Tag Archives: #vegetarian

Parsnips two ways with Whipped Carrots Recipe

This is tasty and easy to make but it takes a while to fry the parsnips crisp….I didn’t time it because you just have to keep an eye on it but it seemed to take forever to me. The crisp parsnips taste amazing. They are much more flavorful than any crisp potato. I also fried up the parsnip sticks so they came out like French fries. The carrots got done in 13 minutes in my microwave while the parsnips were still frying. This dish got seasoned with equal amounts of curry powder, cumin, and coriander. his makes around 4 side servings.

Ingredients for around 4 servings

canola oil – for frying

4 parsnips – peeled, woody center removed, one parsnip thin shaves from vegetable peeler, the rest fry shaped

6 carrots – peeled, small dice

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon curry

sea salt to taste

ground black pepper to taste

optional some clipped chives or scallions

Directions

Put a pot of canola oil (around 3 inches) to heat at slightly higher than medium heat.

The peeled parsnips go in till golden and crisp.

While you are making the crisp parsnips. Parboil the French fry shaped parsnips. You can do in either stove top or microwave. Boil around 5 minutes stove top or pop in microwave with water for around 9 minutes and drain.

When the crisp parsnips are done drain on a draining rack or sheet pan with paper towels. Fry up the parsnips till slightly golden. While the parsnips are frying boil the carrots either stove top or in the microwave and add 1/2 teaspoon sea salt. I did mine in the microwave for 13 minutes and they were perfect. Then drain carrots and add 1/2 the seasoning to them (1/2 teaspoon cumin, coriander, curry) also add a few tablespoons of the parsnip oil to them and water to thin as you like. Add salt and pepper to taste while you are whipping them up.

Toss the parsnip fries in the seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste. Top with the crisp parsnips. Sprinkle with chives or scallions if you like.

someone is fascinated
Parsnips two ways with whipped Carrots

Enjoy!

The Forking Truth

Mediterranean Spiced Cucumber & Butterbean Salad Recipe

We used to have a Mediterranean/Israeli Restaurant in Phoenix Arizona called Zabari Mediterranean Grill. It was there I tasted an amazing salad that I never heard of before called Matbucha (a slightly spicy cold cooked tomato and roasted pepper salad). My gosh it was one of the most delicious things that I never knew that I liked. So I studied every recipe that I could find for Matbucha, made a chart of every ingredient that every recipe had in Matbucha and picked the ingredients that I wanted to use and the amounts that I thought were correct and tried to make a salad similar tasting to the Zabari’s Matbucha. I think I did it right because it came out amazing…..like I can sell it amazing…..Anyways today I made an even better batch of Matbucha (I got the textures better and the flavor even better) I started to think that since these flavors are so great that I can make a completely different salad with the same flavors and I did! I had around 5 cucumbers that I had to use….added onions and celery and then I was thinking chick peas but went with butterbeans because butterbeans have a more melt in your mouth texture that I thought would be better. Anyway it’s a winner. This will make around 4 servings. Feel free to add a few small sweet tomatoes if you have any…I would have added a few if I had some.

Ingredients for around 4 servings

5 cucumbers – peeled and seeds removed and sliced

1 large onion – sliced very thin and lightly rough chopped

2 stalks celery – small dice

1 – 15 oz can butterbeans drained and rinsed three times

11/2 – teaspoons sea salt (or to taste)

3 garlic cloves – ground to paste

1 Tablespoon Aleppo pepper

1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/4 teaspoon hot paprika

1/4 teaspoon sweet paprika

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

big splash (I didn’t measure but think it was about a 1/3 of a cup of rice wine vinegar)

ground black pepper to taste

Directions

Everything above goes in a large mixing bowl. Mix and season to taste!

Mediterranean Spiced Cucumber & Butterbean Salad

Enjoy!

The Forking Truth

Yuzu. Kosho Gazpacho Recipe

I had cucumbers and tomatoes to use up so II thought I’d make a basic gazpacho. I was considering adding my extra mandarins to blend in but ten the idea of yuzu kosno just popped into my head……and I went with it….You might be wondering what is yuzu kosho? Yuzi Kosho (also spelled koshu) is a Japanese condiment of yuzu zest (a citrus) garlic, hot pepper that is fermented…It doesn’t taste as savory or as funky as you might think……To me it taste sort of like a delicious tangerine zest that finishes with a little heat….You can mail away for yuzu kosho or fake it with the zest of one grapefruit, lemon, lime, 2 tangerines, one garlic clove, and one small hot pepper. Usually I only think of yuzu kosho to enhance a fish dish but it is delicious to flavor gazpacho. I think I really came up with something! Serving size is impossible to say for sure because the vegetables differ in size and some people want tiny servings and other people want big servings. This makes around 4-6 servings or around 7 cups.

