Main Course Recipes

Accidental Locavore Makes Gnocchi: A Recipe

For a long time the Accidental Locavore has wanted to learn how to make gnocchi, one of my favorite forms of pasta, but classes never worked with my schedule. When Haven’s Kitchen had a gnocchi class that did fit, it seemed like a perfect opportunity. And wouldn’t a sparkling new kitchen be just the place?

As it turns out, making gnocchi is pretty easy. It’s just like making pasta, with the added step of cooking and ricing potatoes. Unlike pasta (and more like making biscuits) you need to have a light touch. What was surprising was how delicate the dough was, which was good because you automatically started to treat it with respect.

The bad news? Once you’ve had homemade gnocchi, you’ll never order it in a restaurant again. Here’s the recipe (which makes at least enough to feed 4):

• 4 russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1″ pieces
• 2 eggs, very well beaten
• 1 cup of flour, divided into two 1/2 cup portions, plus flour for kneading the dough

Bring the potatoes to boil in a saucepan filled with cold water* and a big handful of salt. The water should be salty enough to taste like the sea…seriously!  When the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes, drain them and put them through a food mill or potato ricer into a large bowl (wide and shallow is better than tall and deep).

Gently push the potatoes to the sides of the bowl to form a well at the bottom of the bowl. Add 1/2 cup of the flour to the bottom of the bowl. Add the beaten eggs and top with the remaining 1/2 cup flour. Very gently, starting in the center, start to mix the eggs and flour. As they become combined, start to gently stir in the potatoes. When the dough is well-mixed, but not over-processed, turn it out on to a well-floured board.

If it’s not completely mixed, knead it a couple of times** until everything is thoroughly combined. Form it into a rectangle about 1″ thick. Cut the big rectangle into 1″ strips. Lightly flour your hands. Take one of the strips, sprinkle with flour and gently roll into a long rope about 3/4″ thick. Cut the rope into 1/2“ (or bigger depending on how large you want your gnocchi) pieces. Place the pieces on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Again, gnocchi like wide and deep, rather than tall and narrow, so use your widest pot. Cook the gnocchi until they start to float to the top, about 2-3 minutes, depending on size. Toss with your favorite sauce, serve and enjoy!

 

* Here’s something the Locavore learned: the reason for the cold water is potatoes won’t cook evenly in hot water (the centers never catch up with the outsides).

**Something else I learned, always knead in the same direction, gluten likes a one-way street.

Recipe for Mexican Style Fish With Potatoes and Salsa

So far, the Accidental Locavore has stuck to my once-a-week seafood goal. A piece of cod found in the freezer clean-out inspired this recipe, based on one of my favorites: Rick Bayliss’ Mexican Everyday. Below is his recipe, for 4 people. It’s easy and fast. I use half the potatoes and fish to serve 2 and keep the rest of the salsa for other uses. 

• 4 medium new or Yukon Gold potatoes (1lb) sliced 1/4″ thick
• 1 tablespoon olive oil or vegetable oil
• Salt
• 1-15 ounce can diced tomatoes (fire roasted if you can find them)
• 1 large garlic clove, cut in half
• 1/3 cup cilantro, coarsely chopped, plus more for garnish
• 1/4 cup sliced, pickled jalapeños ( use jarred nacho slices), plus 1 tablespoon of the liquid
• 4 4-6 ounce skinless fish fillets (mahi mahi, halibut, black cod, a firm white fish works best here)

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Put the potatoes in a microwave and oven-safe dish big enough to hold the potatoes in a single layer. Drizzle on the oil, sprinkle with salt, toss to combine and place the potatoes in a single layer. Cover and microwave until the potatoes are barely tender, about 4-5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in the food processor combine the tomatoes with their juice, garlic, cilantro and jalapeños and their juice. Process until puréed with a little texture.

Layer the fish in a single layer over the potatoes. Top with the salsa.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the fish flakes and is just opaque in the thickest part. Serve and enjoy!

My verdict: this time I used my own tomatillo salsa (click here for the recipe) and the cod from the freezer. It was good but not great. The cod would have stood up to the regular tomatoes and jalapeños. With the tomatillo salsa I would have liked a sweeter white fish. Adding a good squirt of lime helped. If you do want to use your own, or a jarred salsa, just leave out the last four ingredients (keep the jalapeños if you like the heat).

