Vegan Watercress (or Spinach) Soup

This is a great recipe thanks to its versatility. Don’t have coconut milk? Just add water, the potatoes will thicken the soup. Don’t have access to watercress? Use spinach or sorrel. The weather changed from cold to hot? Who cares, this soup is great for a chilling refresher or a belly warming base. The base is pretty much zucchini vichyssoise with a green to add subtle flavor and color. As always, season throughout and at the end before serving. If you want to keep the soup bright green, essentially blanch the greens in the soup for about 1-2 minutes, then quickly puree and strain to maintain the color. Based on recipe by Marcia Kiesel, featured in Food & Wine Best of 2010.

Vegan Watercress, or Spinach, Soup: 2-4 servings

• 1 large leek, white and light green parts, sliced
• 2 medium potatoes or 6-8 red potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 1 lg bunch watercress or 2 cups spinach
• 2 cups homemade vegetable broth
• 1.5 cups water
• 1/2 cup coconut milk, optional, sub water
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 tbsp fresh thyme
• 1/2 cucumber, cut peeled and cut into squares
• 2 tbsp vinegar
• pinch salt
• dash crushed red pepper flakes
• 4 whole allspice
• 2 whole peppercorn
• olive oil
• salt and pepper throughout and to taste

Heat olive oil in medium saucepan. Add leeks and potatoes and sweat til leeks are totally soft, 5-8 minutes. Add garlic and thyme for 1 minute, then add coconut milk. Bring to a boil. Add vegetable broth and 1/2 cup water, return to a boil. Simmer for 10-15 minutes, until potatoes are fork tender. Remove pot from heat and carefully puree with a hand blender, adjust consistency with extra cup of water. Return to heat, bring heat up til just beginning to boil, then add greens. Stir in greens, let cook for 1-2 minutes. Puree very well, and strain at least twice. Season to taste.

While soup comes to a boil, combine vinegar, salt, red pepper flakes, allspice, and peppercorn with cucumbers. Let sit for 5-10 minutes, then drain. Garnish soup w/pickled cucumbers.

Vegan Spring Risotto w/Asparagus & Peas

It’s that time of the year, when the days are longer and life has a sunnier disposition. Yes, it is spring in Chicago, the outdoor patios are open and festivals are beginning to appear in the horizon. Even better, now is the time to begin to enjoy as many seasonal vegetables as possible, because when they’re gone, we’re left with product from Chile or Mexico rather than Indiana and Wisconsin.

I have been gorging myself on asparagus, which has a very small time frame to enjoy at its peak. I have also featured asparagus at a youth shelter where I teach cooking skills and with my girlfriend at a low income apartment for senior citizens; asparagus was a big hit for both demographics. Peas are also at their best in the spring, though admittedly more available through frozen alternatives in other seasons. As always, season throughout and to taste before serving. Salt brings out the natural flavors when used throughout the process and the flavors in this are pure and delicious. It is a simple risotto, but a homemade vegetable broth makes a world of difference. Now stop reading this blog, take a walk to your local grocery store to enjoy the outdoors, and feast on some seasonal produce!

Vegan Asparagus & Pea Risotto – serves 2-3

• 3/4 cup Arborio rice
• 3/4 cup sweet white wine
• 4 cups homemade vegetable broth
• 1/2 bunch asparagus, ends removed and cut into thirds
• 1 cup peas
• 1 small onion, small dice
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• parsley, for garnish
• freshly grated Parmesan, for the non-vegans
• olive oil
• salt and pepper
• lemon, for juice

Heat vegetable broth on low heat. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil on medium heat, add onions and cook til softened, but not caramelized, for about 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and rice, stirring frequently, for 1-2 minute to toast the rice. Add the wine, stirring constantly on medium low heat. When wine is almost totally absorbed, add 1 cup vegetable stock, stirring frequently. Add 3/4 cup of broth at a time as the broth is absorbed. After 15 minutes, add the asparagus. When the rice is almost cooked to al dente, add the peas for the last 2 minutes. Mix in 1 tbsp olive oil and squeeze of lemon juice, garnish w/parsley, and serve. 

Herb Baked Eggs w/Arugula Salad

I always look forward to making something that has eggs in it because I know there will almost always be leftover eggs. I am not a huge egg lover, so rather than keeping them in my refrigerator all the time and dreading using them all, I treat myself with recipe leftovers. I usually seem to have tons of leftover greens and herbs as well, so rather than letting them go bad, I make a delicious dish in about 10 minutes, start to finish. I like my eggs runny, but if you don’t then just let them bake for a couple minutes longer. The arugula acts as a great sponge for the delicious runny egg yolk. Based on Ina Garten’s Herbed Baked Eggs, but I think I used less bold flavors that tend to let the egg shine a little more.

