Fix Me, Fast, Pasta.

I came home from work this evening grumpy and cold, and for no particular reason, for that. Except the cold. It really is pretty cold these nights in Jerusalem. Add to that no special inclination towards making anything what so ever  and an gnawing sense of guilt over all that could be made out an overflowing fridge of veggies, and you'll be able to imagine just how particularly sulky and feisty I was getting.

Than my flat mate recommended the half a bunch of Asparagus left in the fridge from her dinner last night, and butter, and lemon, and a compromise with myself began to take shape. We shall make something, and it will be indulgent and wonderful, I lulled my grouchy beast, and so thirty minutes later I found my self hunched in my chair with a hot bowl of pasta in my hands, comforting as only a carb could be. Sulkiness was pacified by considerable amounts of butter and lemon was added in attempt to uplift dampened spirits. I shall not lie:  the blues were not defeated completely by this. But they sure feel a lot nicer on a full stomach.

Linguine with Asparagus and Lemony Butter Sauce

1/2 a package Linguine

1 bunch thin green Asparagus, bottom third of stalks removed

approx 50 gr butter

1 clove garlic, crushed

zest from 1/2 a lemon

juice from half a lemon

handful of Arugula, cut or torn into large pieces

a few mint leaves, chopped

3-4 sprigs of parsley, chopped

coarsely ground black pepper

salt

a few tbsp of Parmesan Cheese, Grated

Bring two pots of water to boil. Salt water and toss in Asparagus for about half a minute, drain and set aside. In the other pot set your linguine cooking, till Al Dente. In the meanwhile, prepare the sauce ( you should have your sauce ready just before the pasta is cooked): melt  part of the butter in  a saucepan, add garlic and lemon zest and cook for a few seconds. Add fresh herbs, Asparagus and Arugula, then add remaining butter, lemon juice, parmesan, salt, pepper and a splash of olive oil. Remove from heat.

When pasta is cooked, drain and add to the sauce along with a little bit of the cooking water. Return to heat and toss for a few more seconds, till pasta is evenly coated with the sauce. Check seasoning and serve.

I find it difficult to estimate exactly how much butter I used for this recipe so please judge for yourself. In any case, You want to use enough to create a rich coating for your pasta. Also, I used half a bunch of Asparagus, because that was what we had, but as far as I'm concerned regarding this gorgeous veggie, you can't have too much. Be sure not to over cook it so it remains crisp and bright green.

Good luck taming your winter blues. Or maybe you could dwell on them, to the sounds of Gillian Welch, as I intend to do tonight.

P.S

I feel much better now. Pasta must have worked after all.

Friday Night Soup

Make this to warm your tummy and heart on a chilly fall Jerusalem night. Or wherever you may be.

Vegetable Soup with Pesto

1 medium onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, sliced

1 carrot, cut in half lengthwise and sliced

1/2 a bulb of fennel, sliced

1 celery stalk

a tiny bunch of parsley, chopped

salt

pepper

chili flakes

1 zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced

about half a large cauliflower, broken into florets

large handful green broad beans, tips removed and cut into halves

For Pesto

Large bunch of Basil

about a 1/3 of  a cup of olive oil

2 cloves of garlic

small handful pine nuts, very lights toasted in a pan

salt

First, make your pesto: remove the leaves from the basil and place in blender/food processor- I have this neat little hand blender which is one of the most useful things in my kitchen. I love it. I treat it like a baby. It's perfect for blending soups etc and tailor made for my usually small-kitchen apartment life. Invest in one.
so, you place the basil leaves in the blender container along with the olive oil and garlic. blend till smooth. salt to taste, then add pine nuts and blend in pulses, so the pine nuts aren't pureed completely, rather more chopped. set aside ( this keeps well for about a week in the fridge, you probably won't need it all for the soup. pour a little more olive oil on top to help keep it fresh).

