Garbanzo Beans and Greens

Garbanzo Beans and Greens

Substitute escarole or another hearty green like collards if you don't like kale. Serve with torn baguette bread to soak up all the tasty juices.

• Yield: 4 servings
• Total:45 Minutes 

Ingredients

• 2 center-cut bacon slices
• 1 cup chopped carrot
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 2 1/2 cups fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth 
• 1 cup water
• 2 (15-ounce) cans organic chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
• 4 cups chopped fresh kale
• 1/2 cup plain 2% reduced-fat Greek yogurt
• 4 lemon wedges (optional)

Preparation

1. Cook bacon in a Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan using a slotted spoon, and crumble. Add 1 cup carrot and chopped onion to drippings in pan, and cook for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic, and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add paprika, 1/4 teaspoon salt, cumin, and red pepper; cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Stir in chicken broth, 1 cup water, and beans; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Add 4 cups kale to bean mixture. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes or until kale is tender, stirring occasionally. Ladle about 1 1/4 cups bean mixture into each of 4 bowls, and top each serving with 2 tablespoons yogurt. Sprinkle with bacon, and serve with lemon wedges, if desired.

Olive Oil Roasted Tomatoes and Fennel with White Beans

Olive Oil Roasted Tomatoes and Fennel with White Beans

yield: Makes 6 servings

active time: 35 minutes

total time: 1 hour 10 minutes

• 2 large fennel bulbs with fronds attached
• 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt, divided
• 2 pints grape tomatoes or cherry tomatoes
• 4 large fresh oregano sprigs
• 3 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 15-ounce cans cannellini (white kidney beans), drained

Preheat oven to 425°F. Chop enough fennel fronds to measure 1/2 cup. Trim fennel bulbs and cut in half vertically. Cut each bulb half ito 1/2-inch-wide wedges, leaving some ore attached to each wedge.

Heat oil in large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat until very hot, about 3 minutes. Add fennel wedges in single layer; sprinkle with 1 teaspoon coarse salt. Cook until fennel begins to brown and soften, turning occasionally, 10 to 12 minutes. Add tomatoes, oregano, garlic, and crushed red pepper; sprinkle with 1 teaspoon coarse salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Fold together gently.

Transfer skillet to oven. Bake fennel and tomatoes until soft, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes. Mix in beans and 6 tablespoons chopped fennel fronds. Bake 5 minutes longer to heat through. Transfer mixture to large shallow bowl. Sprinkle with remaining chopped fronds. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Stir-Fry

Stir-Fried Lettuce (or Baby Bok Choy) with Garlic Chiles

Serves 4 as a vegetable side dish

What You Need

Ingredients
Vegetables
1 medium head of romaine lettuce, cut crosswise into 1-inch-wide pieces, about 8 cups
OR
8 to 12 cups baby bok choy, sliced in half lengthwise

For the sauce
2 tablespoons dry sherry or Shao Hsing rice wine
1 tablespoon chicken broth
2 teaspoons soy sauce

Aromatics
3 medium cloves garlic, smashed
1 teaspoon minced jalapeño chiles, with seeds (optional)
2 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper
Equipment
14" flat-bottom carbon steel wok or 12" stainless steel skillet
Fish spatula or other thin, flexible spatula
Lid to cover the wok

