Farro Pilaf

Seasonal Recipe of the Pandemic
My new obsession is finding creative ways to use the miscellaneous leftovers in my fridge, which seem to be piling up at a fast rate. I guess it's because we are eating all our meals at home. Yesterday, I was looking for some ingredients to create a grain side dish and this happened and it was amazing! I got the idea to throw in an egg from my fried rice recipe and it really made it moist and delish. Here's my Mediterranean-inspired version, but get creative with whatever ingredients you have and make it your own. Enjoy!



Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large shallot, diced
2 cups cooked farro (I love the fast-cooking Faro from Trader Joe's, 10 minutes and done!)
1/2 cup full-fat feta, crumbled
1/4 cup pitted green olives
1/4 cup pitted Kalamata olives
1 roasted red pepper, skin removed
1 tablespoon capers
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 scallions, thinly sliced

Procedure
In a large pan, heat the olive oil and sauté the shallot until translucent, about 3 minutes. Then add the faro and dump in everything else except the egg and the scallions. Cook, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes until everything is hot — make sure you give the feta time to melt. Then add the raw egg and stir until it's all coated and the egg sets. Remove form heat, garnish with the scallions, and eat!

Chicken, Chorizo and Chickpea Stew

Seasonal Recipe of the Pandemic
Shopping is not what it used to be. The mandatory mask makes my glasses fog up and I now know I have bad breath, or maybe I need to wash my camouflage mask. So why not make something new that doesn't require too many difficult-to-find ingredients (like flour)? This can be made spicy if you like by your choice of Chorizo, which seems in good supply at our local Lidl market. A bit of chopping, open a couple of cans, and let the simmer do its thing. This recipe serves 2 but doubles easily. Don't know about you, but I can't stop eating!

Ingredients
6 ounces Spanish chorizo
4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into cubes
1 onion, peeled and chopped
1 bell pepper, any color, diced large
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 15-ounce can chickpeas
1 glass white wine or dry sherry
1/2 bunch parsley or cilantro (or both!), chopped
1/4 cup chopped olives

Procedure
Cut the chorizo into slices and cook gently in a medium-size pan until it renders its oil, in which you now cook the chicken cubes till they get nicely brown. Then add the onion and pepper and cook until soft. Add the garlic and paprika and stir for a minute or two, followed by the tomatoes, tomato paste, chickpeas, and wine or sherry. Simmer for 20-30 minutes then season well with salt and pepper and garnish with the parsley and/or cilantro. Serve over whatever grain you prefer/can find — we had ours over saffron rice!

Spanish Scallop Salad

Every year for my lovely sister-in-law's birthday I cook a feast for her and her family at their home on Long Beach Island. This summer I decided to make it a themed buffet of Spanish tapas! It gave me the opportunity to use authentic Spanish ingredients I bought at Despaña in Soho, as well as local island seafood, and produce from my garden. (I made about 12 different tapas for the party and plan to feature all of them in the coming months here on the blog. It was a huge success and we have already agreed on a middle eastern buffet for next summer.) I had planned to do some kind of marinated seafood salad, originally thinking of using Calamari, but when I got to our favorite local fish market and the sign said: "local scallops" I could not resist. Enjoy, and know you can use any kind of seafood you want for this dish.



Ingredients
1 1/2 lbs scallops, calamari(rinse, dry and cut into rings), or shrimp (peeled and deveined)
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon aged sherry vinegar
1/3 cup good olive oil
1 clove minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 small red onion, cut in half, then into very thin slices
1/3 cup pitted Kalamata olives
2 cups grape tomatoes, cut in half
2 ribs of celery, finely sliced
1 cup loose packed flat leaf parsley, leaves only
1/4 cup cilantro leaves (optional)

Procedure
Clean the scallops and cut them in half if large and dry them (you cannot sauté them if they are wet). Sauté scallops in a little olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper until the surface shows some small cracks, then remove from pan. If using shrimp or calamari, lightly poach them in some water, white wine, lemon juice, and herbs of your choice and then quickly cool them.

Whisk together the lime, vinegar, oil, garlic, salt, and pepper. Stir in onions and let sit 5 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the cooled seafood, olives, tomato, celery and parsley. Toss with dressing and refrigerate 1 hour before serving to allow flavors to combine. If you want extra heat, add some Aleppo pepper to the mix.

