Posts Tagged vegetarian recipe

Curried Carrot Soup with Orange and Lemongrass

I’m going off the grid for a few days.

However, I’m not actually going anywhere. I’m staying put for the holidays. My holiday plans include a lot of eating, enjoying a few glasses of good Oregon wine (namely, my favorite Oregon wine: Remy), sleeping in, spending time with family, watching ‘Planes, Trains and Automobiles’ (it’s tradition!), and working on crafty Christmas things.

Oh, and I’m also going to roast a duck.

Why? Because I bought a duck. I bought a duck because I was depressed about the fact that I wasn’t going to have any turkey leftovers (my mom is cooking the turkey this year). But then I saw fresh, whole ducks at the Montavilla Farmer’s Market and they were beautiful and surprisingly affordable. And then it dawned on me: duck leftovers > turkey leftovers. Duck breast and cranberry sandwiches? Yes, please.

Needless to say, I’m pretty excited about four days off.

But, this week can’t be all turkey (or duck!) and cranberries and mashed potatoes. In fact, after days of eating such things I usually feel pretty gross. And when I feel gross, I want to eat something healthy. Something that isn’t heavy, something that is bright and refreshing. This soup is all of that and more.

I must admit, however, that this is not a new post. In fact, Curried Carrot Soup was one of my very first posts. I posted this recipe back in the dark ages of my blog, when I didn’t know how to take a good food photograph to save my life. I’ve grown a bit as a writer and photographer since those early days, and thought this soup deserved a second chance. I make this recipe often, and since I don’t have every recipe committed to memory (shocking, I know!), I have to refer to my own recipe whenever I make this soup. And every time I pull up the recipe, I get annoyed at the photo and how it doesn’t do this soup any justice. So, I decided to take new photos. And I decided to re-post the recipe. It’s an oldie but a goodie, and I highly recommend it.

To the two people who actually remembered that I’ve already posted this recipe, I apologize for the repeat. :)

Curried Carrot Soup with Lemongrass
Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small yellow onion, finely diced
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
1 red Thai chili, deseeded and chopped in half
1 tablespoon curry powder (or more!)
8-10 organic carrots, trimmed and sliced
2 lemongrass stalks, trimmed and bashed* (*Bashing the stalks brings out the most flavor. Lemongrass can be hard to find in the grocery store, but you can find frozen lemongrass in most Asian food stores.)
2 large strips of orange zest
1 can coconut milk
2 cups vegetable stock
A few dashes of soy sauce
Salt to taste

Method:
Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large soup pot or dutch oven. Add in onion, garlic, ginger, and red chili. Cook for 3-5 minutes over medium heat (until soft). If the grated ginger is sticking to the pan too much, add more oil and turn the heat down. Add in curry powder, making sure all ingredients are coated with it. Add in carrots, lemongrass (or lemon zest), orange zest and sautée for a couple minutes.

Next, add in the vegetable stock and coconut milk – ensuring all vegetables are covered in liquid – and cook over high heat until it comes to a boil. Turn the heat down to low and simmer until the carrots are soft all the way through.

Remove the zest pieces and lemongrass stalks (dont forget this part!) and then use an immersion blender or food processor to blend until the soup is smooth. Once blended, stir in soy sauce and/or salt to taste. Depending on your preferences, you can add more coconut milk or vegetable stock if you find that the soup is too thick.

Zucchini Roundup: Grilled, Pickled, & Pancaked.

There’s a saying that goes something like this: “If you plant zucchini, be sure you have a lot of friends.”

I’ve heard it said before, but it wasn’t until this year that I truly understood what these words meant. This year I planted not one, but two zucchini plants. We aren’t even at the height of zucchini season and I feel like I can barely keep up with the abundance of zucchini!. Every time I turn around, there are magically five (or more!) ripe zucchini that are just begging to be eaten. Not that I’m complaining, mind you. I’m not tired of zucchini, yet. And thankfully, it is still early in the season I have friends who are willingly allowing me to pawn off some of my zukes on them. We’ll see how long that lasts…

Really, though, I am thrilled to be harvesting (and enjoying) my very first crop of zucchini. This year, I planted two heirloom varietals: Black zucchini and a lovely striped Cocozelle zucchini (pictured above). These squash are colorful, firm and flavorful and I’m having a great time coming up with new and exciting ways to prepare them! As much as I love a good zucchini bread, I knew I needed to branch out and find interesting recipes to highlight these tasty squash.

