Fragrant Fried Herbs
Crisp-fried herbs are an unexpected (and delicious!) garnish for the likes of pastas, salads, soups and more.
Ingredients:
Fresh herbs of your choice, such as basil, mint and sage leaves, plus parsley, thyme and rosemary sprigs
Neutral frying oil, such as canola or vegetable
Method:
1. Wash and dry all herbs thoroughly. The herbs need to be very dry to prevent splattering when fried.
2. Pour oil about ¼ -inch deep in a small pot and bring to 325°. (To test the heat, drop a small piece of bread into the oil and it should turn golden brown in about 30 seconds).
3. Working in batches, drop a few herbs at a time into the hot oil. Cook for 30 seconds. Flip over using tongs and continue cooking for 30 seconds to 1 min, or until the herb appears slightly darkened in colour and evenly fried. Gently remove from oil with tongs and place on a paper towel-lined plate. Allow to cool before serving.
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Garlic-Ginger Beef & Vegetable Stir-Fry
Serve this fragrant stir-fry with rice or noodles; we also love topping each serving with a fried egg and extra hot sauce.
Ingredients:
½ cup soy sauce
½ cup hoisin sauce
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons freshly-grated ginger
1- 2 tablespoons Sun Sauce or Sriracha (optional)
1 pound stir-fry beef, thinly-sliced
2 tablespoons sesame oil or vegetable oil
8 ounces mushrooms, such as a mix of Cremini and Shiitake, washed and sliced if very large
1 bunch broccolini, trimmed of any tough ends
1 bunch Senposai greens
1 Lotus root, peeled, trimmed of root ends and thinly-sliced into rounds
1 yellow onion, cut into slices
1 bunch scallions, trimmed of root ends and minced
Method:
1. In a bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, hoisin sauce, garlic, ginger and Sun Sauce until combined.
2. Put the beef slices in a plastic baggie or bowl. Pour ¼ cup of the garlic-ginger sauce over the pork and mix to coat evenly. Marinate at least 1 hour or overnight in the fridge. Place remaining garlic-ginger sauce in the fridge as well.
3. In a large skillet over medium high heat, add 1 tablespoon of the sesame or vegetable oil and the pork. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the pork from the skillet and set aside.
4. In the same skillet add the other tablespoon of oil and add all the prepped vegetables and greens. Cook 5 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the pork and remaining garlic-ginger sauce. Cook for an additional 3 to 4 minutes. Serve with scallions and sesame seeds on top, if desired.
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Smoky Scamorza Toast with Fried Eggs
Start your day off right by topping your avocado toast with some smoky fried Scamorza.
Ingredients:
2 slices of bread, such as this week’s Jewish Rye
8 slices Smoky Scamorza cheese
2 eggs
1 avocado, pitted and sliced
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
Method:
1. Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat and spray lightly with cooking spray. Once warm, place the cheese slices in the pan and fry lightly, flipping to fry each side. Remove and set aside, then crack both the eggs into the same skillet and fry until the whites are set, but the yolks are still runny.
2. Meanwhile, toast the bread in the toaster to your preferred setting. Then assemble your toast by layering 4 slices of the Scamorza to each slice, then topping with avocado slices and a fried egg each. Season generously with salt and pepper.
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Fried Squash Blossoms
The ultimate summer starter, incredibly beautiful and flavorful.
Ingredients:
12-16 squash blossoms
1 cup ricotta
1 large egg yolk
¾ cup Grana-style cheese, divided
½ cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
¾ cup chilled seltzer water or club soda
¼ cup finely-chopped mint
2 tablespoons each finely-chopped parsley and basil
3 cups vegetable oil, for frying
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Stir together ricotta, egg yolk, herbs, half of the cheese and a pinch each of salt and pepper in a small bowl.
2. Carefully open each blossom and fill with about 2-3 rounded teaspoons of the ricotta filling, gently twisting the end of the blossom to enclose. Tip: Use a pastry bag for this! (You may have filling left over.)
3. Whisk together flour, remaining cheese, about ¼ teaspoon salt, and seltzer in a small bowl.
4. Heat ½ inch oil to 375° in a 10-inch heavy skillet. Meanwhile, dip blossoms in the flour batter to thinly coat. Fry coated blossoms, turning once, until golden, 1 to 2 minutes total. Transfer with tongs to paper towels to drain. Coat and fry remaining blossoms. (Return oil to 375° between batches.) Season with salt and serve immediately.
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Roasted Potatoes & Parsnips with Herbs
Fragrant herbs add a bright touch to these roasted vegetables.
Ingredients:
1 pound Huckleberry Gold potatoes
1½ pounds parsnips
1 yellow onion
2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs, such as parsley and thyme
2 tablespoons olive oil
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 425°.
2. Combine all the fingerling potatoes, onions and parsnips in a large bowl, tossing with the olive oil to coat. Season generously with salt and pepper. Arrange potato mixture on a foil-lined jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray. Bake for 25-35 minutes or until potatoes and parsnips are tender and browned in spots, turning after 15 minutes. Remove from the oven.
