Cauliflower Steak with Cauliflower Purée

On the other side of the spectrum from the previous post, I knew I had to try making Dan Barber's Cauliflower Steak with Cauliflower Purée as soon as I saw it on Food52.  I've always liked cauliflower but never gotten it in any Boston Organics deliveries.  Seeing this recipe made me decide to stop waiting and go out and buy some (and luckily, cauliflower's on sale at Trader Joe's at the moment).

I knew the name Dan Barber sounded familiar to me, but I couldn't quite figure out how I had heard of him until I remembered that his TED talk on foie gras was the first TED talk I ever watched!  I've also watched his TED talk on fish, and I would highly suggest watching them both.  I don't know; there's just something about the way he talks--it's simple but also so very sincere.  You won't regret it.

Anyways, back to this dish, which is really all about the cauliflower.  You can get two nice, inch-thick "steaks" out of a head of cauliflower, which are then caramelized on a hot pan.  The rest of the florets are cooked in milk and water and then puréed in a blender.  Even though there's a bare minimum of ingredients, the two different cooking techniques make a pretty big difference in the taste of the two preparations of cauliflower.  Plus, it looks really cool plated!

I decided to finish the dish with a sprinkle of truffle salt--not enough to overpower the delicate cauliflower flavor, but just enough to keep it out of the boring territory.

Cauliflower Steak with Cauliflower Purée (adapted from Food52)
serves 2

One 1 1/2 lb. head of cauliflower
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons oil plus more for brushing
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Truffle salt (optional)

 
Heat oven to 350°F. Using sharp heavy knife and starting at top center of cauliflower head, cut two 1-inch-thick slices of cauliflower, cutting through stem end. Set cauliflower steaks aside.

 
Cut enough florets from remaining cauliflower head to measure 3 cups. Combine florets, water, and milk in medium saucepan, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bring to boil and cook until cauliflower florets are very tender, about 10 minutes. Strain, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid.

 
Transfer florets to blender. Add half of the reserved 1 cup cooking liquid and purée until smooth. Add more of the liquid if desired, and purée again. Return purée to same saucepan.

 
Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in heavy large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Brush cauliflower steaks with additional oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

 
Add cauliflower steaks to skillet and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Cover the pan with a splatter screen, if you have one.  Transfer skillet to oven and bake cauliflower steaks until tender, about 10 minutes.

 
Rewarm cauliflower purée over medium heat. Divide purée between two plates; top each with cauliflower steak.  Sprinkle a pinch of truffle salt on top and serve.

 
Personally, I would have liked a little more acid in the dish; maybe a reduction of balsamic vinegar drizzled over the top.  It would make a nice striking contrast against all the white, too!

 
Three years ago:  Faux Momofuku Brussels Sprouts
Four years ago: Boston Cream Cupcakes, One Avocado Ice Cream

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Jjajungmyeon (Korean Black Bean Noodles)

Apparently, Valentine's Day is celebrated by singles in South Korea by getting together and eating jjajungmyeon.  I asked a Korean friend about this tradition, and he said that it's because, like spaghetti, it's one of those dishes that you don't want to eat on a date because it can get really messy.  Good enough for me.

When I found out that some of my friends were going to go to a Korean restaurant to eat this last Thursday, I was like, you know it's really easy to make at home, right?  Which somehow turned into me making a last minute Asian grocery store run and hosting 4 single guys on Valentine's Day.  Sigh.

That same Korean friend pointed me to this recipe saying that it's pretty authentic except that he fries the sauce separately from the rest of the ingredients and then adds it in.  Which I guess is where the name of the dish comes from; it literally translates to "fried sauce noodles".  There's a Chinese version of this dish too, but it uses a soybean paste versus the black bean paste that's used in the Korean version.

The traditional noodles used for this dish are flat white wheat noodles, similar in shape to fettuccine.  If you can't find them, you can try substituting with fettuccine, but you'll want to cook the noodles past al dente so that they're pretty soft (but not falling apart).

 
Jjajungmyeon (adapted from Maangchi)
serves 6

4 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
1 medium daikon radish, diced into 1 cm cubes (about 2 cups worth)
2 medium zucchinis, diced into 1 cm cubes (about 2 cups worth)
2 medium potatoes, diced into 1 cm cubes (about 2 cups worth)
4 small onions, chopped
Heaping 1/2 cup of jjajung (Korean fermented black bean paste)
2 tablespoons corn starch
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons sesame oil
Jjajungmyeon noodles, cooked

 
Heat a large pan on medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil.  Once the oil is hot, add the cubed daikon and stir fry for about a minutes.