So, for this post I’m including 3 zucchini recipes that I’ve tried recently and loved! Each preparation is unique in its own way, and each recipe highlights the zucchini in a different way. In addition, at the end of the post I’ll include a few links for more fantastic zucchini recipes. Because, let’s face it: zucchini season is far from being over. If you’re like me, you’ll need more than 3 recipes to get you through the season…

Grilled Zucchini Bruschetta

I saw variations of the recipe online and just created my own version, using simple ingredients and fresh basil from the garden. The key is to quickly grill the zucchini over high heat, so that it gets good char marks but doesn’t get mushy or soggy. To me, this tastes like summer on a piece of bread. The flavors are simple, elegant, and summery.

Ingredients
3-4 small to medium sized zucchini, sliced in 1/4 or 1/2 inch rounds
4-5 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 cup of olive oil (plus a little more for grilling)
3/4 cup (or a generous handful) of fresh basil, sliced thinly
1 Tablespoon lemon zest
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
2 Tablespoons good quality balsamic vinegar
Salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 baguette, sliced

Method:
Toss zucchini rounds with olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper and half of the minced garlic. Let the zucchini set in the mixture for 15-20 minutes, to fully absorb the flavors.

Grill zucchini: If using a gas grill, turn on the grill and set to ‘hot’. If using a charcoal grill, ensure coals are good and hot before you begin to grill. Place zucchini rounds on grill, and grill each side for 2-3 minutes or until you see grill marks. Be sure not to overcook the zucchini, as you want to retain some of the original texture. Remove zucchini to a plate and allow to cool. Once cool enough to handle, cut zucchini into small cubes (an 1/8 inch dice).

Toss zucchini cubes with basil, the rest of the garlic, lemon zest, and balsamic vinegar. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Serve immediately atop a piece of grilled baguette, crostini, or bread of your choice. This is best served warm, straight off the grill!

Korean Zucchini and Carrot Pancakes
(Adapted from Kitchen Wench)

I’m not sure how I originally stumbled upon this recipe, but when I saw it and it called out to me. I’m a sucker for Asian flavors and thought that these savory ‘pancakes’ would be the perfect way to use up some zucchini. Turns out, they were! Other than the 30 minutes you’ll need to allow the zucchini to drain (so you don’t have soggy pancakes), this comes together quickly and make for a great easy weeknight meal option.

Ingredients:
2-3 small to medium sized zucchini
2 teaspoons salt
2 small carrots, grated
1 small yellow onion, grated
2 cups all purpose white flour
2 large eggs
2 – 3 cups water
Salt and pepper, to taste

Dipping sauce:
4 Tablespoons soy sauce
2 Tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Ponzu
1 teaspoon Sriracha hot sauce

Slice zucchini into very thin julienned strips (could use a grater or mandoline, I just used a knife). Toss zucchini strips with 2 teaspoons of salt and allow to drain in a colander for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, beat together the eggs. Add in flour and whisk until incorporated. Add in the water gradually, whisking after the addition of each cup. Add water until the batter is the consistency of a slightly runny pancake batter (thin, but not too watery). Once the batter is mixed, add strained zucchini, grated carrots, and grated onion. Stir until combined.

Grease a medium sized non-stick frying pan with oil, and heat pan over medium heat. Once the pan is heated, pour a thin layer of the batter into the pan (about 1/2 cup, depending on the size of your pan). Working quickly, use a spatula to spread the vegetables in the batter into an even layer to ensure the pancake cooks evenly.

Once the bottom of the pancake is nicely browned, and the top is set, carefully flip it over and cook the other side until it is browned and the pancake is cooked all the way through. Once finished, remove from pan and allow to cool on a paper towel. Repeat process until all the batter is cooked. (I got 4 large-ish pancakes out this recipe). Serve warm with dipping sauce.

Bread & Butter Zucchini Pickles
(Adapted from The Oregonian)

It was the week after I made these tasty pickles that I saw an article on the Best Burgers in the USA from Saveur Magazine. In the article, they mentioned one burger in particular that stood out from the rest that was topped with house-made zucchini pickles. I’ve been thinking about burgers with zucchini pickles ever since (it sounds SO good) and I simply cannot wait to try it. I just haven’t gotten around to it yet, as I’ve been too busy snacking on these pickles straight out of the jar.

