en bon goût » Vegetarian

Butternut Squash Risotto

TedSki — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 01:19:44 +0000

It had been too long since I made risotto for Ellen and I. I really wish risotto could be better for you. This risotto is great on a winter night. The sweet nutty flavor of the butternut squash really pairs well with the bold flavors of the sage. Nothing beats the aromas that will fill your kitchen when you introduce the vermouth. However, if you cannot find or do not have vermouth, feel free to substitute a dry white wine.

1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
6 tbsp butter, 2 tbsp melted
salt and fresh ground pepper
3 c chicken stock
1 med onion, finely diced
2 c Arborio rice
1 c dry Vermouth
1 c finely grated Parmesan cheese
1 tbsp chiffon sage
pinch of fresh ground nutmeg

Preheat oven to 475°. Toss cubed squash with 2 tbsp melted butter and a 1/4 tsp each of salt and pepper. Spread on a rimmed baking sheet and roast in the oven for 15 minutes. Shake vigorously and roast for another 15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and keep warm.
Heat stock plus 3 cups of water over medium high heat until simmering. Reduce heat to low and keep warm. In a large dutch oven or saucepan, melt 4 tbsp butter over medium heat until foaming subsides. Add onion and saute until translucent and soft, about 9 minutes. Add rice and stir frequently until the edges of the rice grains are translucent, about 4 minutes. Add vermouth and stir frequently until all liquid has been absorbed, about 2 minutes.
Add 3/4 cup stock and stir occasionally until all liquid is absorbed and the bottom of the pan is dry. Continue adding 1/2 cup of stock at a time, stirring frequently, allowing all stock to absorb before adding next 1/2 cup. Continue with this until the grains are firm tender, about 15-18 minutes. Add sage, parmesan, and nutmeg and stir until combined. Remove from heat and fold in squash. Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Goat Cheese Toasts with Walnuts, Honey and Rosemary

TedSki — Tue, 02 Jan 2007 04:27:58 +0000

Ellen found this recipe in the November 2006 issue of InStyle magazine. We made these as a quick appetizer and we will be sure to serve them again at our dinner party in February. The honey adds the perfect amount of sweetness just at the finish. The rosemary flavors poke right through the subtle goat cheese. We used a local wildflower honey from Marin Wildflowers. I paired the toasts with a 2002 Constant Vineyards Diamond Mountain Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon. The pairing was decent, albeit a blind one. The wine may be a bit too dry to pair with these flavorful toasts.

1 loaf French bread, sliced 1/2″ thick
1 log goat cheese, softened
1/2 cup chopped, toasted walnuts
1/2 cup honey
3 tbsp Chopped rosemary leaves

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place bread slices directly on oven rack. Toast for 10-12 minutes, turning once. Spread goat cheese on toast, sprinkle with walnuts and drizzle with honey. Garnish with chopped rosemary leaves.

Your Best Vegetarian Recipes

TedSki — Thu, 30 Nov 2006 23:09:36 +0000

Ellen and I have recently been doing a sort of theme-week for our dinners. We’re trying to eat much healthier and cut out fatty foods. After Thanksgiving, it seems everyone is burnt out on poultry. On Christmas, we have prime rib, and since we don’t eat red meat often, we’re cutting back on that until then.

That left us with seafood for this week. For next week, we were thinking of all vegetarian meals. We haven’t experimented much with tofu but would love to try. We do some good vegetable sautées as side dishes. So, I ask you:

What’s your best/favorite/most tasty/easiest vegetarian recipe?

Use the comments section below to recommend yours!

Yellow Tomato Gazpacho

TedSki — Sat, 15 Jul 2006 22:51:31 +0000

This cold spanish-style soup makes for a great sunday lunch. Its reasonably quick to make and requires no cooking. It’s perfect for a warm summer afternoon. Fill up your Nalgene bottle and bring it to the beach as a virgin bloody mary. I used yellow heirloom tomatoes, but any tomatoes would work great.

1 small clove garlic, minced
4 tsp red wine vinegar
1 1/2 tsp sherry vinegar
2 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
2 tbsp fresh tarragon, chopped
pinch of cayenne pepper
1 1/2 lb yellow heirloom tomatoes, quartered
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
1 c cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
1 c red bell pepper, cored, seeded and diced
2/3 c red onion, chopped
1/2 tsp celery salt
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Puree first nine ingredients in a blender until smooth. Refrigerate 1 hour. Strain through a fine sieve, pressing solids to release all liquid. Put liquid in blender and add cucumber, bell pepper, onion, celery salt, Worcestershire and lemon juice; process briefly, then refrigerate. If desired, wet rims of 4 glasses with lemon, combine 1 part coarse salt and 2 parts fresh chopped parsley on a saucer and dip glass rims in mixture. Fill with gazpacho; serve immediately.

Couscous Salad

TedSki — Fri, 09 Jun 2006 23:01:05 +0000

9 oz couscous
olive oil and lemon juice dressing (see below)
1 cup cold water
2 red bell peppers
2 small shallots
1 clove garlic
1 serrano chili, seeded and chopped
2 heirloom beefsteak tomatoes, seeded and diced
juice of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1 handful of basil leaves, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt and pepper

Put the couscous in a bowl and toss with the dressing. Add the water, stir, and leave to stand at least 15 minutes, or so the dressing is absorbed. Meanwhile, roast the bell peppers until fully blackened. Place in a paper bag and let steam for 15 minutes. Peel seed and chop coarsely.

Put the peppers in a bowl and add the shallots, garlic, chili, tomatoes, lemon juice, vinegar and herbs. Drizzle with olive oil, season to taste, and stir. Leave for 15 minutes and then incorporate into the couscous.

Dressing

2 tablespoons lemon juice
5 tablespoons of your best olive oil
1 level teaspoon salt
1 level teaspoon fresh ground pepper

Combine all ingredients.