Lemongrass tofu bahn mi

• 2 (8-inch) baguettes

FOR THE DO CHUA (PICKLES):

• 1 cup

  julienned daikon

• 1 cup

  julienned carrots

• 1/4 cup

  sugar

• 1/2 teaspoon

  salt

• 1/2 cup

  white vinegar

• 1 cup

  water

FOR THE TOFU:

• 6 to 8 ounces

  extra-firm tofu (half a standard package)

• 1 tablespoon

  soy sauce

• 1 tablespoon

  vegetable oil

• 1 teaspoon

  sesame oil

• 2 bulbs

  lemongrass, minced

• 1 clove

  garlic, minced

FOR THE SPREAD:

• 4 tablespoons

  mayonnaise

• 1 tablespoon

  finely chopped cilantro

• Siracha to taste

ADDITIONAL FILLINGS AND GARNISHES:

• 1 medium cucumber, sliced lengthwise

• 1 or 2 jalapeño peppers, sliced

• Small handful cilantro, thai basil, mint in any combination

MAKE THE DO CHUA (PICKLES):

1. In a large bowl, combine sugar, salt, vinegar, and water. Add daikon and carrots and toss. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour. Drain completely before using.

MAKE THE TOFU:

1. Cut tofu into 1/4-inch-thick slices and press between clean kitchen towels or paper towels to rid of excess water. In a shallow dish, combine soy sauce, vegetable oil, sesame oil, lemongrass, and garlic. Place tofu in dish, gently coat slices with marinade, and arrange so they overlap as little as possible. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour. Cook in a skillet over medium heat until brown and crisp on each side.

MAKE THE SPREAD:

1. In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise and cilantro. Add siracha to taste, if desired.

TO SERVE:

1. Slice baguettes lengthwise, leaving one side as a hinge. Add spread on top and bottom halves. Arrange fillings and garnishes: cucumber, do chua, tofu, jalapeño, herbs.

Hot Pepper Relish

• 3 cups chopped hot chili peppers – You can use a mix of peppers and add in a sweet pepper to lower the heat

• 3/4 cup white wine vinegar

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 2 cloves garlic chopped

• 1/2 small onion chopped

• 2 teaspoons yellow mustard seed

• Salt to taste

Add all ingredients to a large pan and heat to medium heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Bring to a light boil.

Reduce heat to low and simmer about 25-30 minutes, or until liquid is reduced and absorbed into the mixture.

Add to a jar and allow to cool.

Roasted summer vegetables

Summer Roasted Vegetable Medley

Chopped eggplants, summer squash, zucchini, onions, peppers

chopped basil

a drizzle of olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Toss chopped vegetables in a bowl with olive oil, salt and pepper.

Set oven to 425, poor vegetables on a cookie sheet in one lyer and raost in oven.

Flip veggies after 15 minutes and roast until carmelised.

Take out of oven and sprinkle basil on top and serve. Drizzle with balsamic if desired.

Makes a great sandwich filling with a drizzle of balsamic and olive oil.

Eggplant with garlic sauce

Eggplant with garlic sauce is so yummy and this recipe is delicious. We are luck because light and dark soy sauces are not hard to find around here. You can get them at Mom’s house in Amherst and I recommend having them on hand because they are great for all sorts of veggie recipes.

• 10 oz eggplant (about 2 small Asian type eggplants, but any eggplant will do) , chopped to bite-size pieces

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 tablespoon cornstarch

Sauce

• 1 tablespoon light soy sauce

• 1 tablespoon water

• 1/2 teaspoon dark soy sauce

• 2 teaspoons sugar

• 1 teaspoon cornstarch

Stir-fry

• 2 1/2 tablespoons peanut oil (or vegetable oil)

• 1 teaspoon ginger , minced

• 3 cloves garlic , chopped

  Combine the sauce ingredients in a small bowl, mix well.

  Sprinkle eggplant with 1 tablespoon cornstarch and mix by hand, until eggplant is evenly coated with with a thin layer of cornstarch.

  Add 2 tablespoons oil to a big nonstick skillet and heat over medium high heat until hot. Spread eggplant across the bottom of the skillet without overlapping. Cook the eggplant one side at a time until all the surfaces are charred and the eggplant turns soft, 8 to 10 minutes in total. Transfer the eggplants to a plate. If the skillet gets too hot and starts to smoke, turn to medium heat.

