Archive

Archive for the ‘Vegan’ Category

Artichokes are back in town – Tagine of artichokes, chickpeas, potatoes, red peppers and olives

March 8th, 2010

Les artichauts sont de retour – Tagine d’artichauts, pois chiches, pommes de terre, poivrons, et olives vertes

It looks like artichoke season is starting and you see them come out on the shelves, one of the largest producer being close to the Bay Area in Castroville (they claim to be the artichoke capital of the world, which is quite a big statement, but they certainly do produce a lot of them), we have in San Francisco, lots of beautiful artichokes, the babies, the medium, the large, you pick which one you want. I even planted some in the garden, but seems like it takes over 300 days for them to grow, so I cannot count on my own crops this year!

I had some fresh chick peas left from last week and I just wanted to use them in a tagine. They remain green and taste so good but cook very quickly so when using them in a dish, they only need to cook for 15 minutes or so, therefore add them at the end. I love tagines, I could eat them every day. The flavors of all the spices infusing with all those wonderful vegetables is a pure pleasure to cook (and to eat of course too). After 10 minutes of placing the tagine in the oven, the house starts to be filled with incredibly aromas. It’s like a pure perfume. Ca embaume.

As in the majority of my tagines, I used Ras el hanout which is a traditional mix of Moroccan spices and literally means “the roof of the grocery store” in arabic. A few common spices included in Ras el hanout are cardamom, mace, cloves, nutmeg, pepper, lavender, ginger, nigella, turmeric, etc..but so many more. It’s used in Middle Eastern cuisine to enhance many dishes such as couscous, meat dishes, etc…

The composition of Ras el hanout can vary from 24 to 21 spices but can go as far as 40 spices, so there are so many variations of Ras el hanout as there are cooks, manufacturers and tastes. I bought a big bag of spices in a Moroccan grocery store in France that will last me my lifetime, and that is a very nice blend, not one spice overpowering the mix, and a very well balanced combination. Unfortunately the manufacturer did not include the list of the spices he used, so I am afraid I won’t be able to know what has been used and to what quantity. In France we have a huge Arabic population, probably the biggest among all other European countries, which means a lot of stores with great products and very inexpensive.

Anyone who loves artichokes and spices, will really enjoy this dish, besides the beauty of tagines is that it might take you a while to clean the artichokes, and peel the potatoes, but then you just put it in the oven and cooks by itself, comme une grande fille!

Ingredients for 4

  • 2 large potatoes, peeled and cut in big squares
  • 8 medium size artichokes, trimmed
  • 5 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 1 large onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 large red bell pepper, cut in big square
  • 1 cup fresh chick peas
  • 1.5 tbs Ras el hanout
  • 1 preserved lemon, cut in 4 quarters
  • 1/2 cup green olives, cut in halves
  • chili powder
  • salt and pepper

Preparation

In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients together except for the chick peas and using your hands mix well.

Place the vegetables in your tagine pot, cover and cook in a pre-heated oven at 390F for about one 1h30 min. Add chick peas 20 minutes before removing tagine from the oven. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve as a side dish or as a main dish, with a quinoa or couscous accompaniment.

Side Dish, Vegan, Vegetables , , , , , , , ,

Could it be oyster plant? – Simple salsifis salad

February 12th, 2010

Simple salade de salsifis

salsifis2websalsifiwebYou probably don’t care about salsifis and there is nothing extraordinary about the recipe. It’s all about the salsifi. Sometimes I like to feature some unpopular vegetables like this one, it’s a root vegetable that people tend to forget like cardoon, so I thought to bring it back from the deads.

I have not had those for such a long time, I have been eating salsifis when I was a child, their consumption is quite common in France but nowadays even there people tend to forget them.

I have just seen some of those at the store today and it just reminded me that I had forgotten to post those while in France.

Basically, they are a long root and have a thick brown skin, their flesh is quite white and they taste like artichoke to me, but some people say it tastes more like oysters so that’s how they got their name from. Honestly I have seen no similarities between an oyster and a salsifi.

You would need to wear gloves when peeling it since its flesh tends to stain hands and the flesh and skin are quite sticky, somehow like a glue. So I’m sure you wondering then, why even bother. Well, there is a good reason to include salsifi in your diet, they contain a lot of minerals and vitamins and are a wonderful vegetable with low calories and lots of fibers, so I think we should re-introduce it in our diet. You can make gratins with them, quiches, I have aslo tasted them in stew and are quite delicious. When preparing them simply like this, you need top quality olive oil, and the juice of a fragrant lemon such as meyer lemons.