Pressed Nicoise on Baugette

Seasonal Recipe of the Week
This is the sandwich version of the salad Nicoise. You can find it in various forms all over the Mediterranean coast where it is made. And you make it ahead of time because in this case a little soggy is the plan.

Ingredients
1/2 loaf crusty French baguette
1 clove garlic, cut in half
4-6 basil leaves
1 (6oz) can Italian tuna packed in oil
3/4 cups Nicoise or Kalamata olives, sliced
1/2 cup red bell pepper, seeded and sliced thin
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup Italian flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 jar or can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped (optional)
1/4 cup blanched French green beans, sliced into thirds (optional)
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Procedure
Slice the loaf of bread in half lengthwise. Remove some of the insides of the bottom half to create a trough into which the filling will go. Brush both halves with a little extra virgin olive oil. Rub each with the garlic. Line the half with the trough with the basil leaves. In a mixing bowl, combine the tuna, olives, red bell pepper, onion, parsley, artichoke hearts and green beans. In a small bowl, whisk the lemon juice into the olive oil until it is emulsified. Pour the vinaigrette into the tuna mixture and stir to combine. Season to taste with sea salt and pepper. When you are ready to assemble; spoon tuna mixture into the trough of the baguette over the basil leaves. Wrap sandwich well in plastic. Crush it down by placing a brick or heavy cast iron skillet and refrigerate, preferably with the weight, overnight. When hungry, cut sandwich in half. It tastes better if you are in France.

Guest Monica Meehan: Hors d'oeuvres

Nice New Nibbles
For New Year's Eve, my family does a snacky-type dinner made up of appetizers. Things like shrimp cocktail, deviled eggs, those little cocktail wieners in grape jelly, pigs in a blanket, potato salad, herring salad ... This year we're doing the same. Here are a few hors d'oeuvres recipes we'll be having:

olive cheese bites

Mmmmm ... buttery, cheesy, salty!

Ingredients
1/2 cup flour
1 1/4 cup grated cheddar cheese
3 tsp milk
3 Tb melted butter
1/8 tsp salt (I omit if I'm using salted butter)
1/8 tsp dry mustard (optional)
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
30 to 40 pitted green olives, such as manzanilla

Procedure
Mix together all the ingredients, except the olives. Mold a rounded teaspoon of dough around each olive. Bake on a cookie sheet at 400 for 12 to 15 minutes, until golden brown.

These also freeze really well so you can make them ahead of time and bake later. Once you've covered the olives with the dough, put them on a cookie sheet and freeze until solid. Then you can dump the olives into a ziploc bag and keep frozen until you're ready to bake them. Don't thaw, just put directly into your 400 degree oven and bake a little longer.

chipotle and rosemary spiced nuts

This is a combination of a recipe from Ina Garten and one from David Leboviz.

Ingredients
8 cups total of your favorite mixed nuts
(you can also bulk this out with up to half the total amount of small pretzels or Chex cereal)
1/3 cup maple syrup
(real, please, none of that Aunt Jemima corn syrup stuff!)
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 Tb orange juice
2 tsp ground chipotle powder
(or less, or none, if you don't like things spicy)
4 Tb minced fresh rosemary leaves
kosher salt

Procedure
Preheat oven to 350. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper — this stuff is sticky! In a large bowl, combine nuts (and pretzels/Chex, if you're using), maple syrup, sugar, oj, and half of the rosemary. Toss to coat everything. Dump onto sheet pan, and spread out in one layer. Bake for 25 minutes, stirring twice, until nuts are glazed and golden brown. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with remaining rosemary, and salt to taste. Keep stirring as the mixture cools, so you don't end up with giant clumps. The nuts will crisp up as they cool. Serve warm, or cool completely and store in an airtight container at room temperature.

prune and walnut log

Yeah, it looks weird, but this is really yummy with a cheese plate.

Ingredients
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tb honey
zest and juice of one lemon
3/4 pound pitted prunes
3/4 pound raw walnut halves or pieces

Procedure
Combine sugar, honey, and lemon juice and zest in a small saucepan (preferably non-stick). Bring to a boil, then continue simmering until the temperature reaches the hard ball stage. Remove from heat and allow to cool enough to touch.