3. Garnish with the fresh-chopped herbs before serving.
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Duxelles Pasta with Olive Oil-Fried Duck Eggs
This light, creamy pasta is a show-stopper, topped with mushrooms duxelles and fried duck eggs.
Ingredients:
1 pound pasta
4 duck eggs
¾ cup F&L duxelles
2-3 tablespoons butter
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
2-3 tablespoons freshly-chopped parsley
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Freshly-grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish
Method:
1. Bring a large pot of heavily-salted water to a boil. Drop in pasta and cook according to package directions, or until al dente, about 7-8 minutes. Drain and toss with 1 tablespoon each of butter and olive oil. Set aside.
2. Meanwhile, heat additional 2 tablespoons olive oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat until shimmery. Carefully crack 1 duck egg and drop into the pan, seasoning generously with salt and pepper. Fry until whites are set and crispy around the edges, but yolk is still runny, about 3-4 minutes. Repeat with remaining eggs.
3. Toss pasta with remaining tablespoon of butter, duxelles and fresh parsley. Pile pasta into 4 individual serving bowls and top each with a fried duck egg. Garnish with grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.
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Fried Corona Beans with Kale-Lemon Pesto
Pan-fried and then tossed with a bright kale-lemon pesto, these crispy beans are incredibly satisfying.
Ingredients:
4 cups cooked Corona beans (see method)
1 bunch Tuscan black kale
¾ cup Grana-style cheese
¾ cup toasted pecans
Zest and juice of 1-2 lemons
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
1-2 tablespoons olive oil, plus additional for frying
1 clove garlic, minced
Pinch salt
Method:
1. To prep the pesto: Roughly remove stems from kale. Add kale to a pot of boiling water. Stir and cook about 45 seconds, then remove and rinse with cold water. Pick up kale with your hands and mold into a ball, squeezing out all the excess water. Set aside. In a food processor, add the lemon zest, juice, salt, nutmeg, garlic and pecans. Pulse a few times to coarsely chop. Add in the kale, and pulse while adding olive oil. Taste for salt and add more oil if it is too dry.
2. Add 1-2 tablespoons additional olive oil to coat a large frying pan. Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat until shimmering, then add beans in a single layer. Stir to coat the beans, then let them sit long enough to brown on one side, about 3-4 minutes, before turning to brown the other side, also about 3-4 minutes. The beans should be golden and a bit crunchy on the outside.
3. Add kale-lemon pesto to the beans and toss to combine. Remove from heat and serve lightly sprinkled with additional Grana cheese.
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Heirloom Tomato & Herb Salad
A simple drizzle of oil and vinegar allows the natural tomato flavors to shine in this recipe from Martha Stewart.
Ingredients:
3 pounds heirloom tomatoes (halved or cut into wedges, depending on size)
1 cup mixed fresh herbs, such as parsley, mint, oregano and basil
¼ cup feta cheese, crumbled
Extra virgin olive oil and sherry vinegar, for drizzling
Flake sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Arrange tomatoes on a platter. Season with salt and pepper, and drizzle with oil.
2. Drizzle herbs with oil and vinegar, season with salt and pepper; toss to coat.
3. Sprinkle herbs and feta cheese over tomatoes. Serve immediately.
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Garlic-Herb Patty Pan Squash
So simple, so flavorful: These summer beauties are excellent served over grilled crostini, tossed into pastas, or scattered over pizza.
Ingredients:
1 pound Patty Pan squash, washed and halved
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves of garlic, finely minced
2 tablespoons freshly-chopped herbs of your choice, such as parsley and basil
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. In a large sauté pan, heat olive oil until shimmering, then add in summer squash and garlic. Cook, tossing frequently until squash is tender and soft, and garlic is fragrant, about 4-5 minutes.
2. Remove from heat and season generously with salt and pepper, then toss with fresh herbs.
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Rustic Challah Bread, Mushroom & Herb Dressing
Fragrant with fresh herbs and accented by toasted Challah bread and meaty mushrooms, this stuffing is always a hit!
Ingredients:
1 large loaf challah (about 1 pound)
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for buttering baking dishes
2 cups yellow onion, diced (from 2 medium onions)
2 cups celery, diced
2 cups wild mushrooms, diced
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh thyme
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
½ teaspoon finely chopped fresh sage
1½ teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
3 cups chicken, turkey or vegetable broth
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 300° and set an oven rack in the middle position. Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
2. Cut the challah into 1-inch cubes and spread in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for about 25 minutes, or until dry and lightly toasted. Set aside. Increase the oven temperature to 350°.
3. Melt the butter in a large sauté pan. Cook the onions over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent. Add the celery, mushrooms, herbs, salt, and pepper and cook until celery is slightly softened, about 5 minutes more.
4. In a large bowl, combine the toasted bread cubes, onion/vegetable mixture, and chicken broth and toss well. Transfer the stuffing to the prepared baking dish. Cover the dish with buttered foil and refrigerate until ready to bake (up to overnight).
5. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking until golden, about 25 minutes more. Serve immediately.
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