Lunds & Byerlys REAL FOOD Fall 2019

Lunds & Byerlys

COMPLIMENTARY

JO

SÉ

AN

DR

ÉS

:D YN

AM

O

O

N

A

M

IS

SI

O

N

FALL 2019

Gorgeous Gourds From soup to dessert, discover deliciously different ways to enjoy winter squash

03

FREE

HAUTE DISHES: Elevating the casserole WEEKNIGHT FIX: Cook at home with 5 easy ideas REINVENTING DINNER: Love your leftovers

“ L O O K G O O D , F E E L G R E AT W I T H B E AU T I F U L S K I N ”

FAC E OF A T OP MI N N E SOTA DER M ATOLOGIST

Recognized by physicians and nurses as one of the nation’s best dermatologists, Charles E. Crutchfield III, MD’s countless honors include the Mayo Clinic’s Karis Humanitarian Award and being named to Minnesota Medicine‘s “100 Most Influential Health Care Leaders in Minnesota.” Dr. Crutchfield is a physician, teacher, author, patented inventor, entrepreneur, and philanthropist who mentors the next generation of physicians. Whether for medical or aesthetic concerns, if you or a loved one deserves the highest quality skin care from a leading dermatologist, Crutchfield Dermatology is the right call.

AES

THET I C

L OF APPROVA L SEA

CRU TCHFIELD DERMATOLO GY

CRUTCHFIELD DER MATOLOGY “Experience counts. Quality matters.”

Team Dermatologist for the Timberwolves, Twins, Vikings and Wild.

Mayo Clinic Medical School Graduate Top Doctor Minneapolis St. Paul Magazine | Best Doctors for Women Minnesota Monthly Magazine

1185 Town Centre Drive, Suite 101, Eagan | 651.209.3600 | www.CrutchfieldDermatology.com

TM

The best is yet to come

a fresh approach to interior design Maureen Grace Haggerty

@mintdesignbiz

mint-design.biz

651.332.9609

Allied ASID

PHOTO BY SUSAN GILMORE

“Since 1992, Erotas has created architecturally driven residences that are unparalleled in quality.

We’re dedicated to making every detail of your home exceptional.

That’s the Erotas way.”

952.401.4300

EROTASCUSTOMBUILDING.COM

LC#BC004898

Quality Materials Quality Materials Exceptional Installation Exceptional Results You CanInstallation Be Proud Of!

Results You Can Be Proud Of!

FREE wool area rug FREE wool area rug (up to 9’X12’) with your (up to 9’X12’) with your wood flooring purchase

wood flooring purchase

12642 Bass Lake Road 12642Grove, Bass Lake Road Maple Mn 55369 Maple Grove, Mn 55369 763.553.1800 | floorsofdistinction.com 763.553.1800 | floorsofdistinction.com

Those who love to cook make more than food in the kitchen. They make the most of every moment together—sharing stories, creating delicious flavors and simply enjoying the company of close friends. For more than 80 years, Le Creuset has been a part of these special times, and a colorful companion to all who savor food—and life—to the fullest. To learn more about Le Creuset’s classic French quality, and the joys of cooking with premium enameled cast iron, visit www.lecreuset.com.

contents

Features

real food fall 2019

20 Haute Dishes Elevate comforting casseroles with a sprinkling of sophisticated touches

BY FAITH DURAND

28 Gorgeous Gourds Celebrate the harvest with delicious winter squash recipes from soup to dessert

BY ROBIN ASBELL

38 Weeknight Fix Skip takeout and cook healthy, easy meals at home

BY ROY FINAMORE

46 Reinventing Dinner Love your leftovers RECIPES BY JULIA TURSHEN

52 Dynamo on a Mission José Andrés embraces food and life with gusto

BY TARA Q. THOMAS

Departments 4 Bites Accessible Chinese food RECIPES BY ANDREW, IRENE AND MARGARET LI

6 Kitchen Skills A delicious taste of the season—fresh tomato sauce

BY JASON ROSS

8 Contributors 17 Ingredient Cauliflower: From side dish to pizza crust

BY ANNA BJORLIN

18 Healthy Habits

Tips for gut health

BY ERIK TORMOEN

56 Pairings Beaujolais: Beyond nouveau

BY MARY SUBIALKA

2 real food fall spring 2017 2015

THAI RED CURRY SQUASH AND CHICKEN STEW (RECIPE PAGE 34)

27

43 56

Our Cover

Creamy Squash Soup with Sherry, Thyme and Spiced Pumpkin Seeds (page 31) Photograph by Terry Brennan Food styling by Lara Miklasevics

recycleMAGAZINElogo_WHITE.pdf

1

6/23/16

2:55 PM

PUBLISHER TAMMY GALVIN

SENIOR EDITOR CUSTOM PUBLISHING CLAIRE NOACK CONTENT DIRECTOR MARY SUBIALKA ASSOCIATE EDITORS KATIE BALLALATAK, ANNA BJORLIN, LIANNA MATT McLERNON AND ERIK TORMOEN SENIOR ART DIRECTOR JAMIE BANKSTON PRODUCTION PROJECT MANAGER CINDY MARKING ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE KELSEY FISH

VOLUME 15, NUMBER 3 Real Food magazine is published quarterly by Greenspring Media, LLC, 706 Second Ave. S, Suite 1000, Minneapolis, MN 55402, 612.371.5800, Fax 612.371.5801. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reprinted or otherwise reproduced without written permission from the publisher. Real Food is exclusively operated and owned by Greenspring Media, LLC. Printed in the USA. realfoodmag.com C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

The pages between the covers of this magazine (except for any inserted material) are printed on paper made from wood fiber that was procured from forests that are sustainably managed to remain healthy, productive and biologically diverse.

fall 2019 2009 real food 3

bites

Getting Past Fried Rice With the right recipes, anyone can dive into Chinese cooking

W

hen you’re looking for new recipes to tackle, it can be difficult to find the sweet spot between being too simple and too challenging—especially if it’s a cuisine you’re not familiar with cooking. To make Chinese food more accessible (and provide new and delicious flavor combos for masters in the field), Andrew, Irene and Margaret Li, the three owners, chefs and siblings of the Boston restaurant Mei Mei, wrote “Double Awesome Chinese Food.” Like their restaurant menu, some of the book recipes have a decidedly Chinese American (and New England flavor) point of view—but with a more streamlined process for the everyday kitchen.

Whether you choose classics like the Beef and Broccoli or the Carrot Coconut Soup included below or something more contemporary, there’s no doubt that you’ll score extra brownie points if you serve it family style, just as the Lis prefer. —Lianna Matt McLernon

Carrot Coconut Soup MAKES 4 SERVINGS AS AN APPETIZER OR 2 SERVINGS AS A MAIN DISH

This soup won over our hearts with its bold and festive color and hints of spice. With a creamy richness from the coconut milk, it’s a warming and welcoming soup perfect for cooler days. We like it with the Middle Eastern herb and spice mixture za’atar, or you could try curry powder, ras el hanout or ground Sichuan peppercorns. For garnish, you can swirl in a teaspoon of miso, drizzle with olive oil or scatter with toasted croutons, chopped herbs, pickles—you name it.

1 scallion 1 tablespoon olive oil or vegetable oil 1 pound carrots, trimmed and sliced into ½-inch-thick coins (5 to 6 carrots) 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced 1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, thinly sliced 1 teaspoon za’atar ½ teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste 2 cups water or vegetable broth 1 cup coconut milk splash of apple cider vinegar or rice vinegar 1. Thinly slice the scallion, setting aside the white and lighter green slices for the pot and the darkest green slices for garnish.

2. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the white and lighter green parts of the scallion, the carrots, garlic, ginger, za’atar, and salt to the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until everything starts to brown and give off a toasty aroma, about 6 minutes.

Add the water and coconut milk, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot, which will help flavor the soup. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer until the carrots are softened, about 30 minutes.

3. Carefully pour the hot soup into a blender or use an immersion blender to puree until smooth.

Explosion warning: If you’re going the blender route, fill only halfway and make sure to remove the center of the blender cap so steam can escape. Use a thick tea towel to cover the hole instead and start on low speed, working your way up. Thin with water if needed.

4. Stir in the vinegar for brightness, taste, and add more salt as needed. Sprinkle with the reserved scallions or other toppings of your choice, then spoon into bowls and serve.

4 real food fall 2019

RECIPES AND PHOTOS FROM “DOUBLE AWESOME CHINESE FOOD”

BY MARGARET LI, IRENE LI AND ANDREW LI © 2019 BY MARGARET LI, IRENE LI AND ANDREW LI. PHOTOGRAPHS BY MICHAEL PIAZZA. REPRINTED IN ARRANGEMENT WITH ROOST BOOKS, AN IMPRINT OF SHAMBHALA PUBLICATIONS, INC.

Beef and Broccoli MAKES 4 SERVINGS, WITH RICE OR OTHER SIDE DISHES

In our take on this classic Chinese restaurant dish, both the beef and the broccoli get a lovely char and crunch. We pan-fry a steak to medium-rare and oven-roast the broccoli; if you’ve only had limp, gloopy takeout versions of this dish, you’ll be surprised by the texture and flavor in these florets and stalks. Make sure you peel the broccoli stalk—it gets a bad rap, but the sweet, nutty flavor is fantastic once you get past the tough outer layer. or the Beef F 1 pound flank, skirt or hanger steak 1 tablespoon soy sauce (substitute tamari if gluten free) 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine 2 tablespoons neutral oil, such as canola, divided kosher salt For the Broccoli 1½ pounds broccoli, stems trimmed, peeled and cut into chunks, tops cut into florets ¼ cup olive oil ½ teaspoon kosher salt For the Sauce 1½ teaspoons neutral oil, such as canola 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, minced 3 tablespoons oyster sauce 2 tablespoons honey 2 tablespoons soy sauce (substitute tamari if gluten free) 1 tablespoon water 1 teaspoon fish sauce 1 teaspoon rice vinegar For the Garnish ¼ cup Garlic Panko (See recipe right) zest of 1 lemon, optional

Garlic Panko MAKES ½ CUP

2 tablespoons neutral oil or olive oil 1 clove garlic ½ cup Japanese panko or homemade breadcrumbs pinch of kosher salt 1. Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium-low heat until shimmering, then add the garlic and stir until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Add the panko and cook, stirring constantly, until the breadcrumbs darken to a deep golden brown, about 3 minutes. Discard the garlic clove, transfer to a plate, sprinkle with the salt, and set aside to cool. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

1. To marinate the beef: Combine the beef, soy sauce, wine and 1 tablespoon of oil in a sealable plastic bag. Marinate for at least 20 minutes while you prepare the broccoli and the sauce, or up to a day in advance.

2. To cook the broccoli: Preheat the oven to 425°F. Put the broccoli on a baking sheet and drizzle with the oil. Sprinkle with the salt, then use your hands to toss and fully coat the broccoli. Roast for 15 minutes, then carefully flip the pieces of broccoli over with tongs. Roast for another 5 minutes, then check to see if the broccoli has a good char. If not, continue to roast, checking every 5 minutes, until well browned.

3. To make the sauce: Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add the garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant and softened, about 2 minutes. Add the oyster sauce, honey, soy sauce, water and fish sauce and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook at a low boil for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning, until thick and sticky. Stir in the vinegar and taste for seasoning; if the sauce is too salty, thin with a little water or meat stock.

4. To cook the beef: Lay the beef on a cutting board and, if necessary, cut in half crosswise so both pieces fit into your pan. Pat dry with paper towels, then season lightly on both sides with salt. Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a large cast-iron or other heavybottomed skillet over high heat until lightly smoking. Using tongs, carefully lay the beef pieces flat in the pan and sear until browned on the bottom, about 3 minutes. Flip and brown the other side, about 3 more minutes, turning the heat down if it gets too smoky. This may be enough to cook to our preferred medium rare (125°F); if you prefer it more well done or have a thick steak, cook for another 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing into thin pieces against the grain (across the fibers of the meat).

5. To serve, put the broccoli and beef on a plate and drizzle with sauce. Sprinkle with panko and lemon zest, if using. Serve immediately with white rice or a side dish of your choice. 

fall 2019 real food 5

kitchen skills

Harvest of Flavor

Celebrate tomato season with your own fresh, delicious sauce

BY JASON ROSS

A

s we move into autumn, is your pantry still bursting at the seams with tomatoes fresh from the vine? Have you already made your fair share of tomato basil salads and eaten your fill of BLT sandwiches? For a delicious taste of the season, make some seriously fresh tomato sauce. The recipes here use a simple method for making fresh tomato sauce, and then I include two options to either add deep grilled charred flavor or some zest and spice.

Which tomatoes make the best fresh tomato sauce? Roma tomatoes or San Marzano (if you can get them) are most commonly used for sauce since they have a low moisture content and make rich flavors. However, feel free to use whatever tomato variety is best at the time. A flavorful tomato will make a flavorful sauce. Also, do not be afraid to mix varieties for your sauce. Try using Roma, beefsteak and even some heirloom varieties.

Cherry and pear tomato work particularly well in the charred sauce.

PHOTOGRAPHY TERRY BRENNAN FOOD STYLING LARA MIKLASEVICS

6 real food fall 2019

Fresh Tomato Sauce MAKES 1 QUART, 6 TO 8 SERVINGS

Taste the difference between fresh tomato sauce and canned. Both are good and both have their place, but now is the time to take advantage of the best tomatoes of the year. This sauce does great with simple thin noodles such as angel hair, spaghetti or bucatini. ¼ cup olive oil ½ onion, diced 1 rib celery, diced ½ tablespoon salt 1 clove garlic, sliced thinly 1 anchovy, finely minced (optional, See Cook’s Note)

1 tablespoon tomato paste 2½ pounds tomatoes, cores removed and roughly chopped ½ teaspoon dry thyme ½ teaspoon dry oregano 1 bay leaf

1. In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil on medium heat. Add onion, celery and salt. Sweat for about 10 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon until soft, but not brown.