Ingredients:
1 pound zucchini, trimmed and very thinly sliced (preferably using a mandoline)
1 medium yellow onion, very thinly sliced
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 cups cider vinegar
1 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard (*I was all out of mustard powder, so I just used extra mustard seeds)
1 1/2 teaspoons yellow mustard seeds
1 teaspoon ground turmeric

Method:
Combine zucchini and onion in a large shallow bowl. Add salt; toss to combine. Add a few ice cubes and enough cold water to cover. Allow to sit until zucchini are slightly salty and softened (about 1 hour).

Drain the zucchini and onion mixture (discard any remaining ice cubes) and dry thoroughly between two towels or in a salad spinner (excess water will thin the flavor and spoil the pickle). Rinse and dry the bowl. Return the zucchini and onion to the dry bowl.

In a saucepan, combine vinegar, sugar, dry mustard, mustard seeds and turmeric over medium heat; simmer for 3 minutes. Remove from heat, and let stand until just warm to the touch.

Pack zucchini and onion into sterilized jars (I fit mine in 3 8oz jars). Pour the brine over the zucchini until it is covered, and allow 1/4 of room left at the top. Cap with sterilized lids. Refrigerate and allow to sit for at least 2 days before eating. The zucchini pickles should keep for up to 3 months in the fridge.

***

And now, as I’ve promised, here are a few wonderful zucchini recipes that I plan to make this summer. Enjoy!

ZUCCHINI RECIPE ROUNDUP

Cornbread with Real Corn and Fresh Zucchini from Brooklyn Supper

Zucchini Cupcakes with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting from Tasty Kitchen

Zucchini Salsa Verde from Pearl and Pine

Zucchini Thyme Butter from Kitchen Confidence

Zucchini Crudo from Kiss My Spatula

Radish Leaf Pesto Pasta Salad

For whatever reason, I’ve had a really hard time writing this post.

It definitely isn’t due to lack of effort. Quite the contrary, I’ve sat down to write this post many, many times. But every time I turn on my computer and attempt to write about this radish leaf pesto…I simply draw a blank. I try to will my brain to come up with the words, but my brain keeps telling me that it would rather look at pretty things on Pinterest. Apparently, I can’t will my own brain into submission.

All that to say, it would appear that I’ve got a case of writer’s block. It happens to the best of us. I think that I’ve had a hard time writing this recipe because, well, it isn’t really a recipe. Pesto is one of my favorite things to make, for this very reason. There isn’t any one right way to make it, and there are no hard and fast rules for pesto-making. Pesto can take on many different forms, depending on the mood and ingredients at hand. The very freedom I feel in making pesto is the very thing that makes it so hard to write about.

Since I’m having trouble finding the words, I’ll just say this: pesto = greens + garlic + hard cheese + nuts.

It’s as simple as that. To be clear, pesto is traditionally made with basil and pine nuts. But by no means am I traditional, and therefore my pesto tends to skew the same way. Depending upon what I find in my fridge, I’ll make pesto with any combination of the following ingredients: parmesan, pine nuts, hazelnuts, arugula, cilantro, asiago, beet greens, basil, mint, parsley, pecorino romano, almonds, walnuts, and more. There are countless ways to make pesto, it all just depends on what you like (or what you have on hand).

Seeing as this is the season for all things green, I find myself making pesto all the time. My garden and fridge are currently overflowing with leafy greens, and as much as my bunny would love to devour all my extra greens, I usually break his little heart and make a giant batch of pesto instead. Pesto is a fantastic way to reduce waste and use greens before they go bad, and pesto can easily be frozen and then thawed for later use. It just might be the perfect food.

