Yottam Ottolenghi Favorites Round-up {and Cauliflower Soup w/ Mustard Croutons}

It's that time of year when I Heart Cooking Clubs says goodbye to one chef and hello to another.  This is our last week cooking with Yotam Ottolenghi.  Truthfully, I didn't know who the heck he was.  Contrary to what you no doubt think, I am not hip like that.

I know!  I just blew your mind.  Pretty much like Ottolenghi blew my mind with the Mustard Croutons that float on top of his Cauliflower Soup.

 

Whoa, these were good.  So good I made myself sick snacking on them before the soup was ready.  Seriously.  I ate so many my stomach was feeling kind of floppy.

But I had to, you understand.  It turns out these croutons didn't keep very well--they were soft and chewy the next day (although still tasty).  So, really, I was doing my family a favor by not subjecting them to too many soft, chewy leftover croutons.

I will always take one for the team when Mustard Croutons are involved.

The Low Down: the soup was just soup.  It was fine.  Though there are other cauliflower soups I prefer, the croutons were special.  So mustardy, tangy, addictive.  All three of us thought they were great.  I did have a hard time achieving that crouton crunch (which is probably why they were soft and chewy the next day), but they could have the texture of a soggy sponge for all I care as long as they taste like they taste.

The soup and crouton recipes can be found HERE.  The only changes I made were to use a mixture of 2 Tbsp Dijon and 1 Tbsp Creole Mustard for the croutons.  Also added some chopped chives and dill to the crouton mixture.

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Over the past 6 months, my Top Five Ottolenghi recipes were...

#5 Turkey and Zucchini Burgers with Green Onion and Cumin 

I'm not usually one to turn to turkey when making burgers, but these changed my mind.  The sour cream sauce didn't hurt a thing either.

#4 Okra Fritters w/ Creamy Remoulade Sauce

This was a really fun thing to do with okra--which may not be everyone's favorite, but let's face it, fried food with a good dipping sauce rocks.

#3 Sweet Potato Cakes

When it was announced that we would be cooking the recipes of Ottolenghi, I was kinda iffy.  Never mind that I'm always iffy when there's a change going down.  Just forget that.

YO's Sweet Potato Cakes was one of the first recipes I tried for this round of IHCC and it was one of the best.

#2 Fried Cauliflower w/ Pine Nuts, Capers, & Chilies

This dish, with eye-popping red accents, has a fantastic paste made with capers, garlic, and parsley.

#1 Broccoli & Gorgonzola Pie

I can't say enough about this pie.  

Although it isn't the healthiest YO recipe, I thought it was the best.

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Next week we say Hey, Donna Hay!  If you'd like to join in, please visit I Heart Cooking Clubs for the details.
 

Eggplant: Hate-Love Relationship {Eggplant and Lemon Risotto}

I could tell you that I'm on another ingredient kick.

But, really, it's just poor planning.

The risotto from last week was more about the tomatoes.  This time around, it's about the eggplant.

Purple.  Purple-black. Green.  White.  Striped.  Short and round.  Long and skinny.

As a child, it didn't matter which variety was on my plate.  I wouldn't touch any of them.

Eggplant.  Even the name is weird.  Ugly.  Unpolished.  

Instigator of rounds and rounds of dinner table fussing and whining and fit-pitching.  

The cause of bed without dessert.

Eggplant, I despised you.  Denier of ice cream and Oreos.
Thick skin impervious to my hatred, you appeared in the garden each summer.  

Worse, on the table.

Dark purple eggplant should have appealed to me.  As a little girl, purple was my favorite color--I once asked my dad to dye his beard purple.  But I knew once cooked, grey-green goop would sit on my plate.

Eggplant was truly one of the dark marks on my childhood dinners.
A few summers ago when The Boy spent a week with my parents, they fed him eggplant.  He ate it without tears and fighting...he loved it even.  He wanted me to cook it at home.  The next summer he wanted me to grow it in the garden.

The things we do to our parents.  And for our children.

Because of The Boy, eggplant and I are no longer on such unfriendly terms.  I now like it grilled, roasted, and fried.  And "burnt" like the method used in Yotam Ottolenghi's Eggplant and Lemon Risotto.

This is actually the first Ottolenghi recipe I tried, but I didn't realize it.  I found it on my friend Sue's blog a couple of years ago, so I just thought of it as hers.

The original recipe can be found HERE.
I took some shortcuts with it, like cooking both eggplant the same way instead of saving one for chunks of garnish.  But I think the original flavors still come through--smoky eggplant and sharp lemon.  Really good dish!

This week's I Heart Cooking Clubs Theme is "You Made Me Love (or at least like) You"
and is all about food you hated as a child, but like or love now.
How could I not pick eggplant?

Also linking with Chaya's My Meatless Mondays

Broccoli and Gorgonzola Pie

I was on a blue cheese kick for a while.