Ingredients

  • one bunch of salsifis (maybe 10)
  • 1.5 tbs extra virgin olive oil
  • Juice of one lemon
  • freshly ground pepper
  • Fleur de sel
  • Parsley, finely chopped (optional)

Preparation

Peel salsifis. Cook in boiling water for about 7 min, or until cooked but not mushy. Drain and sprinkle with vinaigrette, top with pepper and fleur de sel.

Side Dish, Vegan, Vegetables , , , , ,

No soup for the holidays – Soup of cauliflower, chickpeas and quadretti

January 31st, 2010

Zuppa con cavolfiore, ceci e quadretti

choufleursoup2web

I heard California got a lot of rain this season, all the news talked about it when I was in France and I heard it from my neighbors when I got back. The good things is that it’s clearing up. Eventhough France was very cold with -10C temperatures some days, my mom never made soup and neither did I. Of course during the holidays, we tend to eat “holiday meals” and strangely enough soup is not entitled to the be on the “holiday” list, so I somehow missed it.

One soup I really like is this cauliflower soup with chick peas and small pasta, you can put potatoes instead of the pasta, or even both. You can use any small pasta such as quadretti (little squares), ditali (small cylinders) or any small pasta to be used is broths or soups. I had none left so I cut some fettucine into small pieces, and it worked quite well. The difference is that quadretti are a egg pasta and thinner than fettucine which are not supposed to be used in soup as per the pasta étiquette. So I went against the étiquette, nonetheless it was really enjoyable. I think some ingredients can be substituted and some others, cannot. In this case, I would say it could be.

I am not sure how the word “pasta” is used in the US, if it refers to a particular pasta dish cooked in a particular way and not in soups. Then not sure what the word “noodle” refers to either, so I will try to be as accurate I can be. For me noodles reminds me of the Asian pasta, and not Italian pasta. Every kind of pasta in Italy has its own name, that makes it quite easy to what type of pasta you are talking about.

Ingredients for 4

  • 1 medium size cauliflower
  • 2 potatoes
  • 4 medium  tomatoes, seedless, peeled and chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 2 tbs onions chopped
  • 1 rosemary sprig
  • 1/2 lb chick peas (either canned or dry and soaked overnight)
  • 5 tbs quadretti or small pasta for soups
  • 2 tbs olive oil
  • salt and pepper

Preparation

Heat olive oil in a large pot, brown onions, then add garlic, stir a few minutes. Add tomatoes, cook for about 5 minutes to let the water evaporates, then add potatoes, cauliflower and rosemary. Stir well to coat all the vegetables and cook for about 7 min stirring. Add enough broth to cover the vegetables (you might want to add extra to have enough liquid to cook the quadretti). Let it cook until the vegetables are tender but not mushy, remove rosemary then add chick peas. Cook for another 10 minutes. Add pasta and 1 garlic clove and cook until desired texture (I like them al dente). Sprinkle with olive oil, cracked pepper and serve.

Soups, Vegan , , , , ,

Is it really Israeli? – Israeli couscous with curry vegetables

December 17th, 2009

Est-ce vraiment Israélien? – Matfoul aux légumes et curry

israelicouscousweb
I discovered this type of couscous in the US. I had never seen it before, so I started experimenting with it when I had some Israeli clients. I was so happy I found something “Israeli” to cook for them, but when they told me it was not Israeli, I was somehow confused and disappointed. I had no idea about what Israeli cuisine tasted like, I thought due to their geographical location it would have some Middle Eastern flair. In Paris, in the Marais quarter, the historic Jewish area has one of the most popular Felafel joint, called “L’As du Felafel”, so I my mind Felafel and spicy food was common in Israel and I figured that something called “Israeli” should at least be coming from Israel. Apparently not. It’s like the French manicure of French cleaner, not sure why they call it French but we are no specialists in nails nor cleaning!

So Israeli or not Israeli, I like this couscous variety, it’s fun to prepare and great to eat. Couscous is consumed in all Middle East, so I guess it must be coming from that side of the continent. In France it’s called Matfoul which I think is its original Arabic name. I am not Jewish and obviously not kosher but maybe in my previous life I was. I started cooking by not mixing dairy and meat and I have to say that I like it.