However, in all of my years of pesto-making, it had never dawned on me to use radish leaves. In fact, I’m rather embarassed to admit that it had never occurred to me that you can eat radish leaves (On the same note, I recently saw a recipe for pesto using carrot greens. Genius!). I give all credit for this idea to Portland’s own Chef Vitaly Paley, who recently competed against Chef Garces on Iron Chef America’s “Battle Radish”. During the battle, Chef Paley whipped up many amazing things, including a radish leaf pesto. Even the usually unflappable Iron Chef judges were amazed by his use of radish leaf. It was such an inventive way to use the entire vegetable, as opposed to just throwing the greens away. Chef Paley made all us Portlanders proud! (Note: Chef Paley also won Battle Radish)

It goes without saying that the next time I bought radishes from the farmer’s market, I came straight home and made a batch of radish leaf pesto. It was everything I hoped it would be! The radish leaves lend a little kick of spice to the pesto, and they give it an especially vibrant bright green color. Honestly, I’ll never look at radishes (or their leaves) the same way again. They are a versatile and delicious little vegetable.

(And would you look at that? I see a lot of words on this here page. Maybe I don’t have writer’s block after all!)

RADISH LEAF AND HAZELNUT PESTO PASTA SALAD

Note: When I make pesto, I don’t measure anything. I usually start by throwing a few cloves of garlic in the food processor. Then, I’ll add greens and nuts. Then olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and a few red pepper flakes. I keep blending and adding olive oil and/or lemon juice, until the pesto looks right to me. I happen to like a nice, thick pesto that isn’t too heavy on the olive oil. The following measurements are a set of rough guidelines, so feel free to alter the amounts in any way you see fit.

For the radish leaf pesto:
1 large bunch of radish leaves, washed and patted dry (radishes set aside for use in pasta salad)
3 heads of green garlic (or 3 cloves of normal garlic)
1/2 cup toasted hazelnuts
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 – 1/2 cup olive oil
Salt & pepper, to taste
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
Dash of red chili flakes
1 large handful of fresh basil leaves* (or any other leafy green you have on hand)

*Note: I was making a rather large batch of pesto, so one bunch of radish leaves wasn’t going to cut it, hence why I added in basil. You could easily double the amount of radish leaves for a larger batch, but I only had the one bunch on hand.

Method: Mince garlic using a food processor. Add in nuts, radish leaves, basil, and lemon juice. Blend until combined. Add olive oil in small amounts, until you reach desired consistency. Season with salt, pepper, chili flakes, and extra lemon juice (if so desired). If not using immediately, refrigerate until use.

For the pasta salad:
1 small bunch of asparagus
1/4 cup freshly shaved parmesan cheese
1 lb fresh pasta of your choosing
1/2 cup low fat Greek yogurt
1/2 – 1 cup radish leaf pesto
1 cup baby arugula
Radishes, washed and sliced thinly

Method:

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain pasta water and set pasta aside to cool.

Snap the ends off the asparagus. Bring a small pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, prepare an ice bath. When the pot of water is boiling, add asparagus. Allow the asparagus to cook for 2 minutes. After 2 minutes, remove the asparagus from the boiling water and immediately plunge into the ice bath. Once the asparagus has cooled (a few minutes), remove it from the ice bath and cut into 1″ pieces.

Toss cooled pasta with a drizzle of olive oil. Stir together pesto and Greek yogurt, then toss yogurt and pesto mixture with the pasta. Gently stir in parmesan cheese, sliced radishes, asparagus and arugula. Allow to chill at least 20 minutes before serving, as this will allow the flavors to meld.

Quinoa Tabouleh

My husband finds it incredibly ironic that my first post-Lent blog is for a vegan dish. (Note: the Radish & Leek Toasts don’t count. Even though I posted them after Lent, I made and consumed them during Lent).

Ok, I’ll admit…it is slightly ironic.

But, to be fair, the (vegan) quinoa tabouleh was served alongside of a roasted leg of lamb and a host of other non-vegan Easter delectables. I’m simply choosing to post my tabouleh recipe because it is really quite delicious (and because my friend Beyth has been begging me to post it for months).

That being said, Lent is over!!! Nich and I celebrated Easter in true Greek fashion, at St. John’s in Beaverton. Easter service begins at 11:30pm on Saturday and goes until about 3:30am (yes, you read that correctly. Church goes until 3:30 in the morning!). When the service was over, everyone broke the fast together and feasted on meat, cheese, wine, and other goodies. I can honestly say I’ve never drank wine with a priest (at church!) at 4:00 in the morning. It was kind of awesome.