 

Fooling Frank: Recipe for Indian Style Salmon

One of the ongoing challenges the Accidental Locavore faces, is how to disguise that really-good-for-you super-food, salmon, so that my husband will eat it. Raw (salmon tartare), or smoked, he’s there in a heartbeat; it’s all the cooked versions he eschews. If I’m going to stick to my once-a-week fish resolution, it’s got to be a part of it. So, how about disguising it as something he usually loves — Indian food! This is from a class the Locavore took with Madhur Jaffrey and serves 2. It’s easy and quick, but best if you can give the fish some marinating time. If you like more heat, feel free to add more cayenne and mustard powder. I served it with basmati rice and broccoli roasted with garlic and curry powder.

For the rub:

• 3/4 pound salmon fillet, skinned (you can do this or have the fishmonger do it) and cut into 1×2″ chunks
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

For cooking the fish:

• 1 tablespoon ground mustard 
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric 
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• water
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds (brown or black)
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 2 fresh chilies (bird’s eye if you have them, I used serranos), slit lengthwise

Rub the cut salmon with the salt, turmeric, and cayenne. Put in a small dish, cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 10 hours. Put the mustard powder, cayenne, turmeric and salt in a small bowl. Add 1 tablespoon water and mix thoroughly. Add another 7 tablespoons of water and mix. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a medium sauté pan over medium high heat. When the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds. As soon as they begin to pop (a few seconds), add the cumin and fennel seeds. Stir to combine, pour in the mustard mix and the chilies. Stir and bring to a gentle simmer. Add the salmon in one layer. Simmer gently for about 3 minutes a side, spooning the sauce over the fish as it cooks. Serve and enjoy!

My verdict: This is a really simple and delicious way to cook salmon. Spooning the sauce over it as it cooks keeps the fish moist and tender. I’m going to turn up the heat the next time I make it, probably by simply cutting the chilies in half. I may toss some cilantro on top as a garnish too.

Frank’s verdict: “Not bad for cooked salmon”. He might have felt cheated because I told him we were having Indian food for dinner, but he did have seconds, finishing off the few pieces that were left.

 

Accidental Locavore: Recipe for Scallop, Potato and Beurre Blanc

Suddenly, the Accidental Locavore has been hearing a lot about finger limes. For something that wasn’t even on my radar, all of a sudden, they’re everywhere. When Fresh Direct had them as a President’s Pick recently, I decided to take them for a test drive.

If you live in a more citrus-friendly place (almost anywhere south of here), you’re probably thinking, finger limes, no big deal. Fine. For the rest of us, they’re kind of cool. Small and in various shades of red/burgundy/brown/green, finger limes have very distinct flesh, resembling grains of caviar (except prettier, being the palest pink). And treating the pulp like caviar is a great way to serve it.

The Locavore decided to use them as a garnish for seared sea scallops on sliced Yukon Gold Potatoes in a beurre blanc sauce. This, with some sautéed spinach, fed 2. Timing is a little tight, but you could do what I did and just keep all the components in a warm oven until you’re ready to assemble.

• 2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, sliced into ½” slices (peeling optional). You need 8 slices

•  1/3 cup water
• 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar (I used 2 tbsp white balsamic, 1 of sherry)
• 1 large shallot, finely minced
• 1 tablespoon heavy cream
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut in tablespoon-sized pieces
• Salt & white pepper (if you have it, it’s just for looks, otherwise use black)

• 8 sea scallops
• ¼ cup flour
• 2 tablespoons olive oil (or a mix of butter & oil)
• 5-6 finger limes, cut off the end and gently squeeze the pellets into a small dish

Boil the potatoes in a medium pan of water with salt added, over medium-high heat until just tender, about 10 minutes. Drain, pat dry and set aside.

Boil the vinegar, water and shallots in a medium sauce pan over medium-high heat until mixture is reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Add cream, reduce heat to low. Whisk in one piece of butter at a time, until they’re all melted and combined. Strain sauce, pressing on shallots, to get as much liquid out of them. Return to pan and place in a warm (as low as it goes) oven to keep warm.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over a medium-high heat. Add the potato slices and cook until golden brown on each side, about 5 minutes a side. Put on a plate and keep warm in the oven

Pat dry the scallops. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and dredge in the flour, shaking off excess. Add the scallops to the pan that the potatoes were in and cook until golden brown and just opaque in the center about 1 ½ minutes a side.