Ingredients for around 6 servings

4 heirloom tomatoes – stem removed, rough chop (mine good medium sized)

1/4 onion – rough chopped

1 red bell pepper – stem, membrane, seeds removed, rough chopped

1 1/2 English cucumber rough chopped ( I was going to use two but one of mine was 1/2 not good)

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1/2 teaspoon yuzu salt (you can substitute sea salt)

2 oz yuzu kosho (you can substitute citrus zest ((grapefruit, lemon, lime, tangerine)) with ground garlic and a ground small hot pepper)

Directions

Just blend everything above. Chill and serve.

Yuzu Kosho Gazpacho

It’s light refreshing and very tasty!

Enjoy!

The Forking Truth

Spicy Asian Inspired Eggplant Recipe

I have a large pantry and have more spices and ingredientsnthan most people. I was going to make a Sichuan type of eggplant dish and when it came time to do the recipe I realized that I didn’t even have half of the ingredients…….So I made my substitutions and some things I cut out and some things I added and I wound up with something delicious but not authentic. Serving size is difficult to judge…My guess is that you will get between 2-4 servings depending if you want a side serving or if you want to make this into a full meal.

Ingredients for around 3 servings

1 eggplant – cut in half long ways and scored one the top in diamond shapes

2 teaspoon red chili oil

2 oz gochujang

1 Tablespoon black bean paste

2 Tablespoons Shaoxing wine

2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar

4 teaspoons sugar

non stick spray

1 Tablespoon sesame seeds (for finishing)

1-2 scallions – cut thin diagonal (for finishing)

Directions

In a small mixing bowl mix together the oil, gochujang, black bean paste, Shaoxing wine, red wine vinegar, and sugar. Mix well. All this to a gallon Ziplock bag and place eggplant halves that have been scored cut side down win the bag. Leave this sit out on the counter for around 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Spray a baking sheet with non stock spray.

After 30 minutes place the eggplant halves cut side down on the baking sheet but reserve the liquid in the bag and put the bag to thee side.

The eggplants on the baking sheet go on a middle rack for 25 minutes. After 25 minutes the eggplant halves need to be turned to cut side up. Now pour reserved liquid over and into the eggplant halves. Put back in the oven till caramelized. (around 30 minutes)

Finish with sesame seeds and scallions.

Spicy Asian Inspired Eggplant

Enjoy!

The Forking Truth

Fried Green Beans with Potatoes, Chermoula and Fried Almonds Recipe by In The Kitchen with Great British Chefs

This recipe is by Great British Chefs dot com (I rounded some ingredients slightly). It’s called Charred Green Beans with Sauté Potatoes, Chermoula, and Fried Almonds. I didn’t call it Charred Green Beans because my green beans were kind of hallow (maybe old?) so when I took mine to char they got all soggy. This recipe is tasty and is a more epicurean version of green beans almandine. Here you fry up the almonds in oil and use the infused almond oil to fry up the potatoes and then fry up the green beans. To make things more interesting you toss the green beans in chermoula (a Moroccan pesto made with preserved lemon). Serving size is difficult to judge. For me this makes a little more than 4 side servings. You will also have extra chermoula leftover that would taste amazing in a tuna salad or on top of grilled fish.

Ingredients for around 5 servings

1 cup almonds

3 Tablespoons olive oil

pinch sea salt

pinch sugar

2 potatoes – peeled (original recipe suggest a dice cut but I cut mine into long thin fry shapes ….do whatever. you want)

flaky sea salt

black pepper

1 lb green beans – trimmed

3 Tablespoons chermoula

1 cup cilantro chopped

1/2 cup parsley leaves chopped

2 garlic cloves – ground to paste

1 preserved lemon (just the rind scrape out the segments and white from rind as much as you can) – chopped fine

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon cumin

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

1/2 lemon – just the fresh squeezed juice

Directions

Make chermoula and set to the side. In a large bowl combine the cilantro, parsley, garlic, preserved lemon, oil, salt, paprika, cumin, cayenne, and lemon juice. Set to the side

Fry up the almonds. Put the oil in a fry pan on medium high heat. Fry up the almonds till they turn light brown. Remove almonds without removing the oil and drain on towel lined pan. Sprinkle the almonds with sugar and salt and seed to the side.