Herb Baked Eggs w/Arugula: serves 2

• 6 eggs
• 4 scallions, sliced on bias
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp chives, minced
• 1 tbsp parsley, chopped
• mozzarella, cut in thin strips
• 2 cups arugula
• vinegar
• olive oil
• 2 tbsp
• salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350. In 2 bowls, break 3 eggs in each with the yolks intact. Heat 2 small ovenproof saute pans on medium heat, add 1 tbsp butter to each, then add the mozzarella to begin crisping them up, cook 1 minute. Pour in eggs, quickly top w/chives, parsley, garlic, salt and pepper. Place in oven for 3-5 minutes, until egg whites are just cooked. While eggs are cooking, toss arugula w/vinegar, oil, and salt to taste. On a place, make a ring around the outside of the plate with the arugula. Slide a rubber spatula around the saute pans to get the eggs off the edges and slide the eggs into the middle of the plate. Garnish w/scallions.

Persillade Lamb Chops w/Rainbow Chard & Pancetta

While I greatly enjoy the vegetarian and vegan meals I cook for and with my girlfriend, sometimes a man just wants to eat some meat. So when she recently was out of town for a Friday night, I decided to treat myself to some lamb chops. I must have done something right with this one man meal because I have been on a lamb kick ever since then.

If your store offers double chops, very carefully cut them into singles, maintaining an even thickness to ensure even cooking for the single chops. I am a big fan of flavoring the oil used to cook, simply throwing in some herbs, fresh or dry, is a great way to accomplish that feat, crushed red pepper works wonders as well. The rainbow chard is slightly based on Thomas Keller’s recipe in Ad Hoc At Home, but I gave it my own twist.

Lamb Chops & Rainbow Chard: serves 2

• 4 lamb chops
• 2 tbsp dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1/2 tbsp garlic, minced
• 3/4 cup breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup Parmesan
• 1 tbsp parsley, minced
• 1 bunch chard, save the stems
• 2 tbsp pine nuts
• 2 tbsp golden raisins
• pancetta, sliced
• lemon, for juice
• olive oil
• 2 sprigs rosemary
• 2 whole cloves garlic
• salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350. Bring pot of heavily salted water to a boil. French bones until very clean, trim some of the fat depending on your preference, I love lamb fat personally. Combine mustard, honey, and minced garlic, taste to adjust mustard/honey level. Combine breadcrumbs, cheese, and parsley w/salt and pepper. Season lamb chops on both sides w/salt, then dip in the honey mustard to coat on both sides, then dip into the breadcrumb mixture, press down the breadcrumb mixture to form a nice crust. Heat skillet from cold to very hot with the sprigs of rosemary and whole garlic cloves to add flavor. Space the lamb chops out evenly and sear on both sides for a couple minutes. Depending on the temperature you are trying to achieve, put the chops in the oven for a few minutes. For bigger rib chops, I was able to put them in an oven for about 3 minutes and they came out beautifully medium. However, if the chops are less meaty, searing might be it as for cooking the lamb, especially if medium rare is desired. Let the lamb rest for at least 5 minutes to redistribute the juices.

While lamb is searing, drop the chard stems in the boiling water. After 2 minutes, add the greens and let them cook with the stems for 2 minutes. Strain the chard stems and green and drain as much water as possible. With the pan the lamb was cooked in, add the pancetta for a couple minutes to render some of the fat, add the chard and toss to coat, toss frequently. After 2 minutes, add the sunflower seeds and raisins. Toast the seeds for 1 minute with everything the chard is ready to serve w/a squirt of lemon juice.

Provencal Artichoke Barigoule

Courtesy of some good old fashioned Youtube cooking video browsing, I landed on Michelin-starred Raymond Blanc presenting a classic dish from Provence, barigoule. Barigoule is a tried-and-true stew that is incredibly rich, yet doesn’t use more than 1 or 2 ingredients that are not already in your pantry or refrigerator. While there is a little bit of work involved with cleaning the artichokes, everything else is fairly straightforward.

To clean artichokes, first fill a bowl with water and half of a lemon’s juice as well as the squeezed lemon. This is to keep the artichoke from oxidizing, which happens the moment you begin to expose the heart. One needs to work quickly and with a gameplan when cleaning artichokes. I’m certainly not the best person to advise another on how to clean an artichoke: there are a number of hurdles to jump over, little to show for the considerable effort, and they can go from beautifully cooked to overcooked with a little too much heat. All that being said, it is a special treat to enjoy when you have a little extra time for prep. Finally, bread is not optional, you will want it to soak up all of the delicious stew juice.