  Add the remaining 1/2 teaspoon oil, the ginger and garlic into the same skillet. Stir a few times until fragrant. Add all the eggplant back into the skillet. Mix the sauce again until cornstarch is fully dissolved and pour it over the eggplant. Immediately stir a few times, until the eggplant is evenly coated and the sauce thickens. Transfer everything to a big plate.

Maple mustard beets and greens

• A bunch of beets with their greens

• 1 tbs olive oil

• sherry vinegar or whatever vinegar youlike

• dijon mustard

• maple syrup

• salt to taste

Clean the beets and beet tops well. Dirt likes to get trapped where the greens attach to the beet so I'll pay special attention to there, sometimes trimming it away. Chop the beets and greens. Heat the oil in the pan and add the beets. Cook for about 5 minutes stirring as needed. Add a cup of water and let simmer for about 10 minutes or until beets begin to soften. Add greens and cook until the greens and beets are tender. Add a squirt of mustard, a glug of maple syrup and a sprinkle of vinegar and stir. Sprinkle a little salt to taste. Adjust dressing to taste depending on how you prefer them.

Refrigerator pickles

Yummy pickles that are quick to make and no canning necessary. They can be stored in the fridge for a couple weeks (recipe is not for canning)

Ingredients: 

• 3 Lb. pickling cukes

• 5 c. water

• 1 1/4 c. cider or white vinegar

• 1 c. sugar

• 1/4 c. salt

• 2 dill flower heads

• 3 garlic cloves

• 1 chili pepper

• 1 tsp. pickling spice

Directions: 

Bring to a boil water, vinegar, sugar, salt. Let cool. Slice cukes into rounds and put them and the rest of the ingredients in a sterilized jar and pour cooled liquid over them. Put in refrigerator.

Credit: 

Max's former boss's Meghan Arquin's amazing pickles!

Shaved fennel and crushed olive salad

• 1 cup castelvetrano (large, green) olives

• 2 large fennel bulbs, tough outer leaves discarded, bulbs, stems, and fronds separated

• 1/4 cup olive oil

• 2 tablespoons white wine or champagne vinegar

• Finely grated orange zest from most of 1 orange (1 teaspoon)

• Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

• Kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper

• 1 lemon

• 3 ounces thinly shaved aged provolone cheese, or another sharp cheese, such as pecorino (about 1 cup)

• Flaky sea salt, to finish

  Crush olives with a flat-bottomed cup, the side of a chef’s knife and remove pit. Coarsely chop olives so that you get big, chunky pieces and add to a medium bowl. Coarsely chop fennel fronds until you have about 1/3 cup and add to bowl. Thinly, but not paper-thin, slice fennel stems crosswise and add them too. Add oil, vinegar, orange zest, and red pepper to bowl; season with kosher salt and black pepper, then stir to evenly combine. Taste and adjust seasonings as you wish.

  Halve fennel bulbs lengthwise. Using a mandoline or your exceptional knife skills, very thinly shave fennel crosswise. Transfer fennel to a second, larger bowl. Zest one-quarter of lemon over. Juice the lemon over it. Season with salt and toss to coat; add more salt if needed.

  Combine and toss the fennel and olive mixture and serve.

Smitten Kitchen's Chopped Salad with Feta, Lime, Mint and Sunflower Seeds

A flexible keeper to hold onto for all season.

Chopped Salad with Feta, Lime, Mint and Sunflower Seeds

3 cups chopped, crunchy vegetables like radishes, cucmbers,carrots, peppers, etc.

2 cups thinly sliced lettuce
1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled feta, queso fresco or ricotta salata
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1/3 cup well-toasted sunflower seeds, salted or unsalted
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon coarse or Kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/4 teaspoon chile powder or 1/8 teaspoon each your choice combination of chile powder, cumin, cayenne or sumac
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 to 2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh mint leaves

Mix the vegetables, feta, scallions, seeds and mint in a medium bowl. Whisk lime juice, olive oil, salt, spice and black pepper in a small dish and pour over vegetables, tossing to evenly coat. Adjust with more salt or pepper as needed. Garnish with mint and crunch-crunch-crunch away!

Nik Sharma's Braised Cabbage Bucatini

I have really been digging Nik Sharma’s recipes. Check out his website and cookbooks. They are vegetable heavy and he has some great Indian cooking recipes.

1 lb bucatini or spaghetti

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 large onion, diced

4 garlic cloves, grated

2 bay leaves

1 tsp dried rosemary leaves, crushed

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp red pepper flakes

1 tsp dried thyme

1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

1 Tbsp tomato paste

1 lb green cabbage, shredded

salt

1 cup low-sodium vegetable or chicken stock

1 tsp white or yellow miso

2 Tbsp chopped parsley

¼ cup grated Parmesan

Cook the pasta as per the manufacturer’s instructions.