Fry the potatoes till they are golden brown. Drain and then season with salt and pepper and set to the side.

Fry up the green beans to desired wrinkle…..Drain green beans when done. Add the green beans to the big bowl with the potatoes and chermoula and toss. Top with the almonds and serve and enjoy!

Fried Green Beans with Potatoes, Chermoula and Fried Almonds

A special THANKS!!!!!!! To Greet British Chefs so I could come up with these amazing green beans!

The Forking Truth

Miso and Honey Marinated Eggplant Recipe different but based on Shu Han Lee’s Miso and Honey Marinated Aubergine

Shu Han Lee is a very high end food blogger, food writer, and food stylist. She has worked with Jamie Oliver and has written for magazines. It wasn’t really my intention to change her recipe but I didn’t have the more flavorful Hatcho miso in my pantry that I need for her recipe. I used regular white miso instead and bumped up the miso by adding a splash of yuzu hot sauce. I also cooked it only slightly differently like the way I cook certain Mediterranean eggplant recipes. What I wound up with turned out FORKING SCRUMPTIOUS. Serving size is always difficult to judge. I used one regular medium sized eggplant. My guesstimate is that you would eat a quarter of the eggplant so I’m guessing 4 small side servings.

Ingredients for around 4 smaller side servings

1 eggplant – cut in half long ways – score tops in diamond shapes

1 heaping Tablespoon white miso paste

1 Tablespoon honey

1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

1 Tablespoon (or to taste) yuzu hot sauce (I used Trader Joe’s Brand….it’s more yuzu tasting than hot)

5 Tablespoons hot water

non stick spray

1 Tablespoon sesame seeds (to finish)

1 (or 2) scallion – diagonal cuts (to finish)

Directions

In a small mixing bowl mix together the miso, honey, oil, yuzu hot sauce, and hot water. Place the halved and scored eggplants and the mixing bowl liquid in a gallon Ziplock bag. Make sure the eggplant is cut side down in the bag so it can absorb liquid. Leave it on the counter for at least 30 minutes.

Set oven to 400 degrees F

Spray a baking sheet with non stick spray.

Take the eggplants out of the ziplock bag but keep the unabsorbed liquid to the side.

Place thee eggplants cut side down on baking sheet and let them cook for 25 minutes.

After 25 minutes turn thee eggplants over (cut side up) and pour extra reserved liquid over and into the eggplant halves. Leave them in the oven till they look slightly caramelized. Top them with sesame seeds and scallions.

Miso and Honey Marinated Eggplant

Enjoy!

A Special THANKS!!!! To Shu Han Lee for sharing her amazing recipe so that I could come up with what I got here!

The Forking Truth

Chipotle Lime Butter Green Beans with Black Beans and Pickled Onions Recipe

This is a pretty easy delicious recipe but it’s best if you make the pickled onions the day before. I originally made up this recipe for cauliflower and it did taste delicious but I accidentally made the cauliflower soggy so I never published that recipe. This chipotle lime butter works out better for green beans and I think it actually taste better on green beans. I used my chipotle flakes this time (instead of chipotle powder that I normally use) and it did come out slightly different than with the easier to find chipotle powders out there. I think the chipotle flakes seem spicier to me so if you use chipotle powder instead you might have to add more pepper seasoning. It’s difficult to judge serving size. Some people like a small side and other people want a whole plate. You will have extra pickled onions left over that you can use on a sandwich or a taco.

Ingredients for around 6 servings.

1 red onion sliced extra thin

1 cup white vinegar

1 Tablespoon kosher salt

2 Tablespoons sugar

1 bay leaf

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds

2 sprigs thyme

1 lb green beans

15.5 oz can black beans (rinsed 3 times and drained….preferably reduced sodium)

2 Tablespoons chipotle flakes

2 teaspoons dried oregano

2 teaspoons Old Bay Seasoning

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon granulated onion

1 teaspoon granulated garlic

2 limes – juice and zest

2 tablespoons honey

4 oz sweet butter – melted

3/4 teaspoon sea salt (or to taste)

1/2 cup cilantro – chopped

optional – 4 oz queso fresco – crumbled to finish

Directions

The day before you make the green beans make the pickled onions

Heat up the vinegar, salt, sugar, bay leaf, black pepper, yellow mustard seeds, and thyme till sugar is dissolved. (you can do this stove top or microwave) Then add the red onion slices. Let sit on counter till room temp and refrigerate over night.