This is a great side dish that can be an alternative to rice, or some other carbohydrate dishes. I like to spice it up a little with curry and spices and add vegetables to it, to make it a little more exciting. I have a few cookbooks about Jewish cuisine and I like the simplicity of the recipes and influences coming from so many different countries.

israelicouscouspouletwebI certainly know that this blog lacks meat recipes but I think the most important thing is to enjoy and take pleasure in whatever you do, cook or eat, no matter what it is. Otherwise there is no point in posting something just for the sake of posting it. I usually serve this couscous with sumac chicken tenders, that has been one of my most requested dish in the “Middle Eastern” category.

Ingredients for 3-4 as a side dish

  • 4.2 oz (or 120 g) Israeli couscous
  • 1 carrot, diced
  • 1 small eggplant, diced
  • 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
  • 3 tbs cherry tomatoes, cut in quarters
  • 1 shallot, diced
  • 1/2 cup cooked chick peas
  • 1 tsp curry powder
  • 1 tbs cilantro, chopped
  • 1 tbs mint, chopped

Preparation

First start cooking couscous. Heat olive oil in a pot, add couscous and let it brown and get coated by olive oil like you would proceed for a risotto. Add broth and cook until couscous is tender but not too soft. Drain and set aside.

In a pan, brown shallots, then add the rest of the vegetables except for the chick peas. Add salt and pepper and let it cook until vegetables tender. Add chick peas. Add curry powder. Stir well and cook for about 5 minutes, then add tomatoes. Add couscous and mix well all ingredients together. Adjust with salt and pepper. Add mint and cilantro and serve hot.

Grains, Side Dish, Vegan , , , , , ,

Two friends in a pan – Radicchio and artichoke casserole

December 13th, 2009

Due amici in padella – Radicchio di Chioggia e carciofi in teglia

radicchioweb

radicchio3webradicchio5webRadicchio al forno is a typical Northern Italian dish. I somehow added a little touch to it, by adding artichokes and topping it all with breadcrumbs, garlic and parsley. Artichokes and radicchio go perfectly well together, the sweetness of the artichoke blends beautifully with the bitterness of radicchio, and you get a wonderful side dish, or if you’re like me, just forget the “side” it’s just a dish in itself since I can eat the whole plate.

There are many different types of radicchio, the round and red one like this one is called radicchio di Chioggia which is mainly grown all year around. My parents would grow the green kind with long leaves that was really bitter much bitter than this one, and my mom made it with anchovies and garlic as a salad and even as a young child, I loved it. The bitter, the better. No wonder why I love Fernet, Cynar and anything that has a bitter taste.

Our neighbor when I was growing up was from Udine (Friuli region), Giovanni drove a Vespa and was speaking so so loud that we would wake up the whole neighborhood with his loud voice and Vespa honks, everyone called him “petrolette” because of his “honk honk”. Such a funny and sweet character with a huge heart and a terrible French. His French was terrible, and his Italian too, since he spoke mainly Friulan dialect, so even my parents had a tough time understanding him. Every Sunday, he would bring us so many bags of radicchio from his garden. Friulans eat an incredible amount of radicchio, it’s hard to keep up with them unless you’re a rabbit!

radicchio7web

He moved back to Friuli with his wife when he retired, he must be around 80 now and anytime we go visit him, radicchio is always on the table twice a day and seven days a week. Let’s not forget the white polenta sliced and eaten along salame e radicchio!

Ingredients for 3-4

  • 1 large head of radicchio, cut in thick slices
  • 1 lb artichokes (baby ones or medium)
  • 1/3 cup white wine
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 tbs parsley, finely chopped
  • 1/3 cup plain breadcrumbs
  • 1 lemon
  • 3 tbs olive oil
  • salt and pepper

Preparation

First start trimming the artichokes. Remove the tough green leaves, the with a knife, trim to top of the leaves and cut the green part around the bottom, close to the stem. You can either slice them if you are using the medium ones, or cut them in half if using the baby ones. Place in a bowl of water with the juice of one lemon, which will prevent the artichokes from discoloring.

Cut radicchio in half, then in slices of about 1 inch think.

In a pan, heat olive oil, crush one garlic clove and let the flavors out. Drain artichokes and add to the pan, stir for a few minutes, then add wine. Add salt and pepper and cover with a lid. Cook at medium heat until the wine has evaporated and the artichokes are cooked all the way through.

Add salt, pepper to the radicchio slices, and drizzle with olive oil. Grill in a grill pan, until radicchio changes color and is cooked but not mushy.

Add radicchio to artichokes pan and mix well.