Instructions

1. Cut Up the Ingredients: It is very important that all the ingredients are cut as directed in the ingredient list. The most important key to making a good stir-fry is cutting each ingredient to a uniform size as specified above. Cut the vegetables and set them aside in a bowl. Cut the aromatics as directed and set them aside as well.
2. Make the Sauce: In a small bowl, combine the sherry (or rice wine), broth, and soy sauce.
3. Prepare Your Wok Space: Set the bowls of vegetables, aromatics, and sauce near your stove. Also, have a very small bowl of water next to the stove.
4. Heat the Wok: Turn on a stove burner, as high as it will go. Set a 14-inch wok over this high heat burner. To determine when the wok is hot enough, start flicking droplets of water from the small bowl into the pan after 30 seconds. As soon as a bead of water evaporates within 1 to 2 seconds of contact, the wok is heated and ready for stir-frying. Do not overheat the wok.
5. Pull Wok off the Heat and Add Oil: Pull the wok off the heat and add 1 tablespoon of oil. Pick up the pan and carefully swirl it to coat the bottom and sides. (If the wok smokes wildly the moment you add the oil you've overheated the wok. Remove the wok from the heat and let it cool for a few minutes. When it's cool enough to handle carefully remove the oil with paper towels, wash the wok, and start again.)
6. Add the Aromatics to the Wok: Put the wok back on the heat. Add the garlic and chiles (if using), and stir them for 10 seconds or until fragrant.
7. Add the Vegetables: Push the garlic up the sides of the wok and add the lettuce (or bok choy, or whatever else you're using).
8. Season the Vegetables: Sprinkle the salt and pepper over top.
9. Set a Timer for 2 Minutes: It's helpful for newbie stir-fry cooks to set a timer to give them a rough idea of how long this dish will cook and to learn a sense of rhythm. But your main benchmark should be how the food looks and tastes. From this point on the vegetables will cook for approximately 2 to 2 1/2 minutes.
10. Stir-Fry the Vegetables for 1 Minute: Stir-fry for 1 minute or until the lettuce or vegetables begin to wilt.
11. Add the Sauce: Pour the sauce mixture around and down the sides of the pan instead of directly into the center (to prevent cooling the pan and lowering the cooking temperature). Stir-fry and toss to coat the lettuce.
12. Cover and Cook for 15 Seconds: Cover and cook for 15 seconds.
13. Uncover and Stir-Fry: Uncover and stir-fry for another 30 to 60 seconds, or until the lettuce is crisp-tender and bright green.
Additional Notes:
• Substituting Other Vegetables: Substitute up to 4 cups of chopped firm vegetables or 8 to 12 cups of another leafy green for the lettuce or baby bok choy in this recipe.

Ham and Split Pea Soup

Ham and Split Pea Soup

Ingredients

• 1 pound dried split peas
• 1 ham hock
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 cup finely chopped yellow onions
• 1/2 cup finely chopped celery
• 1/2 cup finely chopped carrots
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 pound Smithfield ham, chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 8 cups water
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme

Directions

Place the peas in a large pot or bowl, cover with water by 2 inches and soak 8 hours or overnight. Drain the peas and set aside.

Score the ham hock. Place in a pot, cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer for 1 hour. Drain and set aside.

In a large pot, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the celery and carrots and cook, stirring, until just soft, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds.

Add the ham hock and ham and cook, stirring, until beginning to brown. Add the drained peas, salt, pepper, and pepper flakes, and cook, stirring for 2 minutes. Add 8 cups of water, the bay leaf and thyme, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the peas are tender, about 1 hour. (Add more water as needed, if the soup becomes too thick or dry.)

Remove the bay leaf and discard. Adjust the seasoning, to taste, and serve immediately with Parmesan Truffled Chips on top.

Potato Gratin

Scalloped Yukon Gold and Sweet Potato Gratin with Fresh Herbs

yield: Makes 12 servings

• 1 1/2 pounds medium Yukon Gold potatoes
• 1 1/2 pounds medium red-skinned sweet potatoes (yams)
• 2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh Italian parsley
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh sage
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/4 cups (packed) coarsely grated Gruyére cheese (about 5 ounces)

Preparation

Fill large bowl with cold water. Working with 1 Yukon Gold potato at a time, peel, then cut into 1/8-inch-thick rounds and place in bowl with water. Repeat with sweet potatoes. Combine cream, butter, and garlic in medium saucepan; bring to simmer. Remove from heat. Mix all herbs in small bowl. Mix sea salt and black pepper in another small bowl.

Butter 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Drain potatoes, then pat dry with kitchen towels. Transfer half of potatoes to prepared baking dish. Use hands to distribute and spread evenly. Sprinkle with half of salt-pepper mixture, then half of herb mixture. Sprinkle with half of cheese. Repeat with remaining potatoes, salt-pepper mixture, herb mixture, and cheese. Pour cream mixture over gratin, pressing lightly to submerge potato mixture as much as possible. DO AHEAD: Can be made 6 hours ahead. Cover with plastic wrap and chill. Remove plastic wrap before baking.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Cover gratin tightly with foil. Bake 30 minutes. Uncover; bake until top of gratin is golden and most of liquid is absorbed, about 25 minutes longer. Let stand 10 minutes; serve.

