Legumes & Protein

• CANNELLINI WITH CUMIN

2 cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained (15.5 oz cans)

½ c. olive oil

Juice of 1 lemon

½ c. parsley, or basil, or mint, minced

1 t. cumin

2 garlic cloves, minced

Salt and pepper, to taste

Mix the oil, lemon juice, cumin, and garlic together. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper. Pour over the beans and toss well. Serve on crackers or eat alone.

• MAGGIE’s VEGAN REFRIED BEANS

Note: This recipe is easy, but it takes time because the dish needs time to rest. You don’t have to babysit the beans during the rest breaks, so don’t skimp on them; the time helps the flavors to meld together in the same way that hours on the stove makes divine spaghetti sauce.

1/4 c. vegetable oil (give or take–you may have to add more as the recipe progresses)

1 large jalapeno pepper (remove the seeds if you prefer milder beans; add another if you like things hot)

2 cans pink beans (15.5oz), rinsed & drained

1  medium onion

1 clove garlic

s+p

Heat the oil to very hot in a large saucepan or stockpot. In the meantime, chop the onion, jalapeno, and garlic very fine. When the oil is hot, throw in the onion and cook until it’s translucent. Then add the jalapeno. Wait a minute, and add the garlic, but don’t allow it to brown. Let the mixture cook for a few minutes; then remove the pot from the heat and let it rest on the counter for a few hours. After it has rested and reached room temperature, put it back on the heat and throw in the beans. Bring it up to heat and then mash everything together. Then take the mixture off the heat, bring it back to room temperature, and heat it up a final time before serving. Adjust the seasonings.

And if you can’t finish it right then, it only gets better the second, third day, and so on. You can also freeze it.

Serves about 6

• SUPER FAST*, SUPER EASY “CEVICHE”

*if your shrimp is precooked

Real ceviche is a sort of fish salad in which the fish has been chemically cooked by marinading in citrus acid–usually lemon, lime, or grapefruit juice. It’s wonderful and refreshing and easy to make, but it does require soaking the fish (usually halibut or bass) overnight. This is a shortcut–it’s not technically ceviche, but it mimics the taste.
 

Ingredients for 1:
a handful of precooked shrimp (between 7 (jumbo) and 14 (large))
1/4-1/2 avocado
1 T chopped onion
1-2 cloves garlic

lemon or lime juice

s+p
optional add-ins: diced cucumber, diced tomato, cilantro, diced bell pepper, lettuce, jalapeno, hot sauce

Mince the garlic with salt and dice the shrimp and avocado. Mix everything together with the onion and any other add-ins that you like. Douse with lemon/lime (or grapefruit) juice. Season with s+p (go slow, but be generous with the salt). Taste, and adjust the seasonings. Done.

• AHI TUNA: BASICS & ESCABECHE

It doesn’t take much to grill a piece of tuna. Simply coat it in a bit of olive oil with some salt and pepper and throw it on a hot grill-pan (if you are inside) for about 3-4 minutes a side for a thick steak (longer if you don’t like the inside to be rare). You should be able to see the white cooked part creeping up the sides. In the meantime, you can always make a dijon vinaigrette (2:1 oil:vinegar with a little dijon) as a sauce.
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If you want to do something a bit fancier, here’s a recipe for escabeche of tuna. Escabeche is a piece of fried fish that’s been marinaded in an acidic, tangy vinaigrette. Heavier, fatty fishes like tuna work best for this kind of cooking. This tuna makes a great addition to a salad of mixed greens, avocado, red onion, and tomato.
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2 T lime juice
1 T olive oil
4 t chopped cilantro or parsley
1 t minced jalapeno
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 t salt (to taste)
1/4 t black pepper (to taste)
1/2 lb. tuna fillet
1/2 c canola oil
1/2 c flour
Make the marinade by whisking together the lime juice, olive oil, cilantro, jalepeno, garlic, s+p. Set aside.
Trim the tuna if necessary, and cut into large cubes. Season with a little s+p. In a large skillet with tall sides, pour enough canola oil to come to a depth of about 1/4 of an inch. Heat the oil over high heat until the surface is hazy and ripples lightly.
Spread flour out onto a large plate, and dredge the tuna pieces in the flower, shaking off any excess. Carefully add them to the hot oil, adding only a few pieces to the pan at a time and allowing a good amount of space around each piece. Cook long enough to stiffen the exterior of the fish, 1-2 min. each side.
Add the tuna pieces to the marinade while the fish is still hot and toss to coat. Place the piece in a bowl and refrigerate for about 8 hours (or overnight) before serving).
Serves 4
From Allison Tannis’ Feed Your Skin Starve Your Wrinkles

