Roasted Asparagus

I am completely obsessed with roasted vegetables. I somehow managed to go through 29 years of my life without roasting a single one, but after discovering them last summer, I now make them at least 3 times a week. You name it, I'll roast it, but some of my favorite vegetables to roast are tomatoes - cherry tomatoes, especially - zucchini, sweet potatoes, cauliflower, broccoli and asparagus.

Oh, asparagus, how happy I am to see you again at less than $8 a pound! I won't buy vegetables if they are out of season, so it has been quite a while since asparagus has been in my house. As long as I can get it at the farmer's market, however, it will be making regular appearances and I couldn't be happier about it. It is one of the things I look most forward to about spring. On a side note, have you ever made asparagus pizza? If not, you have to! My absolute favorite; Peter Reinhart's Pizza Napoletana crust, asparagus, fresh mozzarella and fresh parmesan. Heaven. And on this week's menu. I know, I digress... I'm just so excited about the asparagus!!!

I roast all vegetables in basically the same way - simply; nothing but olive oil and salt. Once in a while I'll add some ground coriander, but most often it is just olive oil and salt. The amazing thing about roasting is that it cooks the vegetables more slowly than on the stovetop, bringing out flavors that you never knew could exist. It also creates wonderful textures. The edges get crispy and caramelized, while the insides are soft, almost creamy with many vegetables.

If you haven't roasted vegetables before, you really must give it a try. It is an easy, effortless way to create a healthy and delicious meal. What I'm giving you below is more of a guideline than a recipe, I never measure anything when I roast... Let me know if you have questions.

Roasted Asparagus

1 bunch asparagus - about a pound

olive oil

salt

Preheat oven to 400. Wash asparagus and pat dry - the drying is very important, you don't want excess moisture, or it will steam and get mushy. Trim woody ends. Drizzle baking sheet with olive oil - just enough to give it a thin coat - and spread it evenly with your fingers. Lay asparagus on baking sheet, placing them in a single layer as much as possible. Drizzle with more olive oil and salt to taste. Toss with your hands until asparagus is evenly coated. Re-arrange in single layer and place in oven. Check asparagus every 10 minutes, turning it as necessary. Remove from oven when it is tender and ends are crispy and caramelized - about 25 minutes. This works for any vegetable, though if you use a variety with different cooking times you'll want to stagger their additions to the baking sheet. If you use a large amount of vegetables, opt for more of a roasting pan or baking dish with high sides. As a variation, add a handful of nuts after the asparagus has been in the oven for about 10 minutes, the crunchy toasted nuts add a fantastic dimension to the dish.

Also, I'm having a fabulous Le Creuset giveaway right now!!! Enter here.

Broccoli and Panir Wontons

In exploring new ways to use panir, I came up with these. I had egg roll wrappers in my fridge left over from my Vegetable Egg Rolls, so I had the idea for a kind of Chinese-Indian fusion recipe. I was very happy with the way they turned out, they were quite tasty, and very quick and easy to make.

Broccoli and Panir Wontons

2 cups broccoli florets, cut into small pieces

1 cup panir, cut into small cubes

1 cup chiffonaded spinach

1/4 cup roasted salted pistachios

1/4 cup thompson raisins

1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

2 tablespoons olive oil + more for frying wontons

1 teaspoon umeboshi vinegar

egg roll wrappers

Heat olive oil in skillet on medium heat. Lay out egg roll wrappers on dry surface - parchment paper works well - so that the points are facing up and down and to the sides, and prepare a small bowl of water to seal wrappers. When oil is hot, add cumin and stir until aroma is released, and a sort of paste has formed. Add broccoli and stir until well coated. Place lid on pan and let cook for about 5 minutes, or until broccoli begins to brown and soften. Remove lid, add raisins, coconut and pistachios, stir and cover for another 3-4 minutes. Remove lid and add spinach. Cook until spinach is wilted. Remove from heat. In another pan, pour 1/4" of olive oil, and place on medium heat. While oil is heating, spoon filling onto bottom half of egg roll wrappers (about 2 heaping tablespoons) making sure to leave 1/2" inch of space on the sides. Dip your fingers in the water and spread around the entire perimeter of wrapper. Fold empty side over filling so that edges meet up and press together. Fold edge over all the way around the two sides you just brought together. Place in hot oil. Fry until well browned. Turn over and repeat. You could also deep fry these. Place wontons on paper towels to absorb excess oil. Serve immediately with basmati rice. Enjoy!  

Curried Kale and Panir

Here is a simple recipe using the panir from the previous post.

Curried Kale and Panir

2 cups cubed panir

1 1/2 large bunches of kale (lacinato or red russian are best)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup raw cashews

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

Add oil to pan and turn on medium heat. When pan is hot, add spices and salt stir for a few seconds, until spices are well mixed.

 Add panir, stir and turn until all sides are well coated. 

When panir is browned on bottom, turn with tongs, and add cashews. When second side is browned, turn again and add kale. Put lid on pan. After a couple of minutes, when kale has wilted enough, turn so that kale is all coated with oil and spice mixture. Replace lid and cook kale until tender. Serve immediately with basmati rice.

Vegetable Egg Rolls, Sauteed Broccoli, Mustard-Tamari-Maple Sauce

I learned how to make these egg rolls when I was six years old. A good friend of my mom's who was an excellent cook invited us over for dinner and a lesson in egg roll making. I never forgot what Susan taught me, and I have made them many times in the last 23 years. I've tweaked them a little bit, but they are essentially the same egg roll.

Vegetable Egg Rolls

1 cup grated carrots

1 cup grated cabbage (any variety will do, but purple adds nice color)

1 cup grated zucchini (squeeze out extra moisture before measuring)

2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger

salt to taste

egg roll wrappers

oil for frying (I use olive, but you can use the oil of your choice)

small bowl of water

Stir all ingredients together. Pour ~ 1/4 inch of oil into a frying pan and turn on med heat. 

Lay out several egg roll wrappers on a dry surface so that their points are up and down (like a diamond). Spoon 2 heaping tablespoons of filling onto each wrapper, placing it just below the center of the wrapper.

 Fold the bottom point up first, and wrap around the filling. Next fold each side point over, making sure that there are no openings for the filling to escape through. Next, roll upwards until only ~ 1/2 inch of the top point is still showing. Dip your fingers in water, dab the water on the point and smooth it onto the roll. 

Place the egg rolls in pan after oil is good and hot. Turn with tongs when bottom is bubbly and browned. Repeat until whole roll is cooked in this way. You could also deep fry these, if you wanted. When egg roll is cooked completely (approximately 10 minutes), remove from pan and place on paper towels to absorb extra oil. Serve.

Sauteed Broccoli

3 cups chopped broccoli

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon tamari

There is rarely a meal that goes by in my house that does not contain broccoli (hence the name of my blog). I love it. If I could only pick one food to eat for the rest of my life, it would be broccoli. I have it added to just about everything I order in restaurants, much to the surprise of many a server. This is a simple recipe that we eat frequently.

Pour oil into large frying pan on medium heat. When oil is hot, add broccoli, stir, and place lid on pan. After about 5-7 minutes (or when broccoli is slightly browned). Stir, replace lid and leave for another 5-7 minutes. Broccoli is done when soft (not mushy) and still very green. At this point, add the tamari. When it stops sizzling, turn off heat and serve. 

Note: It is also very good to add nuts to this. Add when broccoli is about half cooked. Cashews and walnuts are especially nice.

Mustard-Tamari-Maple sauce

2 1/2 tablespoons mustard 

1 teaspoon tamari

1 teaspoon maple syrup

3 tablespoons olive oil

whisk all ingredients together