 
Add the diced zucchini, potato, and onions and stir fry until the potato is translucent, about 5 minutes.

 
In the meantime, in a small sauce pan, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil.  Add the jjajung and stir fry for about a minute.

 
Add the fried sauce to the vegetables and add four cups of water.  Once the sauce is boiling, lower the heat, cover the pan, and cook until the vegetables are cooked through, about 10 minutes.

 
Mix the cornstarch and sugar in 1/4 cup of water.  Add to the sauce and stir until it thickens.  Add the sesame oil and mix.

 
Portion out the cooked noodles into large bowls.  Top with the sauce and mix well.

 
I think the best part about this dish is how cheap it is; I spent less than $15 to feed all five of us, plus I had enough leftovers for one more meal!

Three years ago:  Nutella Ice Cream
Four years ago: New England Clam Chowda and Homemade Oyster Crackers

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Potato Dominoes

I've made potatoes french fried, hashed, crashed, mashed on a pizza, and even mashed in a St. Patrick's Day maki roll, but never have I ever heard of making them dominoed before.  Then all within the span of one day, I read two separate posts about Francis Mallmann's Potato Dominoes.  Coincidence?  I think not.

They're basically potatoes cut into rectangular blocks, then sliced thinly into something like a deck of cards.  Then they're roasted with clarified butter and some salt.  That's it!

The great thing about making potatoes this way is that it totally works for potatoes that may have been sitting around a little too long.  You know the ones I'm talking about--the ones that have little (or maybe not so little) growths in the eyes--the same ones that you may just throw away in a couple of days.  The genius of this recipe is that in order to get the potatoes into that block shape, you end up cutting off a lot of the outside.  While with normal potatoes this would seem like a waste (although you could always save them to make oven fries or loaded potato skins), with the old, squidgy potatoes, you'd be cutting all that off anyways!

 
Potato Dominoes (adapted from Seven Fires:  Grilling the Argentine Way)
serves 1-2

1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 lb. potatoes
Coarse salt

 
Make clarified butter by slowly melting the butter in a small heavy saucepan over medium-low heat; do not stir.

Remove from the heat and carefully spoon off any foam from the top.

 
Carefully pour the clear liquid butter into a small container, leaving behind the solids in the pan.  Once cool, the clarified butter can be refrigerated for weeks.

Preheat oven (with the rack positioned in the center of the oven) to 400°F.  Line a rimmed baking sheet with a Silpat.

 
Cut off the two ends of a potato. Trim the 4 sides of the potato to form an even brick.

 
Slice the potato about 1/8 inch thick on a mandoline.

 
Stack the slices together like a deck of cards.  Tilt the stack over at an angle and lay on the prepared baking sheet.  Dot the top and sides with 1 tablespoon of the clarified butter.

 
Sprinkle with salt to taste. Repeat with the remaining potatoes, keeping the stacks at least 2 inches apart.

 
Bake for 40 minutes or until the potatoes are browned on the edges and tender in the middle when tested with a skewer. Serve immediately.

 
At first I couldn't understand how Food52 got their potato dominoes to look so browned but then I realized they just flipped them over!

These turned out exactly as promised:  crispy at the edges and yet somehow still creamy in the middle.  I loved that each slice was cooked through; I really hate the taste and texture of undercooked potato.  I'd love to try this with maybe a sprig of rosemary or thyme laid across the top of each stack or maybe even with duck fat instead of the butter.

Four years ago:  Tomato and Eggs over Rice, Cassava Heavy Cake

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Three Bean Chili

Here's another healthy recipe full of fiber that will make you feel better after eating it.  It's even vegan (if you don't add cheese or sour cream), but I always feel full after eating it.  I used to make this at church along with polenta for hundreds of people, and no one ever complained for the lack of meat (although more than a few didn't eat the polenta because they didn't know what it was).

I've taken the recipe from PETA and added three secret ingredients, adobo seasoning, liquid smoke, and chipotle peppers in adobo, to give it some real depth of flavor.  Well, I guess the ingredients aren't that secret anymore.  =)  Start with just a little bit of peppers, taste, and then add more because a little goes a long way.

 
The recipe is pretty forgiving.  I've had to substitute crushed tomatoes and whole tomatoes for the diced tomatoes before.  Once I even used salsa instead of some of the tomatoes, and it still turned out okay.  I've made this with dried beans before, but it's a lot easier to make it with canned beans.  The original recipe calls for 2 parts kidney beans to 1 part pinto beans, but I substitute a can of black beans in for half the kidney beans to give it more color.