In a small container, prepare the topping. Mix breadcrumbs, garlic, parsley, olive oil, salt and pepper.

Place radicchio/artichokes mixture in a oven dish and top with breadcrumb mixture. Cook in a pre-heated oven at 375F for about 20 minutes or until the top is golden brown.

Side Dish, Vegan, Vegetables , , , ,

A wild side – Wild rice “à la forestière” with mushrooms, carrots and walnuts

November 15th, 2009

Un côté sauvage – Riz sauvage à la forestière aux champignons, carottes et noix

rizsauvage2web

I haven’t realized Thanksgiving is coming soon, then I am leaving to visit my family in France shortly after, not sure I will have time to make it to Italy but we’ll see. It’s been one year I did not go home, and I am starting to have the one year “itch”. I remember I made this rice for Christmas for my parents guests, many years ago as a side dish to stuffed quails with ris de veau (sweatbreads) and everyone loved the whole thing. It was the time I still could eat a bird.

My mom would always invite this longtime Italian girlfriend (from the same town in Italy) with her French husband and son for Christmas and I was not looking forward to it. Those guys were the snobbiest, uptight and annoying people I have ever seen, always criticizing and making fun of others. But every year, my mom would feel so guilty to let them spend Christmas by themselves, so she invited them at home, and we would spend January 1st in their home. That was like a punishment to me! So the first time I made this rice was for them as a side dish. At least something came out of those Christmases. My mom always had this sense of “duty” or “obligation” to take care of people and sometimes it can be overwhelming. I bet everyone has those memories of some family dinners and having to deal with some unpleasant parents’ friends.

It’s a very simple dish but quite tasty and always a beautiful and refined accompaniment to a fish or meat. What is called “à la forestière” in French is mainly a dish that has mushrooms, “forestière” meaning from the forrest (forêt = forrest). Rice à la forestière is a French classic, so this one has been modified and made it into a more modern and light version with a twist. The nutty flavor of wild rice enhanced by walnuts is delightful.

Ingredients for 4

  • 300 g wild rice
  • 2 carrots
  • 2 shallots
  • 1.5 cups cremini or wild mushrooms
  • 1.5 tbs walnut, chopped
  • 1/5 tbs parsley, finely chopped
  • 1 tbs olive oil

Preparation

Cook rice for about 40 minutes until cooked. You can either use a rice cooker or cook it in a pot the traditional way.

In a pan, heat olive oil, add shallot and carrots. Cover with a lid and let the mixture cook, then after 10 min add mushrooms, cool for an additional 10 min or until the water has evaporated. Add cooked rice, stir and adjust with salt and pepper. Add walnuts and parsley. Mix well and serve.

Rice, Side Dish, Vegan , , , , , , ,

Alain Ducasse’s dumplings – Steamed tomato and olive dumplings with soy-balsamic dipping sauce

September 30th, 2009

Les ravioles d’Alain Ducasse – Ravioles de tomate et olives vapeur, sauce soja et balsamiquetomatoravioli2web


Since I have been talking about alain Ducasse and that he is one of my favorite chefs,  and one of the most prestigious in France with its 14 Michelin stars, I thought to present one of his recipes that combines the flavors of Western cuisine with the technique of Asian cooking. His cuisine uses an abundance the freshest seasonal ingredients and harmony of flavors. I think I will throw some of his recipes occasionally, because they deserve to be more exposed among the general public. In the US, obviously, people are more familiar with American or British chefs, and Alain is one my favorite chefs of all.

As much as I love to make traditional Italian ravioli, or French ravioles, Asians ravioli have their own particular personality and character. I did not change anything to its original recipe. I have been looking at this one for a while and never tried making it. Usually I like to create things on my own and experiment new recipes but when it has to do with Alain Ducasse, his style of cuisine “me parle” speaks to me in a way that I completely feel in symbiosis with it, and if I use his recipes, I leave them the way they are.

Actually, Alain is not longer French, he became Monégasque, which means citizen of Monaco, and gave up his citizenship but we do love him anyway.

The particularity of this recipe is that the ravioli stuffing is using Western ingredients but are steamed, often used in Asian cuisine and dipped in a pungent balsamic-soy sauce. It’s quite an easy and simple dish but with the right ingredient combination to get that exotic-but-not-so-exotic-touch. Besides, unlike Italian ravioli, you can use wonton wrappers and don’t have to make your own pasta dough. That cuts the preparation time and is the secret to this wonderful but yet quick dish.

