Roasted Broccoli

While visiting my goat friends today, I was talking to their overseer about the affect nature can have on us during these unusual days. Life as we knew it has nearly come to a halt, and it seems it's going to be a fairly long road back to what we think of as normal. Meanwhile, nature carries on without missing a beat, and in some cases is better off without us. The goats continue to take their daily walk in the meadow, give birth, and eat on their normal schedule. Spring takes hold. The chipmunks have become active, scurrying about. The rain falls and the wind blows. The woodpeckers search for their next meal within the tree bark. Flowers bloom. Green plants emerge on the forest floor. The male cardinal radiates its deep red from within the white blossoms of a tree. It's all happening whether or not we are going to work, attending our kids' soccer games, eating at restaurants or going to the theater. The rhythms of the natural world continue and there is comfort in that. Life can feel pretty scary right now as the death toll climbs, information is coming at us at even a faster pace than usual, and the future is so uncertain. Most days I try to take the same trail walk and take note of the small changes that have taken place from the day before. It reminds me that I am also a part of this beautiful and powerful system. The other systems, organizations and structures I am associated with may be on hold for the time being, but I can still rely on this one.

I can also still rely on getting fresh produce, for which I am very thankful. Putting together a few simple ingredients that together create a tasty dish is one of life's best simple pleasures. Roasting any vegetable in olive oil, salt and pepper typically produces good results. Add some lemon juice and cheese to this one and you've got yourself a lovely side dish to your entree.

Roasted Broccoli
1 large head of broccoli, cut into florets of similar size
about 1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
juice from 1/2 lemon
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 425.
2. Spread the broccoli florets out in a baking sheet in a single layer. Sprinkle the garlic on top. Drizzle olive oil in a thin stream around the top of the broccoli. Squeeze the lemon juice around the to tops as well. Sprinkle salt and pepper. Now toss it all together with your hands. You want the olive oil to be evenly spread around the florets. They should be glistening but not soaked and there shouldn't be olive oil dripping on the pan itself. Add more if it seems too dry. I have over oiled vegetables too many times. It takes a bit of practice to get the right amount.
3. Put in oven for about 18-20 minutes. After 10 minutes pull the pan out and toss the florets with a spatula. The amount you roast it is up to how dark you like it.
4. Take out of oven, sprinkle with the cheese and serve.

Chickpea and Kale Shakshuka

As mentioned in my last post, I was in a quarantine rut, extremely bored of my own cooking and longing to eat someone else's food. Then, as if someone were answering my food prayers, this recipe showed up in my Instagram feed by Smitten Kitchen. It revived me. It's not the first time inspiration has come to me in the form of one of Deb's recipes. She describes it as one of her most beloved dishes, and I see why. It's one I want to practice making, so I can whip it up without needing to look at a recipe, and be able to confidently change it up a bit with ingredients on hand for equally satisfying results. It's  a perfect recipe to be able to make at a moment's notice for spontaneous dinner guests and still make them feel special. One of my dreams of hosting dinners is to have amazing al fresco dining experiences in my backyard. While they won't match the images I have from movies set in a Tuscan valley, I'd still like to give it my best try. I can easily conjure up images of this dish surrounded by a large green salad,  slices of avocado, a platter of grains, fresh bread and lots of red wine at my outdoor table. May we be able to have dinner parties again at some point in the not so distant future.

I served this with Israeli couscous and toasted slices of French bread, all drizzled with olive oil and more Feta sprinkled on the couscous. I thought it was a good combo. Martini with a twist made with Malfy, an Italian gin.  I didn't have za'atar but did have sumac berry and thyme. The sesame seed flavor would be nice, so hope to have that by the next time I make it. I think the fresh mint is an important flavor for the dish, but you can go without it if you don't have any on hand. The recipe calls for 2 cans of chickpeas, but I used only one, and I wouldn't want both. I also used more kale and would repeat that.

In case you're wondering as I was, I will save you the time in looking it up - to pronounce shakshuka properly, it appears the emphasis is on the second syllable "SHOO".

Shakshuka

olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon za'atr (I used sumac berry and thyme)
1/2 jalapeño de-seeded and finely chopped (I think it could take a whole pepper)
salt and pepper
1 15 oz can of tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes
1 15 oz can of chickpeas
1/2 cup veggie broth
at least 4 oz of kale, chopped. I used 3/4 of a bunch and would do more next time
4 to 6 eggs
1 cup crumbled feta
handful of chopped fresh mint
greek yogurt for garnish (optional)

1. In a large skillet or dutch oven casserole dish heat 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil. Add onion, garlic, cumin, coriander, za'atar jalapeño. Sauté until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes.
2. Add tomato sauce, chickpeas, broth, 1 teaspoon salt and some pepper. Bring to a simmer. Cover and lower heat if necessary to keep it from boiling over. Let the liquid cook down and thicken a bit, about 7 minutes.
3. Add kale, cover again and let it wilt, about 4 minutes.
4. Make wells for the eggs and crack one into each well. Sprinkle with salt pepper and the feta. Cover and cook for about 10 minutes, depending on your egg preference. Maybe a little less if you want them runny.
5. Sprinkle fresh mint over the top. Serve and add top with yogurt if desired.