While the pasta cooks, prepare the cabbage. Heat the oil over medium heat in a large saucepan or skillet. Add the onion and sauté until translucent, 4 to 5 minutes. Add and sauté the garlic, bay leaves, rosemary, black pepper, red pepper, thyme, and nutmeg until fragrant, 30 to 45 seconds. Stir in the tomato paste and cook until the tomato paste begins to brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Fold in the cabbage, add a pinch of salt, and sauté until the cabbage turns tender, 4 to 5 minutes.

In a small bowl, whisk the stock and miso until smooth, pour over the cabbage, cover with a lid, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until all the liquid evaporates, 5 to 6 minutes. Taste and season with salt if needed; don’t overdo it because parmesan is salty. Add the cooked pasta and fold to coat well. Top with parsley and parmesan. Serve immediately. Leftovers will stay good for up to 4 days if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Slovenian Beet Salad

I always make extra beets so I have leftovers to make this salad. My grandparents were immigrants from Slovenia and always kept a large garden so vegetables were always served at every meal. This little salad is a great side for just about any meal.

Leftover cooked beets, sliced

thinly sliced onions

olive oil

red wine vinegar

salt and pepper

sugar

Toss beets and onions and then dress with oil, vinegar, salt, pepper and sugar to taste. Easy peasy and tasty too.

Mac and Cheese Russian style

From the Moosewood Cookbook, by Mollie Katzen

This recipe looks odd and believe me if my brother hadn’t brought it to Thanksgiving, I would never have tried it. It is actually very tasty with an interesting array of flavors and vegetables. I wouldn’t really think of it as Mac and Cheese, more of a casserole of sorts and a tasty one at that.

1/2 pound macaroni or other small pasta
2 Tbs butter
2 cups chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 lb sliced mushrooms
4 cups shredded cabbage
1 tsp salt
1 tsp caraway seeds
1 bunch fresh spinach, stemmed and coarsely chopped
2 cups cottage cheese
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 Tbs fresh dill, finely minced
2 cups packed, grated cheddar
a handful of sunflower seeds

Preheat oven to 350 and grease a 9x13 baking pan

Cook the pasta until tender and drain. (Use a BIG pot, you'll need the room.)

Melt butter in a deep skillet (this is going to need to be deeper than you think it is. AT LEAST 2 or 3 inches deep), and saute onions for 5 minutes. Add garlic, mushrooms, cabbage, salt, and caraway seeds. Cover and cook 10 minutes, or until cabbage is tender. Stir in spinach, remove from heat, and add to pasta.

Mix in cottage cheese, buttermilk, dill, black pepper and half the cheddar. Spread in prepared pan, sprinkle with remaining cheddar and sunflower seeds (if you use them), and bake uncovered for 20-30 minutes.

Roasted Carrots with Lentils and Yogurt

• 2 pounds (905 grams) carrots, peeled and trimmed

• 1 cup (235 ml) water

• Olive oil

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 1 1/2 cups cooked or 3/4 cup (135 grams) dried lentils de puy

• 1/3 cup (or a big handful) finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

• 1 cup (235 grams) plain Greek yogurt

• DRESSING

• 6 tablespoons (90 ml) olive oil

• 3 tablespoons (45 ml) lemon juice

• 1 garlic clove, minced

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes, or to taste

• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

Roast the carrots: Heat your oven to 450°F (230°C). Place carrots and water on a sheet pan and cover tightly with foil. Steam in the oven for 30 minutes, or until carrots are tender when pierced with the tip of a knife. Drain any water left in pan, and drizzle carrots with a few tablespoons of olive oil, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper and roll them around in it, making sure there are no stuck parts. Return to the oven uncovered and roast until carrots are browned, about another 20 to 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook your lentils: Cook dried lentils in salted water according to the package directions, then drain and set aside.

Make the vinaigrette: Combine dressing ingredients in a jar and shake well to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. I’m aiming for a sharp, lemony vinaigrette here that will wake up the cooked lentils.

Assemble right before eating: Pour all but last two tablespoons of vinaigrette over lentils and mix. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper, if needed. Stir in all but last two tablespoons of parsley. Spoon yogurt directly onto a serving plate and use the back of a spoon to swirl it to coat the bottom. Spoon 3/4 of lentil salad over yogurt. When carrots come out of the oven, pour remaining dressing over carrots in the pan, rolling them in it, and then lay the cooked carrots on top of the lentils. Spoon remaining lentils around the carrots and sprinkle platter with remaining parsley.