In a large pot, warm olive oil. sauté onion till slightly golden. add garlic, cook for about another minute, then add celery, fennel and carrots. Sautee for another 2-3 minutes. season with salt, pepper chili and fresh parsley and cover with water, somewhere around a liter and a half. Bring to boil, reduce heat and let simmer for about 15 minutes. Make sure your veggies don't get soggy. Add zucchini, cauliflower and broad beans. cook for another 10 mins or so, till beans are tender but still have some crunch. check seasoning. pour soup into bowls and serve with a nice teaspoon full of pesto on top.

 Shabat Shalom!

Things in the Cupboard

Holidays over, and I'm finally settled into my new place. There has been a lot going on and a lot getting made, but lack of time and adequate internet connection kept me away for too long. lets catch up.

This here lentil dish was somewhat of an improvisation, but it turned out well and I will probably try it again. At my Dad's house I found some green lentils and 1/2 a bag of dried porcini mushrooms. I don't have the exact quantities for this one, but the general idea went like this:

Hot Lentil Salad with Porcini Mushrooms

1 cup lentils, soaked overnight

1 medium red onion

1 tomato, cut into eighths

1 zucchinni, sliced

2 cloves garlic, sliced

handfull dried porcini mushrooms

salt

pepper

chilli flakes

balsamic vinegar

Pour boiling water over mushrooms( till covered) and set aside to re-hydrate. Warm olive oil in skillet. Add onions, garlic, salt pepper and chilli. Sautee lightly, you want the onions to still be crisp and keep their color. Add zucchinni, sautee for about two more minutes, stirring occasionaly, till they start to show some browning but still retain their color and texture. add lentils, stir for about a minute more, then add mushrooms along with the water they were in, tomatoes and a splash of balsamic vinegar. simmer for about 5-10 minutes. Drizzle a litlle olive oil on top, a splash more of balsamic and a handfull of pine nuts.

lentils love balsamic vinegar, and red wine vinegar too, and I who am I to tear two lovers apart. They are served together alot around here. We had this as a side with dinner, at room temp, but I thought it was much better when still hot, before the veggies became soggie from sitting around. Since the lentils are pre-soaked, it takes very little time and liquid to cook them, and they retain a pretty firm-crisp texture. This was  made with green lentils because that's what I found, but black lentils are superb, and beautiful... and I usually prefer them. So you could go with either.







lunch in a box and a few more

 So, I've been gathering images and recipes to share with you but have been spectacularly busy and haven't had time to write. Bad me.
There is much work to be done in school and that has been keeping me pretty occupied. And since I have been spending a lot of time in the studio many a dinner was transformed into a portable lunch-in-a-box the next day.  Like this one:
                              
                          

                                

                                Which served as wonderful energy to fuel the making of these:                  

                                        

                            

                               

  Others were just prepared straight into a box. like this one:

                                     
                                       

  That faithfully sustained me through the carving of this:

Then came Friday with a pleasant afternoon

And a small hunger to accompany it

Have a wonderful week, dear friends!

Indian style vegetable curry with coconut milk and brown rice

1 cup brown rice

2 tbsp Coconut oil

1 bay leaf

a few pieces of cinnamon bark, broken into bits

5 cloves 

5 whole coriander seeds

1 large onion, finely chopped

chilly pepper flakes

3 cloves garlic, mashed

nice bit of fresh ginger, grated

small cauliflower, divided into florets

4 tomatoes, diced

1 can coconut milk

about a cup of finely chopped cilantro

large handful green beans, tips removed and lightly blanched

3-4 leaves of  chard, large stems removed, greens chopped into wide strips

cilantro to serve

first start your brown rice. boil 2 cups of water, in the meanwhile warm 1 tbsp coconut oil in small pot. add some pepper and salt, then the rice. fry for about a minute, stirring so the rice doesn't burn. add the water once it has boiled. taste to make sure the water is salty enough, bring back to boiling point then reduce heat, cover and let simmer for 30-40 mins. 

