Vegetables | Simple By Cindy

Pasta with Roasted Cauliflower, Parsley and Breadcrumbs

May. 18
2016

I love to try new and innovative ways to make pasta. It may not always be diet-friendly, but it is worth it.

The cauliflower and red onion in this recipe are roasted to perfect tenderness in the oven. The cauliflower offers a nice crunchy texture. It is then tossed with the reserved pasta water that ensures a scrumptious, silky sauce.

All of the ingredients combine to make this a full-flavored, hearty, healthy dish while also managing to stay light and fresh. It is outrageously good!

This recipe is adapted from Martha Stewart. I made a few changes. For example, the recipe called for cavatappi pasta. Since I wasn’t sure where I was going to find that, I used fusilli pasta instead. Any wide, short pasta would be great with this. It also called for white-bread breadcrumbs, which had to be tossed in the food processor with oil. I used my own home-made breadcrumbs that I keep in the freezer. This made my prep time much shorter. You can use any kind of breadcrumbs and it will still be fantastic.

And, as always I used 1-2 more garlic cloves than the recipe called for. If you’re like me, you will too.

This recipe serves 4. It would be great to have for lunch the next day, but make sure you reserve extra pasta water so you can heat it up.

Today’s Hint: Buy some Italian bread, whole wheat bread and Semolina bread at your grocery store. Leave them on the counter for a day. Then place in the food processor and blend. Mix all the breadcrumbs together in a freezer bag and place them in the freezer. Now you will have fresh breadcrumbs when you need them. They last a long time. Take out as much as you need and put them back in your freezer.

Ingredients for the Pasta with Cauliflower

1 head cauliflower (about 2 1/2 pounds) cores and broken into small florets
1 medium red onion, halved and cut into thin wedges
5 garlic cloves, peeled and halved
1/4 cup of olive oil
1 cup of breadcrumbs
12 ounces fusilli pasta
1/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Preheat oven to 475.

Place racks in upper and lower thirds.

Set a large pot of salted water to boil.

On a rimmed baking sheet, toss together cauliflower, onion and garlic with 2 tbsp. olive oil; season with salt and pepper.

pasta cauliflower cauliflower onions garlic in pan

Roast on lower rack in oven, until lightly browned and tender, about 20-25 minutes, tossing once.

Spread breadcrumbs on a rimmed baking sheet.

Bake on upper rack of oven until golden brown, about 5-6 minutes, tossing once.

Cook pasta in boiling water 3 minutes less than the cooking time indicated on the package.

RESERVE ONE CUP OF PASTA WATER!

Drain pasta and return to pot.

Add cauliflower mixture, Parmesan cheese, and half of the parsley.

Mix to combine.

While mixing the pasta, gradually add enough pasta water to form a thin sauce that coats the pasta.

Serve topped with breadcrumbs and parsley and, if desired, more Parmesan.

It’s that simple!

Brussels Sprouts Hash with Crispy Sage and Walnuts

May. 11
2016

This recipe appealed to me (as many do) because of the combination of ingredients.

The brussels sprouts, sautéed with butter, onion and pancetta, topped with walnuts and fried sage leaves sounded too good to pass up. It was a fantastic, flavorful dish which exceeded my expectations!

This is not a “simple” recipe. You have to be vigilant with the cooking time while preparing it or you will have a soggy mess of brussels sprouts. Although I was very careful, my sprouts did not look nearly as appetizing as the one in the picture accompanying the recipe!

I know the brussels sprouts in that picture had to be close to raw to be that beautiful shade of green!

So when you make this recipe (and you should), just follow the instructions carefully and I am sure you will be as happy with the results as I was. It is a delicious, savory side dish that I will definitely make again!

You can also substitute apples in place of the pancetta if you keep kosher (which sounds delish as well!).

This recipe is courtesy of thekitchn.com. It serves 6.

Ingredients for the Brussels Sprouts

3 tbsp. butter, or margarine, divided
6 large fresh sage leaves
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 cup of walnut halves, closely chopped
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1/2 cup (2 ounces) diced pancetta or bacon
1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts, sliced thinly
1/4 cup of chicken broth
2 tsp. sherry or cider vinegar

Heat 2 tbsp. of the butter in a small (8 inch) skillet over medium heat. As soon as the foam subsides, add the sage leaves to the skillet and fry for about two minutes, turning once with a fork or tongs. Don’t let the leaves get brown-they are done when they stop sizzling and water is no longer bubbling to the surface.

Transfer the sage leaves to a paper towel-lined plate, sprinkle with a pinch of salt, and set aside. Do not wipe out the skillet.

Turn the heat to down to medium-low, then add the chopped walnuts to the skillet. Cook the walnuts in the butter until they are aromatic and a bit toasted, about 3 minutes. The butter will be well-browned. Turn off the heat and set the skillet aside.

In a large (12 inch) skillet or sauté pan, heat the remaining 1 tbsp. of butter over medium heat.

Add the diced onion and the pancetta. Sauté until the onions are soft and beginning to brown, about 10 minutes.

Add the Brussels sprouts, stirring to mix evenly with the onions and pancetta.

Pour in the broth, cover the pan, and let cook for 10 minutes.

Remove the lid and turn the heat up to medium-high.

Sauté until all of the liquid is evaporated and the hash is beginning to sizzle, about 5 minutes.

Turn off the heat.

Pour in the vinegar and stir everything one last time, using a spoon to nudge down the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.

Transfer the hash to a serving bowl and top with the walnuts and sage, crumbling the sage leaves evenly over the top. Serve hot.

