garlic

One Hour Pickles

/ Ren

A recipe for homemade-in-an-hour pickles was making the rounds on the Internets today,  so I thought I’d make a batch just for the heck of it.  I must say that for something so simple and immediate, the results were surprisingly good!

One Hour Pickles

Makes about 1 Pint (adapted from a recipe in the Chicago Tribune)

1 cup raw cider vinegar
1/2 cup filtered water, plus more, if needed
2 teaspoons coarse sea salt
2 teaspoons pickling spices
1 teaspoon dill
2 pearl onions, sliced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and bruised
1 large cucumber, cut lengthwise into wedges

Trim, cut and arrange cucumber wedges upright in a clean glass jar with a tight-fitting lid, allowing 1 inch headroom.

Bring water, salt and pickling spices to a boil, then remove from heat and allow to stand 5 minutes.  Stir in vinegar and dill, then pour mixture over cucumber wedges.  Allow to cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate until cold, at least 1 hour or overnight.   Use non-preserved pickles within 10 days.

(Vegan) Crispy Curry-Fried Chickpeas

/ Ren

Here’s an insanely delicious snack that’s packed full of protein and really easy to make..

Crispy Curry-Fried Chickpeas

 

1 15oz can BPA-free organic chickpeas
1/4 cup besan (substitute non-GMO corn starch)
2 teaspoons Madras curry powder
1 scant teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 cup peanut oil
2 cloves fresh garlic, smashed
1/2 small yellow onion, peeled
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped

Drain and rinse chickpeas and spread out on a tea towel to dry.

Heat ghee or peanut oil until shimmering in a heavy skillet over medium heat to a depth of about 1/4 inch.  Add garlic and onion and cook until golden brown and fragrant.

Combine besan (chickpea flour), curry powder (turmeric, coriander, cumin, cloves, cinnamon, bay leaves, fenugreek, allspice, black pepper, and curry leaves), chili powder and salt in a bowl or zipper bag.  Add chickpeas and toss to coat evenly.

Shake off excess flour and carefully add coated chickpeas to the hot oil and fry, shaking the pan often until crisp and golden brown, about 8-10 minutes.  Add chopped cilantro and fry 2 seconds.

Use a slotted spoon to transfer chickpeas to a clean towel to drain briefly before serving hot, perhaps with an ice-cold IPA.

Smashed Reds

/ Ren

Un-peeled red potatoes are diced and boiled in vegetable stock, then drained and smashed with raw cream, roasted broccoli, garlic, caramelized onions and grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. Sea salt, freshly-ground black pepper and a little melted butter over the top to seal the deal..

Smashed Reds with Roasted Garlic, Broccoli and Parmigiano-Reggiano

Rosemary, Garlic and Black Pepper-Grilled Lamb Chops

/ Ren

Local, pastured lamb is marinated overnight in olive oil, fresh rosemary, garlic and black pepper, then grilled to medium-rare over a smoky wood fire.  Served with crimini mushroom wild rice and grilled yellow tomatoes..

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Lay lamb chops in a glass dish and cover with fresh rosemary, garlic, black pepper and olive oil.  Cover and refrigerate 24 hours, turning once.  Allow to come to room temperature before grilling over a hot, smoky wood fire until just medium rare.  Transfer to a cutting board and allow to stand 5 minutes before serving (they will continue to cook a little). Lightly oil tomatoes and grill until the first split appears.

To prepare wild rice, soak dried crimini mushrooms in hot chicken or vegetable stock for 30 minutes. Transfer mushrooms to a side dish to drain and use the soaking liquid to cook the rice until just tender, about 45-60 minutes.  Melt butter over medium-high heat until shimmering, then sauté until golden brown. Stir into rice and serve hot.

Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Stinging Nettles and Parmesan Cream

/ Ren

Sweet and russet potatoes are boiled and mashed with sprouted wheat flour, pastured egg, sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper and served in a sauce of fried sage, shallots and garlic with fresh cream, steamed nettles and grated Parmesan.  Topped with toasted pine nuts and shaved Asiago..

Sweet

Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Stinging Nettles and Parmesan Cream

For the Gnocchi

3/4 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
1/4 pound russet potatoes, peeled and diced
1/2 cup sprouted wheat flour
1 large, pastured egg
sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper
bowl of ice water
olive oil

Boil potatoes until soft then use a slotted spoon to transfer them to a cutting board (reserve cooking water). Mash the still-hot potatoes with ricer or a large fork until mostly smooth, then allow to cool 5-10 minutes.

Gather the potatoes into a mound and create a well in the center. Sprinkle the flour over the top, then crack an egg into the center.  Add salt and pepper and stir into the flour and potatoes as you would regular pasta. Knead gently until nearly dry, about 4 minutes.

Roll dough into 3/4″ diameter cylinders, then cut into 1″ lengths. Squish each gnocchi against the back of a fork then drop into boiling water and cook until they float, about 1 minute. Transfer to ice bath and allow to cool.  Drain, lightly coat with olive oil and hold until ready to use.

For the Cream Sauce

1 tablespoon minced shallot
1 clove garlic, slivered
8 fresh sage leaves, torn
1 tablespoon butter
1 oz white wine
1 cup fresh cream
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1 1/2 cups fresh nettles, steamed, drained and chopped as you would for fresh spinach
sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper

Melt the butter in a heavy skillet over medium heat until shimmering.  Add shallot, garlic and sage and fry until slightly crisp. Add wine and reduce until nearly dry. Reduce heat to medium low and slowly whisk in cream. Cook until reduced in volume by about 1/3, then stir in Parmesan and nettles.  Season to taste with salt and pepper, then add the gnocchi to the pan and heat through.

To serve, spoon gnocchi and cream sauce onto a plate or shallow bowl and garnish with toasted pine nuts and shaved asiago.

This post is part of Meatless Monday!