But, in all seriousness, I loved every minute of it. The Orthodox know how to fast, but even more so, they know how to feast. There was so much joy in the whole experience, as people ate and drank together and celebrated the resurrection. You could see it in people’s eyes – they really believe it. Christos anesti. He is risen.

I feel grateful and humbled by the whole experience. Giving up meat, dairy and wine for 6 weeks wasn’t easy. But it was worth it. I learned a lot about myself. Quite frankly, I learned that it is good to go without.

So, I’m back to eating meat and dairy. And yet, here I am posting a meat and dairy-free recipe. The thing is, I really like vegan food. And while I’m not a full time vegan, I appreciate so much of what the vegan diet has to offer. I still plan on incorporating a lot of vegan meals into our meal rotation. That being said, I love cheese (and pork!) far too much to give it up completely. :)

So, all of this to say: use this tabouleh recipe in whatever way you please! It could easily be the star of a vegan meal, or it could be a lovely compliment to a roast leg of lamb. And of course, Happy Easter, happy Passover, and happy Spring. I hope this beautiful season finds you well.

Quinoa Tabouleh

1.5 cups uncooked Quinoa
2 ripe tomatoes, diced
1 bunch of curly parsley (not flat leaf), stems removed
2 Tablespoons fresh mint
1 small red onion (or 1/2 a large red onion)
The juice of 2 lemons
1/2 red bell pepper, diced (*you could use a full bell pepper, but I only had 1/2 on hand!)
1/4 cup olive oil (more, if needed)

Method:

Cook quinoa according to package directions (I cook mine in the rice cooker like rice. 2 parts water to 1 part quinoa). Set aside, allow quinoa to cool.

Chop vegetables into a very small dice. I use a food processor to chop the red onion, parsley and min. I chop the tomato and bell pepper by hand (as I like my tomato and bell pepper to be a slightly larger dice than everything else in the tabouleh).

Once the quinoa has full cooled, mix in tomato, parsley, onion, bell pepper and mint. Stir in lemon juice and olive oil. Season with fresh black pepper. Taste, and add more olive oil if the tabouleh seems dry.

Allow to sit for at least a couple hours before serving. The longer the tabouleh sits, the better it will taste. Squeeze a little extra fresh lemon juice over the tabouleh prior to serving.

Spring on a Plate: Radish & Leek Tartines

I had all sorts of aspirations about this being a lovely and word-filled post, celebrating the beauty of the Spring farmer’s market. And then…I got sick. Nothing too serious, mind you. Just your standard issue scratchy throat/stuffy nose/achy body/stupid head cold.

The most troubling side effect of this head cold? Truth be told, my brain just feels squashy. I don’t know how to describe it any better than that. Its like my synapses aren’t firing correctly and all the the things I’m thinking aren’t spilling out onto the page. Everything is sloshing about in my cloudy head. It isn’t pretty.

So, then, rather than write a lovely and lengthy blog post, I’m going to give my squashy cold-infested brain a rest. I will, however, leave you with photos and recipes for not one – but two – perfect spring toasts. I made these for dinner last week, after a trip to the PSU Farmer’s Market.

The husb & I were still in the midst of our Lenten fast, so I made the toasts with Earth Balance as opposed to real butter. However, now that I am eating meat and dairy again, you can bet that I’ll be making these toasts with butter. (Everything is better with butter. Amen and amen.)

So, then, here is how I transformed a few lovely farmer’s market purchases into a simple and delicious dinner (aka Spring on a Plate).

Radish Tartiness with Butter & Mint | Caramelized Leek Tartiness with Aged Balsamic

For the Radish Tartiness:

Several slices of crusty cread (I used slices of fresh homemade bread, and it was amazing)
1 small bunch of fresh radishes, washed
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh mint
1-2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature (*Or use Earth Balance to make the recipe vegan friendly)
High quality sea salt, such as Fleur De Sel
Pepper, to taste
*Optional: feel free to stir any herbs you have on hand into the butter to make an herbed butter spread. I added in some chives and they worked nicely with the dish.

Add a dash of salt & pepper to butter, stir until mixture is smooth & creamy.

Wash radishes and slice thinly. Set aside.

Toast bread slices in a skillet on the stovetop with a dash of oil or butter, until bread is golden brown (Note: can also use a toaster for this). Allow the bread to cool for a minute or two before spreading the butter mixture on it.