Pour the beurre blanc sauce on two plates. Place the potatoes on the sauce and top each with a scallop. Garnish with the finer lime “caviar”, serve and enjoy!

My verdict: The finger limes added a nice citrus crunch to the scallops. It was like the crunch you get from an inside-out sushi roll. I’m not a caviar fan, so this was a great way of getting that nice tiny crunch without the fishy taste (and not so budget-busting). The scallops were perfectly cooked and went well with the beurre blanc sauce. I thought about adding a little lime zest to the beurre blanc, but got lazy. Not sure the potatoes were essential and if I did it again, might use a more starchier potato. This was a very fancy looking dinner, (that tasted as good as it looked) without being too fussy or time-consuming.

Frank’s verdict: “Excellent!” He would have poured some of the sauce over the top of the scallops and spread out the lime a little more (he didn’t know how sticky it was!). Otherwise he was a happy eater!

Cook-Along Recipe for Shrimp With Feta Cheese

For 2012, The Accidental Locavore decided to make eating seafood at least once a week a priority. Part of the reason we don’t eat as much of it as we should is that upstate we’re really limited in our sources for good fish. Because we have such good relations with a couple of local purveyors, it’s easy to revert to meat. To make this resolution stick, the Locavore is going to pick a recipe each week and revisit the Cook-Along, this time with seafood. First up, an old Greek favorite:  shrimp with feta cheese. There are lots of recipes online for them. I started with one from The Olive and the Caper and quickly deviated. It’s really quick and this will serve 2:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ½ small onion, finely chopped
• 1 large clove garlic, minced
• 1-14 ounce can diced tomatoes, preferably fire-roasted (if you can get really good tomatoes, use about 3 of them instead)
• 1 tablespoon ouzo, or brandy (optional)
• 2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
• Pepper, to taste
• ¾ pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 4 ounces Greek feta cheese, crumbled in big chunks

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. While the oven is heating, heat the oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook until just soft, not browned, about 1 minute. Stir in the tomatoes and their juice, the brandy, dill and pepper. Cook for about 10 minutes, until the tomatoes have started to meld into the sauce. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the shrimp. Put in a gratin pan or shallow casserole (I used two small gratin pans) and top with the feta. Bake (uncovered) for about 6 minutes until the feta has just started to turn golden on the corners (it doesn’t melt, but will soften). Sprinkle some of the dill on top for garnish, serve and enjoy.

My verdict: 3.5 out of 5. I used a can of fire-roasted tomatoes with chiles. The chiles didn’t add anything and while not terribly spicy, it was enough heat to be noticeable (and not welcome). If I were cooking this for more people and/or wanted to stretch it, it would be tempting to braise a little fennel and add that plus some Greek olives and serve it over orzo. The shrimp were lovely and tender, and went nicely with the creaminess of the feta. I didn’t get much taste from the dill, it might just have traveled too far.

Sorry about the fuzzy photo, the Locavore must have been hungry…

 

Accidental Locavore Recipe for Turkey Shepherd’s Pie

Here’s a great way to use up Thanksgiving leftovers. This is based on things most people have leftover, but substitute whatever you’d like. Most important, have fun!

• Turkey, shredded
• Gravy
• Mashed potatoes (white or sweet)
• Stuffing
• Almost any green vegetable
• Cranberry sauce (optional)
• Gruyere, (or any firm cheese) grated
• Butter (for greasing ramekins)

Preheat the oven to 375°. With the butter, lightly grease some ramekins or small gratin pans (you could also use one large gratin pan). In a small bowl mix the turkey and gravy so the turkey is coated with the gravy, set aside. If you have some green vegetables, put a thin layer of them on the bottom of the ramekins. Add a layer of the turkey and gravy mix. If you want to use cranberry sauce, add it on top of the turkey. Top that with a layer of stuffing. Finish with a layer of potatoes. Sprinkle the cheese on top of the potatoes. Bake for 30-35 minutes until the cheese is melted and the potatoes are golden brown. Serve and enjoy!