In a food processor, chop the prunes slightly, then add the syrup and process untill well chopped. Don't make a completely smooth paste, you want some chunks of prune left.

Turn the mix into a bowl and add the walnuts. Mix thoroughly, using a spatula, or your hands. I use my hands, but I wear those food-handling gloves — this stuff is sticky! Spread the mixture onto a big sheet of parchment paper and form into a log shape. Roll up in the parchment paper, place on a sheet pan, and bake at 250 for about 45 minutes. Let cool on sheet pan (it will be soft), then refrigerate until firm. Slice thinly and enjoy with a sharp cheddar!

stuffed peppadew peppers

This is a new one I'm trying out for New Year's Eve.

Ingredients
12 peppadew peppers
(make sure you get ones that aren't split down the side)
12 chunks of mozzarella cheese
(sized to fit in the peppers)
6 slices bacon, cut in half
12 toothpicks

Procedure
Put a chunk of mozzarella in each pepper. Wrap pepper with a half-slice of bacon and secure with a toothpick. If your bacon is thick, pre-cook it a little. Put the peppers on a rack on a sheet pan (so the bacon fat can drain off) and bake at 375 for 20 to 30 minutes, depending on how crispy you like your bacon.

Bloody Mary Salad

Seasonal Recipe of the Week
I love when a drink turns into a salad — what fun!

Ingredients
1 cup finely chopped red onion
3 tablespoons Sherry vinegar, divided
2 pounds cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup brined green olives, plus 2 tablespoons extra brine from the jar
2 tablespoons prepared white horseradish
1 tablespoon Worcestershire
1 teaspoon Tabasco
1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Procedure
Mix onion with 1 tablespoon of sherry vinegar and let sit for 10 minutes. Next add tomatoes, celery and olives. In separate bowl whisk together 2 tablespoons vinegar, olive brine, horseradish, Worcestershire, Tabasco, and celery seeds. Now slowly drizzle in olive oil mixing hard as you go. Toss with tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. May be made up to 4 hours before serving. Can also be served in a cucumber cup as a hors d'oeuvre!

Moroccan Carrot and Goat Cheese Sandwiches with Green Olive Tapenade

Seasonal Recipe of the Week
I don’t think I have ever done a sandwich recipe before but this is so yummy, exotic and simple I thought it was worth doing. The flavors are Middle Eastern and the combination of textures makes it really special. You can make all the parts ahead of time and assemble right before lunch.

Ingredients for carrots
1 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons sweet smoked paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon harissa
1 1/2 lb medium carrots (about 8)

Ingredients for tapenade
1 1/4 cups pitted green olives (6 to 7 oz)
3 tablespoons drained bottled capers, rinsed
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 flat anchovy fillet, chopped (optional)
1 teaspoon finely grated fresh lemon zest
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
6 whole wheat pita
6 oz soft mild goat cheese (3/4 cup), at room temperature

Procedure
For the carrots: whisk together sugar, lemon juice, spices, salt, and oil in a large bowl until sugar is dissolved. Halve carrots crosswise on a long diagonal, then, starting from diagonal ends, cut into thin slices. Cook carrots in a 4- to 5-quart pot of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Drain well in a colander and immediately toss with dressing. Cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally, then marinate, covered and chilled, at least 4 hours.

To make tapenade, pulse olives with capers, parsley, anchovy, zest, lemon juice, and pepper in a food processor until coarsely chopped, then scrape down sides of bowl with a rubber spatula. Pulsing motor, add oil in a slow stream and continue to pulse until mixture is finely chopped (do not pulse to a paste).

To assemble sandwiches, cut top 1/3 off pita and open up pocket. Spread tapenade on one side and goat cheese on the other side. Fill with carrots and serve. Top with some sprouts to make it even more festive.

Goat Cheese Stuffed Fried Italian Olives

Seasonal Recipe of the Week
Olives, stuffed with a savory goat cheese, breaded and fried until crisp, and topped with a shaving of sharp cheese, lemon zest, and a spritz of lemon.