in a large skillet or wok ( that has a lid) warm oil along with cinnamon, bay leaf, coriander and cloves, just until the oil becomes aromatic. then add onion and fry on medium heat till it is nearing golden. add chilly to according to your liking. add garlic+ginger and fry while stirring for about a minute. add cauliflower, stir for another minute or so. add tomatoes, lower heat and cook till tomatoes create a sauce- up to five minutes

mix in coconut milk, cilantro and green beans. cook for a few minutes, then add chard and cook just till wilted. check seasoning ( you'll want to add salt at this point) and serve over brown rice with fresh cilantro on top.

despite the multiple steps and ingredients, this comes together pretty quickly if you prepare all your ingredients in advance and have them waiting to jump into the skillet rather than having to rush to sink to rinse the tomatoes and get them in there before the cauliflower becomes a mush. Also, there are endless variations yo could try with this one: different vegetables ( peas, grated carrot and an eggplant are a smashing combo), tofu... you name it. use your culinary instinct /common sense to determine which vegetable should be added when- cubed potatoes after the onion, mushrooms and eggplants after the tomatoes have made a sauce... etc. You can substitute the coconut milk with half a cup of cashew nuts, pureed with some water. Then it's nice to add some chopped nuts on top along with the cilantro... yum!

Arugula tomato and zucchini salad in a box

small bunch of Arugula,  washed 

1 ripe firm tomato, diced

1 large zucchini, sliced into thick slices

1/2 small red onion, sliced

juice from 1 lemon

olive oil

coarse sea salt

ground black pepper

 generous sprinkle of "Nigella Sativa"*

(Ah Ha! I am not cursing you, in case you were wondering. This is one instance where it would be a lot easier if we were doing this in Hebrew, in which case I would just say קצח - or Ketzach for those of you who think I am foul-mouthing again- and call it a day. unfortunately my attempts to discover this little black seed's name came up with the above mentioned botanical name, plus this wikipedia page which led to the notion that you are most likely to know this as "Black Cumin". In any case, it is delicious, and you want to get your hands on some. Sprinkle it on top of any salty baked goods and you too shall be singing the praise of Nigella Sativa. End extremely long side-note)

in a hot skillet with some olive oil fry zucchini till golden on each side. you should get your skillet really hot so they stay crunchy on the inside. remove from skillet to cool 

in your plastic box of choice/ plain old bowl combine arugula, tomato, onion, zucchini ,olive oil, salt, pepper and black cumin seeds. if you won't be eating this right away, don't squeeze your lemon in now so the arugula doesn't turn soggy.  

This would have been super with cubes of feta or Bulgarian cheese, or Tzfatit for you Israelienes. 

Now, I feel a little silly giving you a recipe for this one. but it was so very tasty, and so very easy to make, and that's what I'm always looking to have more of. so let's just go for some general guidelines.

Warm Quinoa Salad with chard, red onions and zucchini

In a hot skillet with olive oil, black pepper, salt and chilly flakes fry 1 small red onion that has been cut into wide strips. fry it very lightly, then add sliced zucchini and fry for additional minute or two, stirring occasionally. add about half a bunch of chard, cut into strips. fry just till wilted. 

serve over quinoa with a generous amount of lemon juice, splash of olive oil, and more salt-pepper-chilly to taste. I had a box of cooked plain quinoa sitting in the fridge so this was extra fast- I had been using it as a base for various veggie salads such as this one throughout the week. another good combo was zucchini-red onion-scallions.

Oh, and one last image:

Look at those tiles!!!!

Ahhh!! they were almost as delicious as the late night breakfast, complete with champagne cocktails, that I shared with a dear, dear friend last night. Thank you, Darling :).