2. Add garlic and optional anchovy, stirring for about 2 minutes, until the garlic is fragrant and the anchovy melts into the fat.

3. Turn the heat up to medium high and add tomato paste. Cook for about 2 minutes, stirring, until the paste has changed from a bright red color to more of a clay brick red.

4. Add the chopped tomatoes with their juices, plus the thyme, oregano and bay leaf. Cook, stirring, until tomatoes start to break down and give up more liquid. Bring liquid up to a boil and reduce heat to low, holding a gentle simmer with no lid. The sauce, at this point, will be watery and thin.

5. Cook for 20 to 30 minutes on a gentle simmer, stirring a few times to prevent scorching, until the sauce is thickened and all tomatoes fully softened. To check the consistency, ladle a little sauce on a clean plate and observe how it looks. Is it watery? Does it run on the plate? If so, cook the sauce a little longer.

6. Turn off the stove and allow sauce to cool for 5 to 10 minutes, until cool enough to safely puree. Run sauce through a food mill or process in food processor.

7. Transfer sauce to containers and store in the refrigerator for up to 7 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Cook’s Note: Anchovies might seem like an odd addition to tomato sauce, and you could skip them, but you might be surprised at what they do for your sauce. One anchovy in a quart of tomato sauce will not turn it into anchovy flavored sauce, but will instead add subtle flavor to the background. Think of an anchovy as a supplement to salt rather than a central ingredient.

Variation: To make a Charred Chunky Tomato Sauce, prepare a hot grill. Put the tomatoes directly on the grill and cook at high heat until the skins are blackened and blistered on all sides, about 10 minutes. Place charred tomatoes on a tray or in a bowl and wait until they are cool enough to handle.

Remove the cores and roughly chop. Make sure to save all the juices. Add the tomatoes to the pot of sweated onion, celery, tomato paste and optional anchovies, as in step 4 listed above. Add tomato paste and finish cooking the sauce with the herbs. When the sauce is done, skip the food mill or processor, and serve the sauce chunky with all the char on the blackened skins.

If you like a little spice, add some chili flakes or minced Fresno chilis to the spices. This sauce does well with penne or orecchiette, or other shapes that hold stew-like sauces.

Creamy Curry Tomato Sauce MAKES 6 TO 8 SERVINGS

Change fresh tomato sauce into a rich curry flavored sauce. Simply sweat some minced aromatic vegetables with curry spices and finish with a little cream. Add the mixture to tomato sauce to create a mild, creamy curry tomato sauce that’s perfect for wide noodles such as fettuccine or pappardelle, or try it with grilled fish or chicken.

1 tablespoon butter ½ onion, finely diced 1 clove garlic, minced ½ tablespoon minced ginger 1 tablespoon curry powder 1 teaspoon cumin 1 teaspoon coriander ½ teaspoon ground black pepper ¼ teaspoon ground clove ½ cup heavy cream ½ cup milk

1 quart fresh tomato sauce 1. In a small sauce pan over medium heat, melt butter and sweat onion, garlic and ginger for 2 to 3 minutes until fragrant and softened. Add spices and cook for 30 seconds. Stir in cream and milk and simmer for 10 minutes until thickened. Add curry cream to 1 quart of fresh tomato sauce.  NUTRITION

FRESH TOMATO SAUCE: PER SERVING: CALORIES 105 (71 from fat); FAT 8g (sat.

1g); CHOL 0mg; SODIUM 519mg; CARB 8g; FIBER 2g; PROTEIN 2g

fall 2019 real food 7

contributors

Robin Asbell spreads the

word about how truly delicious and beautiful whole, real foods can be through her work as an author, cooking teacher and private chef.

She likes to create delicious dishes that range from meat and seafood to beans and grains using global flavors.

Her latest book is “Plant-Based Meats.” She is also the author of “300 Best Blender Recipes Using Your Vitamix”; “Great Bowls of Food: Grain Bowls, Buddha Bowls, Broth Bowls and More”; “Juice It!”; “Big Vegan: Over 350 Recipes, No Meat, No Dairy, All Delicious”; “The New Vegetarian”; and “Gluten-Free Pasta.”

Lara Miklasevics began her

food career on the other side of the camera, cooking at the renowned New French Café in Minneapolis.

Today her work as a stylist is in demand at corporations including Heinz, Target and General Mills, as well as with many magazines. She prides herself on using her experience as a chef to make food as appealing on the page as it is on the plate.

Tara Q. Thomas intended to

be a chef when she trained at the Culinary Institute of America in New York but got sidetracked by wine.

She has been writing about it for nearly 20 years now, most prominently at Wine & Spirits Magazine, where she is executive editor. Author of “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Wine Basics” and a contributor to “The Oxford Companion to Cheese” and the forthcoming “The Oxford Companion to Spirits and Cocktails,” she also sits on the advisory panel for the International Culinary Center’s Sommelier Training Program. She lives in Brooklyn, New York, juggling a laptop and two small children. She still cooks nearly nightly, albeit for a smaller crowd.

Terry Brennan is a

Roy Finamore is respected

throughout the food world for creating cookbooks that are both stylish and perfect for the home cook. He is author of the James Beard Awardwinning “Tasty: Get Great Food on the Table Every Day” and coauthor of “The Red Rooster Cookbook,” “Marcus Off Duty” (a James Beard Award nominee), and “Fish without a Doubt,” among other titles. As an editor, he introduced Ina Garten and Tom Colicchio to the publishing world. His other authors include Martha Stewart, Diana Kennedy and Jacques Pépin.

photographer based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Clients include Target, General Mills, Land O’Lakes and Hormel. “Working with Real Food is a highlight for me—I look forward to every issue. I love working with the creative team and, of course, sampling the wonderful recipes.”

Jason Ross is a chef consultant

for restaurants and hotels, developing menus and concepts for multiple high profile properties. He trained and grew up in New York City but now calls St. Paul, Minnesota, home. Currently, he teaches the next generation of chefs at Saint Paul College Culinary School.

8 real food fall 2019

Faith Durand is editor-in-chief

of Kitchn (thekitchn.com), an online resource for home cooks. She is the author of several cookbooks, including the James Beard Award-winning “The Kitchn Cookbook” and her first book, “Not Your Mother’s Casseroles.”

She is passionate about reimagining cooking, eating and community in smart, practical ways for modern life.

She lives in Columbus, Ohio, with her husband and two toddler daughters.

Lunds & Byerlys welcome

Bloomington: 952-896-0092 Burnsville: 952-892-5600 Chanhassen: 952-474-1298 Eagan: 651-686-9669 Eden Prairie: 952-525-8000 Edina 50th Street: 952-926-6833 France Avenue: 952-831-3601 Golden Valley: 763-544-8846 Maple Grove: 763-416-1611 Minneapolis Downtown: 612-379-5040 Northeast: 612-548-3820 Uptown: 612-825-2440 Minnetonka Glen Lake: 952-512-7700 Highway 7: 952-935-0198 Ridgedale: 952-541-1414 Navarre: 952-471-8473 Plymouth: 763-268-1624 Prior Lake: 952-440-3900 Richfield: 612-861-1881 Roseville: 651-633-6949 St. Cloud: 320-252-4112 St. Louis Park: 952-929-2100 St. Paul Downtown: 651-999-1600 Highland Park: 651-698-5845 Wayzata: 952-476-2222 White Bear Lake: 651-653-0000 Woodbury: 651-999-1200

SHOP ONLINE Shop.LundsandByerlys.com

CATERING LundsandByerlys.com/Catering 952-897-9800

L&B EXTRAS Get extra offers and tools to make shopping easier.

LundsandByerlys.com/Extras

DOWNLOAD OUR APP LundsandByerlys.com/Mobile

STAY CONNECTED Follow us on social media and sign up for our e-newsletter.

LundsandByerlys.com/StayConnected

Abundance of Apples

A

s the temperature dips and the leaves change colors, my thoughts quickly turn to some of the many things that are great about this time of year. Goodbye, humidity and mosquitos.

Hello, high school football and all things apple and spice.

Despite our state’s short growing season, Minnesota has a good climate for apple growing because of our cold winters and moderate summer temperatures and humidity. Today we have more than 100 apple orchards throughout our state with about 25 in and around the Twin Cities.

That means there are plenty of options for embracing the season and enjoying local apples.

If a trip to the apple orchard isn’t in your plans this fall, visit one of our produce departments to pick up local apples we get from family-owned Wescott Orchards in Elgin and Fireside Orchard & Gardens in Northfield. While we don’t offer hayrides or a chance to pick the apples right from the tree, they are incredibly fresh as they are in our stores within days of being picked. To learn more about the local apples you’ll find in our stores this fall, check out our apple guide on page 10.

Not only are many apples grown in Minnesota—nearly 20 million pounds per year, according to the Minnesota Department of Agriculture—but we’ve also had some wonderful apples developed right here in our own backyard by the University of Minnesota. Think Honeycrisp (our state fruit), SweeTango and First Kiss, to name a few.

Another one of the nearly 30 apple varieties created by the University of Minnesota since its breeding program began in 1888 is the Haralson. This firm, crisp apple has a tart flavor and is perfect for baking. We discovered just how amazing Haralson apples are when we developed our signature L&B Haralson Apple Pie nearly 20 years ago.

The pie immediately became a customer favorite and remains so today. Nearly 110,000 pounds of Haralson apples are used every year to create these amazing pies. The apples are mixed with our own unique blend of spices and placed inside a flaky, all-butter crust. If you’ve never tried one, I can’t think of a better time than now to embrace fall and local apples.

We hope you continue to enjoy Real Food!

Sincerely,

Tres Lund President and CEO

FOOD QUESTIONS? Call our FoodE Experts: 952-548-1400

REAL FOOD COMMENTS Aaron Sorenson: 952-927-3663

LUNDSandBYERLYS.com real food 9

Lunds & Byerlys bakery

Sweet Autumn Discover fantastic fall-flavored finds in the bakery

BY AMY FOUKS, DIRECTOR OF BAKERY

A

s the leaves begin to fall and the weather gets colder, the bold, spicy flavors of autumn start to make their way back into the bakery. Whatever you’re craving, we’ve got it all, from traditional pies to festive treats and more.

Here are some fantastic fall finds in our bakery.

PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE The ultimate indulgent dessert! Our bakers make our pumpkin cheesecake with our exclusive recipe: pumpkin puree, real cream cheese and just a touch of molasses results in a rich, dense cheesecake. The sweet graham cracker crust provides a nice contrast to the smooth filling. It’s topped with a checkered pattern of powdered sugar and is delicious served with a dollop of whipped cream.

HARALSON APPLE PIE

PUMPKIN PIE

A customer favorite! This popular pie was created in partnership with the University of Minnesota more than 20 years ago when they first debuted the Haralson apple. Each pie is made using two pounds of locally grown Haralson apples that stay crisp— even after baking—for the perfect bite.

The pie also features a flaky all-butter crust and a special blend of spices to top it off.

It’s perfect served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of L&B Sea Salt Caramel Ice Cream Topping.

Baked fresh every day! Our pumpkin pie filling starts with a delicious combination of fresh pumpkin puree, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg—our exclusive recipe. It’s all poured into our old-fashioned flaky crust and baked to perfection. We love it served with a big dollop of whipped cream—or for a fun variation, try maple-flavored or ginger-flavored whipped cream. 

10 real food fall 2019

Guide to Minnesota Apples Honeycrisp Extremely crisp and juicy with a balanced, sweet-tart flavor. Best eaten fresh, used in baking or for applesauce.

(Available late September).

First Kiss This new apple is lightly tart and aromatic with a super crisp texture.

Eat out of hand or add to a snack tray or salad.

(Available mid-August).

Zestar This apple has a sweet-tart taste with hints of brown sugar.

The light, crisp texture results in a nice crunch.

Best enjoyed on its own.

(Available early September).

SweeTango This apple is crisp and sweet with a lively touch of citrus and honey and a subtle hint of spice. Best eaten fresh. (Available early September).

RiverBelle Crisp and juicy, the RiverBelle is equal parts sweet and acidic, which results in a delicate flavor. Best eaten fresh.

(Available in August).

McIntosh This bright red apple has a rich flavor and tender texture that softens when cooked.

Enjoy in applesauce, pies or on its own. (Available late September).

Haralson This firm, crisp apple has a juicy, tart flavor and red color. Perfect for eating fresh or making pies or applesauce. (Available late September or early October).

Pazazz This late-season apple has a sweet yet tart flavor with a huge crunch. It’s delicious used in pies or other baking. (Available late October).

Sweet Sixteen This late-season apple is rose red in color with a sugary taste and fine texture. Best enjoyed in applesauce or eating fresh. (Available late September).

Lunds & Byerlys meal solutions

Sheet Pan Suppers

Cook a healthy, family friendly meal–and avoid the dreaded dish washing–by trying one of our simple sheet pan suppers

Chicken and Sweet Potatoes Sheet Pan Supper MAKES 4 SERVINGS Chicken and Sweet Potatoes Sheet Pan Supper MAKES 4 SERVINGS

This easy meat-and-potatoes dinner is perfect for busy weeknights.

This easy meat-and-potatoes dinner is perfect for busy weeknights.

salt and pepper, to taste 2 pounds bone-in chicken thighs L&B Turkey

1 (14-ounce) container L&B Sweet Potato Cubes 2 pounds bone-in chicken thighs 1. Heat oven to 350°F. LineChicken a sheet &pan with Poultry foil. to pan. tasteBoneless chicken 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 (14-ounce) container L&B Sweet Potato Cubes 2. Place chicken thighsSeasoning on the sheet 2 tablespoons olive oil thighs will work, too. Just reduce the cooking time for the chick salt and pepper, to taste 1. Heat oven to 350°F. Line a sheet pan en,with as itfoil. will cook much faster without bones.

2.

Place chicken thighs on the sheet pan.

Boneless chicken thighs will work, too.

Justoil. reduce the L&B Chicken & Turkey Poultry Seasoning to taste 3. Add cubed sweet potatoes.

Drizzle with olive cooking time for the chicken, as it will 4. cook muchwith faster bones.