Spread butter mixture atop of toasted bread slices. Top butter mixture with a thin layer of radish slices. Sprinkle with fresh mint, garnish with extra salt and pepper if you so desire. Serve immediately.

For the Leek tartines:

A few slices of crusty bread
2 small leeks, sliced into thin rounds (white & light green parts)
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
Good quality aged balsamic vinegar (*Note: aged balsamic vinegar is noticeably thicker and sweeter than your typical balsamic. If you don’t have an aged balsamic, you could make an balsamic reduction to achieve a similar effect. Simply simmer balsamic vinegar on the stovetop in a small saucepan until the vinegar reduces and thickens.)
Freshly ground black pepper

In a small pan, heat a dash of olive oil. Add in sliced leeks, stir to coat in olive oil (add more if necessary). Slowly cook leeks over medium-low heat until caramelized (about 30 minutes). The leeks should be tender and starting to slightly brown. Once the leeks have caramelized, remove from heat.

As with the radish toasts, toast a few slices of bread in a skillet (or toaster). Spread a thin layer of butter over each piece of toast. Top with a generous pile of caramelized leeks, a healthy drizzle of aged balsamic and freshly ground pepper. Serve immediately.

Spicy Peanut Noodle Salad.

I absolutely love this recipe.

If left to my own devices, I would probably eat this particular salad multiple times a week. I crave it often (and therefore, I make it often).

There’s not much I can say about the recipe, only that you need to try it for yourself. So I encourage you to do just that! Give this salad a try — I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

Happy Friday, everyone. Here’s to the weekend (and delicious peanutty noodle salads!)!

Spicy Peanut Noodle Salad

1 package rice noodles
1 red bell pepper, julienned
2 small carrots, julienned
1/2 red onion, sliced thinly

For the peanut sauce:
3/4 cup all-natural creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
2 Tablespoons honey (*could substitute brown sugar, but I prefer honey)
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 Tablespoon sesame oil
1 Tablespoon freshly grated ginger
2 cloves garlic, smashed
The juice of 1 lime
A generous helping of Sriracha hot sauce (to taste & according to your love of spice! Start with a little and add more as needed!)

Garnishes:
Bean Sprouts
Lime Wedges
Chopped Peanuts
Sriracha sauce

Method
Cook rice noodles according to package directions. Once cooked, rinse with cold water and allow to cool. Toss with a bit of sesame oil to ensure that the noodles don’t stick together.

In a small pan, cook red onions with a bit of sesame oil over medium-low heat for 5-10 minutes (until soft). Set aside. (*Note: I cook the onions to reduce their potency and given them a slight caramelized flavor. You could include them in the salad raw, I simply prefer to cook them a bit first).

Blend all peanut sauce ingredients together in a food processor. Taste, and adjust to your liking. If the sauce is too thick, you can add a bit of water to thin.

Toss the noodles, peanut sauce, red peppers, carrots, and red cooked onions together until evenly coated. Garnish with fresh lime wedges, bean sprouts, and chopped peanuts.

*Note: While this salad is good leftover, it is best if eaten immediately!

Lemon Polenta “Fries” with Hazelnut Romesco

There are certain recipes that just speak to me.

These recipes jump off the page and say: “Lindsay! Make me.” And I say, “Well, OK then.”

This was one of those recipes. I was making my usual blog rounds, and noticed that my friend and fellow Portland blogger, Adrien (of Her Hungry Heart), had posted a recipe for Lemon Polenta Fries with Hazelnut Pesto. It all looked and sounded so delicious. Imagine my excitement when I discovered that the recipe could be easily altered to fit within my Lenten diet. Score!

Adrien’s use of hazelnuts in her pesto sauce reminded me that I, too, had a bag of hazelnuts that I’d been wanting to use. But, rather than stick with the pesto sauce, I decided to go in a slightly different direction. I set out to make a hazelnut romesco.

The idea came from a trio of hazelnut recipes written by famed local chef, Naomi Pomeroy (For those unfamiliar, Naomi has a fabulous restaurant in Portland called Beast, she’s been a competitor on Iron Chef America, and is rumored to be a contestant in the next season of Bravo’s Top Chef Masters). A friend had printed out Pomeroy’s hazelnut recipes for me a few months ago, and ever since I’d been wanting to make her hazelnut romesco. For whatever reason, I just hadn’t gotten around to it! So, then, when I saw Adrien’s recipe, the pieces all fell into place. I knew exactly what had to be done: polenta fries with hazelnut romesco.