Three Bean Chili (adapted from PETA)
serves 6

2 tablespoons canola oil
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup chopped white onion
Red pepper flakes, to taste
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon adobo seasoning
1 teaspoon oregano
1 bay leaf
28-oz. can diced fire-roasted tomatoes
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 1/2 cups vegetable stock
6 oz. tomato paste
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
16 oz. can pinto beans, drained
16 oz. can kidney beans, drained
16 oz. can black beans, drained
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
Chipotle peppers in adobo, chopped, to taste

 
Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat.  Add the garlic and onion and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes.

 
Add the red pepper flakes, chili powder, and cumin and cook for an additional 2 minutes, or until fragrant.

 
Add the adobo seasoning, oregano, bay leaf, tomatoes, soy sauce, stock, tomato paste, and vinegar, then bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

 
Add the beans and simmer 15 minutes longer to heat through and blend flavors.  Add more water, if necessary, or cook longer to reach desired consistency.  Add the liquid smoke and chopped chipotle peppers and stir to combine.

 
You can serve this with shredded cheese, sour cream, avocado slices, and chopped green onions.  I like to eat this with Fritos, brown rice and lime-flavored tortilla chips, or fried polenta. You can find tubes of pre-cooked polenta at Trader Joe's and just slice and pan fry it.  The chili freezes well, so go ahead and make a big pot!

Three years ago:  Kettle Corn

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Green Smoothies

If you, like me, have eaten a little too many rich foods this past long weekend, try a cleansing green smoothie for breakfast or as a snack.  I discovered these over a year ago and love how good you feel after drinking one.  It packs a ton of nutrients and fiber, and even though it looks a little weird, is actually really delicious!

I recommend starting off with spinach as your leafy grean because I've found it to have the least strong "green" flavor.  In fact, if your eyes were closed, you probably wouldn't even suspect that there were any vegetables in the smoothie.  I've made these with lettuce, chard, and kale before, too, and while you will taste them more, it's still pretty yummy.

I get a bunch of bananas from Boston Organics with each delivery and usually let them ripen until they're a nice, evenly spotted brown, and then throw them whole and unpeeled into the freezer.  I used to peel them and cut them up into chunks before putting them in a freezer bag, but I found that the banana chunks would get discolored quickly that way.  When you freeze the bananas whole, the skin will turn brown, but once you peel them you'll see that the fruit itself is still unblemished.  It can be a little difficult to peel a frozen banana, so I usually let it thaw a few minutes, then lop off the ends, make a lengthwise cut, and try to peel it from the cut.  The advantage of using a frozen banana is that you don't have to add ice, which would just add volume and dilute the smoothie.

I've used a lot of different fruits before:  orange segments, kiwis, strawberries, grapes, apples, pears, plums, blueberries, raspberries, etc. and it always tastes great.  I started off using soy or almond milk as the liquid, but eventually found that I could get away with just using plain water, and it still tasted great.  If you have leftover coconut "water" from making coconut whipped cream, it makes an excellent liquid base.

I like to add chia seeds for some protein and omega-3 fatty acids, but if you don't have any, the smoothies are still good.  In the beginning, you may like to add some nut butter, like peanut butter or almond butter, for taste and protein, but I've found it's easier just to add sliced almonds since blended almonds is basically what almond butter is anyways.

I guess what I'm essentially saying is that as long as you have some greens, a frozen banana, and one or two other fruits, you're good to go.  Sometimes if I'm in the mood for something more chocolatey, I'll add some cocoa powder.  Have fun experimenting and seeing what your favorite combinations are!

 
Green Smoothies
makes 1 large smoothie

1 large handful leafy greens (like spinach, kale, chard, or lettuce)
1 tablespoon chia seeds, sliced almonds, or nut butter
About a cup of cut up fruit (see the 4th paragraph above for suggestions)
1 frozen banana, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup liquid (water, almond milk, soy milk, coconut milk, etc.)

 
Place the greens in the bottom of the blender.

 
Add the chia seeds/almonds/nut butter and then the fruit.

 
Top with the frozen banana chunks.

 
Lastly, pour the liquid over everything.

 
Start the blender off on low and quickly bring it up to high, making sure that everything is blending nicely.  If needed, stop the blender and tap the container to get rid of air bubbles.