Season saltwithout and pepper to taste and sprinkle with L&B 3. Add cubed sweet potatoes. Drizzle Chicken with olive & oil.

Turkey Poultry Seasoning.

4. Season with salt and pepper to taste sprinkle with L&B Chicken & Turkey Seasoning.

5.and Bake about 35 minutes, or until chickenPoultry is brown and reaches 5. Bake about 35 minutes, or until chicken is brown and reaches 165°F with a meat thermometer 165°F with a meat thermometer and the potatoes are tender. and the potatoes are tender.

12 real food fall 2019

Lunds & Byerlys meal solutions

Sheet Pan Roasted Sausages with Peppers and Onions MAKES 2 TO 4 SERVINGS

The sausages are roasted directly on top of the peppers and onions, so the vegetables can absorb all the juices, and then everything is served on a bed of fresh arugula.

1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced into ¼-inch-wide strips 1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and sliced into ¼-inch-wide strips 1 small onion, peeled and sliced into ¼-inch-thick rounds 1½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for sprinkling ¾ teaspoon kosher salt freshly ground black pepper to taste 1 pound sausages, pricked with a fork ½ teaspoon red wine vinegar, plus more for sprinkling 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh oregano fresh arugula, for serving (optional) 2 ounces ricotta salata, crumbled (about ⅓ cup) 1. Heat oven to 400°F. 2. In a bowl, toss the peppers and onion with the oil, salt and black pepper. Spread the vegetables out in a single layer on a rimmed sheet pan and roast until they are tender but not caramelized, about 10 to 15 minutes.

3. Arrange the sausages on top of the peppers and onion. Continue roasting until the peppers are caramelized and the sausages are cooked through, about 8 to 10 minutes. If the sausages and/or peppers are not browned enough at this point, you can slide the whole pan under the broiler for 1 or 2 minutes. Watch it carefully so it doesn’t burn.

4. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the vinegar and oregano.

5. Before serving, toss the peppers and onion with the vinegar mixture.

Taste and adjust the seasonings if necessary (it might need more vinegar if your onion is very sweet). If you are using the arugula, divide it among individual serving plates and sprinkle with a little olive oil and a few drops of red wine vinegar. Arrange the peppers, onions and sausages over the arugula. Sprinkle with the cheese and serve.

Sheet Pan Mini Meatloaves with Green Beans and Potatoes MAKES 4 SERVINGS

You can make this hearty meat-and-potatoes meal on one sheet pan for easy cleanup.

1½ pounds fingerling or gold creamer potatoes, quartered 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided salt, to taste 2 pounds lean ground beef 1 tablespoon garlic powder ½ yellow onion, finely chopped ½ cup plain bread crumbs ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons barbecue sauce 1 pound green beans, trimmed 1. Heat the oven to 400°F with a rack in the center position.

2. Toss the potatoes on a rimmed baking sheet with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and a sprinkle of salt. Spread them evenly, then set a wire rack on top.

3. In a large bowl, gently combine the beef, garlic powder, onion, bread crumbs and ¾ cup barbecue sauce. Shape the mixture into 4 small loaves and place them on the wire rack over the potatoes.

4. Bake the potatoes and meatloaves for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, toss the green beans with the remaining olive oil and a pinch of salt.

5. Remove the pan from the oven. Brush the loaves with the remaining barbecue sauce and scatter the green beans around them. Return the pan to the oven and bake about 12 minutes more, until the potatoes and beans are tender and a thermometer inserted into a meatloaf registers 150°F.  LUNDSandBYERLYS.com real food 13

Lunds & Byerlys what’s in store

REPUBLIC OF TEA BEAUTIFYING BOTANICALS TEAS Sip and nourish your skin from the inside out. Republic of Tea’s Beautifying Botanicals teas are hydrating, violet-hued herbal infusions containing a proprietary blend of botanicals that can help improve your complexion.

Both varieties—daily beauty blueberry lavender and beauty sleep chamomile rose tea—are made with collagen-promoting blue butterfly pea flower, hydrating hibiscus and skin-protecting schizandra.

Did you know? These aromatic blends are caffeine-free, which means you can indulge in a bedtime beauty ritual with a calming, nourishing cup of tea.

A squeeze of lemon adds a bright flavor and a beautiful color.

DARLING PICKLE DIPS Darling Foods is a women-owned and operated business run by a pair of best friends. They hand make their Darling Pickle Dips in Minneapolis by blending zesty pickled vegetables with cream cheese and white beans to create a spreadable, snackable and even recipe-building dip! Flavors include original dill pickle, white cheddar with mustard and spicy pickle.

Tip: Try your favorite dip smeared on a BLT or burger. Or put a twist on guacamole by combining two mashed avocados with a tub of spicy pickle dip and a pinch of salt. Yum!

MUTTI TOMATO PRODUCTS Since 1899, the Mutti family has been growing tomatoes in Parma, Italy.

The recipe for their long success is simple—just sun, soil and rain. The key to their unique taste is their painstaking selection of the ripest Italian tomatoes, which are processed within 24 hours of being picked. Offerings include double- and triple-concentrated tomato paste, cherry tomatoes, peeled whole tomatoes, finely chopped tomatoes and tomato puree.

Did you know? Mutti is the No. 1 brand of tomato products in Italy.

14 real food fall 2019

Lunds & Byerlys what’s in store

DE NIGRIS BALSAMIC VINEGARS For more than three generations, the De Nigris family has dedicated itself to the production of vinegar. Their high-quality products are made in Modena, Italy from a blend of wine vinegar and concentrated grape must from seven regional varietals of grapes. The quality of their vinegars stems from their immense care taken during every step of the process, from growing grapes to harvesting and bottling.

Tip: The bronze balsamic is perfect for cold dishes and marinades.

The high-density platinum balsamic is thick and intense, making it great for gourmet dishes like risotto. And the gold balsamic is dense and fragrant, which is wonderful paired with braised meats and fine cheeses.

KITU SUPER ESPRESSO Whether you need a boost of energy for a workout, to power through a study session or to keep up with the kids, KITU Super Espresso provides some of the cleanest energy on the shelf. With just 40 calories, 0 grams of sugar and 5 grams of protein, it’s the perfect pick-me-up without all the guilt. Super Espresso flavors include original, vanilla and caramel.

L&B FROZEN VEGETABLES Our new L&B Frozen Vegetables are delicious, on-trend offerings made with only the very best ingredients.

Each convenient variety takes just minutes to heat and is a nutritious alternative to traditional grain and starch side dishes and entrées. Choose from scrumptious mashed cauliflower, broccoli & cheese, mashed cauliflower, zucchini spirals, butternut squash spirals, mixed vegetable spirals, riced medley of broccoli, carrot & cauliflower, riced cauliflower stir fry and Mediterranean riced cauliflower.

Tip: Try the L&B Mixed Vegetable Spirals in a batch of homemade soup or swap out pasta with L&B Butternut Squash Spirals during spaghetti night!

Did you know? KITU was founded by three brothers—Jordan, Jake and Jimmy. Each Super Espresso has three shots of espresso representing the three brothers, which equals 180 mg of caffeine.

LUNDSandBYERLYS.com real food 15

ingredient

Cauliflower Craze

This versatile vegetable has been showing up as pizza crust, rice and steaks on plates all across the country

BY ANNA BJORLIN

CAULIFLOWER YURAKP - ADOBE STOCK

A

few years ago, who would have believed cauliflower would become the superstar it is today?

Gone are the days of plain, unseasoned and too-often boiled florets. Instead, chefs are adding cauliflower to curries, soups and mac ‘n cheese, even going so far as to transform the previously dull vegetable into upscale dishes such as soufflés and risotto.

An extremely healthy vegetable, cauliflower is low in calories, high in vitamins, a very good source of fiber, and a significant source of minerals and omega-3 fatty acids. It also contains unique plant compounds that studies have shown may help reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke—two of the five leading causes of death in the country. In addition, this cruciferous vegetable is a favorite among vegetarians, vegans, gluten-sensitive eaters and dieters alike because it provides a wealth of alternative low-carb, protein-based options. The ample amount of fiber it contains also helps slow digestion and promote feelings of fullness, which can contribute to reducing the number of calories you eat throughout the day.

And the best part? It’s very easy to add to your diet. Roast it in a side dish, pickle it and add it in a salad, mash it to replace potatoes (check out our recipe for Creamy Garlic Mashed Cauliflower on page 51), and even deep-fry it in buffalo sauce for a chicken-wing substitute. From pizza dough (pulse it in a food processor) to rice (grate and sauté it), all the way to the soft, chewy brownies you see pictured here, it seems there’s no end to the delicious and unique ways cauliflower can be used. 

Cauliflower Brownies with Salted Coconut Caramel Sauce MAKES 16 BROWNIES

12 ounces cauliflower, leaves and For the Salted Caramel Sauce core removed, cut into florets 1 (14-ounce) can coconut milk 1 cup medjool dates, stones 5½ ounces coconut sugar removed 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste 1 tablespoon coconut oil 2 tablespoons espresso coffee ½ teaspoon sea salt 3 tablespoons maple syrup 1 cup white spelt flour ½ cup hazelnuts, ground, plus extra to garnish ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder ½ tablespoon ground flaxseeds generous 1/3 cup dark/bittersweet chocolate chips coconut chips, to garnish (optional) 1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-inch square cake pan and line with parchment paper and set aside.

2. First, make the caramel sauce by bringing the coconut milk and coconut sugar to a boil in a pan over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and then, stirring occasionally, continue to simmer for about 30 minutes, or until the mixture becomes thick and syrupy. Remove from the heat and vigorously stir in the vanilla, coconut oil and salt. Transfer to a glass jar or container and put in the freezer for about an hour, or until the mixture thickens.

3. Place a colander over a pan of simmering water. Add the cauliflower florets and cover with a lid. Steam for 20 minutes or until tender, then leave to cool.

Put the cauliflower in a blender and blitz with the dates, vanilla paste, coffee and maple syrup.

4. In a bowl, combine the flour, ground hazelnuts, cocoa powder and flaxseeds.

Stir in the cauliflower mixture until combined. Fold in the chocolate chips and spoon into the lined cake pan. Bake for 20 minutes, until the brownies feel firm to the touch. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the pan. Cut into squares and drizzle with the caramel sauce to serve. Garnish with extra hazelnuts and coconut chips, if you like.

RECIPE AND PHOTO FROM “CAULIFLOWER POWER: VEGETARIAN & VEGAN RECIPES TO NOURISH AND SATISFY”

BY KATHY KORDALIS ©2019 COURTESY OF RYLAND PETERS & SMALL. PHOTO BY MOWIE KAY.

fall 2019 real food 17

healthy habits

Gut Feeling To cut through an overload of information on gut health, here are some pointers for eating without upsetting your stomach

BY ERIK TORMOEN

18 real food fall 2019

1. CUT DOWN ON PROCESSED, SUGAR-ADDED FOODS AND SATURATED FAT. Yep, you guessed it. These are the big offenders. Concentrated sweets include the obvious—pastries, candy, sugar-sweetened beverages—and the less obvious, like granola. Added, refined sugars can cause painful gut inflammation. Without significant fiber, they also do nothing to aid digestion. Saturated fat, found in regular-fat dairy products as well as red and processed meats, can also provoke flare-ups.

2. GET 3 TO 5 SERVINGS OF FRUITS AND VEGETABLES PER DAY. “From an anti-inflammatory perspective, we really promote more of a Mediterranean-type diet, where the predominate basis is plant-based,” Wirtz says. Fiber-rich fruits and veggies move digestion along—but, of course, don’t go overboard. Those with histories of abdominal bloating and diarrhea risk exacerbating those symptoms by adding too much fiber too fast.

3. TAKE THE TEMPORARY-ELIMINATION APPROACH. Wirtz sees many patients who come in blaming gluten for their stomach issues. Usually, she says, the trigger is not the gluten—a cereal-grain protein often found in convenient sources of fiber, vitamins and minerals—but the refined sugar, saturated fat or added salt.

Still, the gut works in mysterious ways. Those who can’t pin down a diagnosis can try eliminating one suspect for two to three weeks. They might target wheat, dairy, acidic foods or anything else. After removing the ingredient for 14 to 21 days, reintroduce it into your diet and pay attention to how you feel.

4. STAY ON TOP OF LOST NUTRIENTS. “With dairy, similar to gluten, people at times can unnecessarily cut it out,” Wirtz says. “But,” she adds, “there’s no reason why dairy is

PHOTO SEWCREAM - ADOBE STOCK

I

f your stomach is sensitive, hopefully you realize it’s also pretty amazing.

The human gut developed during our hunter-gatherer period, some 1.8 million years ago. We ate simply—meats, leaves, nuts, fruits. Then, within the relative blip of 10,000 years, our food changed dramatically, as described in “Cooking for the Sensitive Gut” by nutritionist Joan Ransley and gastroenterologist Nick Read.

We started cultivating grasses for flour, preserving spoils for winter, and cooking things for taste and digestion. Industrial farming worldwide let us eat out of season. Food became more plentiful, more diverse and more processed.

Meanwhile, the old gastrointestinal tract—a 20- to 30-foot tube that works overtime as a “chopper, mixer, digester, extractor and salvage system in one,” as described by Ransley and Read—still hasn’t caught up.

Thus, some of us deal with digestion-interferent disorders, diseases and intolerances. They include irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), celiac disease, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and lactose intolerance. Direct causes range from multi-factorial to relatively unknown. Still others of us report frequent inflammation, bloating, stomachaches, constipation, diarrhea and other bouts of digestive discomfort unrelated to disease.

“Many times, there’s not a one-size-fits-all solution, unfortunately,” says Mary Wirtz, a clinical registered dietitian at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. As research comes in about gut microbiomes, we’re still discovering how our stomachs’ unique bacterial ecosystems work. Until then, there are simple ways to address digestion issues that cut through the noise of gluten-free, dairy-free, big-diet advisories.

necessary.” If you opt to remove dairy, just pay attention to the nutrients you’re losing, such as calcium, vitamin D and protein, and add them elsewhere. Those who eliminate gluten can turn to quinoa for protein, fiber and microminerals.

