domenica berman Archives - domenica dreams of calamari

April 6, 2015April 20, 2015

Slow Cooked Lamb Curry with Chick Peas and Grilled Eggplant

I really love lamb. When I was little my parents used to make lamb burgers with blue cheese and apparently I was repulsed by them. Those days are over. Sometimes my dad says he wishes they weren’t. Lamb and eggplant are a combination made in heaven. There is a guy at the Encinitas farmers’ market that sells some great curries so that is where we got this gem but most grocery markets carry jarred curries.

1 eggplant
drizzle of olive oil/balsamic
salt/pepper
1 can chick peas
1 pound lamb shank
2 large garlic cloves
1 onion
1 jar green curry
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp powdered turmeric
1/4 tsp red chili flakes
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 can light unsweetened coconut milk
farro or rice*

drain and rinse chick peas, roughly chop garlic and onion
start heating slow cooker
once hot, melt coconut oil; add mustard seeds, turmeric, chili flakes and chopped garlic until aromatic
add curry, coconut milk, onion, chick peas and lamb and cook on low for as long as possible (8 hours)
slice eggplant and drizzle it with olive oil and balsamic then grill it and add to the stew in the last 15 minutes of cooking
garnish with some herbs

*we served it over farro and it was delicious but feel free to go traditional and use rice

April 6, 2015April 6, 2015

Spring Pasta with Scallops, Asparagus and Blood Orange

I went home for spring break last week but we were only in San Diego for 4 nights so my mom and I had to plan our menus strategically. Two nights were already taken care of because fish tacos and Cardiff Crack go without saying. Some of my favorite things that I am usually too cheap to buy while I’m at school are scallops and lamb. They both also happen to lend themselves well to spring-y dishes so those took care of our other two nights.

links to the other spring recipes: Slow Cooker Lamb with Chick Peas and Grilled Eggplant, Cabbage-Beet Tahini Slaw, Chard with Anchovy Tomato Dressing

1 box fussili pasta
1 bunch asparagus
1 blood orange (for juice and zest)
bay scallops
1 tbsp capers
1 shallot
3 tbsp olive oil
sprinkle truffle salt
2 handfuls little yellow tomatoes
4 pats butter
1 handful baby kale
3 sprigs basil
2 cups peas (preferably fresh)
splash of dry white wine (plus another bottle for drinking while cooking)
Parmesan

in a non-stick skillet melt butter over medium low heat with 1 tbsp olive oil
slice shallot and add to pan, cook on medium low heat, stirring occasionally until opaque, then remove from pan
line a pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper and put tomatoes on it, drizzle them with 1 tbsp olive oil and sprinkle with truffle salt, bake at 350°F until blistered (15 minutes-ish)
slice asparagus in 1 inch pieces and remove peas from shells if necessary
boil water and prepare an ice bath, cook them in the boiling water for 2 minutes, then transfer them to the ice bath as fast as possible
drain those guys and put them in a large mixing bowl, zest and juice the blood orange into said bowl
wash kale and basil and slice them, add to the bowl, add capers
cook pasta according to isntructions
add the remaining 2 pats butter and the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil to the shallot pan over medium high heat
add the scallops carefully
when they start turned brown on the cook-side flip them over, with tongs slide them along the bottom of the pan to absorb the toasted butter flavor
continue cooking until opaque throughout then add them into the bowl with all the other items
add a splash of white wine to the scallop pan to deglaze it and transfer that sauce to the bowl with all of the other items then add all that good stuff to the drained pasta

We had grilled shrimp on the side because grilled shrimp goes with everything.

April 6, 2015April 6, 2015

Cabbage-Beet Tahini Slaw

This is my bastardized version of Mission Chinese Food’s beautiful cabbage salad. But hey, sometimes when you’re a college student on a budget you have to pick and choose which exotic pantry items you can afford and which are just going to have to wait. I used peanuts for a crunchy element, although I would love to try it with some sort of grain. I also cut out quite a few ingredients that I couldn’t find at the local market but still thought it came out pretty good.

note: This makes a BIG salad. I wanted to use the whole cabbage in one go so I upped the dressing, the good news is it makes for great leftovers. On the other hand you can always use half a cabbage and dial down the dressing measurements.