A Friend of the Accidental Locavore's Recipe for Greek Ratatouille

Have you ever gotten a recipe you just had to try, but knew you were going to fiddle with? The Accidental Locavore’s  friend Amie Gartenberg had this Greek version of a ratatouille over the summer and said it was just delicious. I used it with the last of the eggplant and peppers and a few other things (well, a lot of other things). Trust me, it’s forgiving! Her recipe was adapted from allrecipes.com. Takes about a two hours (mostly cooking time) and serves 12.

Briam 
For the sauce:
• 3 tomatoes
• ½ cup olive oil (or less)
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp sugar (optional)
• 1/3 cup parsley, chopped
• 1/3 cup fresh mint, chopped
• 1/3 cup fresh basil, chopped
• 2 tbsp fresh oregano (I used 1 tbsp dried)
• ¼ cup capers
• 2-4 cloves garlic
• Salt & pepper, to taste

 

For the vegetables:
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 onions, sliced 1/4″ thick
• 1 tomato, cut in 1 ½ “ chunks
• 2 potatoes, cut in 1 ½ “ chunks
• 2 medium eggplants, cut in 1 ½ “ chunks
• 3 zucchini, sliced ½” thick
• 3 red bell peppers, sliced ½” thick
• 1 cup carrots, sliced ½” thick
• 1 cup green beans, cut in half horizontally
Feta cheese and pita bread for serving

 

Preheat oven to 350 °F. Place the tomatoes, olive oil, red wine vinegar, sugar, parsley, mint, basil, oregano, capers and garlic in the work bowl of a food processor (a blender or stick blender would be fine). Pulse well to form fresh tomato sauce. Add salt and black pepper. Mix well and set aside.
Put 2 tablespoons olive oil in the bottom of a baking dish then add all remaining veggies. Toss to coat all with the oil. Pour the tomato sauce over the top and mix thoroughly. Add a little water, if required, to cover the vegetables with sauce. Bake, uncovered, for about 1 hour until all the vegetables are tender. Serve with feta cheese sprinkled over the top and warm pita bread.

 

My verdict: Delicious, although I really strayed from the recipe. For the sauce: no sugar.  I forgot to get basil and parsley, so just doubled up on the mint and (dried) oregano and added what was left of a bottle of white wine (about ½ cup) to thin it out. Amazingly, I didn’t have any zucchini or green beans left and I’m not a fan of cooked carrots, so they didn’t make the mix. For the peppers: a pimento, several padrón peppers (otherwise known as the Russian roulette of peppers and these were hot) and a pale green one. The Locavore tossed in a handful of mixed, pitted olives in keeping with the Greek theme and a bag of frozen artichoke hearts. I served it as a side dish, however it would be great over orzo. The feta adds a nice creaminess so make sure to sprinkle some on top.

Accidental Locavore Recipe for Crab Cakes

Making crab cakes is essentially like making burgers, just switching out ingredients. This is the recipe the Accidental Locavore has used for years. Serves 4-6. These freeze well, I wrap them in wax paper first so they don’t stick together.

• 2 pounds crab meat
• 1 tablespoon vegetable or olive oil
• 2 medium onions, minced
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard (if you don’t have it you could use Dijon, but add a little more bread crumbs so it’s not too mushy)
• 2 teaspoons hot pepper flakes (more or less depending on how much spice you like)
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme (fresh is always better)
• 4 tablespoons mayonnaise 
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• Salt & pepper to taste
• 1 cup bread crumbs (fresh are better, panko is fine, but you might need a little more) divided in 2
• 2 tablespoons butter

If using fresh crab meat, check for shells. Place in a medium bowl. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a sauté pan over medium heat and cook the onions until soft but not brown, about 7 minutes. In the bowl with the crab, add 1/2 cup of the breadcrumbs and all the rest of the ingredients. Mix well. Shape the mixture into 2″ patties. Place the rest of the breadcrumbs in a shallow bowl or plate. Roll the patties in the breadcrumbs. If you’re going to cook them right away, melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Cook the crab cakes until golden, about 5 minutes, turn and cook until both sides are golden brown, about another 4 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges and your favorite hot sauce, and enjoy!

