processor. Process on dough button for 45 seconds. Use a spatula to turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead a couple times. Form dough into a ball and place in a large bowl, covered with a plate, and let rise in a warm spot (I place the bowl inside my oven, turned off and propped slightly open) for 45-90 minutes, depending on the temperature of the ingredients and your warm spot. My yeast came straight from the fridge and the flour straight from the freezer, so it took a full 90 minutes to double in size.

Turn dough out upside down on a lightly floured surface and gently press down to deflate. Form dough into a ball and return to bowl. Let rise another 25-40 minutes, approximately half the time of the first rise.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Place a large cookie sheet at bottom rung of oven to preheat.

Meanwhile, sautee diced onion and garlic in olive oil over low heat. Add turkey sausage, stir and chop it into crumbles, and continue to cook until browned.

Turn dough out upside down on lightly floured surface and gently press down to deflate. Roll dough out into a thin, flat circle. Top pizza with drizzled olive oil, then tomato sauce, then sausage mixture, then grated parmesan cheese, crushed red pepper, and oregano and basil.

Remove the baking sheet from the oven and sprinkle cornmeal over it. Carefully slide pizza onto the sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes until puffed and golden brown.

Makes two filling servings.

Dark Days Challenge Week 6: Orzo with Sausage, White Beans, and Kale

I've wanted to make orzo ever since a coworker brought a delicious orzo and vegetable salad tossed simply with olive oil to a potluck last spring. So I bought some dried colorful orzo from Fairway in bulk, and then kind of forgot about it in the back of my cabinet, not sure what to do with it.

Then I was reminded of it when I saw a post on Serious Eats about cooking orzo as a kind of short-cut risotto. I looove risotto - it's one of my go-to dishes - and the idea of being able to make something almost like risotto in less than half the time sounded brilliant.

So last night I was starving on the way home, dreaming up a creamy orzo dish that I would make as soon as I walked in the door. I figured I could make it quickly, have a bite to satiate my hunger, and then save the rest for lunch tomorrow. But Jesse got home earlier than I expected, so there wasn't time to cook before we went off in the snow in search of sushi. Instead, I ended up making a cozy orzo dish later that night, long after we had returned home, shaken off the snow, drank some wine, and he fell asleep. He is in for a real treat when he opens his lunch box tomorrow.

It surprised me in how creamy it turned out. I threw a ton of stuff in there, including local turkey sausage, a can of white beans (yes I feel guilty about using a can lined with plastic that leaches potentially harmful chemicals but sometimes convenience wins), parsley leftover from making falafel over the weekend (yes I know parsley is not in season right now, but a girl's gotta have some fun sometimes), and even a couple leaves of kale so I can pretend I am being healthy without it overwhelming the flavor. Altogether, it formed a cozy one-pot winter dish that is tender and delicious, and with enough parmesan, tastes almost like risotto.

Orzo with Sausage, White Beans, and Kale

1/2 lb sausage
2 cloves garlic
1/2 onion
handful of kale, rinsed and torn into pieces
1 can white beans (or 3/4 cup dried white beans soaked and cooked)
1 1/2 cup dried orzo
3 cups water
salt
pepper
crushed red pepper
1/4 cup grated parmesan
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Heat sausage in a large pot over medium heat until it begins to brown. Add garlic and onion, turn down to low heat, add a little olive oil or butter if necessary to keep from sticking to bottom of pan, and sautee until onions soften. Add kale and white beans and continue to sautee another few minutes until kale wilts. Add orzo and stir to combine. Add water and salt, bring to a boil, and then let simmer for approximately 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until most of the water is absorbed and orzo is creamy and tender. Add pepper, crushed red pepper, parmesan, and parsley (optional).

All ingredients for this meal were found at Greenmakets from farms within approximately 250 miles away, except except for dried bulk orzo, beans, salt, pepper, red pepper, and parmesan. So I guess you could say half local on this one.

Lentil, Sausage, Kale, and Rice Stew

Usually I'm not bothered by dishes that take their time to cook (see risotto, chili, dishes involving dried beans, etc), but today I kept looking at this pot, tasting the crunchy lentils, and thinking Why isn't this done yet? Finally, Jesse distracted me by taking our dog fora walk, whilethe stew lightly bubbled away. When we returned, it was done, finally, kind of like how a watched pot never boils. I was afraid it would be bland, but it's not at all. Instead it's surpsingly yummy - a sweet and tangy way to scarf down the healthfulness of lentils, kale, and brown rice (that sausage is just in there for fun).

I would make this again, but do one of two things to ease the long cooking time:
1. Soak the lentils for an hour beforehand so that they cook faster than the rice, instead of more slowly than the rice. It's been so long since I've made lentils that I forgot that's what the box recommends.

2. Throw all the ingredients in my crock pot in the morning and let the crock pot do its magic at low heat all day while I'm at work. Had I done that today, we could have eaten this when we were hungry, instead of filling ourselves beforehand on a bag of chips as a snack.

Lentil, Sausage, Kale, and Rice Stew
1/2 onion
3 cloves garlic
1/2 bunch kale
2/3 lb sausage
1 cup lentils
3/4 cup brown rice
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 1/2 cups water
2 cups chicken stock
salt
pepper
crushed red pepper

Dice onion and mince garlic. In a large pot, sautee onion and garlic in olive oil over medium low heat until they begin to soften.

Add sausage (broken into small pieces) and sautee over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until sausage begins to brown. If you want, you could drain the pot at this point to remove sausage fat that has accumulated in the pot.