1 head red cabbage
1 large yellow beet
1/2 cup peanuts
1/2 tbsp sesame seeds
4 tbsp tahini (you’ll definitely want a runnier tahini for this, the Whole Foods 365 one is my best friend)
2 tbsp tamari or soy sauce
2 tsp rice vinegar
1 clove garlic
8 anchovy fillets (preferable ones packed in olive oil)
juice of one lemon
2 sheets nori (like the big sushi ones)

slice cabbage and beets (I did matchstick cuts-see photo) and mince garlic
in a bowl or jar add tahini, lemon juice, minced garlic, tamari (or soy sauce) and rice vinegar and shake well
slice the anchovy fillets as finely as possible then add them to the dressing and continue shaking until combined
heat a non stick skillet over medium high heat then add the sesame seeds, make sure to keep an eye on them and continue tossing them
once they start to smell nice and turn a little brown remove them from the pan
in the same pan add the peanuts and do the same thing
rip the nori into little pieces and add it to your big bowl of cabbage and beets, add the nuts and seeds as well then pour dressing over
mix thoroughly with tongs or your hands

April 6, 2015August 1, 2016

Chard with Anchovy and Crushed Tomato Dressing

We get a lot of chard in our CSA and I always tend to steam or saute it with some garlic and vinegar or citrus. And that’s always good but this time I wanted to try something different. Chard is full of vitamins and it’s actually better wilted so it is a great vehicle for warm sauces, unlike other daintier leafy greens. Anchovies and capers give this a salty-umami Mediterranean taste and the warm yellow tomatoes balance it with a little sweetness.

1 bunch chard
4 anchovies in olive oil
15 yellow cherry tomatoes
1 lg garlic clove
splash red wine vinegar
1/2 tbsp capers
red chili flakes
pepper

slice chard off of ribs then julienne the leaves (long skinny slices), I like to roll together a few pieces then slice them to save time and make them more uniform, put chard in a mixing bowl
drain olive oil from the anchovies and heat it (the oil) over medium heat in a sauce pan
mince the garlic and add it to the pan, once garlic is opaque add anchovies and mash with the back of a fork, add red chili flakes
add capers, tomatoes and red wine vinegar then cover the pan for a minute
uncover the pan once the tomatoes appear to be deflating a bit then carefully squash them with the back of a fork (angle them away so that you don’t squirt yourself or your kitchen with hot tomato juices)
pour the sauce over the chard and cover for a couple minutes until chard is just starting to wilt, then mix it all together, finish with pepper

March 21, 2015March 21, 2015

Use-Everthing-in-the-Fridge-Before-Spring-Break Quiche

I embrace having perishables when I’m about to go out of town. It’s the ultimate motivator to use only things you have/things you have open. This week is spring break and last weekend I realized we still had quite a bit of perishable items that needed to be attended too. Luckily they were all things that lent themselves swimmingly to a Mediterranean quiche. And it worked out quite well if I do say so myself.

1 can garbanzo beans
1/4 cup pesto
olive oil (optional if pesto is oily)
2 medium sized tomatoes
1/2 clove garlic
salt (truffle salt if you have it!)
4 eggs
1 handful spinach
1/2 cup soft herb-garlic goat cheese
1/2 cooked sausage (I used garlic-gruyere)

line a baking dish with parchment and pre-heat oven to 350°F
drain and rinse garbanzo beans
dice tomatoes roughly and mince garlic
pour garbanzo beans, tomatoes, garlic, salt, pesto and olive oil (if using) into the prepared dish, stir well then bake for 20 minutes, taking out and turning occasionally
once garbanzo beans start browning, mash them with the back of a fork and add goat cheese in globs and mix in until incorporated
in a separate bowl, whisk eggs
slice spinach and add to eggs
pour the egg mix over the garbanzo bean mix and return to oven
bake for about 25 minutes or until it starts to separate from the sides of the pan and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean

March 14, 2015March 14, 2015

Pasta in Red Wine Mushroom-Tomato Sauce with Swiss Chard

There’s nothing like a hearty red sauce on a rainy day. When I was growing up my mom always used to make big batches of red sauce on rainy days (which weren’t often because I grew up in San Diego). I remember coming home to the smell of a full-bodied pasta sauce that had been simmering all day. It was like her version of baking cookies.

1 can tomatoes (diced ideally)
1 cup red wine
10 crimini mushrooms
1 large shallot
2 cloves garlic
2 pats butter
2 tbsp olive oil
salt/pepper
pasta (to serve four)
1 bunch swiss chard
1/2 cup parmesan cheese (plus more for grating)
1/4 cup saucisson (dried sausage) or prosciutto

melt butter in large pot with olive oil over medium low heat
mince garlic and slice shallot, add to the pot
slice mushrooms and add to the pot when shallots are browned
add the wine and let simmer until mushrooms turn dark brown
dice saucisson into small pieces and grate parmesan, add to the sauce
add tomatoes, cover and let cook down, stirring occasionally for about 15 minutes
cook pasta according to directions
in a medium sized pot steam swiss chard briefly, then drain and add to the sauce, grate parmesan and add to sauce then add pasta into the pot, serve with crusty bread and more parm and red wine