5. CONSIDER PROBIOTICS. After taking out added sugar and saturated fat, introducing more fruits and veggies, and conducting trial eliminations, those with continuing stomach issues can try foods rich in probiotics. These microorganisms live in the gut, and we often think of them as “good bacteria”— potentially replacing “bad bacteria” and helping with common symptoms of IBS. Fermented foods that ferry probiotics include sauerkraut, kimchi and kombucha. Be careful with kefir, a cultured yogurt drink, Wirtz says; the stuff you buy at the store sometimes comes with added sugar to mask its sourness.

6. MAKE CHANGES GRADUALLY. Your GI tract needs time to adjust to dietary drama stirred up by additions and subtractions. “Let’s say you go from zero grams of dietary fiber per day to 30,” Wirtz says. “That can either back you up or clean you out really quickly.” The same goes for cutting sugars, adding fruits and veggies, and introducing fermented foods.

7. GOT HIVES, FLUSHING OR HEADACHES? Test against potential protein triggers to rule out allergies, and then see if you’re right for a low-histamine diet. Histamine is a compound that regulates inflammation and itching released in response to allergens. It’s found in many foods, such as yogurt, shellfish, avocados and nuts.

8. “IN MODERATION” IS A RELATIVE TERM—although it’s become sweet-tooths’ saving grace. “For some people, that moderation may be two Cokes a day versus 10,” Wirtz says.

“In my opinion, that’s still excessive.” Instead, think “infrequently.” Make it a special treat for a special occasion.

9. SEE A PROFESSIONAL. “I don’t recommend unnecessarily cutting out foods from your diet unless you feel that it’s really contributing to an intolerance,” Wirtz stresses. “Because, oftentimes, those are just foods that provide a lot of good vitamins and minerals that our bodies need from a healthprevention perspective.” Since everyone’s gut is different, tracking it with a dietitian can help rule out courses of action. That way, you’re not stuck on the low-FODMAP diet, a restrictive plan often recommended for IBS that limits fermentable carbs. “It just makes their life more tedious,” Wirtz says, “because you’re having to plan around that and cook around that and eat out around that.”  Always consult your doctor if you have health concerns or before making any major dietary changes.

Baked White Fish with Crunchy Pine Nut, Parmesan and Basil Crust MAKES 4 SERVINGS

A flavored breadcrumb crust can transform a humble piece of fish into a first-class tasty dish. Always use really fresh fish if you can get it. As for breadcrumbs, you can use gluten-free or sourdough if you prefer, but you should be comfortable with small quantities of one-day-old white bread (one slice per person).

1/3 cup pine nuts, slightly crushed 1 cup fresh white breadcrumbs 4 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese 4 tablespoons chopped basil leaves sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided 4 (4-ounce) white fish fillets, such as cod, haddock or hake 2 tablespoons white wine 1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. 2. Mix together the pine nuts, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, basil, salt and pepper to taste, and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a small bowl.

3. Remove any pin bones from the fish and rinse under cold water. Pat the fillets dry with paper towel.

4. Brush an ovenproof dish with the remaining olive oil. Lay the fish fillets in the dish and sprinkle with the wine. Cover with the breadcrumbs and cook for about 10 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and crunchy.

PHOTO AND RECIPE FROM “COOKING FOR THE SENSITIVE GUT” BY DR. JOAN RANSLEY AND DR. NICK READ ©2019 REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF COLLINS & BROWN. PHOTO BY JOAN RANSLEY.

fall 2019 real food 19

Haute Dishes Elevate comforting casseroles with a sprinkling of sophisticated touches and nary a can of soup in sight

BY FAITH DURAND

PHOTOGRAPHY TERRY BRENNAN FOOD STYLING LARA MIKLASEVICS

CHICKEN ORZO FLORENTINE (RECIPE PAGE 27) LEFT: BAKED PENNE ALLA VODKA (RECIPE PAGE 23)

fall 2019 real food 21

BAKED RISOTTO WITH LEMON SHRIMP

22 real food fall 2019

C

asseroles represent the best of cooking: They are generous and feed a multitude, they are thrifty and make-ahead, and they always please a crowd. But they can also fall victim to a punchline in a joke about old-fashioned, heavy

food. Are casseroles too dowdy and down-home to serve to company? No! It’s time to put hotdish jokes to bed because these recipes show how classy a casserole can be. These bakes are best-in-class with more vegetables, no canned soups and plenty of sophisticated charm. From a vibrant Mediterranean pasta bake to oven risotto with a tangle of lemon shrimp, these are casseroles that truly do it all and look gorgeous on any table.

Baked Risotto with Lemon Shrimp

Baked Penne alla Vodka

MAKES 4 TO 6 SERVINGS

MAKES 6 SERVINGS

If I could pick one casserole to serve to company, this would be it. The oven makes a dreamy, easy risotto that is hands-off, with no stirring required. The rice is still tender and al dente, with a creamy, herbflecked sauce. The shrimp are broiled right on top of the risotto for a really spectacular presentation and easy serving.

This pasta bake is everything my Italian-American husband wants in a pasta bake: creamy red sauce (left a little chunky for a satisfyingly meaty tomato texture), al dente penne (it cooks right in the oven, in its sauce), and a crispy, delicate layer of prosciutto hovering on top for an impressive finish.

1 lemon 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided 4 garlic cloves, minced 1 small white onion (8 ounces), diced 2 cups Arborio rice 1 cup dry white wine such as a Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio 5 cups low-sodium chicken broth, divided 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided 1 pound uncooked shrimp, deveined with tails, thawed and drained freshly ground black pepper 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese 3/4 cup frozen peas 1/4 cup finely chopped Italian parsley, plus more to garnish

16 ounces uncooked penne pasta 4 tablespoons unsalted butter 6 garlic cloves, roughly minced 2 (28-ounce) cans of diced tomatoes with their juices 1/2 cup vodka 2 cups cream 2 teaspoons salt freshly ground black pepper 11/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided 4 ounces prosciutto, cut with scissors into rough pieces or strips olive oil finely chopped Italian parsley, to garnish

1. Heat the oven to 350°F. Use a vegetable peeler to peel the lemon, reserving the peel. Juice the lemon and reserve.

2. Place a 3- to 4-quart Dutch oven or pot over medium heat and melt 2 tablespoons of the butter. Gently cook the onion and garlic until fragrant and softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the rice and cook, stirring frequently, for another 2 minutes or until the grains of rice are translucent at the edges.

3. Raise the heat to medium and pour in the wine. Cook for about 1 minute, stirring constantly, or until it has mostly evaporated.

Add 4 cups of broth, 1 teaspoon of salt, and the reserved lemon peel. Bring to a simmer, then cover with a lid and bake for 18 minutes.

4. While the risotto is baking, prep the shrimp. Toss the shrimp in a large bowl with the lemon juice, remaining 1 teaspoon of salt and a generous amount of black pepper.

5. Remove the lid of the Dutch oven and stir in the remaining 1 cup broth, Parmesan cheese, peas and Italian parsley.

6. Turn the oven to broil. Arrange the shrimp on top of the risotto and broil uncovered for 5 minutes or until the shrimp is pink and cooked through. Garnish with additional parsley and serve immediately.

1. Heat the oven to 400°F and grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with baking spray or olive oil. Spread the penne in the dish.

2. Melt the butter in a deep sauté pan or 4-quart pot and cook the garlic over low heat until fragrant and soft, about 3 minutes. Pour in the tomatoes with their juices and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add the vodka and cook for another 2 minutes.

3. Whisk in the cream and bring back to a simmer. Cook for 1 minute then remove from the heat. Whisk in the salt and a generous quantity of black pepper, along with 1 cup of Parmesan cheese.

4. Pour the sauce over the penne and stir. Cover the baking dish tightly with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and turn the oven to broil. Cover the top of the pasta dish with the cut strips of prosciutto and drizzle lightly with olive oil. Broil for 5 minutes or until the prosciutto is crisp.

5. Top with the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan and Italian parsley to garnish. Serve immediately.

fall 2019 real food 23

Ham and Gruyère Potato Gratin MAKES 6 SERVINGS AS A MAIN DISH

Ham and potato casserole is an absolute bedrock of casserole culture.

How many times have you seen this classic on a potluck table? I love the old-school version, but I also think that a potato casserole lends itself beautifully to a more upscale interpretation. I substitute a brown-butter white sauce for the can of soup, and fresh potatoes for frozen (slicing them gratin-style classes this up, too). Caramelized onions, whole-grain mustard and rosemary level-up the flavor for a ham and potato bake that deserves to be the star of a dinner party.

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided 1 large white onion (1 pound), cut into quarter moons 21/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided 2 cloves of garlic, minced 1 tablespoon minced rosemary, from 1 large sprig 1/3 cup flour 3 cups whole milk freshly ground black pepper 2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard 3/4 pound thickly-sliced ham, roughly torn or chopped 1/2 pound shredded Gruyère cheese, divided 3 pounds russet potatoes, well-scrubbed finely-chopped Italian parsley, to garnish 1. Heat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with baking spray or butter.

2. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet. Stir in the onions and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt. Cook on medium heat (lower the heat if onions begin to crisp or burn on edges), stirring occasionally, until onions are light brown and caramelized, about 20 minutes. Near the end of cooking, stir in the garlic and rosemary.

3. Meanwhile, melt the remaining 4 tablespoons butter in a 3-quart saucepan over medium heat. Let the butter brown until it smells toasty and darkens in color. Remove from the heat and rapidly whisk in the flour; it will clump up into thick, oily crumbs. Pour in about ½ cup of milk, whisking vigorously, then return to the heat and slowly whisk in the rest of the milk, beating each time until the mixture is relatively smooth. Bring to a simmer, then remove from the heat. The sauce will be the consistency of a thin batter. Stir in a generous quantity of black pepper as well as the mustard.

4. Scrape the white sauce into a large bowl and stir in the caramelized onions, ham and half of the shredded Gruyère cheese. Cut each potato lengthwise, then use a mandoline or very sharp knife to slice about ¼-inch thick. Stir into the white sauce as the potatoes are sliced.

5. Spread the potatoes and sauce evenly in the prepared dish and sprinkle the remaining Gruyère over the top. Cover tightly with foil. Bake 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 25 to 35 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Turn oven to broil and broil for 5 minutes or until top browns and edges bubble. Sprinkle lightly with finely chopped parsley to garnish. It may look soupy but will firm up quickly as it cools.

Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

24 real food fall 2019

HAM AND GRUYÈRE POTATO GRATIN

fall 2019 real food 25

SAUCY WHITE BEAN AND SAUSAGE BAKE

26 real food fall 2019

Saucy White Bean and Sausage Bake

Chicken Orzo Florentine

MAKES 6 SERVINGS

Sun-dried tomatoes, capers, lemon, olives: This pasta bake is a fabulous mix of all the Mediterranean flavors I love. You don’t even have to cook the pasta ahead. It absorbs all of those tastes and bakes to perfectly al dente in the oven.

MAKES 6 SERVINGS

This hearty bake is a fresher take on the casserole as comfort food, turning to beans as its main protein and folding in a colorful mix of red pepper and kale. Its zingy flavors and crispy top make this great to eat on its own, as a sort of oven stew, or you can serve it over pasta, rice or a bowl of steamed greens.

3 (15-ounce) cans cannellini or Great Northern beans, drained 12 ounces chicken andouille sausage, sliced into diagonal half-moons 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling 1 small onion (8 ounces), roughly chopped 4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped 1 (12-ounce) jar roasted red peppers, drained and roughly chopped 3 ounces baby kale, roughly chopped 1 lemon, juiced 2 teaspoons kosher salt freshly-ground black pepper 1 (24-ounce) jar marinara sauce 11/3 cups grated Parmesan cheese, divided 2 tablespoons coarse cornmeal ⅔ cup breadcrumbs

NUTRITION

1. Heat oven to 400°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with baking spray or olive oil. Spread the drained beans in the baking dish.

2. Sear the chicken sausage in a large skillet over mediumhigh heat until browned, then turn down the heat and stir in the olive oil. Cook the onion and garlic until fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the red peppers and the chopped kale and cook for about 1 minute or until wilted. Stir in the lemon juice and salt, and a generous amount of fresh pepper.

3. Stir the contents of the skillet into the dish of beans. Stir in the marinara sauce. Add 2/3 cup Parmesan and the cornmeal.

4. In a small bowl mix the breadcrumbs and the remaining 2/3 cup Parmesan with a generous glug of olive oil. Mix with fingers until the texture of wet sand. Strew over top of the beans and drizzle lightly with olive oil. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes or until browned and bubbling.

BAKED PENNE ALLA VODKA: PER SERVING: CALORIES 820 (380 from fat); FAT 43g (sat. 25g); CHOL 135mg; SODIUM 1701mg; CARB 78g; FIBER 9g; PROTEIN 28g

BAKED RISOTTO W. LEMON SHRIMP: PER SERVING: CALORIES 629 (162 from fat); FAT 18g (sat. 10g); CHOL 173mg; SODIUM 1757mg; CARB 78g; FIBER 3g; PROTEIN 35g

16 ounces uncooked orzo pasta 1/4 cup pine nuts 2 tablespoons olive oil 4 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped 1/4 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes 5 ounces baby spinach, roughly chopped 1/4 cup capers 1/4 cup chopped green olives 12 ounces uncooked chicken breast, cut into fine strips, 1 to 2 inches long 1 lemon, zested and juiced 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard 11/2 teaspoons salt freshly ground black pepper 2 ounces Parmesan, roughly grated or shaved with a peeler into long thin strips 1. Heat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with baking spray or olive oil. Spread the orzo in the greased dish.

2. Heat a heavy skillet over medium heat and toast the pine nuts, stirring frequently and watching closely to make sure they toast to a dark tan color but do not burn, about 2 to 3 minutes. Stir the pine nuts into the orzo.