Meanwhile rinse kale and chop into small pieces. Add kale and 2 tbsp water, scrape bits off bottom of pot. Cover and let steam for a few minutes until kale begins to wilt.

Add lentils, rice, mustard, and balsamic vinegar, and stir to combine.

Then add water, chicken stock, and spices. Bring to a boil and let simmer about an hour until rice and lentils are tender, stirring occasionally. Add additional water if you like a soupier consistency. Serve with hunks of crusty bread or toasted pita.

Dark Days Challenge Week 1: Kale and Bran Meatloaf and Colcannon

This is my first post as part of the Dark Days Challenge, a challenge to cook at least one meal per week comprised of 90% local ingredients throughout the winter until March. To read about what fellow bloggers are cooking up locally in their area, check out Urban Hennery every other Sunday.

It's wintertime. Even though the weather can't make up its mind, waffling between last week's bitter cold and today's balmy air, the vegetables have succumbed to winter. At last Friday's Greenmarket in Union Square, just about the only vegetables I could find were the hardy types - onions, potatoes, garlic, and the mighty kale, with not even a carrot in sight. I did find some new meat options, however, including grass-fed ground beef, and turkey sausage from Di Paolo Turkey Farm. I decided to put my purchases to use in a great American homemade classic, perfect for warming your bones on a winter day - meatloaf and mashed potatoes.


I was pleased to find that adding kale to mashed potatoes is a well established Irish dish, Colcannon, that involves mashing potatoes with cabbage or winter greens, butter, salt, and pepper. I further amped up the color of the Colcannon by including a couple Adirondack red potatoes, a beautiful variety with pinkish flesh that is native to New York. I think sauteeing the kale before adding it to the potatoes and the meatloaf really boosted the flavor. Moreover, by using just a half bunch of kale in each, the kale added great texture and taste without overwhelming the mashed potatoes and meatloaf. Even I enjoyed it all, even though I don't like sauteed kale on its own.

Having never made meatloaf before, it was surprisingly moist and flavorful, and tasted too good to be true. But packed with kale, bran, and sustainable meats, we feasted, knowing that we were powering our body with good, healthy food. I will definitely be making this again.

Sauteed Kale
1 bunch of kale
1 onion
3 cloves garlic

Dice onion and garlic and sautee in extra virgin olive oil over medium low heat. Meanwhile, wash and finely chop kale, discarding thick stems towards bottom of the bunch. Add kale, 1 tbsp olive oil, and 1 tbsp water and cover, stirring occasionally until kale is wilted.


Colcannon (Irish Mashed Potatoes)
2 large or 4 small potatoes
1/2 cup milk or soy milk (to make it vegan)
1 tsp butter (or Smart Balance Light to make it vegan)
1/2 sauteed kale mixture
salt
pepper

Chop potatoes into 1-inch pieces and place in pot of salted water. Bring to boil and then let simmer until potatoes are tender, approximately 20 minutes. Drain potatoes in colander and return to pot. Mash coarsely with wooden spoon. Add half of the sauteed kale mixture, salt, and pepper, and mash again until combined. Add butter and half of the milk, and mash again, adding additional milk until desired creamy consistency is reached.


Spicy Meatloaf Sauce
2 tbsp ketchup
1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp water
five dashes of hot sauce
salt
pepper

Whisk sauce ingredients together in a small bowl with a fork until smooth and combined.

Kale and Bran Meatloaf
1 lb ground beef
1/3 lb turkey sausage
1 1/4 cup wheat bran
1/2 sauteed kale mixture
1 large egg
salt
pepper
pinch of cayenne pepper

Preheat oven to 375. Combine all meatloaf ingredients in a bowl. Grease a loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray. Empy the meatloaf into the loaf pan. Bake for approximately 45 minutes (check at 40 minutes). Cut a chunk out of the middle to make sure meat is no longer pink and is fully cooked. Remove meatloaf from pan and scrape any fat off the top. Spread sauce over top. Cut into slices, and serve with mashed potatoes and additional sauce if desired.

Summary - all ingredients were locally sourced from farmers markets in Union Square and McCarren Park except Bob's Red Mill Wheat Bran, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, Muir Glen organic ketchup, worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and soy milk.

Risotto

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes

1 lb chicken sausage
2 carrots
2 cloves garlic
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 cup risotto rice
1 cup white wine
3 cups low sodium chicken broth
crushed red pepper
salt
pepper
1/4 cup grated parmesan

De-case the chicken sausage and cut into small pieces. Chop the carrots into small pieces.
Dice the garlic. Coat the bottom of a large pot with olive oil, throw in the sausage, carrots, and garlic. Cook at medium heat for 8-10 minutes until the sausage is no longer pink and the carrots are just starting to soften. Add the rice and then the wine. Turn the heat to low. Stir occasionally as the mixture simmers and the rice absorbs the liquid. When the liquid is mostly absorbed, add 1 cup of chicken broth. Again, stir occasionally as the mixture simmers and the broth is absorbed. Repeat this process, adding 1 cup of broth each time, and continuing to stir, until the rice and carrots are soft. Add the red pepper, salt, pepper, and parmesan. Serves 4.

NOTE: You can make risotto with any combination of ingredients. I prefer chicken sausage, but you might also try chicken breast or regular sausage. I like to get sweet sausage and add crushed red pepper to make it the level of spiciness I like, but if you like it spicier, buy spicy sausage. Make seafood risotto with shrimp and peas, for example. Make it vegetarian by using vegetarian broth instead of chicken broth and carrots, butternut squash, peas, mushrooms, onions, peppers, etc. Make it vegan by leaving out the parmesan.