Ingredients
24 large green olives, pitted
1/2 cup New Mexican goat cheese
1 teaspoon whole mustard seeds
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped fine
1/4 teaspoon Chipolte powder
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup all purpose flour
1 egg, beaten
1 cup breadcrumbs
1/3 cup Parmigiano, extra to sprinkle on top
1 cup vegetable oil
Zest and juice from one lemon, for sprinkling

Procedure
In a small bowl, mix the goat cheese, mustard seed, rosemary, Chile flakes, and garlic. Stuff the olives with the cheese mixture (I like to use my fingers, but you could also use a piping bag if you're really classy). Put the stuffed olives on a plate and refrigerate for 20 minutes, to let the cheese firm up. While the olives are chilling, heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed frying pan to 375 degrees. Set up three plates for your breading station. Put the flour on one plate, the beaten egg on the next, and mix the breadcrumbs and cheese on the last plate.

When the olives have chilled, roll half of them in the flour, then in the egg, then in the breadcrumbs and carefully drop them into the heated oil. Fry until golden brown, about one minute per side. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to drain, and repeat with the remaining olives. Pile on a plate and finish with a shower of freshly grated cheese and lemon zest and a spritz of lemon.

Pasta Puttanesca

Seasonal Recipe of the Week
Pasta Puttanesca is one of my favorite pasta dishes, and not just because the name means little whore — that’s just a fun detail. The flavors are deep and rich. It’s the anchovies, capers, and olives which combine to make a great flavor. And then there is the heat — spice not temperature, which you can adjust to your taste.

Ingredients
1 pound spaghetti, spaghettini, or linguine
5 garlic cloves, forced through a garlic press
2 teaspoons anchovy paste
1/2 teaspoon hot red-pepper flakes
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes in juice (preferably organic Italian)
1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives
2 tablespoons drained capers
Pinch of sugar
3/4 cup coarsely chopped basil

Procedure
Cook spaghetti in a pasta pot of boiling salted water (2 1/2 Tbsp salt for 6 qt water) until barely al dente. While pasta boils, cook garlic, anchovy paste, red-pepper flakes, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper in oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and pale golden, about 2 minutes. Meanwhile, purée tomatoes with juice in a blender. Add tomato purée to garlic oil along with olives and capers and simmer, stirring occasionally, until pasta is ready. Stir in sugar if desired. Drain pasta and add to sauce. Simmer, turning pasta with tongs, until pasta is al dente, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle with basil.

Turkish Lamb Kefta with Almond Tahini Sauce

Seasonal Recipe of the Week
I love lamb, especially New Mexican Lamb, so when I found this recipe for Turkish Lamb Kefta I knew I had a winner. Note: you need to make the meat mixture a day in advance.

Ingredients for meatballs
1 teaspoon Caraway seeds
1/2 teaspoon Cumin seeds
14 ounces ground lamb
1 onion grated
1 garlic clove crushed
1/2 teaspoon paprika
2 tablespoons fresh chopped mint leaves
6 black olives pitted and finely chopped

Ingredients for sauce
1/2 cup blanched almonds
1 slice white bread cut into small pieces
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Pinch Saffron threads
1 tablespoon Tahini
3 cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Procedure
Start by toasting Caraway and Cumin seeds in a hot, dry frying pan for about 15 seconds, shaking the pan constantly to keep them from burning. Next, place seeds in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle and crush to a fine powder. Then combine spices with all meatball ingredients and mix well. Using wet hands, form meat mixture into meat balls about 1 inch in diameter. Place on a plate, cover with plastic and refrigerate overnight.

To make the sauce, fry and almonds and bread cubes in the olive oil till golden in color. Transfer to a blender and add the saffron, Tahini, and 3/4 cup chicken stock and blend till smooth.

Heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan and add the meatballs, frying on all sides to seal in the flavor. Add the saffron sauce and remaining stock, bring to a boil and then turn down to a simmer and cook gently for 20 minutes till meatballs are cooked all the way through. Thin sauce with a little water if necessary. Transfer meatballs to a platter and pour sauce over the top.

Smoked Paprika Chickpeas, Moroccan Olives, and Spicy Curried Cashews

Seasonal Recipe of the Week
Its hot, I’m tired, and I need a drink. So maybe a nice little nibbly snack is in order. Here are a few great ideas which are easy, fast, tasty and not onion soup dip and cheap chips (which is not that bad sometimes)!