Chicken Pot Pie

yield: Makes 6 servings

Ingredients

Crust:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour plus more for surface
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup (2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2" cubes
• 1/4 cup vegetable shortening

Chicken:

• 2 cups peeled, coarsely chopped carrots
• 1 large onion, coarsely chopped
• 1 leek, coarsely chopped
• 1 3-pound whole chicken
• 4 celery stalks, coarsely chopped
• 6 sprigs thyme
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste

Filling:

• 2 tablespoons dried chanterelle or shiitake mushrooms
• 1 cup 1/2" slices peeled carrots
• 1 cup fresh (or frozen, thawed) peas
• 1 cup red (purple) pearl onions
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 6 fresh sage leaves
• 4 thyme sprigs
• 2 sprigs rosemary
• 1 cup button mushrooms, halved if large
• 1 cup 1/4" rounds sliced fingerling potatoes
• 1 egg, beaten to blend
• Coarse sea salt and coarsely ground black pepper, optional

Preparation

For crust:
Mix flour, salt, and baking powder in a food processor. Add cubed butter and shortening and process until mixture resembles coarse meal with some pea-size lumps. With machine running, add 1/2 cup ice water and process, adding more water by teaspoonful if dry, until dough forms. Form dough into a ball; flatten into a disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place chilled dough on a lightly floured surface and roll out to a 12x9 1/2" rectangle, about 1/4" thick. Place on prepared sheet and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Chill. DO AHEAD: Can be made 6 hours ahead. Keep chilled.

For chicken:
Preheat oven to 400°. Place carrots, onion, and leek on a rimmed baking sheet and roast until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Transfer to a large pot fitted with a lid. Add chicken, breast side down, celery, thyme sprigs, wine, salt, and peppercorns to pot. Add 8 cups water to cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer gently for 10 minutes. Remove pot from heat, cover, and poach chicken until cooked through, about 35 minutes.

Remove chicken from pot and set aside until cool. Reserve broth. Shred meat; discard skin and bones. Set a large strainer over another pot. Strain broth into clean pot. Stir in tomato paste. Return to medium heat and simmer, uncovered, until reduced to 5 cups, about 40 minutes. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Chill uncovered until cool. Cover chicken and broth separately; keep chilled. Rewarm broth before continuing.

For filling:
Place dried chanterelles in a small bowl and cover with 1 cup hot water. Let steep for 10 minutes; set aside. Reserve soaking liquid. Cook carrots in a large saucepan of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a medium bowl. Add peas to saucepan; cook for 1 minute; transfer to bowl with carrots. Add onions to saucepan and cook until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Remove from pot and set aside; let cool. Peel onions.

In a large heavy saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Whisk in herbs and warm broth from chicken. Using a slotted spoon, transfer chanterelles to saucepan. Pour in soaking liquid, leaving sediment behind. Simmer for 20 minutes.

Set a strainer over another large pot. Strain broth into pot; discard solids. Add chicken, carrots, peas, onions, mushrooms, and potatoes. Bring to a simmer. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Chill uncovered until cool; cover and keep chilled. Rewarm before continuing.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Spoon filling into an 11x8x2" or 2 1/2-quart round baking dish. (Add pie bird, if using.) Top with pastry, pinching edges to seal. If not using pie bird, cut a 1" slit in center of crust for steam to vent. Brush pastry with beaten egg, and sprinkle with sea salt and pepper, if desired.

Place pot pie on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly, about 45 minutes.

Rugelach

Rugelach

Total Time:

1 hr 55 min

Prep

10 min

Inactive

1 hr 30 min

Cook

15 min

Yield:

4 dozen cookies

Level:

Easy

Ingredients

• 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/2-pound unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar plus 9 tablespoons
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 3/4 cup raisins
• 1 cup walnuts, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup apricot preserves, pureed in a food processor
• 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon milk, for egg wash

Directions

Cream the cheese and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until light. Add 1/4 cup granulated sugar, the salt, and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour and mix until just combined. Dump the dough out onto a well-floured board and roll it into a ball. Cut the ball in quarters, wrap each piece in plastic, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
To make the filling, combine 6 tablespoons of granulated sugar, the brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, the raisins, and walnuts.
On a well-floured board, roll each ball of dough into a 9-inch circle. Spread the dough with 2 tablespoons apricot preserves and sprinkle with 1/2 cup of the filling. Press the filling lightly into the dough. Cut the circle into 12 equal wedges—cutting the whole circle in quarters, then each quarter into thirds. Starting with the wide edge, roll up each wedge. Place the cookies, points tucked under, on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Chill for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Brush each cookie with the egg wash. Combine 3 tablespoons granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon and sprinkle on the cookies. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove to a wire rack and let cool.

Chestnuts

How to Roast Chestnuts

To Roast Chestnuts:

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F.

Wipe the chestnuts off with a damp towel and set them on a cutting board, flat side down.