Butternut Squash and Caramelized Onion Galette

For the pastry:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1/2 cup or 115 grams) unsalted butter, cut into
pieces
1/4 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup ice water

For the filling:
1 small butternut squash (about one pound)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 to 2 tablespoons butter (if you have only non-stick, the smaller amount will do)
1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced in half-moons
1 teaspoon salt
Pinch of sugar
1/4 teaspoon cayenne, or to taste
3/4 cup fontina cheese (about 2 1/2 ounces), grated or cut into small bits
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage leaves

1. Make pastry: In a bowl, combine the flour and salt. Place the butter in another bowl. Place both bowls in the freezer for 1 hour. Remove the bowls from the freezer and make a well in the center of the flour. Add the butter to the well and, using a pastry blender, cut it in until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Make another well in the center. In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream, lemon juice and water and this mixture to the well. With your fingertips or a spoon, combine the liquid and flour mixtures until large clumps form. Keep stirring until all of the flour is moistened. Dump mixture out onto a piece of plastic wrap. Pat the clumps and any extra craggy pieces into a ball, working the dough as little as possible. Wrap with the plastic, pat it into a thick disc, and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.

2. Prepare squash: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Peel squash, then halve and scoop out seeds. Cut into a 1/2-inch dice. Toss pieces with olive oil and a half-teaspoon of the salt and roast on foil lined (for neatness sake) sheet for 30 minutes or until pieces are tender, turning it midway if your oven bakes unevenly. Set aside to cool slightly.

3. Caramelize onions: While squash is roasting, melt butter in a heavy skillet and cook onion over low heat with the remaining half-teaspoon of salt and pinch of sugar, stirring occasionally, until soft and lightly golden brown, about 20 minutes. Stir in cayenne.

4. Raise the oven temperature to 400 degrees. Mix squash, caramelized onions, cheese and herbs together in a bowl.

5. Assemble galette: On a floured work surface, roll the dough out into a 12-inch round. Transfer to an ungreased baking sheet. Spread squash, onions, cheese and herb mixture over the dough, leaving a 1 1/2-inch border. Fold the border over the squash, onion and cheese mixture, pleating the edge to make it fit. The center will be open.

6. Bake until golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven, let stand for 5 minutes, then slide the galette onto a serving plate. Cut into wedges and serve hot, warm or at room temperature. Serves 6.

Date, feta and red cabbage salad

1 to 1 1/4 pounds red cabbage (1 small head or half of a large one), sliced very thin
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons lime or lemon juice
Salt and red pepper flakes
About 1/2 cup pitted dates, coarsely chopped or sliced
4 ounces feta, crumbled into chunks
1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 teaspoons well-toasted sesame seeds

Toss cabbage with olive oil and first tablespoons of lime juice, plus salt and peppe

Toss dressed cabbage gently with half of dates and feta. Sprinkle with remaining dates, then feta, then parsley and sesame seeds. Dig in.

Escarole salad with walnuts, dried cranberries and blue cheese

Escarole is a hearty green that pairs well with sharp cheeses, fruit and nuts.This is a loosey goosey recipe that allows substitutions of other nuts (almonds, pecans or pepitas) other sharp cheeses (parmesean for example) and different dried fruits (raisins, cherries, etc), pears are also delicious instead of apples.

• Walnuts, about 1/2 cup

• 1/2 cup dried cranberries

• blue cheese

• 1 crisp apple, chopped

• 1 head of escarole, dark green outer leaves removed, tips chopped off and discarded, remainder washed and chopped

Dressing ingredients

• clove of garlic or shallot roughly chopped

• salt and peppers

• glug of maple syrup

• 1/4 cup of olive oil

• glug of balsamic vinegar

• squirt of dijon mustard

Toast walnuts in a pan over low heat. Don’t let them burn and remove from heat when they start to brown. Chop walnuts. Assemble salad by topping washed and chopped ribs of escarole with dried fruit, chopped apple, walnuts, and crumble blue cheese.

Blend dressing ingredients with an immersion blender and adjust flavors to your liking and poor over salad and toss. Correct ingredients to your liking.