It’s that simple!

Haricots Verts with Mustard Vinaigrette

May. 9
2016

It does not get any easier than this.

Haricot verts, french green beans, are a smaller variety of green beans that are thinner, longer and crisper than the “standard” green bean. They are more delicate than a regular green bean and cook more quickly. If you have trouble finding haricot verts, you can use regular greens beans; just cook them a minute or two longer.

This takes just minutes to prepare. You do have to be careful about the length of time you cook the haricot verts. Make sure to stop the cooking process when they are bright green. The cold water and ice bath are essential to this recipe. This will ensure you get a tender, more flavorful outcome!

The vinaigrette dressing whips up in no time and is a delicious accompaniment to the beans. You can also substitute creamy Dijon mustard if you prefer.

This recipe is perfect in every way and an easy go-to side for any weeknight meal.

This recipe is courtesy of Martha Stewart and serves 2.

You are going to love this one!

Ingredients for Haricots Verts with Mustard Vinaigrette

1/2 pound haricots verts
1/2 tsp. finely chopped shallot
1 1/2 tsp. red-wine vinegar
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. grainy Dijon mustard
1 1/2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

Prepare a bowl with ice and water.

Add salt to the boiling water.

Add haricot verts: cook until beans are bright green all over, 1 to 2 minutes.

Drain beans; immediately rinse with cold water and transfer to ice-bath. When chilled completely, drain and pat dry.

Put shallot and vinegar in a small bowl; season with salt and pepper.

Let stand for 15 minutes.

Whisk in mustard.

Whisking constantly, pour in oil in a slow, steady stream until emulsified.

Set aside until ready to dress beans with vinaigrette. Whisk vinaigrette until just before using.

It’s that simple!

Charred Eggplant with Chermoula

May. 4
2016

Chermoula is a Moroccan condiment that is frequently used in Middle Eastern cuisine.

It is a sophisticated sauce that is spicy in every bite. It is a delightful mix of cilantro, parsley, lemon, cumin and coriander.

Of course you may delete any ingredient you do not like. I chose to use half the amount of cilantro the recipe called for, as I am not a huge fan. It was still delicious.

This recipe may sound effortful, but it really did not take much prep time. If you prepare the ingredients before you begin, you will be much more efficient.

This recipe is courtesy of Cooking Light and serves 6. You can always cut it half if you need to. I had way too much eggplant leftover. I have to figure out who I will be giving it to!

Ingredients for Charred Eggplant with Chermoula

2 tsp. cumin seeds
1 tsp. coriander seeds
1 tsp. grated lemon rind (about 2 lemons)
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/8 tsp. ground red pepper
2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1 cup fresh cilantro
1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Cooking spray
2 medium eggplants, trimmed and cut into 1/4 inch slices

Heat a dry skillet over medium heat. Add cumin and coriander seeds. Cook for about 3-4 minutes or until toasted and fragrant. Remove from heat.

Crush seeds with a mortar and pestle or a small heavy skillet.

Add the rind, salt, paprika, red pepper and garlic. Mash to form a paste.

Place spicy mixture, cilantro, parsley, and lemon juice in the bowl of a food processor.

Pulse until finely chopped, scraping sides of bowl as needed.

With processor on, slowly pour olive oil through the food chute, processing just until blended. Set aside.

Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray.

Arrange one-fourth of eggplant slices in pan. Cook 3-5 minutes each side until browned and tender (slightly charred is even better).

Repeat until all of the eggplant has been cooked.

Drizzle cilantro mixture over eggplant.

It’s that simple!

Crunchy Quinoa with Sweet Potatoes and Cranberries

May. 2
2016

Quinoa is a grain that is healthy, high in protein and is gluten-free. It is a nutritious, nutty grain that cooks quickly and combines easily with a variety of ingredients.

This side dish is simply scrumptious. The combination of sweet potato, cranberries and nuts is a mouth-watering experience. These ingredients elevate the quinoa to a whole new level! Healthy grains never tasted so delicious.

I like to cut my vegetables smaller than what the recipe called for, so they are not too over-powering. I also used chicken broth instead of water, because it gives it so much more flavor. The flavors in this recipe are yummy, in a wonderful, gentle way.

This recipe is courtesy of Paula Shoyer and serves 8.

This is another one of my “must try”recipes. I know your family will love it as much as mine did!

Ingredients for the Quinoa

1 cup quinoa
2 cups chicken broth
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
4 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1 tsp. honey
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted
1/3 cup dried cranberries
3 scallions, cut into 1/4 inch thick slices

Preheat oven to 350.

Place pine nuts on baking sheet and place in oven for 8 minutes. SET YOUR TIMER! They can burn easily, so you have to watch them!

Place quinoa in a small saucepan with the chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes, or until all of the chicken broth has evaporated. Turn off the heat and let the quinoa sit, covered for at least 1/2 hour. The quinoa may be cooked 2 days in advance and stored-covered in the refrigerator.

Preheat oven to 500.

Place the sweet potato cubes in a roasting pan and toss with 1 tbsp. of the olive oil. Roast for 25 minutes, or until the cubes can be pierced with a fork. Set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining 3 tbsp. olive oil with the vinegar, honey, cumin, cinnamon, salt and pepper.

Use a whisk to break apart any clumps of quinoa that may have formed as it cooled and transfer to a large bowl. Add the dressing and whisk well.

Add the sweet potatoes, pine nuts, cranberries, and scallions and mix gently.

Serve at room temperature.

It’s that simple!