3. Return the skillet to medium heat. Heat the olive oil and cook the garlic and sun-dried tomatoes until soft and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Stir in the chopped baby spinach and cook in handfuls until lightly wilted. Remove the pan from the heat and stir its contents into the orzo. Stir the capers, chopped green olives and pieces of chicken breast into the orzo as well. Sprinkle the lemon zest on top.

4. Heat the chicken broth to boiling, then whisk in the lemon juice, Dijon mustard, salt and a generous quantity of black pepper. Pour gently over the orzo. Cover the pan tightly with foil. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until pasta is just al dente (it will still look saucy).

5. Remove the foil and turn the oven to broil. Sprinkle the Parmesan on top and broil for 2 to 3 minutes or until cheese is melted and the edges are crispy. Serve immediately. 

HAM & GRUYÈRE POTATO GRATIN: PER SERVING: CALORIES 652 (290 from fat); FAT 33g (sat. 18g); CHOL 114mg; SODIUM 1955mg; CARB 57g; FIBER 6g; PROTEIN 33g

SAUCY WHITE BEAN & SAUSAGE BAKE: PER SERVING: CALORIES 599 (229 from fat); FAT 26g (sat. 8g); CHOL 50mg; SODIUM 2299mg; CARB 62g; FIBER 12g; PROTEIN 33g

CHICKEN ORZO FLORENTINE: PER SERVING: CALORIES 572 (147 from fat); FAT 17g (sat. 4g); CHOL 42mg; SODIUM 1164mg; CARB 72g; FIBER 5g; PROTEIN 34g

fall 2019 real food 27

Gorgeous Gourds Five deliciously different ways to enjoy winter squash

BY ROBIN ASBELL

28 real food fall 2019

The sweet, brilliantly colored flesh of squash is one of the nutrition superstars in your kitchen. The color comes from carotenoids, which are antioxidant compounds that protect your health on a cellular level. Vitamins A, B and C hide in that delicious, creamy squash. It’s even high in fiber and pectin, which stabilize blood sugar and make you feel full longer.

Left to right: spaghetti, delicata, acorn, butternut and kabocha PHOTOGRAPHY TERRY BRENNAN FOOD STYLING LARA MIKLASEVICS

fall 2019 real food 29

CREAMY SQUASH SOUP WITH SHERRY, THYME AND SPICED PUMPKIN SEEDS

30 real food fall 2019

W

Creamy Squash Soup with Sherry, Thyme and Spiced Pumpkin Seeds

hy does pumpkin get all the

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

attention? It takes center stage

The sweet, nutty flavors in squash are accentuated by the addition of dry sherry, which lends a savory depth to the creamy soup. The crunchy pumpkin seed topping adds a spicy flavor boost and texture to the smooth soup.

in our favorite Thanksgiving pie, and pumpkin spice flavors are everywhere in muffins, coffee and more. It’s enough to give all the squash siblings a self-esteem problem. It’s time to give the rest of the squash family some face time. If you are a fan of pumpkin, you are already a fan of squash, which is in the same gourd family. Fall is when all those gorgeous gourds are in season and stores will have the widest selections.

The squash we see this time of year is known as winter squash, which gets its name from being a good “keeper.”

It’s harvested in fall, and if left in a cool room, will keep all winter. After it’s picked, the squash cures for a couple of weeks to let the skin harden into natural “packaging,” sealing in the freshness better than a plastic wrapper ever could.

Most winter squash have inedible skins, but a few, like the sweet dumpling, carnival, delicata and kabocha have thinner skin that can be eaten.

There are two ways to approach your squash. One is to simply cut it in half, scoop out the seeds and bake it on an oiled sheet pan. Then, you can scoop out the flesh to make purees for use in recipes from soup to cheesecake.

The second way is to peel and cube the squash. It’s a little more work, but you’ll love those meltingly tender chunks of squash in pastas, curries and stews.

2 cups squash puree from 2 pounds butternut squash 2 tablespoons butter 1 large onion, chopped 1 tablespoon fresh thyme 2 tablespoons flour 11/2 cups whole milk 6 tablespoons dry sherry 1/8 teaspoon cayenne 1 teaspoon salt For the Pumpkin Seed Garnish 1 teaspoon canola oil 1 cup shelled pumpkin seeds 2 tablespoons light brown sugar 1/2 teaspoon cumin 1/2 teaspoon paprika 1/2 teaspoon salt 1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Cut squash in half, scoop out the seeds and place, cut side down, on an oiled sheet pan. Bake for 40 minutes to 1 hour, until the squash is tender when pierced with a paring knife.

Transfer the pan to a cooling rack and use a spatula to turn the hot halves over, which will help them cool faster.

2. When cool enough to handle, scoop out the flesh and place in a food processor bowl. Puree until smooth, then measure 2 cups for this recipe.

If there is a little extra, refrigerate and save for another use.

3. In a large pot, melt the butter over medium-high heat, then add the onion and thyme. Stir until the onion starts to sizzle, then reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the onion mixture and stir to mix well, then cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring, to cook the flour. Take the pot off the heat and whisk in about 1/2 cup of the milk. When it is incorporated, whisk in the rest of the milk and then the sherry. Return to medium heat and whisk occasionally until the mixture thickens slightly and starts to bubble around the edges. Whisk in the squash puree, cayenne and salt and stir until heated through. Serve with pumpkin seed garnish.

4. For the pumpkin seed garnish: Heat the oil for 1 minute in a medium non-stick skillet. Add the pumpkin seeds and toss in the pan over high heat until the seeds are popping and browning, about 3 minutes.

Remove from heat, add the brown sugar and toss constantly until seeds are coated with melted sugar (careful—it can burn easily). Quickly mix in the spices and salt, then spread on a plate to cool. Cool completely and store in an airtight container until ready to use. It can be made up to 1 week ahead.

fall 2019 real food 31

SPAGHETTI SQUASH WITH SHRIMP, LEMON AND SPINACH

32 real food fall 2019

Spaghetti Squash with Shrimp, Lemon and Spinach MAKES 4 SERVINGS

For those days when you want more veggies than carbs, spaghetti squash is your answer. Here, the tender strands get tossed with garlicky, lemony butter for a sensation that feels like scampi, but better. Spinach and tomatoes add color and even more tasty veggies to the meal.

3 pounds spaghetti squash, about 4 cups, cooked 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter 3 cloves garlic, chopped 1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 cups baby spinach, chopped 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

SPAGHETTI SQUASH AFRICA STUDIO - ADOBE STOCK

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

2. Cut the squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Place the squash, cut side down, on the pan. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes. To check for doneness, take the pan out of the oven, turn a squash half over and then insert a paring knife into the flesh along one side and try to separate the strands. If the squash does not separate easily, place it cut side down again and bake 10 minutes longer.

3. When the squash can be broken into strands easily, remove from oven, turn the halves cut side up, and cool on a rack. When cool, scrape out the strands and measure 4 cups for this dish.

4. Prep the shrimp and pat dry. In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and stir, cooking until the shrimp are pink. Add the garlic, lemon zest and red pepper flakes and stir for 1 minute. Stir in the spaghetti squash and salt and toss until the squash is heated through. Add the spinach and tomatoes and stir into the mixture, cooking until the spinach wilts. Sprinkle with Parmesan and toss to coat. Serve hot.

SQUASH VARIETIES Acorn: Deeply lobed and pointed at the blossom end, these small squashes are often halved and baked, then topped with butter and brown sugar. Their flesh is pale orange or yellow, and smooth textured for easy eating.

Buttercup: Squat, blocky and streaked with greens and greys, the buttercup hides a rounded “cup” on the blossom end. Sweet, nutty flesh is smooth and meaty, and drier than some squashes.

Butternut: The tan-colored squash with smooth, bright orange flesh is one of the most popular varieties. Moist, sweet and mild, it’s easy to peel and good in most recipes.

Delicata: Small and oblong, these are streaked with white, yellow, orange and green on their thin, tender skin. Their flesh is sweet and a little denser and drier than acorns and butternuts.

Hubbard: The Hubbard can be a 40-pound blue-skinned behemoth, although new varieties are smaller. Rich, meaty flesh and deep orange color make it a popular one.

They are often cut in chunks and wrapped so you can get a smaller portion.

Kabocha: Sometimes called a Japanese pumpkin, this squat, round squash is streaked with greens and greys. A favorite for Asian dishes, it has dense, meaty flesh that holds its shape in a curry or stew.

Red Kuri: Very similar to kabocha, the squash’s dark orange skin and teardrop shape give it curb appeal for days.

Spaghetti: This is the odd man out, with pale yellow skin and flesh that falls apart into spaghetti-like strands. The key to working with this squash is to not overbake it, which makes the strands soggy. Halve, seed and bake until a paring knife inserted into the flesh can easily twist and break the strands apart. Waiting until the skin is easily pierced is too long.

SCRAPING SPAGHETTI SQUASH STRANDS

Sweet Dumpling, Carnival: These adorable little squashes are 4 to 6 inches across, with white or pale yellow skins, splotched with green. Mild and sweet, their edible skin lends them to slicing and roasting, sautéing or stewing, or stuffing for a pretty presentation.

fall 2019 real food 33

Thai Red Curry Squash and Chicken Stew

Sausage and Farro Stuffed Acorn Squash

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

Sweet, meaty kabocha squash and chicken thighs go well together in this creamy, spicy Thai dish. A simple simmer sauce allows you to cook everything at once, streamlining the cooking process and saving time. Serve with black rice for a stunning, whole-grain presentation, or substitute brown or sushi rice.

Smaller squashes stuffed with delectable goodies are perfect for making into single-serving meals. This beauty will tempt your diners with chewy sausage and whole grain farro laced with herbs and Parmesan cheese.

1 cup black rice 1 (15-ounce) can coconut milk 1 cup chicken stock 1/4 cup fish sauce 1 stalk lemongrass, split lengthwise 3 small shallots, minced 1 large lime, pared 2 cloves garlic, chopped 1 tablespoon ginger root, slivered 4 teaspoons red curry paste 3 cups peeled and cubed kabocha squash, uncooked 1 pound chicken thighs, cut in bite sized pieces 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice 1/2 cup cilantro, coarsely chopped 1. Cook the rice: Put 11/2 cups water in a medium pot and place over high heat, and when boiling, add the rice.

Reduce the heat to low, cover tightly, and cook for about 25 minutes, or until the rice is tender. If necessary, drain the rice in a fine mesh strainer. Put back in the pan, cover, and keep warm.

2. In a large sauté pan, pour the coconut milk, chicken stock and fish sauce and place over medium heat. Add the lemongrass, shallots, lime zest, garlic, ginger and red curry paste and mix well. Bring to a boil. Add the squash and chicken and reduce heat to a simmer and cover the pan, adjusting the heat so it’s not boiling. Cook until the squash is tender when pierced with a paring knife and a piece of chicken cut in half has no pink left, about 10 minutes.

Add lime juice and simmer just until thick. Serve the curry over cooked black rice, topped with cilantro.

34 real food fall 2019

2 small acorn squash, halved (or large sweet dumplings) 1/2 cup pearled farro 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 1 large onion, chopped 8 ounces Italian sausage, mild or hot 1 teaspoon dried thyme 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 cup dried apricots, finely chopped 1 large egg 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, divided

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Set out a large casserole or pan for the squash halves.

2. Halve the squashes from the stem end to the tip and use a spoon to scoop out the seeds and strings. Place cut side down on the sheet pan and bake for 20 to 30 minutes until the squash is tender when pierced with a paring knife. Cool on pan on a rack.

3. In a small pot, place 2 cups water and put it over high heat to bring to a boil. Add the farro and return to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cook, covered, for about 20 minutes, until the farro is tender. Drain in a fine mesh strainer and let cool.

4. In a large sauté pan, drizzle the olive oil and place over mediumhigh heat. Add the onion and stir until it starts to sizzle. Reduce the heat to medium-low and stir occasionally for at least 5 minutes.

When the onion is softened, crumble the sausage into the pan.

Raise the heat to medium-high and stir, crumbling the sausage with your spatula. Add the thyme, oregano and salt and stir until the sausage is no longer pink and is cooked through. Scrape into a large bowl and let cool.

5. Scoop out the squash flesh, leaving about a ¼-inch layer inside the skins so they won’t collapse. Place the squash in a medium bowl and mash with a fork, then transfer to the bowl with the sausage. Add the cooked farro, apricots, egg and half of the Parmesan cheese. Mix well.

6. Stuff the squash halves with the sausage mixture, rounding the top of the filling. Place them in the casserole or on a baking sheet, and top each with the remaining Parmesan. Bake for 30 minutes. The tops will be golden brown and the filling will be firm when pressed with a fingertip. Serve hot. When completely cooled, place any leftovers in a storage tub, cover tightly, and refrigerate for up to 4 days.

SAUSAGE AND FARRO STUFFED ACORN SQUASH

fall 2019 real food 35

KABOCHA CHEESECAKE WITH MAPLE WALNUT SAUCE

36 real food fall 2019

PEELING AND CUBING SQUASH

Kabocha Cheesecake with Maple Walnut Sauce MAKES 16 SERVINGS

Forget about pumpkin pie—this cheesecake is going to win your heart with its creamy, cinnamonkissed appeal. You’ll need to roast a small kabocha squash for this; a 1½ pound squash should yield 1½ cups mashed squash. This recipe will feed a crowd, depending on how hungry they are.

If you have a smaller group, you can also freeze a few slices for another day. You’ll be glad you did!

For the Crust 2 tablespoons light brown sugar, packed 2 cups graham cracker crumbs 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted For the Maple Walnut Topping 1/2 cup pure maple syrup 2 tablespoons light brown sugar 1 tablespoon butter 2 tablespoons cream 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

For the Cheesecake Filling 1 (11/2 pound) kabocha squash (for 11/2 cups mashed) 3 (8-ounce) packages neufchatel or cream cheese, room temperature 1 cup sour cream 1 cup granulated sugar 3/4 cup light brown sugar 5 large eggs 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

NUTRITION

1. To bake the squash for the cheesecake filling, cut the squash in half, scoop out the seeds, and place the squash, cut side down, on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for about 30 minutes at 400°F, then cool. Scoop the flesh into a measuring cup, mashing with a fork as you go, to make 11/2 cups, reserving any extra for another use.

2. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 10-inch springform pan and wrap a sheet of foil around the bottom of the pan in case it leaks. Get a deep roasting pan that the springform fits in. Boil a pot of water.

3. Make the crust: In a large bowl, stir the graham cracker crumbs and brown sugar. Melt the butter and drizzle over the crumb mixture, stirring until evenly mixed. Press the mixture in the buttered pan. Bake for 10 minutes to lightly toast the crust. Remove from oven and let cool on a rack.

4. Make the cheesecake filling: Place the neufchatel or cream cheese in the food processor bowl and process to blend well. Scrape down and process, as many times as it takes to get it smooth, with no lumps. Add the sour cream and sugars and process again, scraping down until well mixed and smooth. Add the mashed squash, eggs, flour, cinnamon, salt and vanilla. Process until smooth and well mixed, scraping down as needed. Pour the batter into the prepared crust and place in the roasting pan. Carefully pour the boiling water in the roasting pan to come 11/2 inches up the sides of the springform pan. Transfer the pan to the oven and bake for 1 hour and 30 to 40 minutes.

The cake will be puffed around the edges and will not jiggle in the center when lightly shaken.

5. Remove the roasting pan from oven and place it on a cooling rack with the cake still in it, for about 10 minutes, then take the cake out and discard the water. Cool the cheesecake on the rack until room temperature, then chill for at least two hours before cutting.

6. While the cake is cooling, make the topping: In a small saucepan, combine the maple syrup, brown sugar, butter and cream. Stir over medium heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the walnuts. Let cool. 

CREAMY SQUASH SOUP: PER SERVING: CALORIES 300 (115 from fat); FAT 13g (sat. 6g); CHOL 24mg; SODIUM 982mg; CARB 39g; FIBER 8g; PROTEIN 8g

SPAGHETTI SQUASH W. SHRIMP, LEMON & SPINACH: PER SERVING: CALORIES 283 (140 from fat); FAT 16g (sat. 10g); CHOL 170mg; SODIUM 610mg; CARB 14g; FIBER 3g; PROTEIN 24g

THAI RED CURRY SQUASH & CHICKEN STEW: PER SERVING: CALORIES 559 (221 from fat); FAT 26g (sat. 18g); CHOL 109mg; SODIUM 1745mg; CARB 56g; FIBER 6g; PROTEIN 33g

• Squash that is smooth and not deeply lobed, like a butternut or kabocha, will be easier to peel.

• If the squash has a big stem, knock it off with a few whacks with a hammer or small pot.

• For a round squash, place it stem side up on the cutting board and use a sharp chef’s knife to slice straight down to cut it in half. You may have to rock it a little and carefully place the heel of your hand on the back of the knife blade to lean into it. Once halved, scoop out the seeds. Cut the squash in 1- to 2-inch wedges and place each on its side on the cutting board so you can use your chef’s knife to trim the skin off, cutting straight down and taking it off in sections. You can also use a paring knife to pare the skin. A peeler may not be up to the task with thicker skinned squash.

• For butternut and other squashes with a neck, place them on a cutting board and cut the neck section off just above where the bulb swells.

That gives you a big solid piece, which you can peel with a peeler or paring knife and cut in cubes or slices.

Scoop the seeds from the bulbous part and cut it in half, then peel with a peeler or paring knife. Place cut side down and cut in wedges, then cut those in cubes.

SAUSAGE & FARRO STUFFED ACORN SQUASH: PER SERVING: CALORIES 446 (182 from fat); FAT 20g (sat. 7g); CHOL 80mg; SODIUM 821mg; CARB 50g; FIBER 11g; PROTEIN 20g

KABOCHA CHEESECAKE W. MAPLE WALNUT SAUCE: PER SERVING: CALORIES 392 (191 from fat); FAT 22g (sat. 10g); CHOL 110mg; SODIUM 300mg; CARB 43g; FIBER 2g; PROTEIN 8g

fall 2019 real food 37

Weeknight Fix Skip takeout and cook healthy meals at home with these five easy ideas

BY ROY FINAMORE

T

he leftovers from the weekend are gone, and you can’t face another rotisserie chicken. Here are options— some elegant, some homey, some light, some very simple—for meals that you can turn out quickly any

night of the week. But be good to yourself first. Put out a bowl of olives or nuts so you can nibble while you cook.

CHICKEN SALTIMBOCCA PHOTOGRAPHY TERRY BRENNAN FOOD STYLING LARA MIKLASEVICS

38 real food fall 2019

A VERY GREEN FRITTATA (RECIPE PAGE 43) LEFT: CHICKEN SALTIMBOCCA (RECIPE PAGE 40)

fall 2019 real food 39

Chicken Saltimbocca

Porcupine Meatballs

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

This is a surprisingly elegant dish for a weeknight. The juicy chicken thighs combined with sage and prosciutto and served with a quick Marsala sauce really do “jump in the mouth,” which is what saltimbocca means. Serve with rice or spaghetti with butter and a green such as spinach or Swiss chard.

These are fun: Meatballs with rice mixed in so the kernels stick out like porcupine spines. Cooked in a tomato sauce, it’s very retro. Braised in beef stock and showered with herbs, it’s fresh and bright. And fast. Serve in a bowl over noodles or with multigrain bread to sop up the sauce. Add some spinach or peas and your tongue will smile.

8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 1¾ pounds) coarse kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste 8 to 16 sage leaves 8 thin slices prosciutto ½ cup all-purpose flour 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil ¾ cup dry Marsala ½ cup chicken stock 3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into bits 1. Trim any visible fat from the chicken thighs and place them skin side down on a piece of plastic wrap. Cover with another piece of plastic and pound to a thickness of ¼ inch.

2. Season the thighs with salt and pepper and top each with a sage leaf (use 2 if they’re small). Cover with a slice of prosciutto— wrap any overhang around the thigh—and press to adhere.

3. Dredge the thighs with flour and pat off the excess.

4. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet over mediumhigh heat. When it shimmers, add half the thighs, prosciutto side down. Sauté until the prosciutto is crisp, about 2½ minutes. Turn and sauté until the other side is lightly golden and the thighs feel firm when you prod them with your finger, about 1½ minutes.

Transfer to a platter and tent with foil to keep them warm. Repeat with the remaining oil and thighs.

5. Pour any oil out of the skillet and pour in the Marsala. Boil for 1 minute to cook off the alcohol. Add the stock and boil until reduced by half, 3 to 4 minutes. It might look like the sauce has split. Don’t worry; it will come right in the end. Turn off the heat, add the butter, and tilt and swirl the pan until you have an emulsified sauce.

6. Divide the thighs among 4 plates. Serve sauce on the side.

Cook’s Notes: • To make this dish with chicken breasts, you’ll need 4 (6-ounce) boneless, skinless breasts. Pound the breasts between two pieces of plastic wrap. Season with salt and pepper and top with 2 sage leaves (4 if they’re small) and 2 slices of prosciutto—wrap any overhang around the breast. Press to adhere. Continue with the recipe above, starting with step 3.

• While cooking spaghetti (8 ounces as a side for 4) melt 3 tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium high heat. Add 1 cup of the pasta water. When spaghetti is about 1 minute shy of al dente, use tongs to transfer it to the skillet. Cook, tossing with tongs and adding a bit more pasta water if needed until the pasta is al dente and the butter sauce is creamy.

40 real food fall 2019

½ cup long-grain white rice 1½ cups boiling water 1 medium red onion, minced 1 large garlic clove, grated on a rasp or minced ½ cup chopped flatleaf parsley 1 cup chopped cilantro, divided 1 large egg coarse kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste 1½ pounds ground beef 3 cups beef stock ¼ cup cornstarch 1/3 cup water ¼ cup chopped dill 1. Put the rice in a small saucepan. Pour in boiling water and bring back to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 3 minutes. Drain and transfer to a large bowl.

2. Add the onion, garlic, parsley, ½ cup of the cilantro, the egg, and salt and pepper to taste and mix well. Crumble in the beef and mix with your hands until everything holds together.

3. Make 20 golf ball-sized meatballs (about ¼ cup each) and put them in a 12-inch skillet. Pour in the stock and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover, turn the heat down to low, and cook until the rice is tender and the meat cooked, about 20 minutes.

4. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the meatballs to a large serving bowl.

5. Turn the heat to medium-high and bring the stock back to a boil.

6. Mix the cornstarch and water together to make a smooth slurry. Stirring, add the slurry to the stock and bring it back to a boil.

7. Pour sauce over the meatballs, garnish with the remaining ½ cup cilantro and the dill, and serve.

Cook’s Note: For quick and easy peas, put 2 cups frozen petite peas (they’re the sweetest) into a colander and run under hot water 1 to 2 minutes to thaw. Melt 2 tablespoons unsalted butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add 1 to 2 chopped scallions and cook 1 minute. Add peas and cook until hot, 1 to 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Bingo!

PORCUPINE MEATBALLS

fall 2019 real food 41

RICE NOODLES AND SHRIMP WITH SCALLION, GINGER AND PEANUT SAUCE

42 real food fall 2019

Rice Noodles and Shrimp with Scallion, Ginger and Peanut Sauce

A Very Green Frittata

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

You’ll find dishes like this in northern Italy, a kind of omelet with lots of greens and herbs. It’s a great light dinner. Serve it hot, warm or at room temperature. Play with the greens and herbs. Purslane is a tasty option, but so are beet greens, mustard greens or Swiss chard as long as they’re all tiny and tender. Replace the dill with tarragon if you’d like. Or chervil. Or bronze fennel. Just keep the total amount of greens and herbs to 3¼ cups. I serve this with a simple green salad and a baguette with butter. If you have a garlic bread recipe in your back pocket, go for it.

Sharp with the flavors of scallion and ginger, and with a little crunch from the peanuts, this is an ideal sauce for noodles. You don’t have to stick to rice noodles. Use udon or fresh Chinese noodles or ramen if you can find them. Serve with sautéed baby bok choy or a cucumber salad.

For the Shrimp 1 pound extra-large (16-20 per pound) shrimp, peeled 2 tablespoons peanut oil 2 garlic cloves, grated on a rasp coarse kosher salt, to taste 1 teaspoon shichimi togarashi (Japanese seven spice) or ½ teaspoon cayenne For the Sauce 1 (5- to 6-inch) piece ginger, peeled and cut into chunks 1/3 cup roasted salted peanuts 1 bunch scallions, cut into 1- to 2-inch lengths 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt ¾ cup peanut oil 1 pound wide rice noodles (bahn pho) 1. Halve the shrimp, starting at the back, so you’re left with 2 thin crescents. If the shrimp have a vein, remove it. Put the shrimp into a bowl.

2. Add the oil, garlic, salt to taste, and the shichimi or cayenne. Mix well and leave on the counter while you make the sauce and noodles.

3. Make the sauce: Put the ginger into a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Transfer to a large heatproof bowl.

4. Put the peanuts into the processor and pulse until finely chopped.

Add to the bowl.

5. Put the scallions into the processor and pulse until finely chopped.

Be careful not to make a wet paste. Add to the bowl. Add the salt and stir it all up.

6. Pour the oil into a small saucepan and heat it over medium-high heat to 325ºF. Pour it into the bowl. It will sizzle and bubble up so be careful.

Give the sauce a stir.

7. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the noodles, stir and bring back to a boil. Turn the heat off and let the noodles sit, stirring once or twice, until just tender, 8 to 10 minutes.

8. Drain the noodles and put them in a big bowl. Add the sauce and toss well.

9. Heat a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. When it’s hot—a few drops of water will skitter over the surface—add the shrimp in a single layer. Cook until the shrimp tighten and the bottoms turn pink. Turn and cook until the other side turns pink. The whole process should take 2 to 3 minutes.

10. Divide the noodles among 4 plates, top with shrimp and serve.

Cook’s Note: There’s no end to what you can add to noodles with this sauce. Think slivers of leftover steak or roast beef. Shredded poached or rotisserie chicken. Sprouts. Seeded cucumber sliced into matchsticks.

Very finely sliced red or yellow or orange bell pepper. Look in your fridge and experiment.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened 1 cup chopped scallions (1 bunch) or chives 1 cup chopped flatleaf parsley 1 cup chopped arugula (or ½ cup chopped arugula and ½ cup chopped pea shoots) ¼ cup chopped dill 9 large eggs coarse kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste ½ cup ricotta 1. Set an oven rack in the top position and preheat the broiler.

2. Spread the butter all over a 12-inch oven-safe nonstick skillet.

3. Toss the scallions, parsley, arugula and dill together.

Spread out in the skillet.

4. Crack the eggs into a medium or large bowl, season with salt and pepper and whisk well. You don’t want any visible white.

5. Pour the eggs over the greens and herbs. Press down with a silicone spatula to ensure all the greens are covered with egg.

6. Turn the heat on to medium. Cook for 7 minutes. The eggs will just be starting to set on the bottom. Push in gently with a spatula at the edge and you’ll see. Dot the frittata with ricotta. I put 1-tablespoon blobs around the edge. Cover and cook for 7 minutes. The top will be barely set and the center will be runny.

7. Put the skillet under the broiler and broil until the frittata is lightly browned, about 1 minute.

8. Slide the frittata onto a board. Cut it in quarters and serve.

Cook’s Note: You don’t need a recipe for a simple green salad. Put 4 big handfuls of greens into a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Maybe use some crumbled dried oregano. If you want onion or shallot, add it, but keep the slices thin. Add a little vinegar and toss. Drizzle in olive oil and toss again. Just keep in mind that you’ll want 2 to 3 parts oil to vinegar. Taste and adjust the oil and vinegar if desired.

fall 2019 real food 43

TONKATSU PORK CUTLETS

44 real food fall 2019

Tonkatsu Pork Cutlets MAKES 4 SERVINGS

What we have here are tender and very crunchy pork cutlets served with a tangy Japanese-style barbecue sauce. They’re traditionally made with pork loin, but I think that can be a bit tough, so I go for pork tenderloin. The crunchiness comes from the panko breading. If you want to skip the dressing for the cabbage, salt it before you put it on the plate and add some lemon wedges. Rice is the starch of choice.