March 14, 2015March 14, 2015

Savory Porridge with an Egg on top

This photo doesn’t do this meal justice. It can really be breakfast, lunch or dinner. I am a big fan of slop. Indian slop, Mexican slop, Turkish slop, it seems like every culture has their own version of some mushy grain or bean

1 handful spinach
1 cup cooked steel-cut oats *
1 spoon greek yogurt
1 egg
1 tbsp dijon mustard
2 tsp capers
1/2 tomato
cracked black pepper
drizzle balsamic vinegar (optional)

cook an egg to your liking (I like sunny side up or poached)
slice spinach and tomato
in a bowl stir together oats, yogurt and mustard (sometimes I sub sriracha)
add spinach and tomatoes (or whatever other vegetable fixings you’d like)
slip the egg on top and top with capers, pepper and balsamic

*For events like this, I like to keep some cooked steel cut oats on hand. I cook them in advance and keep them in the fridge- they keep for about a week. They’re super versatile; use them for sweet or savory mush meals like this or sprinkle them over salads to make them a little more substantial.

March 14, 2015March 14, 2015

Squid, Shrimps and Clams with Parsley-Lemon Sauce

I love shell fish but it’s kind of a luxury for this college budget thing. Luckily Trader Joe’s has affordable frozen bags of good-quality shell fish to satisfy my needs. I threw together this light meal for some of my friends one night after class and it was a nice change from the normal proteins.

1 pack frozen shell fish from Trader Joe’s (thawed)
2 cloves garlic
juice of half a lemon
1 bunch parsley
2 tbsp olive oil
generous amounts black pepper
sprinkle of sea salt
1/2 tsp paprika

mince garlic and heat olive oil in a sauce pan
add garlic to the pan
once garlic turns opaque, add shell fish
cook over medium-low heat, add paprika, black pepper and salt
meanwhile, blend lemon juice, parsley and other tbsp olive oil in a food processor
take shell fish off heat once they’ve turned white
you can either stir the parsley-lemon sauce into the seafood mix or serve it on the side

February 5, 2015February 5, 2015

Tahini Roasted Veggies and Beans

tahiniveggies

I really love tahini. If you don’t know what it is, it’s a Middle Eastern paste made of ground sesame seeds and it’s delicious. It’s one of the key ingredients in hummus but I really like the roasty flavor it acquires when it is baked. It’s great baked with meat (can you say lamb?!), beans or vegetables.

10 small carrots
12 small brussels (halved)
1 lemon
1 lg garlic clove
2 tbsp tahini (depending on thickness)
1 tsp cumin
1 tbsp tamari (can substitute soy sauce)
1/4 cup cannelini beans
1 tbsp water
olive oil
black pepper

in a small bowl mix tahini, tamari, cumin, lemon juice and water
pre-heat oven to 350°F
mince garlic and add to the sauce, juice half of the lemon into the sauce as well
line a baking dish and spread the carrots, beans and brussels in it; drizzle them with a little olive oil and sprinkle with pepper
pour tahini sauce over everything
bake for 20 minutes or until tahini starts turning golden brown and brussels are roasted to your liking

February 5, 2015February 5, 2015

Cardamom Coffee Cake

This cake isn’t for the faint of heart. I have an unusual affinity for cardamom, unearthed through my addiction to Lofty Bean‘s killer cardamom lattés. If you don’t (or haven’t discovered it yet), you may want to scale down the cardamom in this recipe. It’s also not very sweet so you may want to scale up the sugar or honey. I’m not a precise baker. At all.

Don’t be put off by the chick peas. You’re probably saying what are legumes doing in your coffee cake, but they don’t have a very strong flavor and actually meld really well with earthy spices (cardamom!) or nuts (that’s for another post). That said, don’t expect a spongy, traditional coffee cake. This version is pretty dense but tasty and packed with protein.

1/2 can chick peas
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk
4 tsp cinnamon
3 tsp cardamom
2 cups roughly chopped walnuts (reserve 1/2 cup for streusel)
1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
2 1/2 tbsp greek yogurt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 heaping tbsp honey
1 tbsp coconut sugar (or brown sugar)
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt

pre-heat oven to 350°F
blend chick peas until smooth in a food processor
add greek yogurt, honey and coconut milk and blend until incorporated
transfer to a bowl and mix in 2 tsp of cinnamon, cardamom, 1/4 cup of the shredded coconut, baking powder, flour and salt
transfer the gooey mixture to a lined loaf pan
bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean; meanwhile, in another small bowl mix together the other two tbsp cinnamon, 1/4 shredded coconut, sugar and 1/2 cup chopped walnuts for the streusel
remove bread from oven when ready and spread the streusel over the top and continue baking for 4 minutes (keeping an eye on the walnuts so they don’t burn)