Curried Butternut Squash and Potato Latkes with Apple and Pear Salsa

My mom has always been a devoted follower of the humble latke. If she had her druthers, pancakes throughout the world would be given up in favor of the potato pancake. When I was small, I obviously thought this was nuts. But now, older and wiser, I understand her love of the eggy potatoy fried dish. I still maintain a healthy devotion to pancakes, but when I saw this recipe in the latest issue of Cooking Light (December 2010) for a dinner curried version of the breakfast potato pancake, I couldn't resist. There was even an apple and pear salsa to accompany. Mmmm. Fusion.

Ingredients

For the latkes (apple & pear salsa below)

3 cups shredded peeled butternut squash (about 3/4 pound)

3 cups shredded peeled baking potato (about 3/4 pound)

1 cup grated onion

6 tbsp all-purpose flour

1 tsp curry powder

1/2 tsp ground coridander

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1/8 tsp ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp cayenne

1 large egg

4 tbsp fresh cilantro

1/2 tsp  salt

1/4 cup olive oil

Method

Combine squash, potato, and onion in a colander. Drain 30 minutes, presshing occasionally with the back of a spoon until barely moist.

Combine potato mixture, cilantro, salt, flour, herbs/spices, and egg in a large bowl. Toss well.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 4 tsp oil to pan, swirl to coat. Spoon 1/4 cup potato mixture loosely into a dry measuring cup. Pour mixture into pan; flatten slightly. Repeat process 4 times to form 5 latkes.

Saute 3 1/2 minutes on each side or until golden brown and thoroughly cooked. Remove latkes from pan; keep warm.

Repeat procedure twice with remaining oil and potato mixture to yield 14 latkes in total.

Serve with salsa.

Apple/Pear Salsa

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups finely copped Gala apple

1 pear, finely chopped

1/4 cup thinly vertically sliced red onion

2 tbsp fresh lime juice

1 finely chopped seeded serrano chile

1 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

1/8 tsp salt

Method

Combine apple, pear, and lime juice in a bowl; toss.

Add onion, chile, cilantro, and salt. Toss.

Cover and chill. Serve with latkes.

Raw Butternut Squash and Carrot Salad

I do have a soft spot in my heart for Mark Bittman (Bitty, aka the "Bittster"). I watched his travels in Spain with Mario Batali and Gwyneth Paltrow (who invited a vegetarian to a pork-based country?) and was endlessly amused by his no nonsense "I'm from New York" attitude.
And he gets double points for his alter-ego, the Minimalist (a fantastic culinary superhero name in my book), his blog on the NY Times that emphasizes quick and easy recipes. And in terms of quick and easy, this recipe took the cake. Or rather the carrot. Even I, a longtime Minimalist fan, saw his recent posting about the glory of serving raw vegetables, I was initially unimpressed. I mean, cutting up vegetables and serving them with ranch dressing is not exactly rocket science.
But I had judged Bitty too quickly. As I scrolled through the recipe for a raw butternut squash salad, my dismissal turned to mild curiosity. Butternut squash? Raw? I mean, I'm a hearty supporter of the vegetable, but having chomped down on a few "not-quite-cooked" pieces now and again, I was skeptical of the vegetable's potential as a raw side dish.
Alas, again, I judged too quickly. Grating the butternut squash was key. It produced this fresh delicious salad, perfect for using up those butternut squashes which (if you're like me) are optimistically bought at the market and then just.quietly sit on the counter for weeks, sadly unused and under-appreciated.
I followed Bittman's recipe initially but then decided one raw orange vegetable really deserves another, so added shredded carrot to the mix. For the win.

Ingredients

1 butternut squash (about 1 1/2 pounds), peeled, seeded and grated

2 medium carrots, peeled and grated

4 spring onions, chopped

1/2 cup raisins

1/8 cup vegetable oil

1/8 cup toasted sesame seed oil

2-3 tablespoons sherry vinegar, or to taste

1 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (or crushed chillis)

2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger

Salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Combine the squash,carrots, spring onions, cayenne/chillis, raisins, oil, vinegar and ginger in a salad bowl; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss, then taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate for up to several hours.

Yield: 4 servings.

Greek Frittata with Yogurt

 Again, another reason to use the fresh produce of the season (I sound like the spokesman for the organic lifestyle). My roommate had come home earlier in the week with her arms full of courgettes/zucchinis from the market and we spent the subsequent days trying to find new and unusual ways of using them up.
This frittata was an absolute win, not just for the ease in making it (absolutely foolproof) but its creamy texture when all it has is very waistline-conscious yogurt in it.
Yes, yes, it might call for 8 eggs, but you're getting good hearty yogurt and lots of veg in there as well. All in all a great main dish that also is very good cold when eaten for leftovers (or later that night...).

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 leek, white and light green parts, cleaned and chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

3/4 pound winter squash or zucchini, cut in 1/4- to 1/3-inch dice

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1/4 cup chopped fresh dill

2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

8 eggs

1/2 cup drained yogurt or thick Greek-style yogurt

1/4+ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium heat in a large, heavy skillet. Add the leek and cook, stirring, until tender, about three minutes. Add the garlic, stir together until fragrant, about 30 seconds, and add the squash. Cook, stirring, until tender, 10 to 12 minutes for winter squash, about 8 minutes for zucchini. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in the dill and the mint. Remove from the heat.