5. Put the pork between two pieces of plastic wrap and pound to a thickness of 1/3 inch. Remove the top piece of plastic and season the pork with salt and pepper. Pat the seasoning into the meat.

6. Set up a dredging station: a plate with the flour, a shallow bowl with the eggs, and a plate with the panko. Put a rack onto a rimmed baking sheet.

7. Dredge the pork in the flour, patting off any excess. Dip it in the eggs, coating both sides. Lift up, let the excess drip off, and coat with panko, pressing down to make sure the panko adheres. Set the cutlets on the rack.

8. Heat ¼ inch of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is ready for frying (a ring of bubbles will immediately appear around the handle of a wooden spoon pressed into the center of the skillet), add as many cutlets as will fit without crowding.

Fry, moving the cutlets around for even browning, until golden, 90 seconds. Turn and fry—again moving the cutlets around in the skillet—until golden and crisp, another 90 seconds. Return them to the rack.

9. To serve, divide the cabbage among 4 plates and top with a dollop of the mayonnaise sauce. Cut the cutlets into 1-inch slices and divide among the plates. Drizzle the pork with the Tonkatsu Sauce (use it all).

For the Cabbage 4 cups very thinly sliced Savoy or Napa cabbage ¼ cup mayonnaise 1 tablespoon ketchup juice of half a lemon For the Tonkatsu Sauce 3 tablespoons ketchup 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 2 teaspoons light soy sauce 1½ teaspoons sugar (Turbinado or granulated) 1 teaspoon oyster sauce For the Pork 1 (1- to 1¼-pound) pork tenderloin coarse kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste ½ cup all-purpose flour 2 large eggs, beaten 1½ cups panko breadcrumbs sunflower, safflower seed or canola oil, for frying

NUTRITION

1. For the cabbage: Refrigerate the shredded cabbage. You want it cold.

2. Whisk the mayonnaise, ketchup and lemon juice together in a small bowl and refrigerate. No need to cover.

3. Make the Tonkatsu Sauce: Stir all the ingredients together in a small bowl, making sure the sugar is dissolved. Refrigerate until you’re ready to serve.

4. Prepare the pork: Remove the silverskin and any fat from the tenderloin. Cut it on a sharp diagonal into 8 pieces.

RICE NOODLES & SHRIMP W. PEANUT SAUCE: PER SERVING: CALORIES 997 (477 from fat); FAT 54g (sat. 9g); CHOL 130mg; SODIUM 678mg; CARB 101g; FIBER 6g; PROTEIN 27g

A VERY GREEN FRITTATA: PER SERVING: CALORIES 294 (195 from fat); FAT 22g (sat. 10g); CHOL 451mg; SODIUM 180mg; CARB 5g; FIBER 1g; PROTEIN 19g

Cook’s Note: Another option for serving is to get two slices of some good white bread, like a Pullman loaf, and make a sandwich. Spread one piece with the mayonnaise sauce (or just plain mayo) and the other with Tonkatsu Sauce. Add two pork cutlets and a pile of shredded Savoy cabbage. Season with salt.

Trim the crusts if you want to be fancy. Serve with kimchi or a pickle of some kind. 

CHICKEN SALTIMBOCCA: PER SERVING: CALORIES 530 (291 from fat); FAT 33g (sat. 11g); CHOL 218mg; SODIUM 447mg; CARB 9g; FIBER 0g; PROTEIN 45g

PORCUPINE MEATBALLS: PER SERVING: CALORIES 445 (170 from fat); FAT 19g (sat. 7g); CHOL 150mg; SODIUM 171mg; CARB 30g; FIBER 1g; PROTEIN 36g

TONKATSU PORK CUTLETS: PER SERVING: CALORIES 487 (238 from fat); FAT 27g (sat. 5g); CHOL 137mg; SODIUM 585mg; CARB 30g; FIBER 1g; PROTEIN 32g

fall 2019 real food 45

Reinventing Dinner

Enjoy these approachable dinners now and later by turning the leftovers into totally different dishes

H

aving leftovers for lunch or dinner doesn’t mean you need to eat the same meal all over again. Get excited about using leftovers by reinventing the dishes in a fresh way. First, you need a meal that you can enjoy

now. After that, you are already halfway to another meal because of the many components at the ready.

The ever-popular chicken dinner or a meatloaf meal with modern twists are great places to start.

Whether you celebrate Rosh Hashanah or are looking for a comforting weekend meal, the following menus of approachable dishes can then serve double duty in the suggested recipes for new dishes using the leftovers.

In these and other recipes from “Now & Again: Go-To Recipes, Inspired Menus + Endless Ideas for Reinventing Leftovers,” author Julia Turshen’s goal is to dismantle the idea that making a full meal has to be both difficult and expensive and instead show how leftovers can be an invitation to fun, inventive cooking. Where there are leftovers, there are endless opportunities for reinvention. —Mary Subialka

Celebration Chicken with Sweet Potatoes and Dates MAKES 8 TO 10 SERVINGS

Rosh Hashanah celebrates the Jewish New Year. There are a lot of symbolic foods associated with the holiday, most of them sweet to help usher in a sweet new year. This chicken is a bit of a Rosh Hashanah riff on the famous Chicken Marbella from “The Silver Palate Cookbook” by Sheila Lukins and Julee Rosso. Just like that extremely popular recipe, this chicken doesn’t require much work and yields a crowd-pleasing, highly flavorful result. It calls for just one roasting pan, in which you both mix everything and cook. There are no extra bowls or pans, no browning chicken in batches and definitely no fuss. You also get a two-for-one moment: The sweet potatoes and dates (sweet for Rosh Hashanah!) give you an instant side dish.

ROSH HASHANAH DINNER

ROSH HASHANAH DINNER

Celebration Chicken with Sweet Potatoes and Dates Baked Saffron Rice Beet Salad with Poppy Seed and Chive Dressing Make-ahead Note: Up to three days ahead, you can mix everything for the chicken and store in a resealable plastic bag in the refrigerator. Make the rice, cook and slice the beets, and make the dressing for the beets, then store all of these things in separate containers in the refrigerator.

¼ cup apple cider vinegar ¼ cup olive oil ¼ cup water 8 garlic cloves, minced 1 tablespoon kosher salt 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper 2 (3- to 4-pound) chickens, each cut into 10 pieces (2 wings, 2 legs, 2 thighs and 2 breasts cut in half across the bone), backbone discarded (or saved for another use, like stock), at room temperature 3 large sweet potatoes (about 2 pounds total), unpeeled, scrubbed and cut into bite-size pieces 12 large dried dates (preferably medjool), halved and pitted A small handful of chopped fresh soft herbs (cilantro, parsley, dill and/or chives all work well)

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. 2. In a large roasting pan, whisk together the vinegar, olive oil, water, garlic, salt and pepper (you want a pan that’s big enough to hold all of the chicken pieces in a single layer; a disposable aluminum pan is good for this if your roasting pan isn’t large enough). Add the chicken pieces, sweet potatoes and dates. Use your hands to mix everything together and get the marinade on all of the chicken, sweet potatoes and dates. Warning: The following is a bit messy, but bear with me. Move everything around so the sweet potatoes and dates are in a single layer on the bottom of the pan and the chicken pieces, skin-side up, are in a single, even layer on top.

3. Roast until the sweet potatoes are tender (test with a fork or a paring knife) and the chicken pieces are firm to the touch and their exposed skin is nicely browned, about 1 hour. Let the chicken rest at room temperature for at least 15 minutes before serving.

4. To serve, transfer the chicken, sweet potatoes and dates to a large serving platter and pour all of the cooking juices over the top (or serve directly from the roasting pan, giving everything a little mix first). Sprinkle with the herbs and serve warm.

fall 2019 real food 47

Beet Salad with Poppy Seed and Chive Dressing MAKES 8 TO 10 SERVINGS

I always like making unfussy vegetable dishes as part of more elaborate holiday menus. They add color and variety to your spread, and you can also rest assured your guests can fill their plates with something healthy. This beet salad is one of my go-to vegetable dishes because it’s a little unexpected yet totally easy to make, and you can whip up the dressing and cook and slice the beets ahead of time and easily assemble the whole thing at the last minute. Also, it’s best served barely warm or at room temperature, which makes it especially perfect for a big dinner.

CELEBRATION CHICKEN WITH SWEET POTATOES AND DATES

RECIPES AND PHOTOS FROM “NOW & AGAIN: GO-TO RECIPES, INSPIRED MENUS + ENDLESS IDEAS FOR REINVENTING LEFTOVERS” BY JULIA TURSHEN ©2018 REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF CHRONICLE BOOKS. PHOTOS BY DAVID LOFTUS.

48 real food fall 2019

kosher salt 2½ pounds red beets, scrubbed 2 tablespoons plain yogurt or mayonnaise 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard 2½ tablespoons apple cider vinegar ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1½ tablespoons poppy seeds 3 tablespoons minced fresh chives (or a thinly sliced scallion minus the tough ends)

1. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil and add the beets (the water should cover the beets; if it doesn’t, add more). Cook the beets, turning them every so often, until they’re tender (test with a paring knife), about 45 minutes (it may be a bit less or a bit longer depending on the size and age of the beets, so start testing at 30 minutes).

2. Drain the beets, transfer to a paper towel-lined cutting board, and use the paper towels to rub off the skins. Trim off and discard the root ends.

3. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the yogurt, olive oil, mustard, vinegar, pepper, poppy seeds, 2 tablespoons of the chives and ½ teaspoon salt.

4. Slice the warm beets into thin bite-size wedges or thin rounds (whatever you prefer) and transfer them to a large serving bowl or platter. Season them lightly with salt and then drizzle the dressing evenly over them. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon chives. Serve immediately.

Baked Saffron Rice

ROSH HASHANAH DINNER, Reinvented

MAKES 8 TO 10 SERVINGS

Inspired by a Yotam Ottolenghi recipe, this rice is great because it feeds a lot of people, it’s foolproof since you cook it in the oven (which helps rice cook so much more evenly than it does on the stovetop, leaving the cook calm), and you can prepare it ahead and reheat it before serving. The saffron makes it very aromatic and special (perfect for a holiday). It’s an expensive ingredient, but a little bit goes a very long way. Incidentally, the rice is delicious with or without it, and you can also add different spices when you cook the garlic and onion (whole or ground cloves, cardamom pods, and cinnamon sticks are all welcome). ½ cup olive oil 6 garlic cloves, minced 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced 2½ cups long-grain white rice (preferably basmati) 1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more as needed 4 cups plus 3 tablespoons boiling water 3 large pinches of saffron threads

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. 2. In a large, heavy, oven-safe pot over medium-low heat, warm the olive oil. Add the garlic and onion and cook, stirring now and then, until the vegetables sizzle and soften, about 8 minutes. Turn off the heat and add the rice and salt and stir everything together.

3. Pour in 4 cups of the boiling water and stir well to combine. Cover the pot tightly and place in the oven.

Bake until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is cooked through, about 25 minutes (the center of the rice might be cooked less than the rice around it, but it will rest in just a moment and all of the grains will turn out tender … trust me).

4. While the rice is cooking, put the saffron into a small bowl and add the remaining 3 tablespoons boiling water.

5. When the rice is ready, uncover it and spoon the reserved saffron and its liquid evenly over the top.

Re-cover the pot and let the rice sit for at least 15 minutes and up to 1 hour before serving.

6. Uncover the rice, fluff with a fork or a spoon, and stir well to incorporate the saffron. Taste and season with more salt if needed. Serve warm. If you want to cook the rice more than an hour ahead of serving, rewarm it in the pot in a 250°F oven, stirring now and then, until heated through, about 15 minutes from room temperature or 30 minutes if cold from the refrigerator.

Coronation Chicken Salad Shred whatever chicken you have left (discard the skin and bones) and roughly chop the leftover sweet potatoes and dates. Put all of that into a bowl, sprinkle with a generous amount of curry powder, and add a large spoonful of mango chutney (or apricot jam, or just leave it out if you’ve got enough sweet dates) and stir to mix. Add just enough mayonnaise (or plain Greek yogurt) to bind everything together and season to taste with salt and pepper. Fold in some thinly sliced scallions and, if you’d like, some chopped roasted almonds. Serve on toast or in lettuce cups.

Stuffed Peppers This is for your leftover rice. Halve bell peppers lengthwise and remove the seeds and ribs (you can leave the stems on if you like, as they’re attractive). Arrange them, hollow-side up, in a single layer in a roasting pan. Mix whatever leftover rice you have with a generous amount of crumbled feta cheese and some chopped fresh herbs (a lot of Italian parsley is simple and nice). Fill the pepper halves with the rice and dot the tops with butter and/or drizzle with olive oil. Add about ½ cup water or chicken stock to the roasting pan and place in a 350°F oven. Roast until the peppers are soft and the top of the rice is a little bit browned, about 25 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature. These are especially good topped with a dollop of plain yogurt.

If you don’t want the peppers to be vegetarian, you can add some crumbled cooked sausage meat or ground meat (beef, turkey and lamb all work well) to the rice mixture before filling the peppers.

Beet Dip As simple as can be, put leftover beet salad with its dressing into a food processor and pulse until puréed. You can make the dip as smooth or as rustic as you like. Season it to taste with salt and pepper and add a splash of vinegar or a squeeze of lemon juice if you need a little extra edge. Serve with crackers, toasted bread or carrots, or on endive leaves or cucumber slices ... anything!

Cheesy Rice Fritters For every large handful of leftover rice, mix together with a handful of grated Cheddar cheese, a beaten egg and 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour. Cook spoonfuls in a lightly oiled skillet until browned and crisp on both sides.