Smoked Paprika Chickpeas

Ingredients
1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 drizzle olive oil
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon Cumin

Procedure
Mix together, place on sheet pan roast in 350 oven for 20 minutes.

Moroccan Olives

Ingredients
1 pound Kalamata olives, pitted
1/2 cup lemon juice
2 cloves crushed garlic
1 cup chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon Harrisa (Moroccan hot sauce)

Procedure
Simply combine and let sit 1 hour in fridge before serving.

Spicy Curried Cashews

Ingredients
4 cups raw cashews
2 egg whites
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/4 teaspoon allspice

Procedure
Spray a cookie sheet well with non-stick spray. Beat up the egg whites and water and add all spices. Taste and adjust. Toss nuts in spice mixture and spread out on sheet pan. Bake for 10-15 minutes in a preheated 350 oven, or until they are nicely browned — not burnt. Let cool on sheet pan and then with a flat spatula break them off and crumble large lumps with your hands. Store in airtight container. Make martini now.

Orzo Salad with Asparagus, Olives, and Feta

Seasonal Recipe of the Week
Here’s another great salad to serve at your BBQ from Dean and Deluca's Food and Wine Cookbook. Orzo is a great pasta which looks like flat rice. Remember to put a good shot of oil in the water, as it tends to stick while cooking.

Ingredients for Salad
1 pound orzo
1 pound asparagus, cut into 3-inch pieces
2 red peppers, diced
1 red onion, diced
1 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and diced
4 ounces Feta cheese, crumbled

Ingredients for Vinaigrette
Juice of 1 lemon
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon herbs de Provence
1/2 cup EVOO
Salt and pepper to taste

Procedure
Steam or grill asparagus and set aside. Boil orzo in salted oiled water for 10-12 minutes till tender and drain well. In the meantime, make vinaigrette. Combine everything for vinaigrette but olive oil in a blender or a bowl and use a whisk to mix. Add oil in a slow, steady stream till emulsified and thick. Now combine Orzo, asparagus, peppers, onions, and olives. Drizzle in vinaigrette and taste and adjust salt and pepper. Watch the salt because Feta can be very salty! It's that simple. Garnish with some fresh chives.

Fettuccine with Prosciutto, Citrus Zest, and Black Olives

Seasonal Recipe of the Week
Today I thought we might make some pasta! Up for some carbs? This is a great dish to make for company because it goes together so fast and at the last minute. Nice with a bottle of Chianti and a crisp salad.

Ingredients
2 egg yolks
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
zest of 1 lemon
zest of 1/2 an orange
Salt and fresh pepper to taste
1 pound Fettuccine noodles
1/4 pound thin sliced prosciutto cut into julienne strips
12 oil cured pitted black olives coarsely chopped

Procedure
In a large serving bowl, combine yolks, cream, shredded Parmesan cheese, zest of lemon and orange, salt and pepper to taste. Beat slightly and set aside at room temperature. Cook the fettuccine in abundant salted water till al dente. Drain well and toss in cream mixture. Add the sliced prosicutto and the chopped black olives and adjust salt and pepper. Top with a little extra shredded cheese and serve.

Savory Olive and Mushroom Cake

Seasonal Recipe of the Week
I found this recipe a few years ago while wandering through a cookbook in a used bookstore I didn't buy. I jotted it down on a piece of scrap paper in my purse. Then I played with it and changed some ingredients and here it is...

Ingredients
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup A.P. flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
4 room temp eggs
1/2 cup white wine (Riesling or Pinot Grigio)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup sauteed diced Portobello mushrooms
salt and pepper to taste
1/8 teaspoon Mace
1 tablespoon Madiera
2 cups diced pitted green olives
1 cup shredded Gruyere cheese

Procedure
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Saute diced mushrooms in 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add Madiera, mace, salt and pepper. Set aside to cool. Combine flours, powder and salt in a large bowl. Add eggs oil and wine and stir to combine. Don’t over mix. Stir in olives, mushrooms and cheese. Spoon batter into a greased, 8-inch round cake pan. Smooth batter on top. Bake for 10 minutes at 400 and then lower oven to 350 and bake 30 minutes more or till done. You can tell it's done when cake is golden brown on top and pulls away from sides of the pan. Let cool 10 minutes and then turn out onto a plate and serve warm with a salad.