Put a pot of water on to boil. Then boil the trimmed green beans 2-3 minutes and drain.

In a large mixing bowl add the chipotle flakes, oregano, Old Bay, black pepper, cumin, onion, garlic, lime juice, lime zest, honey, melted butter, cilantro, and salt. Mix well. Then add the green beans. Top with some pickled onions. Finish with queso fresco if desired.

Chipotle Lime Butter Green Beans with Black Beans and Pickled Reed Onions

Enjoy!

The Forking Truth

Eggplant Wrapped Baked Ziti Recipe

This is actually an eggplant timbale…….but most people never heard of a timbale so I am calling this eggplant wrapped baked ziti because it is closest to that. A timbale might be layers of food or a combination of pasta, and or custard, rice, potatoes, eggs, cheese, meat, or vegetables held together with egg and usually baked and is traditionally covered with bread crumbs. A timbale is usually molded but also can be covered in pastry. Serving size is always difficult to judge because some people want a tiny slice and other people want a great big wedge. This made 9 (what I consider large) portions. I’ll post 8 portions.

Ingredients for around 8 portions

8oz of a tube shaped pasta – cooked in salty water, drained and set to the side

2 eggplants -peeled – sliced thin (I sliced most longways but slicing across is easier….it doesn’t really matter)

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (I had to guesstimate this…I used an oil squirt bottle to oil eggplants lightly)

1 cup Localtelli cheese – shredded ( you can substitute any hard Italian cheese)

16 oz ricotta cheese (preferably home made and drained…if not a good quality one drained)

8 oz provalone cheese – I used slices and grated around half the cheese reserved (1/2 the provolone mixed with the other cheeses and the slices I used near the bottom (just under the eggplant.

2 eggs – lightly beaten

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg

Optional 1/2 cup green beans (mine were cooked and chopped up) (can substitute peas, a different vegetable like drained spinach, or a cooked meat)

2 Tablespoons fresh basil chopped

1 cup tomato sauce (preferably home made plus extra for serving)

non stick spray

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Either set oven to broil or heat up your grill but NOTE*****on an outdoor grill you will not be able to get your eggplant slices as thin…..so things will be slightly off. If you are broiling your eggplant slices you need to sprinkle them with oil and the smallest amount of salt and pepper (you hardly need any here because it condenses) Take the eggplant out when they look slightly charred and golden and set to the side.

All the filling gets mixed together in a big bowl….cheeses, eggs, black pepper, nutmeg, green beans, basil…(maybe a small amount of the tomato sauce….(I used a small amount so my pasta wouldn’t stick)

Spray springform pan with non stick spray. Line your pan with eggplant in a thin layer and have ends of eggplant hanging off the ends.

Then you put a thin layer of provolone above the eggplant. Next a thin layer of tomato sauce.

Filling goes in next.

Top the filling with a layer of provolone and a thing layer of tomato sauce. Top that with remaining eggplant.

Fold up the ends of the eggplant.

Springform pans usually leak so put a lined sheet pan under to collect to mess.

Spray some aluminum foil with non stick spray……Cover the dish spray side down so it doesn’t stick.

This goes on the middle rack of a 350 degree preheated oven for 90 minutes.

This needs to set up over night.

Cut serving size and reheat and serve with more sauce and extra grated cheese and maybe some crumbled tarallini crackers for some crumbs.

Eggplant Wrapped Baked Ziti

Enjoy!