Now, all I needed was an excuse to make this delicious dinner.

The excuse ended up being a random Thursday night. There was a Blazer game on TV and my friend Mari came over to watch the game. That was all the excuse I needed! Delicious dinner + friends + Blazers = a perfect Thursday night.

Everything turned out splendidly. I made a vegan caesar salad to go along with the meal, which rounded everything out so nicely. The polenta fries were crisp, with just a hint of lemon. The romesco sauce was packed with flavor – it was rich, sweet, smoky, and spicy. (Nich has since declared that he could eat romesco every day. I guess this is one of those recipes that we’ll be making often.) Overall, we had a fantastic night. We ate like kings and the Blazers won. What more can you want? ;)

I will mention that while the meal wasn’t difficult to make, it did take a bit of prep time. You could easily make some of the elements ahead of time (i.e. make the romesco sauce the night before), but overall I felt the meal came together relatively easily.

Lemon Polenta “Fries” with Hazelnut Romesco
(Polenta fries adapted from the lovely Adrien at Her Hungry Heart, Hazelnut romesco adapted from Naomi Pomeroy of Beast.)

For the polenta:
1 cup polenta (aka corn grits)
3 1/4 cups cold water
zest of 1 lemon
Dash of cayennne
Dash of paprika
Salt & pepper to taste
2 Tablespoons butter (or vegan butter substitute, such as Earth Balance)

Lightly great an 8″ square baking dish with olive oil.

Mix cold water & polenta in a small pot. Whisk often, over high heat, until the mixture comes to a boil. Once the mixture has reached a boil, turn the heat down to low and stir the polenta continuously with a wooden spoon. When the polenta starts to pull away from the side of the pan (about 10 minutes), stir in lemon zest and butter/butter substitute. Season with salt, pepper, and a dash of cayenne pepper and paprika.

Pour the polenta into the prepared baking dish, and spread into an even layer. Chill, uncovered, for 45 minutes to an hour (until cool & firm). When set, unmold the polenta and cut into slim sticks. (Note: I cut some of the polenta into rectangles to make grit cakes, and the rest I cut into slim sticks to make ‘fries’. Both Nich and I agree that the fries cooked more evenly and had a better texture.)

Place polenta ‘fries’ on a lightly greased baking sheet and broil until golden brown, about 8-10 minutes. Turn the fries over and broil the other side until golden, about 8 minutes more.

Hazelnut Romesco
(Adapted from Naomi Pomeroy)

**Romesco sauce is a roasted red pepper spread that is usually made with almonds, stale bread, and a variety of spices. This particular version uses hazelnuts, which I think give it a unique and wonderful flavor.

2 red bell peppers
2 dried red Mexican chilies or 1 tsp red chili flakes (Note: original recipe calls for 2 dried ancho chilies, which you then reconstitute and make into an ancho chili paste. I didn’t have ancho chilies and used whatever dried red chilies I had on hand. Personally, I’m of the opinion that you could probably just use red chili flakes and skip making the chili paste altogether.)
3/4 cups roasted hazelnuts (skins removed, preferably)
1.5 tsps smoke paprika
3 cloves garlic, smashed
1 large piece of crusty white bread
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1 tablespoon tomato paste
salt & pepper, to taste

Method:
*If you decided to make/use ancho chili paste as opposed to chili flakes do the followingg: To make paste, add boiling water to 2 dried ancho chili pods. Allow to soak in hot water for 15-20 minutes. Remove pods from water and puree, adding a little extra water to make a paste.

Cut crust off bread and brush with olive oil. Either toast in the oven or in a skillet until golden brown and crisp.

In a food processor, combine hazelnuts, garlic, toasted bread, salt, and spices. Mix until a dry paste forms. Add chili paste, roasted red peppers, tomato paste, vinegar, and olive oil until a smooth paste forms. Add extra olive oil if you would like a thinner consistency. Taste and adjust spices as needed.

*Romesco also works wonderfully as a dip with rustic bread, or as an accompaniment to various proteins, such as pork or chicken. We actually made romesco sandwiches with the leftovers!