Veggie Shepherd's Pie

Quarantine, Day 41. When doing an athletic event that is challenging for me, I find breaking it into smaller, more manageable chunks helps me mentally. A half marathon is three 5 mile runs put together. So while 13 miles may seem a bit daunting, running a distance I might do on an average day several times in a row seems doable, and hooray, the last segment was over sooner than I expected (only 3 miles)! A 100k hilly ride is four 15 mile segments. This way I have milestones within the total ride that I can celebrate. Attempting to approach quarantine in this manner has been less successful. For one thing, there is no real end time. Right now May 4 is the date in Massachusetts that is circled on everyone's calendars, but it is likely that will be extended. And even if it was definite, looking at it as eight one-week segments isn't helpful in making it seem more pleasant. The mindset that has worked best so far is to just think about the day in front of me, for the most part. If I try to think too far ahead or too big picture, anxiety sets in. In keeping with my day-to-day, be in the moment mentality, the most frequently asked question (to myself) is WHAT AM I GOING TO EAT NEXT? We won't discuss my quarantine meal plan.  It seems strange that having lunch only once per day was ever sufficient.

I daydream regularly about eating out and reminisce about what that was like. I long to eat food prepared by someone else, sitting somewhere other than my living room. My Aunt Roberta's gnocchi and snacks at her and my uncle's kitchen island. Any cocktail and plate of noodles at the Blossom Bar. A mushroom pizza and arugula salad from Prairie Fire, seated at the bar with a St. George's martini. A giant pretzel and a snifter of Sour Face, relaxing in an adirondack chair on the Mighty Squirrel patio. Brb, I have to go get a snack...

Anyway, I've been cooking a lot and trying to be efficient about using everything I have before I venture out to re-stock. It's a pretty big deal to go to the grocery store these days. Last night I had some green beans that were on their last breath and a collection of potatoes, so decided to make a shepherds pie. My friend, Rachel, makes one that I can't seem to stop eating once I start. I've made them in the past, but never recorded any of the recipes. This one is a combination of Rachel's recipe and one I found on line that I used for inspiration. It requires some effort since there's a few steps, but it comes together pretty quickly. It also helps when you're working from home and on a virtual meeting with the camera not turned on, so no one will notice if you're draining lentils at your sink.

Ingredients

Lentils
1/2 cup green or brown lentils
3 cups water
pinch of salt

Mashed Potatoes
4-6 medium yukon gold potatoes (russet or red skin ok too), cut into 1-inch cubes.
1/2 cup to 3/4 cup of milk (I use whole)
1 tablespoon butter
salt and pepper

Pie
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil or a combo of butter and olive oil
1 cup carrots, diced
1 cup crimini mushrooms, stems removed and diced
1 cup green beans, trimmed and diced
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup frozen corn, rinsed
1 cup broth
2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon thyme
1 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
salt and pepper
fresh parsley (chopped)

1. Start mashed potatoes. Place potatoes in large saucepan, cover with water to about 1/2 inch above potatoes. Bring to a boil then simmer uncovered for about 20 minutes, until you can put a fork in them and they're soft.

2.  Cook lentils. Place lentils water in salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then simmer, covered for 15-30 minutes, depending on the lentils you use. Green will cook faster than brown. You don't want to let them get mushy. They can be a bit al dente because they'll cook more in later steps. When done, drain and set aside.

3. Chop vegetables and prepare all ingredients to put in pie.

4. Finish mashed potatoes. Drain potatoes. Add butter milk, salt and pepper and whip with an electric beater or mix with a potato masher. Make these to your liking, but they should be on the moist side so they don't dry out in the oven. Adjust milk as necessary. Set aside.

5. Preheat oven to 400.

6. In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil on medium high heat. Add onions, garlic, carrots, green beans and mushrooms. Sauté until the onions are translucent. Add in corn, broth, worcestershire, tomato paste and spices.  Bring to a simmer and let the broth cook down a bit, stirring frequently for about 10 minutes. Then, fold in the lentils.

7. In a 9X12 baking pan, coat the bottom in a very light layer of oil, then spread the vegetable mixture on the bottom. Layer the mashed potatoes on top of that. Sprinkle with fresh parsley and pepper (optional).

8. Bake for 30 minutes.