It started with this Summer Salad w/ Blackberry Vinaigrette.  There was leftover blue cheese.  So I made blue cheese burgers.  But then I wanted more salad and had to buy more blue cheese.  There was leftover blue cheese again.  So I decided to make Broccoli & Gorgonzola Pie.

Which led to buying more blue cheese.  And more leftover blue cheese afterwards.
Such is the (stinky) circle of life of my fridge contents.

You'd think the blue cheese (which I prefer to gorgonzola) would be the dominant part of this pie.  But for me it was the creamy base of leeks, heavy cream, chives, and grainy mustard.  I used Creole Mustard.

I had trouble not eating this mustardy mix with a spoon.

I used garlic chives since that's what I had an abundance of.  I didn't bother sealing the layers of puff pastry together and I didn't use an egg wash over the top (I don't like that eggy taste).

Broccoli & Blue Cheese Pie from Yotam Ottolenghi's Plenty

(I have the Kindle version--just under $10)

The husband and I loved this pie.  The Boy...I didn't bother to offer him any because he doesn't like savory pies and tarts.  They are "too rich" for his taste.

I look forward to my next blue cheese kick.  This pie will top the list of things to make.

Print It

Broccoli & Blue Cheese Pie
slightly adapted from Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi

1 package puff pastry (2 sheets), thawed
about 1 lbs broccoli florets
2 tbsp butter
3 leeks, trimmed and thinly sliced
2/3 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup chopped garlic chives
3 Tbsp Creole mustard
1 tsp salt
black pepper
7 oz blue cheese crumbles

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Roll out one of the puff pastry sheets into a circle so that it fits a 9-10 inch tart pan.  Place the pastry in the tart pan and remove excess pastry.  Roll out the second sheet of pastry about the same size as the first.  This will be the top of the pie.  Freeze both the pastry in the tart pan and the top pastry for about 10 minutes.

Line the pastry in the pan with parchment paper and fill it with baking beans. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until light brown. Remove the paper and beans and return to the oven to bake for about 5 more minutes.  Set aside.

Meanwhile, boil the broccoli for about 2 minutes, or until crisp-tender  Drain and set aside to dry. Melt the butter in a pan over medium heat and cook the leeks for about 10, or until softened.  Stir in the cream, water, chives, mustard, salt, and black pepper.

Spread the leek mixture on the bottom layer of puff pastry.  Press the broccoli into the leek mixture. Scatter the blue cheese over the broccoli and leek mixture.  Place the second sheet of puff pastry on top.  Seal if desired.  Trim off any excess pastry. Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown. Allow to cool a little before removing from the pan and serving.



Linking with

Ottolenghi "Pies & Tarts" @ I Heart Cooking Clubs



 

IHCC August Potluck {Cucumber Salad w/ Smashed Garlic & Ginger}

Around here, there's hardly a potluck to be found without a cucumber salad.  Especially this time of year.  Sometimes they're super tart from vinegar.  Sometimes they're more on the sweet side with sugar added.  Personally, I like cucumber salad on the tart side.  With lots of black pepper.

Cucumber Salad w/ Smashed Garlic & Ginger from Yotam Ottolenghi's Plenty is like no cucumber salad I've had before.  The rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, ginger, and sesame seeds made me think of Asian flavors--like an Asian style slaw.

I forgot what we ate with them (it's been a while), but pairing these cucumbers with a spicy dish would be a good move.

I Heart Cooking Clubs is hosting its monthly potluck.  Recipes from our current chef, Yotam Ottolenghi, or any past IHCC chef are welcome.

 
   

Print It

Cucumber Salad with Smashed Garlic and Ginger
adapted from Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi

Dressing:
3 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 tsp sugar
2 Tbsp salad oil
2 tsp toasted sesame oil

Salad:
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
2 inches fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
1 tsp sea salt
2 large garlic cloves, peeled
2 medium cucumbers
1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds
1 Tbsp chopped parsley

Whisk together all the dressing ingredients in a large mixing bowl.  Toss in the sliced onion and set aside for about 30 minutes.  Place the ginger and garlic on a cutting board and sprinkle with the salt.  Mince the garlic and ginger, allowing the salt to help break them down, but not into a paste.  Scrape the garlic, ginger, and salt into the dressing bowl and stir.  Cut the cucumbers lengthways in half, then cut each half into thin half moons. Add the cucumber, most of the sesame seeds (save a few pinches for garnish), and the parsley to the bowl.  Mix everything and taste for salt.  Let sit 10-15 minutes.  Sprinkle the reserved sesame seeds over the top and serve.

Nuts & Seeds {Aubergine and Parsley Pesto}

I hate it when everything comes together.
Said no one ever.

This week's I Heart Cooking Clubs theme is "Nuts & Seeds."  I'm using pine nuts...an ingredient that's referred to as a nut, but is really a seed.

See how that worked out all nice and neat?