Couscous salad with butternut squash and cranberries

• 1 medium butternut squash (2 1/2 to 3 pounds), peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces

• 1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced

• 5 tablespoons olive oil, divided

• 2/3 cup dried cranberries

• 1 1/2 cups uncooked Israeli (pearl) couscous

• 3 cups water

• 2 tablespoons apple cider or white wine vinegar

• Finely grated zest of 1 small orange

• 1/2 teaspoon. ground coriander

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

• 1 teaspoon ground cumin

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning

• 1 (15-ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained

• 4 ounces soft goat cheese, crumbled (about 1 cup)

Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 425°F. Place the squash cubes and onion slices on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the oil, sprinkle with a big pinch of salt, and toss to combine. Spread into an even layer.

Roast, stirring occasionally, until the squash is tender and the onions are starting to crisp at the tips, about 30 minutes. Set aside to cool before combining with other ingredients.

Meanwhile, cover the cranberries with very hot water and set them aside to plump while the squash is cooking. Drain before combining with the other ingredients.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add the couscous and cook, stirring occasionally, until toasted and light golden-brown, about 3 minutes. Add the water and a big pinch of salt, stir to combine, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered until the couscous is tender, about 10 minutes. Drain the couscous through a fine-mesh strainer.

Whisk the vinegar, remaining 2 tablespoons oil, zest, coriander, cinnamon, nutmeg, cumin, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt together in a large bowl. Add the squash, onions, couscous, garbanzo beans, and drained cranberries. Gently stir to combine. Sprinkle with the goat cheese and gently fold them into the salad. Taste to check seasoning and add salt if needed. Serve at room temperature or cold.

Roasted kohlrabi with lemon garlic tahini sauce

1 large kohlrabi

1 tablespoon olive oil

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

Lemon, Garlic Tahini Sauce

• 1 clove garlic

• 2 tablespoons tahini

• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 teaspoon chopped parsley

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• pinch of pepper

• 1 tablespoon water (more if needed)

Remove the leaves for the bulb and peel the bulb. Chop the kohlrabi into uniform chunks – similar to the way you would cut up a potato if you’re making home fries.

Put your kohlrabi chunks on a sheet pan and drizzle the olive oil over all the pieces. Add your salt and pepper here too. Mix the kohlrabi around with your hands to coat all the pieces. 

Cook in a preheated oven at 400 degrees for 15 minutes then turn the kohlrabi with a spatula. We want to brown the kohlrabi evenly. Put the sheet pan back in the oven for another 15-20 minutes until the kohlrabi is tender all the way through. 

While the kohlrabi is cooking, make the lemon, garlic tahini sauce. Chop the parsley. Blend tahini, fresh lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Grate the garlic into sauce. Lastly, add parsley (save a pinch for optional garnish later, if using.)

Put kohlrabi in a serving bowl, drizzle on a little sauce and add your parsley garnish here, if using.

Serve kohlrabi immediately as a side dish – matches with pretty much any protein. 

Quick pickled watermelon radish

1 watermelon radish , peeled and shredded

1/4 cup rice vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)

2 tablespoons sugar

Combine vinegar and sugar in a large bowl. Mix well. Add radish and toss. Let sit for 10 minutes in the fridge.

Add a pinch of salt onto the radish and toss again right before serving.

Parmesan and Feta Broccolini

• 4 bunches broccolini

• kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper

• 4 tablespoons olive oil

• ⅓ cup crumbled feta (buy the kind that comes in brine)

Lemon Parmesan Vinaigrette

• 2 cloves garlic finely chopped

• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard

• ¼ cup champagne vinegar

• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

• ¼ cup parmesan cheese grated

• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

• ½ teaspoon salt

• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil

Arrange the broccolini on a large sheet pan and drizzle with olive oil. Roast at 425 degrees until tender but not too crispy, about 15-25 minutes

While the broccolini is roasting, whisk together all the ingredients for the vinaigrette and set aside.

Remove and let cool slightly.

Toss the broccolini with ¼ cup of the vinaigrette and feta. Taste and adjust seasonings or add more vinaigrette if needed. Serve immediately.

Carnival squash with apples

2 carnival or acorn squash

2 tablespoons melted butter

4 sprigs fresh thyme

4 Small apples or 2 large, tart

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

4 tsp honey

Handful of chopped walnuts

Heat the oven to 375°. Cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Place on a cookie sheet or in baking dish and brush with a little of the butter and season with a little salt. Place a thyme sprig in each half and bake for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix together the apples, the remaining melted butter, the honey and the cinnamon. Remove the squash from the oven.

Fill each squash with the apple mixture. Put them back in the oven for 15-20 minutes more, or until the squash and the apples are soft and caramelized. Cooking times will vary by squash size. Sprinkle with chopped walnuts before serving.