The Forking Truth

Baked Avocado with Crunchy Takeout Rice Coating and Spicy Tahini Miso Sauce Recipe

A while back Fry’s had a sale on Avocados. I got a bag of 4 avocados that were small like eggs and stayed hard like rocks for about a month now. I figured I’d try to do something with them. These avocados were difficult to open up and I feared inedible but I made them tasty. I did a basic seasoned flour on them and then dipped them into egg and I had a cup of leftover take out rice so I sprinkled the rice on them. Baked them till crispy and whipped up a sauce. They came out tasty. I don’t know if this recipe will work as well on softer avocados. Mine came out almost like potatoes. If you find yourself with some hard avocados you might want to give this recipe a try. Ingredients for 2-4 avocado. Mine were unusually small avocados. My guess is that this recipe will make 4-8 servings depending on how much avocado that you want to eat. I think most people will eat a half avocado if they use very small avocado. I think most people would only eat a quarter of a larger avocado. This recipe worked well with small hard avocados so that is what I would suggest.

Ingredients for around 8 servings

4 small hard avocados – cut in half long ways, pit removed and scooped out of skin

3 Tablespoons flour

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 eggs

1 cup of leftover take out rice

non stick spray

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (guesstimated…I just sprayed them with oil from my squirt bottle

3 Tablespoons tahini

1 Tablespoon white miso

1 Tablespoon rice wine vinegar

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 Tablespoon sriracha (I used Shark Brand that is very sweet and mellow)

1 Tablespoon Sambal (or to taste)

1/3 cup yuzu juice (I had this leftover but you can substitute a combination of fresh squeezed orange and lime juice)

Sea salt to taste

Black pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Spray baking sheet with non stick spray and set it to the side.

In a gallon zip lock bag add the flour, chili powder, salt, black pepper. Shake it to mix and add avocados. Shake gently to coat avocados.

Take out the avocados and pour leftover seasoned flour into small mixing bowl. Add the eggs to the mixing bowl and mix well. Coat each piece of avocado with the egg mixture. Then sprinkle the rice on both sides of each avocado and place on sprayed baking sheet.

These go in the preheated 350 degree F oven till crispy and slightly brown. (around 30 minutes)

Make sauce while the avocado are baking.

In a small mixing bowl combine the tahini, miso, vinegar, oil, sriracha, Sambel (to taste) citrus juice. Add black pepper to taste. I didn’t think mine needed salt but you might want a little more salt.

When the avocados get lightly browned and crispy take them out and serve with the sauce you’ve just whipped up.

Baked Avocado with Crunchy Takeout Rice Coating and Spicy Tahini Miso Sauce

Enjoy!

The Forking Truth

Fig, Ricotta, Beet Relish topped Caraway Parmesan Potato Tuile Recipe Based on Frances Atkins Elderflower Jelly and Relish Recipe.

This recipe is a variation of Frances Atkins’s Elderflower Jelly and Relish Recipe. In 2003 Frances Atkins was the first female British chef to win a Michelin Star. I found her recipe when I was searching recipes for beets (the relish here is made with beets). I didn’t change her beet relish much or change. her tuile recipe. Instead of making elderflower jelly I just used half a packaged small fig and instead of using goat cheese I made QUICK ricotta cheese that was done in five minutes. The combination of these flavors are FORKING AMAZING. For me this recipe made 12 small tuile with extra beet relish.

Ingredients for around 4 servings

1 lb beets – peeled, shredded

2 shallots chopped

3 juniper berries – ground

150ml red wine vinegar

200g sugar

275g cooked potato (around 1 +1/2 regular size) peeled and riced

3 egg whites

caraway seeds to sprinkle (around 1/2 teaspoon)

Parmesan to sprinkle (around 2 Tablespoons)

vegetable oil for deep. frying

3 cups whole. milk

1 lemon (just the fresh squeezed juice)

around 12 small halves of pieces of fig

Directions

Make the cheese. In a large microwaveable tub add the milk and lemon juice. Microwave for 5 minutes. Use a mesh strainer and fish out all the curds and shake out the extra whey. Refrigerate.

Combine the beet, shallots. juniper berries, vinegar and sugar and cook gently till soft. Stove top will be quicker than oven but either is fine.

Set oven to 400 degrees F.

Mix the potato with the egg whites. Pour on a silicone mat. Sprinkle with caraway seeds and parmesan.

Place on bottom rack of oven for 5-10 minutes or until it looks sort of baked.

Cut into pieces.

Fry with vegetable on medium heat till the tuile get crisp.

Assemble

Spread some beet relish and top with fresh ricotta and some fig.

Fig, Ricotta, Beet Relish, topped Caraway, Parmesan Potato Tuile

These are FORKING DELICIOUS!

A special THANKS!!!! to Frances Atkins for her amazing recipe so that I could come up with this.

The Forking Truth