My garden has recently decided to crank out all of its eggplant.  At one time.  We've made Eggplant Parmesan.  We've made ratatouille.  Grilled eggplant sandwiches.  I needed a new idea.  Preferably one that wouldn't use the oven.  And wouldn't require me to run to the store.

Along comes Yotam Ottolenghi's Aubergine & Parsley Pesto.  I had everything...or could make do.  The recipe uses Ottolenghi's "burnt aubergine" method.  All my IHCC buddies are raving about it and my friend Sue @ Couscous & Consciousness adapted this method for the grill.  (No running the oven when the heat index is 107 F.  Thank you, Sue!)

Everything came together in one perfect package.

On bread!

Ottolenghi suggests using this pesto for pasta or bruschetta.

I really, really liked this.  The eggplant was creamy and incredibly smoky.  It lended almost a meaty flavor and texture to the pesto.

The guys did not like it.  One thought it looked gross.  The other really wanted more ratatouille.  Oh well.  It worked for me.

Notes:
The original recipe can be found HERE.
My pine nut supply was a little short--I used a mix of pine nuts and pecans from my freezer.  My parsley is being taken over by butterfly larvae, so I had to use a mix of parsley and basil.  Pecorino would have required an hour drive.  Parmesan required a couple of steps.

 

 

Print It

Aubergine and Parsley Pesto
adapted from Yotam Ottolenghi

4 medium aubergines
1/3 c pine nuts
1/3 cup pecans or walnuts
2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
3/4 c parsley leaves
1 sprig basil
1 tbsp fresh oregano leaves
1/2 cup olive oil
heaping 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat a grill to medium high.  Cut a few slashes into the skin of the aubergines and place on the hot grill.  Grill for about 20 minutes, turning, until the skins have turned black and charred.  When cool enough to handle, remove the charred skins and place the flesh in a colander to drain.

Place the pine nuts, pecans or walnuts, garlic, parsley, basil, and oregano in a food processor.  Process until well chopped.  Add the oil and process until the mixture is smooth.  Transfer to a bowl and fold in the cheese and aubergine flesh.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Can be stored in the refrigerator, well sealed, for five days.

Serve tossed into pasta or on top of toasted bread.

Okra Fritters w/ Creamy Remoulade Sauce {Mezze Madness w/ I Heart Cooking Clubs}

Almost the entire summer has passed without much of anything Cajun, Creole, or southern appearing on the blog.  Does it matter?  Probably not.  But I have some guilt each time I look at my masthead.

 

I just haven't felt it.  And I have to feel it to write about it.  No sparks.  No epiphanies.  No brilliance.

Still no epiphanies or brilliance, but when I found this Spicy Okra Fritter recipe from Yotam Ottolenghi there was a spark.

Love it or hate it, summer in the south means tons of okra.  It's one of the few things that will keep on chuggin through the heat.  Using the Spicy Okra Fritter recipe as a guide, I put a little south Louisiana into it by nixing the exotic spices and flavoring my fritters with Tony's Creole Seasoning and hot sauce.

Then it came to me...making a creamy Creole remoulade for dipping.
Ok.  That was brilliance.

I had trouble with some of the ingredient quantities--particularly the water.  As the original recipe is written, the batter was much too thick and I had to double the water.  Overall, these fritters were good.  Would make them again.  The recipe doesn't have a high yield, but the fritters are dense so you aren't going to be eating a lot.

Mezze Madness is our theme @ I Heart Cooking Clubs this week.  Even though I made the Okra Fritters as a side dish for Shrimp Etouffee, they would also be good as an appetizer.

Print It

Okra Fritters w/ Creamy Remoulade Sauce
inspired by Yotam Ottolenghi's Spicy Okra Fritters

18-20 small, tender okra pods, thinly sliced crosswise, ends trimmed
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp Tony's Creole Seasoning
¾ tsp chilli flakes
1 tbsp grated lemon zest
½ tsp salt
Black pepper to taste
a few shakes of hot sauce (to taste)
About 2/3 cup cold water
Vegetable oil, for frying

Start heating about 1/2" of vegetable oil in a large skillet.

Place sliced okra in a large bowl.  Add the rest of the ingredients except for the water, hot sauce and oil.  Mix.  Add the hot sauce and slowly stir in the water until a batter forms.  The batter should not be runny, but should be spoonable.

When the oil is hot, spoon mounds (about serving spoon size) of the batter into the pan  Cook until golden brown, carefully turn, and cook until the second side is golden.  Serve as is or with creamy remoulade sauce (below).


Creamy Remoulade Sauce

2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 Tablespoons vinegar
2 Tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon prepared horseradish
2 Tablespoons Creole mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
2-3 Tablespoons green onions, finely chopped
1 Tablespoons parsley, minced

Thoroughly whisk the first 7 ingredients (through paprika).  Stir in the celery, green onion, and parsley.  Refrigerate--better if made ahead.

 Also linking with: