Summer substitutes

I'm somewhat predictable when people visit - you can be pretty certain I'll throw together an Insalata Caprese. A fast, tasty and pretty dish made up of layers of mozzarella, tomatoes (I use Roma) and basil. Drizzled with olive oil and basil pesto to finish it off.

Unfortunately with the current food scare in the US, I need an alternative. Assuming tinned tomatoes are safe (there's usually sterilization involved) one could make the Insalata, but it's not quite so pretty.

Something which does work well is Bruschetta...

Start by toasting some bread - use slices of 'real' bread rather than sandwich loaves. Some people like to rub garlic into the toast. Pile up some chunks of tomatoes - you might want to drain them a little first to avoid the toast getting soggy.

Tear some fresh basil over the tomatoes, grind some pepper and sea salt (unless the tinned tomatoes were already salted). Drizzle with olive oil and crumble some mozzarella over the top. Melt the cheese under a hot broiler.

Serve with some balsamic vinegar.

As always, there are many options, you could add some pine nuts or use mixed herbs. You could also add some roasted peppers or parmesan cheese.

Risotto

For the longest time, I didn't think I liked Risotto... It wasn't until I tried cooking it myself that I realized I did :) In this recipe, I use wine, but I've successfully made tasty Risotto using juices such as Pomegranate and Papaya juice.

I think one of the key differences in how I cook this, is gradually adding the fluid rather than all at once. Other recipes I have seen also add milk or butter, but I don't think that is necessary.

Serves 2-4

• 1 cup Arborio (risotto) rice
• 1 cup vegetable stock (hot)
• 2 cups hot water
• 1/2 cup wine (white, sparkling ok)
• seasoning and mixed herbs
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1 tbsp olive oil

Heat a large (12 inches across ideally) flat bottomed pan over a medium-high heat with the olive oil. Add the rice and saute until it gets a slight translucence - stop before the rice browns too much. Add the wine - it should bubble and evaporate quickly.

Once evaporated, add the stock - let it come to a boil, then turn down the heat to a little below medium so that it simmers gently. Note, every time you stir, gently pat or shake the rice down to a layer so it doesn't form any 'mountains' above the fluid.

As the rice cooks, it will expand and absorb the fluid - add more hot water - about 1/3rd to 1/2 cup at a time whenever there is hardly any fluid showing in the pan. Late in the cooking cycle, it will absorb the water more quickly - an indication you're almost done.

Taste the rice as it's cooking - initially it will be chewy and a little nutty, but it will gradually soften. Stop adding more water when it is still slightly al dente - the final result we're looking for is a creamy (but not stodgy) texture.

Season and add some mixed herbs to taste and remove from the heat when there is only a small amount of the fluid remaining.

Off the heat, stir in half the parmesan until it melts and coats the rice. Then stir in the other half. Rest a little before serving...

Flavorings

What I've described above is a basic (though hardly plain) Risotto. I find it very enjoyable as is, but you can obviously liven it up more with other flavors. Mushrooms are a common addition, or maybe a little shaved Truffle if you want to go up market.

Sun dried tomatoes, roasted vegetables or even fruits can work too. I do like to add a few nuts - pine nuts or sliced almonds work well.

Whatever you add, be careful about when you add it - the rice takes 25 minutes or so to cook, so be careful about adding too early and losing the texture.

Quest for the perfect mac'n'cheese

There's nothing like comfort food done right... Big business and up market restaurants would seem to agree - have you see those 'world's best mac'n'cheese' in the grocery store for $14?

In the belief that it doesn't take $14 worth of ingredients or even $3 to make the best macaroni, I've set out on my quest for the ideal recipe. I'm not there yet, but here's my conclusions so far.

Pasta - to a large extent, this is personal preference, but I think a chewier variety works best, so I'd tend to avoid fresh pasta which generally melts in the mouth. Either way, I cook it to just before al dente as finishing in the sauce will add the final moisture it needs.

Sauce - I always use strong flavored cheeses (meaning I use less = less fat) and I always use more than one type to add complexity beyond just being cheesy. I've seen some people even use a blue cheese as one of their choices.

Different cheeses also have different characteristics with regards to first impressions to the aftertaste. So if you want it to linger, mixing up cow milk cheese and goat's milk for example could work well. I think avoiding the likes of mozzarella is a good idea - it has a unique flavor fresh but I don't think it works well in the sauce.

The other thing I think it important is to make a really thick sauce, so use extra corn starch or flour. Make enough to really coat the pasta well.

Obviously other flavors can help too - seasoning is obvious, but try something else like a touch of mustard.

The pan - There needs to be a nice balance between the topping and the rest of the dish, so I'd use a shallower dish that gives a nice amount of topping.

The preparation - having cooked the pasta and the sauce, toss the pasta - you can do this in the pan to avoid any wastage. Avoid pressing down so that some of the pasta is still spiking up - this will add more surface area to brown.

The topping - many macs have breadcrumbs and cheese on top. I think this is fine, but I don't go overboard on the breadcrumbs - maybe a slice and half for a square foot pan. I add the crumbs first, then sprinkle the grated cheese on top (as the crumbs will burn quickly under a hot broiler).

What I also think works well is some onion slices on top of the cheese and breadcrumb. Since the onion browns very slowly (and goal is to caramelize it), you might want to start the onion off in a pan until it just starts to brown.

Some cherry tomatoes on top could also add another dimension. Then under a really hot broiler until the cheese and onion and poking through pasta is golden brown!

Sun dried Tomato Pesto with Pasta

Sun dried Tomatoes have a really intense flavor. You should be able to find them either completely dried or preserved in oil. This recipe assumes the former - if you use the preserved variety, you don't need to soak, but you might want to add some water to thin them out a bit (this is healthier than adding lots of extra oil :)).

Serves 2-4

• 1/4 cup (after soaking) sun dried tomatoes, soaked for 20-30 minutes in water
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp pine nuts
• 1 tbsp parmesan cheese
• 1 heaped tsp tomato paste/puree
• Favorite pasta

After the tomatoes have soaked place them in a blender - keep some of the fluid back to thin the pesto later. Add the oil, nuts and cheese and pulse until finely chopped. Add the tomato paste and some of the fluid that was kept back to thin the sauce. You don't want it to be runny, but it needs to be mobile enough to coat the pasta easily.

Season to taste. Again if you want, add some garlic. Toss the cooked pasta in the sauce and then serve.

Sun dried Tomato Pesto, with Quinoa Pasta

Pomegranate and Walnut with Raisin Cardamom Rice

I first had Pomegranate and Walnut Ragout in a Persian restaurant. The taste from such a simple dish was amazing and I had to try and recreate it. It's a traditional dish, known as a Fesenjon often made with chicken, though the flavor is so intense it could go with anything. It could even be a dessert sauce.

First a quick note about the ingredients. Although Walnuts are high in fat, they go a long way in this recipe and are full of nutrients and antioxidants. Obviously being nuts, make sure no one is allergic to them!

The Pomegranate juice is high in sugar but again rich in nutrients and antioxidants. I recommend using real 100% juice and not reconstituted as that often seems to have less nutritional value.

If they're in season, you could use Pomegranates, though getting the juice from the pods is a little time consuming.

Serves 2-3

For the sauce

• 1/2 cup walnut pieces (use a bit more for whole walnuts and a bit less for meal)
• 1 cup pomegranate juice
• splash lemon juice
• few saffron stems (optional)

Start by blending the walnuts with half the juice. You want a smooth creamy and consistent blend - should only take a few seconds. This affects the texture - the more you blend, the smoother the final sauce will be. Some people find less blending leaves the texture too gritty.

Then over a medium-high heat, add the remaining juice and reduce the mixture to the desired consistency, probably about 30 minutes to get to a 'gravy' or half the original volume. Taste as you are going along - the goal is to balance the walnut and pomegranate flavors. I.e. add a little more of the other if it seems out of balance.

As it thickens, the flavor will become more and more intense so feel free to stop if it gets too rich (though remember it will be served with a fairly plain rice). Stir frequently, more so when thick, to avoid burning. Be careful though as when thick it can 'spit' a lot - use a long spoon.

When it's about done, add a splash of lemon juice and some saffron strands if you have them. I find the lemon tempers some of the sweetness and adds a little more complexity. Turn off the heat and continue stirring.

For the rice

• 1 cup basmati or jasmine rice
• 1 cup water (use more if brown/other rice)
• 2-3 (green) cardamom pods
• dozen or so raisins as desired

Place the rice and water in a rice cooker (or follow your normal approach with a saucepan). Crack open the pods and add the seeds to the rice along with the raisins.

 

Once the rice has cooked (and steamed a little) and the sauce is at the desired consistency, serve and garnish as necessary. Note I don't generally season this dish as the flavors are sufficiently intense already.

Ones to watch

If you've Cable or Sat TV, then you no doubt have a plethora of channels to surf and forget about the likes of PBS. If so you could be missing some gems...

Christina Cooks makes over many favorite dishes as vegan and has an emphasis on health, so lower fat and salt. There is sometimes a lot of prep, so this may not be one for the speedier chefs.

America's Test Kitchen is a long running favorite - not vege (though some recipes are) but many techniques can be adapted. They also feature taste tests and buying guides.

Finally, Lidia's Family Table focuses on classic Italian food. Again, not vege, but plenty of pastas and stuff that can be adapted.

To salt or not to salt

Salt is well known as a flavor enhancer, yet it can also enhance your blood pressure... in a bad way. Many people exceed the recommended daily dose, sometimes without knowing by combining processed foods. I've even seen a single serving of prepared meals that exceed the recommended daily allowance!

So if you are exceeding your recommended amount, what do you do? There are some alternatives... 'Lite salt' uses a mix of potassium chloride as well as sodium chloride. Another is a good quality sea salt that has other minerals providing flavor, meaning you need less.

If you use Soy Sauce or Stock, again look at the salt content - they tend to be pretty high, of course they go a long way so may be spread across several servings. Again, there are reduced sodium Soy Sauces.

Everyone is different though - athletes can suffer from electrolyte deficiency due to excessive perspiration, so as always, consider your individual circumstances before making dietary decisions.

Pesto

from pestato, pp. of pestare "to pound, to crush"

Pesto is a wonderful sauce, colorful and tasty - you can use it with pastas or as a sandwich spread or even on a pizza. The classic pesto is basil based, but other herbs can work too as well as sun dried tomatoes.

To make a classic pesto, blend a table-spoon of pine nuts with equal parts of olive oil and parmesan cheese. Blend this mix with an ounce or two of fresh basil. Season, remembering the parmesan is salty.

Traditionally garlic would be added too, though you might want to omit when using in a sandwich or baguette. When using with pasta, I often find a little more oil is needed too.

Obviously scale up as needed and by the size of your blender - I use a "bullet style" blender for making this kind of sauce.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder

OK, this is the last arty post :)

... but research (and anecdotal evidence) suggests that presentation is almost as important as taste. Yes, flavor can be improved by how the dish is served.

There is some common sense behind the idea - if you go to a restaurant and see a plate of brown lentils it's not too appetizing, no matter how well it's spiced and seasoned. A dish of red tomato, green basil and white mozzarella on the other hand looks pretty tasty.

The moral is think about how to present your meal, sometimes even a garnish or choice of china can make a difference.

Cooking by ear

There are two kinds of musicians - those that read music and those that play by ear. The former follow the staves to the note, it's "perfect", repeatable. The latter listen to what they hear and react - in my mind this is a different, even better kind of perfection, it's more natural.

Cooking is just the same. Recipes are a guide. Ingredients vary in taste and quality across the globe. Basics such as oils and tomatoes and garlic have different flavors depending on where they come from.

It's essential to taste as you are going along and react accordingly adding flavors towards the desired result. In any recipe, learn the raw ingredients and how they impact flavor - then you will have a better idea of how they will impact the end result.

How much is enough?

Most folks want to eat healthily - to keep a lid on calories but ensure sufficient nutrition and protein.

One really good resource is calorie-count.com. As well as providing nutritional information for different foods there are some useful tools. The Allowance and Expenditure tools help you calculate daily calorie targets based on goals and current conditions.

The recipes tool lets you enter a recipe and it will tell you the breakdown per serving. A great alternative to living on prepared food.

What's it all about?

Here's a taste of what you'll find on this blog...

I like food, I like to cook, and, I'm a vegetarian. I'll be sharing some recipes, some found, some created and some developed from traditional or meaty dishes.

I'll also be providing links for healthy living and background information on ingredients and techniques. I'm not a chef though nor a nutritionist, though I am a very keen amateur :)