Stuffed

Sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don’t.  Sometimes you feel incredibly motivated to cook up beautiful feasts, sometimes you don’t.

With inspiration and time running low, but still seeking a homecooked meal, stuffed peppers are hard to beat. I made this version with odds and ends that have been patiently been sitting in my fridge/cupboard waiting to be used, but you can easily mix and match to make all sorts of combinations. Quinoa, spinach, and olive oil are a nice combination. Bulgur, feta, and sundried tomatoes are another. My general formula is: peppers + grain + seasoning + vegetable = yum.

Orzo-Stuffed Peppers

¾ cup orzo
3 cups chicken broth
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup marinara sauce
1 cup broccoli cooked florets, chopped
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
1 tbsp oregano
1 tsp red pepper flakes
2 bell peppers

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400F.
2. Boil chicken broth and add orzo, cooking ~5 minutes or until orzo is not quite done.
3. While orzo is cooking, remove the stems and seeds from the bell peppers. It is sometimes helpful to cut a very thin layer off of the bottom of the peppers in order to help them stay standing as they cook.
3. Drain orzo, pouring leftover broth into an 8x8 square baking pan.
4. Mix orzo with the rest of the ingredients, and spoon into the hollowed bell peppers (depending on the size of your peppers, you might need a third pepper).
5. Place stuffed peppers onto baking pan, cover with foil, and cook about 45 minutes or until peppers are tender.

Passover Feast

Growing up, Passover was one of those holidays that seemed like an ancient form of torture to a child. The smells of delicious food would hover in the room as you were forced to sit through a lengthy seder in which food played a very minimal role.  

Needless to say, as an adult, my friends and I took the full liberty of foregoing the traditional ceremony in favor of eating first and celebrating by way of enjoying some fantastic company.  I can’t even tell you how much food we had. Or ate. Oy.  I’m still full this morning! Since all of the recipes were so delicious, I couldn’t pick which to share...so you get them all!

Also, a quick note-
Charoset is a traditional apple and nut dish that is used in the Passover ceremony as a symbol of the mortar that the Israelites used to hold bricks together while they were enslaved in Egypt. It plays a fairly prominent role in the Seder. But really, it’s just delicious and worth eating any time of year. Liberally.

Ashkenazic-Style Charoset

3 medium Gala or Fuji apples, peeled, cored, and finely diced (food processor works great)
1 1/2 cups walnut halves, lightly toasted, cooled, and coarsely chopped
1/2 cup sweet red wine
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar

Directions

In large bowl, stir together all ingredients. Store, covered, at room temperature until ready to serve.

Moroccan Roasted Carrot Salad with Chard and Parsley
From A Passover Dinner Gets a Mediterranean Makeover

3 pounds carrots, peeled and cut into 3-inch chunks
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon paprika
Salt
1/2 cup olive oil (divided)
2 bunches Swiss chard, stems removed, leaves roughly chopped
1 bunch Italian (flat-leaf) parsley, washed and roughly chopped
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 clove garlic, pressed or finely minced
1 teaspoon honey
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Arrange the carrots on a rimmed baking sheet and sprinkle with cumin, paprika, a generous pinch of salt and 1/4 cup of the olive oil (add more if necessary to coat the carrots well). Toss to coat. Roast, stirring occasionally, until the carrots are soft and caramelizing on the edges (about 30 minutes). Remove from the oven and place the carrots on a serving dish.

While the carrots are roasting, bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt generously. Place a large bowl of ice water in the sink. Add the chard to the boiling water and cook until tender but still bright green, about 3 to 5 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the chard to the ice water to stop the cooking (this step is optional, but locks in the bright green color).

Drain the chard and pile it on top of the carrots. Top with the parsley. In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil, lemon zest and juice, garlic and honey. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper. Pour over the salad, toss to coat, and let sit at room temperature for a few hours to allow flavors to integrate before serving.