 
Blend for a minute or longer until everything is smooth.  Pour into a large glass and drink immediately.

 
A note about blenders:  I have a Vitamix, which I love dearly.  It blends everything so easily, and it's really easy to wash!  Sure, it's pricey, but if you end up using it as much as I do, it's so worth it in the end.  I don't have any experience making a green smoothie in a regular blender, but hopefully it will work okay in those, too.

Three Years Ago:  Apple-Pear-Cranberry Crisp

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Crispy Kale Pizza

If I hadn't already restarted this blog after making the Caramelized Onion and Swiss Chard Quiche, I would have done so after making this--it's that good.  It's pizza week over at The Kitchn, and I just happened upon this post for garlicky kale as a pizza topping.  I had a bunch of kale sitting in my fridge from my latest Boston Organics delivery so I thought I'd try it out.  I also had some onions, so I thought I'd add some crispy, burnt onions à la Mark Bittman.  The thin crust pizza dough recipe is the same that I've used before for Chicken Masala Pizza, and comes from The Kitchn, as well.

 
Crispy Kale Pizza
makes two 10" pizzas

For the dough:
3/4 cups (6 ounces) lukewarm water
1 teaspoon active-dry or instant yeast
2 cups (10 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour (I substituted in a half cup of white whole wheat flour)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt

For the pizza:
1 bunch kale
2 garlic cloves
2 small onions
Olive oil
Kosher salt
Black pepper
Shaved parmesan cheese (not the kind that you shake out of the green can)

Set the oven to 500°F or as hot as it will go and let it heat for at least a half an hour before making the pizza. If you have a pizza stone, put it in the lower-middle part of the oven now.

Combine the water and yeast in a mixing bowl, and stir to dissolve the yeast. The mixture should look like thin miso soup. Add the flour and salt to the bowl and mix until you've formed a shaggy dough. Knead for 5 minutes (I used my stand mixer and the dough hook).

 
Cover the dough with a moist towel and let rise for an hour.  (According to the recipe, you can skip the wait and go ahead and use the pizza dough now, but you might as well let it rise while you prepare the toppings.)

 
In the meantime, wash and tear up the kale into bite-sized pieces.  Dry well (I used a salad spinner) and dress with a few glugs of olive oil; add salt and black pepper to taste.

 
Mince or press 2 garlic cloves and add to the kale.  Mix well and set aside.

 
Slice the onions into thin rings.  Heat a non-stick pan on medium high and add the onions.  Stir occasionally, and once the onions start to blacken and stick, add a little olive oil.  Continue to stir and cook the onions, adding a little more olive oil when dry, until crispy and slightly burnt.

When ready to make the pizza, tear off two pieces of parchment paper roughly 12-inches wide. Divide the dough in two. You can refrigerate this dough (covered in olive oil) for up to 3 days at this point. Working with one piece of the dough at a time, form it into a large disk with your hands and lay it on the parchment paper.

Work from the middle of the dough outwards, using the heel of your hand to gently press and stretch the dough until it's about 1/4 of an inch thick or less. For an extra-thin crust, roll it with a rolling pin. If the dough starts to shrink back, let it rest for five minutes and then continue rolling.

Spoon a few tablespoons of olive oil into the center of the pizza and use the back of a spoon to spread it out to the edges.

 
Add half of the crispy, burnt onions.

 
Pile on half the kale.  (It will seem like a lot, but don't worry, the kale will shrink a lot in the oven.)

 
Top with a few shavings of parmesan cheese.

Using a bread peel or the backside of a baking sheet (I used a flexible cutting board), slide your pizza (still on the parchment) onto the baking stone in the oven. If you don't have a baking stone, bake the pizza right on the baking sheet.

Bake for about 5 minutes and then rotate the pizza. Bake for another 3 to 5 minutes until the crust is golden-brown and the cheese looks toasty.

Remove the pizza from oven and let it cool on a wire rack. Repeat with shaping, topping, and baking second pizza.

Let both pizzas cool for about five minutes before slicing and serving.

I really loved how all the ingredients came together in this pizza.  The pizza crust was thin enough to get a nice crunch but still has some chew.  I was surprised to find that the kale crisped up almost as much as kale chips, and the onions added a nice sweetness while the parmesan added a good shot of umami.  I only made one of the pizzas and stored half of the dough in the fridge, but I'm definitely going to be making this again very soon.

Update:  I've made this pizza again using Ken Forkish's Same Day Straight Dough Pizza Dough.  That dough is so much better!

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