Into the Great Unknown( with some Quinoa Salad)

You should always go to a concert the night before you move. Especially if it's with friends you love and given by a band you've been singing along with since the age of 19. If possible, get your Mom to help on the day of the move itself. You should probably also have breakfast together at your favorite coffee shop before you start hauling boxes around. If you're very lucky, and have yet to have found a new place, you might be able to reside in the heavenly abode of good friends ( not to be confused with the ones who jumped up and down with you last night ) who have flown off to explore America. If you are exceedingly lucky, you will end up with three fury creatures for company. here's one:

And another one:

AND an exquisitely equipped kitchen to play in. Including a well stocked fridge full of random fresh veggies and an itch for something healthy yet tasty.

Then you may just find yourself at the end of the day with a beautiful bowl of Quinoa Salad and a pleasant sense of optimism. Here's to change and the curious adventures it may hold.

Quinoa Salad

1/2 cup quinoa

handful of green beans, tips removed and cut into quarters

2 zucchinis, cut into thin strips

about a cup of fresh mint ( nana) and parsley, chopped

1/2 medium red onion, finely chopped

1/3 cup toasted pumpkin seeds

juice from 1 lemon

olive oil

salt, pepper, chili flakes

Set a large pot of water to boil- you're going to cook the Quinoa as if it were pasta. add salt to the boiling water and then the Quinoa, cook till tender but not to soft. drain and rinse with cold water, set in sieve to dry.

In the meantime, boil more water for your veggies. Blanche the zucchini and green beans shortly- about half a minute. Rinse these in cold water as well. 

Mix all your ingredients in large bowl. season with lemon juice and good amount of olive oil, salt pepper and chili. We added crumbled Goat's milk Bulgarian cheese- like feta, and it definitely added a lot. the amounts listed above were enough for a light yet filling dinner for two.

Getting started, moving on

This has been a while coming. I've been waiting for the right time to start a blog, humble and small, about the things I love and enjoy: food and the making of it, pottery, plants, handmade things and the way all these intertwine to inspire and excite me. I'm afraid that time has been evading me for a while now, so we will have to just make do with right now: I'm leaving my beloved apartment, am surrounded by a ramble-jamble of boxes, and have been itching to do this for too long. So here we go

Moving Lunch:Green Beans with Tofu, Herbs, Rice and Seaweed

One cup white rice

handfull Green Beans, tips cut off and cut into thirds

A clove of garlic, crushed

handfull of Walnuts, crushed in your hand

toasted sesame seed oil

about 1/4 package tofu, cubed

a cup of the following: cilantro, mint, scallions-chopped

a lime

chilli flakes, ground pepper, salt

Wakame Seaweed

First of all, set your rice to cook. We will have to have a lengthy discussion some day about rice cooking and the intrigues involved- but today is not that day. Suffice to say you should warm a little oil ( olive is good) in a pot, add some black pepper and enough salt to make the water you are about to add salty, add your rice and fry shortly. Then add the equivalent of 1.5 times your rice in water, bring to boil, cover and let cook for about 20 mins.

in the meantime set a pot of salted water to boil. pop the green beans in there once the water has boiled till they start turning emerald green- 30 seconds to a minute. remove and rinse with plenty of cold water

in a skillet, warm the sesame oil. add garlic, chilli, salt,pepper, walnuts-just till the nuts start getting golden, then add green beans. toss for a minute or so, remove from heat.

Now, yesterday I had this warm, and this is how it went: rice on the bottom, then green beans, then plenty of fresh chopped herbs and Tofu cubes, Wakame and a squeeze of lime it was delicious, and despite the several steps involved in preperation came together in less than an hour

this was yesterday

I had some of everything left over. so I put the beans, tofu and greens into a container and away to the fridge. The rice got to stay outside to cool and then just got left there since I thought it was cool enough in my Jerusalem apartment

Today found me packing again and once more- hungry. I mixed some rice into the mixture  in the container and topped it with wakame and lime. same as yesterday, just cold. then I dragged a chair onto my patio and ate my cold lunch out of the box. I think I may have even enjoyed it more! this makes a very refreshing salad, and the different textures work great together. try to add your wakame just before serving so it stays crisp