• MISOYAKI BUTTERFISH
One of my favorite dishes is available all over Hawaii (like, ALL over–the department store Shirokiya sells it) but you don’t see it as often on the mainland. And it’s easy to make–but you do need a couple days for it to marinade. Technically, “butterfish” is confusing–some people say it’s black cod, others say it’s another type of sablefish, but really it’s an oily buttery white fish. Use wild-caught black cod for this recipe (AKA, Alaska cod or Gindara) from either Alaska or British Columbia. Wild-caught from California, Oregon, or Washington is ok too, but not quite as sustainable.

1 6oz. filet of black cod, defrosted (hard to find fresh, but not impossible) and rinsed under cold water. Keep the skin on.
1/3 cup sake
1/3 cup mirin
1 cup granulated sugar
(or sugar to taste)
1 cup white miso
grated ginger (optional)

Heat the sake and mirin in a heavy-bottom pot for 10-15 minutes until most of the alcohol has burned off. Turn down the heat and stir in the miso and sugar. Cook until it turns a pale caramel color. Turn off the heat and let it cool to room temperature.
Put the fish in a Ziploc bag and pour the marinade over it. Marinade for 48-72 hours (yes, it needs the time!).
To cook the fish, heat a skillet on med-low heat and add about a T of vegetable oil to it. The heat needs to be low, otherwise the miso will burn. You want the sugar to carmelize. Add your fish to the pan and cook for 4-5 minutes per side. You can also boil the marinade and then serve it on the side with some rice and bok choy.
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serves 1 hungry chap
From Epicurious

• TASSAJARA’S BASIC TOFU MARINADE
This is a great basic marinade for “unblanding” tofu, as Mr. Brown writes. You can save the leftover marinade in the refrigerator and then strain and boil before reusing.
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2 blocks firm/extra firm tofu
1/2 oz. dried mushrooms
1 c. water
2 t. dried oregano
2 cloves garlic, mashed
1/2 c. olive oil
1/2 c. sherry wine vinegar or red wine vinegar
1/2 c. red wine
1/2 c. soy sauce
pinch of ground cloves
1/2 t. salt
pinch of black pepper
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Drain and press the tofu (see left on how to do this). Simmer the mushrooms in water for 15 minutes–use a big enough pot to hold the whole marinade. Toast the oregano in a frying pan to make it aromatic, but don’t burn* (*I usually skip this step and it’s fine). Combine everything with the mushrooms, bring to a boil, and simmer a little longer. Cut your tofu into slabs after it’s done pressing and pour the hot marinade over them. Marinate for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight. You can let the tofu marinade for a few days even, just don’t forget about it!
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From Edward Espe Brown’s The Tassajara Recipe Book

• LIME SHRIMP

2 lbs. medium shrimp (with shells)

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/3 c. olive oil

1/2 c. fresh lime juice, peels reserved

1 oz. dry vermouth

1 T. rock salt

Saute the shrimp and garlic in olive oil over medium heat until the shrimp turn pink. Turn off the heat and add the lime juice and vermouth. Cover and let the dish steam for 3 minutes. Pour into a bowl, sprinkle with rock salt, and add the reserved lime peels. Marinade 1 hour before serving. In the meantime, make a sign that says “Peel yo’ own shrimp, brah” and post it nearby for the lazy bums.

Serves 6

From The Junior League of Honolulu

• HOW TO COOK MAHI MAHI

My favorite method is to grill it, usually on a grill-pan on the stove. Some people like to use aluminum foil; I prefer to brush the fillets with olive oil–although once the mahi mahi has been on the grill for a few minutes, it releases its juices and won’t stick. But olive oil does impart a nice flavor, so brush some on there and season with salt and pepper. Grill the fish over high heat. The time varies, but you should see it turn opaque (these fillets took about 3 minutes per side). About halfway through on the opacity, turn the fish over and grill the other side until the entire fish is white, not translucent. Take it off the grill. You can add fresh herbs if you like–cilantro, basil, thyme, and marjoram all complement mahi mahi–or a spritz of citrus (lemon, orange, lime, whatever you have on hand).