3. Place the remaining tablespoon of oil in a 2-quart casserole or in a 9-inch cast iron skillet, brush the sides of the pan with the oil and place in the oven. Meanwhile, whisk the eggs in a large bowl. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Whisk in the yogurt and the Parmesan. Stir in the squash or zucchini mixture.

4. Remove the baking dish from the oven and scrape in the egg mixture. Place in the oven, and bake 30 minutes or until puffed and lightly colored. Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before serving. Serve hot, warm or at room temperature.

Yield: Serves six to eight.

Advance preparation: The squash can be prepared through step 2 as far as a day ahead.

Oven-Roasted Fish with Fennel

Ok folks, get ready, we've officially reached a new period of blogdom. It's high time I join the program and start showing actual (read: my) pictures of what this food looks like when cooked. Enough of the professionals. Time for the amateurs to step up. Although it'll be a few more years before the recipes on here stem only from my creativity, the pictures hopefully from now on will regularly be my own.
And don't let the poor lighting fool you on this one, this dish was absolutely amazing and gets major bonus points for taking less than half an hour to make!

From the New York Times, in their infinite wisdom:

Ingredients
2 pounds fennel with fronds still attached (3 medium bulbs)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, preferably a spring onion, chopped (about 1 cup chopped onion)
2 garlic cloves, minced
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 1/2 pounds firm white fish fillets, such as Pacific cod, Pacific halibut or striped mullet

Preparation

1. Trim the stalks and fronds from the fennel, and set them aside. Quarter the bulbs, cut away the cores and slice thin across the grain. You should have about 4 cups sliced fennel. Chop the fronds, and measure out 1 to 2 tablespoons (to taste).
2. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large, nonstick skillet, and add the onion. Cook, stirring, until the onion begins to soften, about three minutes. Add the fennel and a generous pinch of salt. Cook, stirring often, until the fennel mixture is tender, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic, stir together and cover the pan. Turn the heat to low, and continue to cook 5 to 10 more minutes until the mixture is very soft and fragrant. Stir in the chopped fennel fronds, and remove from the heat. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

3. While the fennel is cooking, preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Oil a baking dish large enough for the fish to fit in a single layer. Season the fish with salt and pepper, and arrange in the baking dish. Cover with the fennel stalks you set aside. Cover the dish tightly with foil, and place in the oven. Bake 15 minutes.

Check the fish; if you can cut into it with a fork, it is done (cod will cook more quickly than halibut). If it is still tough in the middle, cover and return to the oven for five minutes. Remove from the oven and check again. Remove the fennel stalks from the fish and discard.

4. Place the cooked fennel on a platter or on individual plates, top with the fish fillets and serve.

Yield: Serves four.
Advance preparation: The cooked fennel will keep for two days in the refrigerator.

Baked Quinoa with Spinach, Cheese, and Chorizo

I'll admit it, I've been on a bit of a quinoa kick recently. My friends started making salads featuring the trendy new grain and I've jumped on the quinoa bandwagon. It's just so versatile! Taking the place of rice, couscous, pasta, really any starch, it's much lighter and fluffier and works great with just about everything.

This recipe is from the Recipes for Health section of the New York Times, from their own experiments with 'unusual' grains. I substituted the cheeses and added some chorizo which made it a bit heartier for a one-dish meal, but this recipe seems foolproof. I also added some chili pepper in (cayenne and achiote) for the spice lovers among us. But feel free to experiment, adding in your own ingredients to suit your taste!

1 6-ounce bag baby spinach
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 plump garlic cloves, minced
4 cups cooked quinoa (1 cup uncooked) (For Quinoa cooking instructions see here)

2 large eggs
3 ounces cheddar cheese or Gruyere , grated (3/4 cup)
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage
1 ounce Parmesan, grated (1/4 cup)

3 ounces diced dried Spanish sausage (chorizo)
chili pepper (to taste, approx. 2 tsp)

1. Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Oil a 2-quart gratin or baking dish.
2. Heat a medium frying pan or a wide saucepan over medium-high heat. Wash the spinach and without spinning dry, add to the pan and wilt in the liquid left on the leaves after washing. You may have to do this in 2 batches. As soon as the spinach wilts, remove from the heat and rinse with cold water. Squeeze dry and chop. Set aside.
3. Wipe the pan dry and heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in it over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and stir with the onion until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the spinach and season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat.
4. Beat the eggs in a large bowl and add 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir in the quinoa, the onion and spinach mixture, the Gruyère/cheddar, the chorizo and the sage. Add freshly ground pepper and stir the mixture together. Scrape into the gratin dish. Sprinkle the Parmesan over the top and drizzle on the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Place in the oven and bake until nicely browned on top, about 25 minutes. Remove from the heat, allow to sit for about 5 minutes, and serve.
Yield: Serves 4 to 6
Advance preparation: The cooked quinoa will keep for 3 or 4 days in the refrigerator. The recipe can be made through Step 3 several hours or even a day ahead. The gratin can be assembled several hours ahead.