Flourless Orange-Almond Cake with Ginger
From A Passover Dinner Gets a Mediterranean Makeover

2 large oranges (or 3 smallish oranges)
2 cups almond meal
1/4 cup candied ginger, minced
1 cup granulated sugar, plus 2 tablespoons (divided)
6 large eggs
1 cup heavy cream
Dash vanilla extract (optional)
1 cup orange marmalade

Directions
Place the oranges in a pot, and cover with water by a few inches (the oranges will bob around, but that's OK). Simmer until the oranges are totally soft, about 1 hour, turning them occasionally so that all sides are simmered (this will not smell as lovely as you'd think it would). Drain, and let cool.

While the oranges are cooling, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-inch springform pan.

Chop the boiled oranges into large pieces, discarding any seeds. Place the oranges, skin and all, into a food processor, and process until the oranges are finely minced. Add the almond meal, candied ginger and 1/2 cup of the sugar; process until combined.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the eggs and 1/2 cup of the sugar on high speed until light and thick enough to form a ribbon when the mixture falls from the beater (this can take up to 10 minutes). Gently fold in the orange mixture until just combined. Pour into the prepared pan, smooth the top, and bake until a tester comes out clean and the top springs back when lightly touched, about 1 hour. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before removing the ring.

Before serving, whip the cream, vanilla and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar to medium-soft peaks. Spread the cream over the top of the cake. Stir the marmalade to loosen it up, then spread it over the cream.

Spring Holidays

What an eventful past few weeks it has been! I’ve visited four states, seen lots of old friends, celebrated anniversaries, weddings, birthdays, and had myself a grand old time. But all of this high-living has kept me away from the kitchen! So when Easter and Passover coincided this year, it seemed like a ripe opportunity to get back to it. And get back to it, I did!

First up: Easter cheesecake
Next on the docket: Passover Charoset, a roasted carrot salad, and an orange-almond cake with ginger that will knock your pretty little striped socks off.

Also, some exciting news. I have decided to take a fellowship in Washington, DC! 

Easiest Cheesecake You’ll Ever Make

Crust
1 1/2 cups finely ground graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup white sugar
6 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)

Directions
1. Mix graham cracker crumbs, sugar, melted butter or margarine, and cinnamon until well blended . Press mixture into an 8 or 9 inch pie plate.
2. Bake at 350F for 8 minutes. Cool.

Filling
Ingredients:
2 (8 ounce) containers low fat cream cheese, softened
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 graham cracker pie crust

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. In a large bowl, beat together the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Mix in the eggs and vanilla extract until lightly and creamy; pour into the prepared crust.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes, or until the center jiggles evenly when the cake is shaken lightly. Refrigerate 1 hour before serving.

Battling with collards

Collards, let's talk. You're healthy. You lower cholesterol, prevent cancer, and fill me up with loads of vitamins. You're even cheap, to boot.  I *really* want to like you. But you're bitter. Oh, so bitter. Maybe you didn't get hugged enough as a child.

I've tried them a million ways, grudgingly choking them down each time, but I think I might have found a keeper with this recipe. The acidity of the tomatoes and the flavor from the spicing helps mask the bitterness of the collards. Only taking about 30 minutes to make, this can easily be thrown into the weekday rotation of 'easy to whip up when you're feeling whipped' meals.

Collards with lentils, tomatoes, and Indian spices

Adapted from Whole Foods, Serves 4

Ingredients
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 heaping tablespoon garam masala
1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes
1 bunch collard greens, thick stems removed and leaves sliced into 1-inch-thick ribbons
1 cup lentils

Directions
Bring 1/2 cup water to a simmer in a large deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and cook 5 minutes or until onion is translucent. Stir in garam masala and cook 1 minute. Add tomatoes and their juices with 1 cup water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and stir in collards. Cover and simmer 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine lentils and 2 cups water in a medium pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook about 20 minutes or until lentils are tender (green lentils will take longer than red). Stir lentils into skillet with collards and serve.