If you want to do something a little more special, you can always marinade the mahi mahi beforehand: this recipe for ginger-glazed fillets  is delicious.

And finally, one simple way to perk up mahi mahi is to serve it with some aioli (aioli is a fancy way of saying “flavored mayo”, although die-hards swear by using raw egg yolks). I use the quick-and-dirty method: 2T mayonnaise; 2 cloves garlic, pressed; s+p; olive oil. Combine the mayonnaise with the garlic and then whisk in the oil in a thin stream–about 1 T. Season with s+p and presto. You can also add almost any type of additional flavoring you like, but I recommend a touch of lemon juice for mahi mahi. If you use the grilled mahi mahi and some aioli with a bit of arugula and tomato on a roll, you’ll have a mean sandwich there.

• LEMON ROSEMARY GRILLED CHICKEN

Recipes of this sort abound, but this one is my favorite, so long as you make it on the grill. Not that it’s bad out of the oven; it’s just that much better off an open flame. And besides, June is around the corner…

 

1-2 T. black peppercorns

1 T. salt

6 c. olive oil

2/3 c. fresh lemon juice

3 T fresh rosemary, chopped (or 1 T dried–I prefer fresh, though)

2   3lb. chickens, whole and trussed, or cut into serving pieces

Crush or grind the peppercorns with a mortar & pestle or processor. Combine the lemon juice, olive oil, salt and rosemary. Marinade the chicken for 2 hours at room temperature, or overnight in the refrigerator. Turn a few times.

Whole Chicken in the Oven: Preheat the oven to 425. Place the chicken in a roasting pan, breast-side up. Roast 50 minutes, basting occasionally with the marinade utnil the chicken is golden and the juices run clear.

Chicken Pieces on the Grill: Place thighs and legs, skin side down, on the barbecue for 15 minutes. Add the breasts and wings and grill for 20-25 minutes more, basting occasionally with the marinade. Turn the pieces over periodically to make sure they don’t burn on one side. Remove when fork-tender and evenly browned.

Serves 8
From Lois Dwan & Michael Skott’s California Cooking: Parties, Picnics & Celebrations

• RED LENTIL PATE

I saw this recipe over at Chowhound and had to try it. I gave a spoonful to Mister and his eyes rolled back into his head and he said, “I really, really like that.” A nice dip for parties and excellent–as Chowhounders suggest–on spread on toast with alfalfa sprouts and a poached egg on top.
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2 T. olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced (about 1 1/4 cups)
1 c. fresh cremini mushrooms, coarsely chopped
2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped (about 1 teaspoon)
1 t.smoked paprika (I used cayenne since we were out of paprika and the dish took on a nice subtle bite)
1 t.dried oregano
1/2 t. freshly ground black pepper
1 bay leaf
1/2 c. dry white wine
2 cups cooked red lentils (about 3/4 cup dried–see the entry to the left on cooking red lentils)
Heat olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Once oil shimmers, add onion and mushrooms and sauté, stirring occasionally, until soft and beginning to brown, about 6 to 7 minutes. Add garlic and sauté until soft, about 2 minutes.
Add all spices and stir to coat onion mixture. Add white wine and deglaze the pan by scraping up any browned bits sticking to the bottom. Cook until wine is reduced by half.
Remove from the heat and let cool slightly. Remove bay leaf and transfer mixture to the bowl of a food processor fitted with a blade. Add cooked lentils and process until mostly smooth, with some small pieces remaining, about 1 minute. Season well with kosher salt (I found I had to use a fair amount of salt). Spoon into an airtight container and place in the refrigerator to cool.

Makes about 2 cups

• PORK BRAISED IN MILK

Pork tends to be a little tough, so while you can certainly just fry it up, a lot of people like to marinade it in a little acid to help break down the proteins. Some people think “Pork in milk??” but it’s the lactic acid that helps make the pork tender (also why some recipes call for yogurt).

This recipe is an oldie but AMAZING in that if you haven’t ever tried it, you must, you must, you must. That Ms. Hazan knows what she’s doing and this is one of the recipes she’s famous for. It’s slow cooking in the best sense: follow the recipe, but give your pork the time it needs to become soft and fall away from the bone–I’ve heard reports of braising for 5 hours, so have a little extra milk on hand.