Barigoule: 4-6 servings

• 1 onion, medium dice
• 2 carrots, obliqued
• 6 artichokes, hearts cored and cleaned, cut in half lengthwise
• 4 sprigs thyme
• 3 bay leaves
• 6 whole cloves garlic
• 1/4 cup parsley, chopped
• 1 lemon, for juice and garnish
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 cup white wine
• salt and pepper to taste
• bread

Put oil, onion, carrots, garlic, bay leaves, and thyme in a medium saucepan on medium low heat, if you see bubbles in the oil it is too hot. Heat everything gently, stirring occasionally, until onions are softened. Add the drained artichokes and cook for a few minutes. Turn up the heat to medium high and add wine 1 minute later, turn the heat back to simmer, cover the pan, and let cook for about 10-15 minutes.Strain the liquid through a sieve and use a hand blender to emulsify the oil/wine mixture, add lemon juice, salt, and pepper to taste. Place the vegetables in bowls, pour the emulsified liquid over, and garnish w/parsley and lemon slices. Don’t eat the bay leaves, but the garlic should be beautifully mild and roasted and the thyme is excellent as well. Serve w/bread.

Beet Steaks w/Carrots, Pistachios, & Pea Puree

Dinner for this night featured tofu ceviche, lobster bisque, beet steaks, and vegan panna cotta. It marked the first time when I brought out some major cooking equipment, such as a food processor, and even a commonly used ingredient in molecular gastronomy, agar agar. While I was excited to bring out a few big guns, I was even more excited to have shared this dinner with an old college friend visiting from Boston, as well as my favorite regular dinner guests. The food turned out pretty well, but the company and the banter was legendary.

A few thoughts on this dish. Beets are actually pretty wonderful when fresh, I really enjoy using different types of beets such as golden or candystripe because they add some amazing aesthetics. Be careful on adding too much pistachio to the pee puree as it can completely overwhelm the peas very quickly. I learned about braising pistachios from Stephanie Izard of Top Chef fame and let me tell you, she was on to something. The reduced broth and braised pistachios are stunningly good, I will certainly be using it as a sauce for a dish in the near future. I tried to use totally different colors to paint a picture on the plates, but my artistry was a little off this night, I feel like some stunning dishes could be created from this base. As far as vegan entrees go, this is a winner in terms of flavor and, more importantly, nutrition. Overall, I was very happy with this and would highly recommend!

Beet Steaks w/Carrots, Pistachios, & Pea Puree: 6-8 servings

• 3 beets w/stems
• 4 carrots, cut into even sticks
• 2 shallot, thinly sliced
• 12 ounces peas
• 1 cup pistachios
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
• half bunch parsley
• 10 mint leaves
• 1 tbsp fresh oregano, chopped
• vegetable stock
• coconut or almond milk
• honey
• olive oil
• salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375. Cover beets in a pot w/salted water, bring to a boil, simmer until beets are tender, peel and cut into large chunks, add fresh oregano, pickled garlic and juices to taste, salt and pepper to taste. Keep in oven at 200 to keep warm.

Blanch garlic for 1 minute, add vinegar, 1/2 tsp salt, let sit for 30 minutes and up to 2 weeks.

Cut carrots into similar sized carrot sticks, toss w/olive oil, salt, and pepper and place in an oven until tender. Toss occasionally, when finished roasted toss w/drizzle of honey and season to taste. Keep in oven at 200 to keep warm.

In a small saucepan, combine 1 cup pistachios and 1 cup vegetable stock, simmerl on medium low heat. Continue adding stock as it reduces and simmer until tender, season to taste w/salt and pepper.

In a second pot, bring water to boil. Blanch peas until tender and remove peas to a mixing bowl. Blanch parsley and mint for 1 minute, drain and put in mixing bowl. Add 1/4 braised pistachios and 1/2 cup coconut milk. Puree combination, adding more milk for consistency, salt and pepper for taste, strain through fine sieve, heat up on low heat while stirring frequently when ready to serve.

Pan fry shallots when ready to serve.

How To Perfectly Sear Scallops

When cooking, there’s not much worse than mistreating an expensive ingredient. So when I’m planning a meal and wanting to showcase something special, I learn about the proper technique from Chef Cason at work. His credentials are impressive and well-earned through hard work and study, he has excelled in his career at every restaurant and can execute masterfully. One day, I asked him how to cook scallops and, luckily for me, he happened to have cooked thousands of scallops while working under Chef Takashi. No big deal, but this is knowledge passed downed from a Michelin-starred chef. Wait, that’s a very big deal, just know that this is not my opinion or something, this is how a Top Chef Master has his scallops seared in his restaurants.

1. Scallops are beautiful with minimal influence, so treat them as such.
2. Pat scallops completely dry to reduce potential oil splatter and/or steaming effect
3. Season liberally w/salt and pepper on both sides
4. Heat pan on medium high heat.
5. Add olive oil and keep just below smoke point, so the oil shimmers when you tilt the pan. The key is to have the oil/pan very hot to get a perfect sear.
6. Place scallops in pan, without overcrowding or touching, presentation side down first.
7. Do not move the scallops, sear on one side for 5 minutes for an average-sized scallop.
8. Flip, keep on heat for 1 minute, then remove the scallop from the pan and serve. Scallops should have a beautiful hard sear on the presentation side and should be cooked minimally on the 2nd side to prevent overcooking. Scallops should be translucent in the center, a perfect medium rare, medium at most.