Ingredients for 14 dumplings

  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 tbs cornstarch
  • 8 square wonton wrappers
  • 2 to 3 large cabbage leaves, for steaming
  • 1 tbs sweet black soy sauce
  • 1 tbs balsamic vinegar
  • Lettuce to garnish

Filling

  • 2 fresh medium tomatoes (about 4 oz or 125 g), blanched, peeled and deseeded, flesh diced
  • 4 shallots, minced
  • 3 to 4 tbs sundried tomatoes, diced
  • 12 pitted black olives, diced
  • 3 tbs minced spring onions
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp ground white pepper

Preparation

Start making the filling. In a bowl, mix tomatoes, olives, shallots, spring onions, sundried tomatoes, salt and pepper.

Mix egg and cornstarch.

Using a wonton wrapper, place 1 tsp or 1 small tbs of filling in the middle of the wonton. Use egg and cornstarch mixture around the dumpling. Place another wrapper on top and using your hand, press firmly on the edges to seal wonton. The egg and cornstarch will seal the wonton.

Mix balsamic vinegar with soy sauce.

Using a bamboo steamer, place cabbage leaves on bottom, place wontons on top of leaves and steam for 3 minutes. Serve with lettuce and add some dipping sauce on top.

Appetizers, Express - Less than 30 minutes, Pasta, Vegan , , , ,

The “Three Tries” theory – Tofu “polpette” with curry, leeks, carrots and sesame – Avocado and tomato salad

September 23rd, 2009

La teoria delle “Tre Prove” – Polpette di tofu al curry con porri, carote, e grani di sesamo, insalatina di pomodori e avocado

tofupolpette3web

tofupolpette7web
I heard so many terrible tofu complaints from so many people that I need to defend this poor little white thingy. I don’t want tofu to be the “forgotten” ingredient, and it tends to be, of course except among vegetarians or vegans and maybe Asia. I think tofu is a very pleasant product to use and also versatile that people should include more often in their diet. Even for the ones who want “real” food (I heard that before) or something tasty, they should try this recipe. I don’t make it very often but once in a while, when well spiced up, I really like it.

I made this for a birthday buffet party with all French/Italians, who are big meat eaters (my friends are) and just the thought of tofu makes them cringe, “ah non! pas de tofu!!” or “c’est quoi ce truc?”, “ma chi te lo mangia il tofu?”. Surprisingly, those polpette went quicker than I had expected, which made me laugh deep inside. I have some of the most traditional friends when it comes to food, they are so basic in their eating habits, that you would not believe it. The traditional Friday night “steak-frites” (steak and fries) in the same restaurant has been a must for years. I do not like habits in the kitchen and especially in my diet, but some people do, I think it gives them a sense of security and comfort. It gives me anxiety.

My theory is the “three tries” or “three chance” theory, I use it to almost everything…If I don’t like something once, I will try it again, and I think after three times, I somehow have a good idea of what it is. It’s the same thing when dealing with people, restaurants, etc… If I have a bad experience once or twice it doesn’t mean that’s the way it usually is. So people deserve more than one chance and food too!

These polpette are on the tender side and quite fragile since they don’t contain any eggs nor bread crumbs (you can add one egg and some breadcrumbs if you wish) because I wanted to keep them vegan, so when turning them make sure you use a small size spatula, or they might break.

Ingredients for 6 polpette

  • 1/2 lb (or 220 g) extra firm tofu
  • 1 carrot, grated
  • 1 leek, chopped crosswise
  • 1 shallot
  • 1 inch ginger root, grated
  • 1 tsp mild curry
  • chili powder (to your taste)
  • 1 tbs light soy sauce
  • 1 tbs white sesame seeds
  • 2 tbs cilantro, chopped
  • 1 tbs olive oil (or more)
  • salt and pepper

For the salad

  • 1 lb cherry tomatoes, cut in half
  • 1 avocado, sliced
  • 1 tbs avocado oil
  • Juice of one meyer lemon
  • 2 chives, chopped
  • salt and pepper

Preparation

For the polpette

First in a container, crumble tofu with your hands, it needs to be a crumbly mixture.

In a small pan, brown sesame seeds and set aside.

Cook leeks in olive oil, until soft and tender and set aside.

In another pan, heat olive oil, add shallot and ginger and cook until fragrant. Add curry and chili powder and stir well for a few minutes (but do not burn it), add soy sauce, and mix well. Add leeks and carrots and stir well so the curry is well blended. Add sesame seeds and add this mixture to the crumbled tofu. Add cilantro. Using your hands, mix it very well so that the curry has penetrated all the ingredients and the mixture has a yellowish color.