 

Accidental Locavore Recipe: Crab Meat Risotto With Peas

A couple of weeks ago, the Accidental Locavore got a package with a can of Miller’s Select Jumbo Lump Crab Meat. While my first thought was to make crab cakes (easy and quick, click for recipe), my more rational/adventurous being thought: been there, done that. It was such beautiful crab meat, it needed to be shown off and since it was canned, I could take my time figuring it out.  A quick Internet search brought up the usual recipe sites (don’t get me started about Google Recipes) then back to favorite food sites. On Epi (the Epicurious app) the first thing to come up was a recipe for crab meat risotto with peas (a Frank favorite) from Gordon Hamersley’s Bistro Cooking at Home (a Locavore favorite). Here’s the recipe as I adapted it; remember risotto takes time, but it’s just stirring. Serves 6:

• 5-6 cups seafood stock (I used a quart of seafood stock and a cup of water; vegetable stock or water would be fine)
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 3-4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 ½ cups Arborio rice
• Kosher salt and pepper
• Pinch of saffron (optional)
• 2 cups fresh or frozen peas
• 1 bunch scallions, the white parts and 2” of the green, sliced thin
• 6-8 ounces crab meat, preferably lump (I used my can from Miller’s and it was perfect)
• 4-6 fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped, plus a couple whole ones for garnish (optional)
• 1 ½ teaspoons lemon zest (I used most of a whole lemon)
• ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated (you’ll probably want more)

In a medium pot, bring the stock and wine to a boil, lower to a simmer. In the largest sauté pan you have, or a Dutch oven (it’s easier if you have a large shallow surface), heat the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onion, lower the heat to medium and cook until the onion is tender, but not browned, stirring occasionally, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add the rice, stirring to coat well, about 1 minute.

Add about 1 cup of the hot stock and stir gently until most of the liquid is absorbed. Add another cup of the broth, still stirring, until that’s absorbed. Continue, one cup at a time until you’ve used 3 cups of stock. When that’s absorbed, add the saffron, peas, scallions, and about 1 ½ cups of the broth. Continue to cook, always stirring, until the liquid has been absorbed. Taste the rice. If it’s still hard, add more stock or water and cook until it’s almost tender (al dente, anyone?).

Add the rest of the butter, crab meat, mint, lemon zest, salt and pepper, Parmesan and 1 cup liquid. Cook, stirring, until the crab meat is heated through, the liquid is mostly absorbed and the rice is plump and just slightly chewy. Garnish with the mint leaves, serve and enjoy!

My rating: 3.5 out of 5

The original recipe calls for 3 cups of peas which is what I used. I thought there were too many and they overpowered the rice and crab. However, since they were the last of what I had shucked and frozen from the spring, we agreed to live in harmony. The crab was lovely and subtle, the mint and lemon zest added a nice light touch. The next time I make this, the Locavore might replace the peas with frozen artichoke hearts. What do you think?

Frank’s rating 4 out of 5

He thought the rice was well cooked, but thought there were too many peas (and this from a pea fan) and too much crab meat.

 

 

Grilled Spaghetti Squash With Eggplant and Burrata

By just treating spaghetti squash like spaghetti, you have lots of options. Here I’m pairing it with some of Paul’s beautiful eggplant. I’m grilling my squash and eggplant, but you can roast both in a 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes. If you haven’t tried burrata, treat yourself, it’s amazing!

• 1 spaghetti squash, cut in half the long way (scoop out the seeds)
• 1 eggplant, cut in half the long way
• Olive oil for brushing
• Salt and pepper
• 8 ounces burrata or mozzarella, torn into ½” pieces (smoked mozzarella, feta or even chevre would work)
• 1 large tomato, cut into ½” cubes
• ½ cup basil, chopped (mint would be fine too)

Heat a grill to medium. Brush cut side of squash and all of eggplant with oil. Grill turning the eggplant occasionally, until they are both tender. This will take about 25 minutes. Check doneness by running a fork through the squash, it should be tender (same for eggplant).

Scoop out the strands of the spaghetti squash and large serving bowl.  Coarsely chop the eggplant and add to the eggplant with the tomatoes, burrata and basil. Toss to combine, serve and enjoy.

 

I haven’t tried it yet, but I’m working on using the spaghetti squash as a substitute for rice noodles in Pad Thai. What do you think?

 

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