With a small, sharp knife cut an X in each chestnut. (There are special chestnut-X-cutting knives that you can buy – see comments below. I would only recommend buying one of these knives if you roast a TON of chestnuts.) The X allows the steam to escape while they are cooking. (Do not omit this step, otherwise the chestnuts could explode in the oven!) This will also make peeling a lot easier.

For safety sake, you may feel more comfortable cushioning the chestnut on a (clean) dish towel to cut the X.

Put the chestnuts in a baking pan with the X facing up.

It will take 20-30 minutes to roast the chestnuts. When cooked, the shells will burst open, and the chestnut will be golden brown. The tricky part is actually knowing when they are done. If you over-cook OR under-cook them, they will get hard and the inner skin will be very difficult to remove.

Now comes the hard part: peeling them! You need to peel them while they are still warm. Let them cool just enough so that you can touch them, then start peeling. Be very careful not to burn your fingers!

Be sure to buy extra, because once they are open you may well discover that some have actually turned bad and are not edible.

This task is not as easy as David makes it look. My thumb is killing me!

So now comes the test: comparing the fresh chestnuts to the ones from the jar. There are four things to consider:

1. Appearance
2. Taste and Texture
3. Price
4. Convenience

1. Appearance
First let me say that the chestnuts I bought from Whole Foods did not end up looking at all like the magnificent ones from the street vendor. (Of course the 7 or 8 chestnuts from the street vendor that actually end up in your brown bag don’t look like the ones they have on display either!)

The ones from the jar have a preserved look about them.

2. Taste and Texture
They both tasted delicious but the ones from the jar actually had a moister texture. 

3. Price
The 17 fresh chestnuts from Whole foods cost $4.67

I ended up with 12 usable ones. (Yes there are only 11 in the above photo because I ate one!) Two I could not get peeled, two disintegrated when I tried to peel them and one was rotten.

The 7.4 ounce jar cost $8.99. 100% were usable.

4. Convenience
When I was a kid, whenever my mom would bake, we would always have to shell the walnuts. (Way back then!) It was significantly cheaper to buy unshelled walnuts. It is a very labor intensive activity. Today, having to shell your own nuts sounds like it is on par with having to go milk the cow to get fresh milk! Peeling your own chestnuts is not an easy task!

Conclusion:

All in all, my first preference is to buy them off the street vendor in NYC. ONLY as a special treat, is it worth the effort to roast the chestnuts yourself. The look, the taste and the aroma is wonderful.

BUT, for use in a recipe, I would probably skip roasting them myself and just buy the jar!

Boiling Then Broiling the Chestnuts

Anthony P. said “As a former NY’er I will let you on a little secret on why the street vendors have the best looking and the best tasting chestnuts that are VERY plump and juicy. The secret is to cut the X on the chestnuts, then BOIL them (in unsalted water) for about 15-20 min. Drain and let them cool. That’s it you’re done!

If you like you can broil them for a few min to give them the “roasted look” like the vendors do.

If you try this method, the proof is in the pudding. You will notice that the boiled chestnuts look IDENTICAL the picture of the vendors chestnuts shown above. Also, using this method you will find that ALL the chestnuts are edible – except if molded internally.

And another bonus, the skin peels so easily!”

Thanks Anthony for sharing the secret!

Here is Jim’s method:

“I would say for about 2 dozen large chestnuts, I would use about 2 – 3 tablespoons of salt in a large pot to soak for at least 60 minutes. I do cut them before I soak them. I drain and dry them out on a dish towel. Then spread them on a cookie sheet flat side down. (You can also sprinkle with Sea Salt at this point) Roast in a preheated 425 degree oven at the lowest rack position for 20 – 30 minutes. I turn them over after 10 minutes and then check at 20 mins. to see if any are done. You can tell the chestnuts are done when the shell peels back and the inside gets golden brown. And as Kathy said do not overcook the chestnuts.”

Apple and Pear Crisp

Ingredients

• 2 pounds ripe Bosc pears (4 pears)
• 2 pounds firm Macoun apples (6 apples)
• 1 teaspoon grated orange zest
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
•  

For the topping:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup old-fashioned oatmeal
• 1/2 pound (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, diced

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Peel, core, and cut the pears and apples into large chunks. Place the fruit in a large bowl and add the zests, juices, sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Pour into a 9 by 12 by 2-inch oval baking dish.
For the topping:
Combine the flour, sugars, salt, oatmeal, and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed for 1 minute, until the mixture is in large crumbles. Sprinkle evenly over the fruit, covering the fruit completely.
Place the baking dish on a sheet pan and bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, until the top is brown and the fruit is bubbly. Serve warm.