Form patties and cook in a pan with olive oil. Carefully turn them to brown them on both sides.

Make the salad combining all the ingredients and serve with polpette.

Vegan , , , , , , , , ,

It’s warm, it’s flavorful, it’s a salad – Warm quinoa salad, with cannelli beans, carrots and cauliflower with a four herb salsa

July 25th, 2009

C’est tiède, c’est plein de saveur, c’est une salade – Salade tiède de quinoa aux carottes, cocos, chou fleur et salsa aux quatres herbes

quinoasaladeweb

quinoasalade5web

Today I said goodbye to my long time and faithful friend, my VW Golf I had for over 10 years, and that over the years turned into an old lady. I gave it to a charity and I have to admit that when the tow-truck came pick it up, I was somehow sad. I know it’s just a thing, and I should not get attached to material, but still, it was the first car I got in the US and I was somehow attached to it.  We went through some good and bad times together. I did not feel comfortable selling it, since the steering wheel was really hard to manoeuvre and I stopped driving it for a month, fearing it would break down in the middle of the street…and many other things were wrong with it, so I figured I would give it to charity.  C’est la vie, nothing lasts and things like people sooner or later quietly go. 

OK, let’s not dwell on this, it’s just a car after all! 

Let’s go back to the fun world of cooking, I love to play with quinoa, it’s delicious in soups, salads, taboule and any kind of side dishes. The great flavor comes from the herb salsa I made, which enhanced this whole salad.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cup quinoa
  • 1/2 cauliflower
  • 2 carrots
  • 1 cup  cooked cannelli beans
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 celeri stick
  • 3 cloves

For the salsa

  • 2 scallions
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1/2 bunch parsley
  • 1/2 bunch cilantro
  • 1/3 bunch mint
  • 5 tbs olive oil
  • 1 tbs balsamic vinegar
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp paprika
  • a pinch chili powder
  • salt and pepper

Preparation

If you are using dried cannelli beans, they need to be soaked overnight in water, if you didn’t have any and don’t have time, you can use canned beans, but they don’t taste as good as the dried ones.

Cook quinoa by steaming it, like you would make steamed rice. Add double its volume of water, bring to a boil, and reduce heat to a minimum and cover with lid. Cook for about 20 minutes.

If used, dried cannelli beans, cook them in water for about 30 minutes with 1/2 onion, 3 cloves, 1 celery stick, and 2 bay leaves. When cooked remove onion, cloves, celery, bay leaves, and drain beans.

Cut cauliflower in small florets, cut carrots in slices, then cut in half. Steam for about 10 minutes and set aside.

Mix the salsa ingredients in a mixer to make it into a smooth mixture.

When quinoa is cooked, place in a mixing bowl, add vegetables. Spoon salsa at the end and mix well.

Grains, Side Dish, Vegan , , , , , , , , ,

The sprout that did not want to be shredded – Shredded brussel sprouts with carrots, leaks and mustard seeds

June 20th, 2009

Le chou qui ne voulait pas être émincé – Emincé de choux de Bruxelles aux poireaux, carottes et graines de moutarde

bruxellemince3web2bruxellemince5web3

Sometimes I like to cook the “undesirables” and find ways to make them more exciting. Brussels sprouts have not been the most favorite vegetables of French people, they are strong in flavors and heavy to digest, but I like them. They’re too cute. It seems like the flavor of a regular cabbage has been condensed into a small little ball. 

Who said brussel sprouts need to be eaten in their full size? You can also remove each leaf and saute them, or shred them.

Ingredients for 4

  • 1 lb brussel sprouts
  • 1 leek, chopped
  • 1 carrot, chopped
  • 1/2 onion
  • 1 tbs mustard seeds
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp cumin powder
  • 1 tsp rice vinegar
  • 1 tbs olive oil
  • salt and pepper

Preparation

First cut the sprouts in half and start shredding them. Slice leeks crosswise as well as the carrots. Heat wok and add mustard seeds, when they start to pop, remove from heat, add olive oil, and onions. Brown the onions, then add the turmeric and cumin powder. Add shredded vegetables, rice vinegar, salt and pepper. Cook until tender but still firm. Sprinkle with cilantro.

 

Side Dish, Vegan, Vegetables , , ,

Proud member of FoodBlogs
The Foodie Blogroll