2 1/2 lb. pork rib roast or 2 lb. boneless pork roast (note: you do need a bit of fat, so if you use a leaner cut, like tenderloin, make sure the fat is untrimmed. I think Hazan recommends pork shoulder or pork butt)
1 T. butter
2 T. cooking oil
salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 1/2 c. whole milk (although you can use 2% or 1% and it’s fine. Never tried it with nonfat, though)

1. Use a heavy bottomed pan which just fits the pork. Heat butter and oil.
2. Add meat when butter foam subsides and brown pork on all sides.
3. Add salt, pepper and 1 cup of milk, adding it slowly.
4. When milk comes to simmer for 20-30 seconds, turn heat down to low. Cover, but not all the way.
5. Cook for one hour, turning meat occasionally, until milk has thickened.
6. Once the milk reaches the nut brown stage, add one more cup of milk. Simmer ten minutes.
7. Cover lid tightly for another 30 minutes.
8. Continue cooking until there is no more liquid milk in pot, and then add last 1/2 cup of milk. When the pork is fork tender, and the milk is in dark clusters, it is finished.
You may need to tip the pot and spoon off the fat, leaving the milk clusters. You might also need to add a few tablespoons of water and boil it down, scraping all the cooking residue.
9. Transfer to cutting board. Serve immediately.

Serves 6
From Marcella Hazan’s Essentials of Classical Cooking

• GOSHTABA (lamb meatballs braised in milk)

As Mark Bittman says, this is one of the recipes that demands a food processor, in order to get the meat to be minced and smooth.
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1 1/2 lbs. boneless lamb shouldera
s+p (to taste)
2 t. ground ginger
1 T. ground cardamom
1 t. ground fennel or anise
pinch of cayenne
1 1/2 c. yogurt
2 T. butter
1 T. mild curry powder
2 c. whole milk
chopped fresh mint for garnish
Combine the lamb, salt, pepper, ginger, cardamom, fennel, and cayenne in a food processor. Process until meat is smooth. Add about 1/4 c. of yogurt and process even smoother. Bring a large pot to water and add salt.
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Shape the meat into large balls–1 1/2 inches or so in diameter, add to the boiling water, adjust the heat so the mixture simmers and cook until the meatballs swell (about 15 minutes).
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Put the butter in a large skillet or flameproof casserole with a lid over medium heat. A minute later, add the curry powder and stir for 30 seconds. Add the milk and remaining 1 1/4 c. yogurt, stir until smooth, and bring to a gentle simmer. Add the meatballs, then cover and adjust the heat so the mixture simmers steadily. Cook for another 15 minutes, then serve, garnished with mint.
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Serves 4 as part of a larger meal

From Mark Bittman’s The Best Recipes in the World

• LENTIL PECAN PATE

Really good on crackers. Congratulations if you have umeoshi paste. Sherry vinegar will work just fine, though.
1 c. red lentils, rinsed and picked through
1 bay leaf
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 med. onion, diced (1½ c.)
3 cloves garlic, minced (1 Tbs.)
½ t. chopped fresh thyme
½ t. chopped fresh sage
½ c. toasted pecan pieces
2 T. mirin (rice wine)
1 T. light miso (Japanese bean paste)
1 t. umeboshi (sour plum) paste or sherry vinegar
½ t. salt
½ t. ground black pepper
Place lentils, bay leaf, and 2 cups water in saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, covered, 15 to 20 minutes, or until lentils are very soft. Cool, then remove bay leaf.
Heat olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Add onion, and cook 5 to 7 minutes or until soft and translucent, stirring once or twice. Reduce heat to low, and cook onion 15 to 20 minutes more, or until browned and caramelized, stirring occasionally. If onion starts to stick, add 1 to 2 Tbs. water, and stir to remove any bits of onion from bottom of pan. Add garlic, thyme, and sage, and cook 1 minute more. Cool.
Place lentils and onion mixture in food processor with pecans, mirin, miso, umeboshi paste, salt, and pepper. Purée until smooth. Chill 2 hours, or store up to 3 days in fridge.
 

Makes about 2 cups
From Vegetarian Times Magazine, September 2008