Sprinkle with salt and serve hot. These are great with drinks or topped with eggs for breakfast (almost like hash browns).

fall 2019 real food 49

Confetti Meatloaf SERVES 2 VERY HUNGRY PEOPLE AND 4 MORE SENSIBLY

If you loved the Turkey and Ricotta Meatballs in “Small Victories,” [my other book] you’ll love this meatloaf (and vice versa!). This recipe borrows the same technique of substituting ricotta cheese for bread crumbs and eggs (which makes it much lower in carbohydrates and gluten free to boot). To keep it full of flavor and moisture, I’ve added sautéed peppers and onions, finely chopped herbs and sun-dried tomatoes, tons of garlic, and a kick of salty Worcestershire. This recipe can also be easily doubled, but keep in mind it will take a little longer to bake. Depending on how you shape it, add at least 20 minutes. If you are not into turkey, you can substitute ground chicken, pork or beef.

JUST MY TYPE OF DINNER

JUST MY TYPE OF DINNER

Confetti Meatloaf Creamy Garlic Mashed Cauliflower Butter Lettuce with Shallot Vinaigrette Make-ahead Note: Up to three days ahead you can make the shallot vinaigrette and store in a covered container in the refrigerator.

Bring to room temperature before serving.

NUTRITION

Up to one day ahead: • Wash the lettuce and store in a plastic bag or an airtight container in the refrigerator wrapped in ever-so-damp paper towels.

• Make the cauliflower and store in a covered container in the refrigerator.

• Mix the meatloaf mixture and store in a covered container in the refrigerator.

CELEBRATION CHICKEN: PER SERVING: CALORIES 477 (216 from fat); FAT 24g (s at . 6g) ; CHOL 116mg; SODIUM 768mg; CARB 26g; FIBER 4g; PROTEIN 38g

50 real food fall 2019

BEET SALAD W. DRESSING: PER SERVING: CALORIES 74 (34 from fat); FAT 4g (sat.

1g); CHOL 0mg; SODIUM 271mg; CARB 9g; FIBER 2g; PROTEIN 2g

BAKED SAFFRON RICE: PER SERVING: CALORIES 296 (108 from fat); FAT 12g (sat. 2g); CHOL 0mg; SODIUM 631mg; CARB 43g; FIBER 1g; PROTEIN 3g

2 teaspoons plus 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 large or 2 small bell peppers (any color), stemmed, seeded and finely diced 1 small red onion, finely diced 4 garlic cloves, minced 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1½ teaspoons kosher salt ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 6 olive oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and minced 2 large handfuls of fresh Italian parsley and/or basil leaves (a little bit of stem is fine!), finely chopped ¾ cup fresh whole-milk ricotta cheese 1 pound ground turkey (preferably dark meat)

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and coat the parchment with 2 teaspoons of the olive oil. Set the pan aside.

2. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, warm the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the bell pepper and onion and cook, stirring now and then, until softened and browned on the edges, about 8 minutes. Turn off the heat, add the garlic, and stir to combine. Let the vegetables cool down for a few minutes.

3. Transfer the cooled vegetables to a large bowl and add the oregano, salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, tomatoes, parsley and ricotta.

Stir everything well to combine (this will guarantee that everything gets mixed into the meat evenly). Add the turkey to the bowl and mix everything together (your hands are the best tools for the job).

4. Transfer the mixture to the prepared sheet pan and shape into a loaf measuring about 10 by 4 inches and about 1 inch high. If the mixture sticks to your hands when you’re doing this, just wet them lightly.

Make sure to pack the meat tightly, which will help it hold together.

5. Bake the meatloaf until the top is nicely browned and an instantread thermometer inserted in the center registers 165°F, 35 to 40 minutes. Let the meatloaf cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

CONFETTI MEATLOAF: PER SERVING: CALORIES 422 (275 from fat); FAT 31g (sat. 9g); CHOL 111mg; SODIUM 894mg; CARB 10g; FIBER 2g; PROTEIN 28g

MASHED CAULIFLOWER: PER SERVING: CALORIES 47 (16 from fat); FAT 2g (sat.

1g); CHOL 5mg; SODIUM 38mg; CARB 7g; FIBER 2g; PROTEIN 3g

BUTTER LETTUCE SALAD: PER SERVING: CALORIES 134 (122 from fat); FAT 14g (sat. 2g); CHOL 0mg; SODIUM 300mg; CARB 2g; FIBER 1g; PROTEIN 1g

Creamy Garlic Mashed Cauliflower

JUST MY TYPE OF DINNER, Reinvented

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

Open-Faced Meatloaf Melts

I made it my personal mission to make sure we still had the comfort of comfort food even if it no longer came under a carbohydrate guise. Enter this creamy mashed cauliflower. You can use a potato masher to crush the cauliflower, but you won’t get the same smooth texture that a food processor creates. Think of this mashed cauliflower as a blank canvas that takes well to all sorts of flavors. If you make this ahead, reheat it in 1-minute intervals in the microwave, stirring between the intervals to make sure it heats up evenly (or warm in a heavy saucepan on the stove top over low heat).

For me, the best part about making meatloaf is getting to make meatloaf sandwiches on crispy English muffins the next day. To make them, split and toast the muffins and spread the cut sides generously with mayonnaise and Dijon mustard. Place a piece of meatloaf on top of each one and drape with a slice of cheese (I like Cheddar, but use whatever you like). Run the sandwiches under the broiler or in your toaster oven. Serve on a plate or a paper towel (let’s just be honest) with a jar of pickles. Best lunch.

1½ pounds cauliflower (about 1 large head), tough stems discarded, cut into large florets 4 large garlic cloves kosher salt ¼ cup half-and-half freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1. Put the cauliflower and garlic cloves into a large pot, and add water just to cover plus a large pinch of salt. Cover the pot, set over high heat, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a gentle simmer and continue to cook, covered, until the cauliflower is extremely tender (test with a paring knife), about 10 minutes. Drain the cauliflower and garlic in a colander and shake to make sure the contents are super dry.

2. Transfer the cauliflower and garlic to a food processor and add the half-and-half and another generous pinch of salt.

Purée until smooth, scraping down the sides of the processor bowl as needed.

3. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt if needed, then transfer to a serving dish. Serve hot and topped with a few grinds of black pepper.

Creamy Cauliflower + Lettuce Soup

Butter Lettuce with Shallot Vinaigrette MAKES 4 SERVINGS

This is the salad I most often make for us. Put 1 minced shallot, ½ teaspoon kosher salt and 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar into a large bowl. Rub ½ teaspoon dried oregano between your fingers as you drop it into the bowl. Stir well to combine.

Let the mixture sit for a few minutes to allow the shallot to soften slightly. Whisk 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard into the vinegar mixture and then, while whisking, slowly drizzle in ¼ cup olive oil (the shallots make whisking a little clunky, but just go with it). Season the dressing with more salt if you think it needs it. Add 1 large or 2 small heads butter lettuce (also known as Bibb or Boston lettuce) or other lettuce of choice, leaves roughly torn or left whole, to the bowl (at this point the salad can sit at room temperature for an hour or so). Use your hands to coat the lettuce with the vinaigrette. Some chopped, toasted hazelnuts are also really nice on top, if you choose.

Serve immediately. 

Combine whatever leftover mashed cauliflower and dressed salad you have in a medium saucepan (I know that seems weird, but just stick with me; the lettuce will add body and flavor, and the dressing will add just the right amount of perkiness).

Add enough vegetable or chicken stock to thin the cauliflower to the consistency of a soup rather than a mash. Bring the mixture to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer just until the lettuce is wilted and soft, about 3 minutes. Purée the soup in a blender in batches as necessary and return to the pot (or use an immersion blender). If you’d like the soup extra creamy, pass it through a fine-mesh sieve. Reheat the soup, taste for seasoning, and serve immediately with something crunchy on top, like croutons, coarse bread crumbs that you’ve toasted in a buttered skillet, or a handful of chopped nuts (roasted almonds or hazelnuts). Instead of, or in addition to, the crunchy finish, you can top each serving with a swirl of really good extra-virgin olive oil or heavy cream and a few minced fresh chives.

Lettuce + Spring Pea Risotto This turns leftover, probably wilted salad into an entirely new meal. For 4 servings, melt 3 tablespoons butter in a large, heavy pot and add 1 cup arborio rice (or any starchy, short-grain rice). Cook, stirring, until the rice smells nutty, about 2 minutes. Add about 1 cup warm chicken or vegetable stock and cook, stirring now and then, until the liquid is absorbed. Repeat until the rice is tender and creamy, about 20 to 25 minutes all together and you’ll use about 4 cups of stock. Add another 1 tablespoon butter, whatever salad you have left (chop it first), and 2 handfuls of frozen peas. Stir well to combine and cook until the peas are tender, about 1 minute. Season to taste with salt and serve immediately. Top with grated Parmesan.

fall 2019 real food 51

Dynamo on a Mission Multitasking José Andrés embraces food and drink and humanitarian efforts with unstoppable gusto

BY TARA Q. THOMAS t’s 8 a.m. and José Andrés has already caused a sensation, broadcasting a spurof-the-moment invitation over Twitter to come join him for breakfast. He’s at Mercado Little Spain, a massive food hall he launched just a couple months ago in New York City’s Hudson Yards, doing some simultaneous staff training, recipe testing, research and publicity. The Twitterverse has lit up in response, with people declaring their excitement to join him or their disappointment at being too far away to take advantage of breakfasting with one of the most influential chefs of our day.

This is pretty typical for Andrés. In part, it’s because he has to multitask like a madman. From his hometown and base in Washington, D.C., he runs 34 restaurants through Think Food Group, from his flagship Jaleo to the cutting-edge experimental kitchens of minibar, é and Somni, as well as a catering business. In addition, he has Pepe, a food truck that makes rounds in D.C., Maryland and Virginia. Today he’s also preparing to open another branch of Jaleo—his fifth—in Disney Springs, Florida, and he’s finalizing details on the sixth, scheduled to launch this year in Dubai.

But that’s not all. In the last few years, Andrés has redefined what it means to be a celebrity chef, extending his brand far beyond restaurants to include what might be best described as humanitarian aid.

That means working to create ways to feed people healthy food at a low price, as he does now at Beefsteak, a fast-casual, vegetable-

forward chain with four locations, including one in a Cleveland hospital. It means teaching classes on the importance of food in society at George Washington University, and on science and cooking at Harvard.

And it means reaching out to hungry people everywhere through Central Kitchen, a nonprofit he has organized to feed those in need, whether on the streets of D.C. or in the wake of major disasters, such as Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico and cyclone-ravaged Mozambique.

And now there’s the matter of “Vegetables Unleashed,” his fourth and newest book, which he launched recently with a packed talk at Mercado Little Spain. A book on vegetables is an unexpected move from a chef who uses Spain’s serrano ham like others might use Parmesan cheese. He’s not of the usual breed of vegetable-cookbook authors, promoting it as part of a healthy lifestyle;

he’s a guy who lustily embraces food and drink of all types, and will cap it all off with a cigar when he can. So, after kicking myself for having missed my chance to breakfast with the great man, I catch him via phone that afternoon, while he is on his way down to D.C. for a book-launch event with Joe Yonan, the food editor of The Washington Post, to find out how he got to this point.

“You know it’s not like one day I go from black to white,” he says, surprising me by his quiet demeanor. “It’s been slowly coming.

But the truth is that, when I look around, it’s the small gestures that show you that

PHOTOS PETER FRANK EDWARDS

I

SPANISH NATIVE ANDRÉS SERVES UP A WORLD OF CUISINES AT HIS RESTAURANTS FROM MEXICAN AND GREEK TO TURKISH-LEBANESE AND CHINESE-PERUVIAN-JAPANESE 52 real food fall 2019

“Every bite you take can change the world.”

—José Andrés ANDRÉS IN HIS HOME GARDEN WITH BENNETT HAYNES (LEFT), MATT GOULDING (MIDDLE), AND DAUGHTER INES.

every little thing helps: These two little boys helping a woman crossing the street with her groceries, or somebody helping their elderly neighbor taking the garbage out. Life is full of these moments, and they don’t seem like very much, but if you put them all together, they are very powerful.” Andrés brings up the video of the sea turtle with the straw up its nose as an example: The video went viral, inspiring countless numbers of people to give up straws, emboldening several restaurant chains to follow suit, which inspired people to think about what other plastic products they could live with less of, such as plastic bags. “Every little thing counts,” Andrés says. “And, in terms of food, every little thing helps—to make sure we are healthier, that maybe we don’t have so much waste, that we are maybe not all so overweight. Tiny things—small gestures— are what make big things happen.”

It was, in fact, a tiny thing that set him on his path to chefhood. “I remember, I was very young when my father took me to this little town where he grew up in Aragon, one of the regions of Spain. He took us to eat in this old house, and there was this big fire and a big old iron pot. With a little bit of bread and a little bit of fat and one garlic clove, this

relative of mine made us a dish called migas—this sauté of old bread, kind of crispy and soft at the same time, served next to a fried egg. It was only that, and yet it was so powerful, in so many ways.”

By the time Andrés was 17, he had already logged a few years working in restaurants, and landed a job at Il Bulli, the restaurant of celebrated chef Ferran Adrià. “It was different than anywhere in the world, not just Barcelona,” he says, referring to Adrià’s postmodernist cooking. “It was very simple but at same time very forward thinking. Nobody else was having that conversation.”

As far as Andrés was concerned, he had found the job of his life, and he didn’t plan on leaving anytime soon. But one rainy December evening in 1991, a misunderstanding with Adrià cost him his job.

Distraught, Andrés decided to head to New York, landing with $50 in his pocket and no clue what he was going to do. “I fell in love with the U.S., with New York,” he said. “I like the spirit and the drive here. It wasn’t like I wanted to open anything; I just wanted to be part of what was going on here.”

Still, it was lonely at first for a Spaniard far away from home, and he began hanging out at El Cid, a shoebox-sized Spanish tapas

bar in Chelsea. “I was 21, going on 22,” Andres recalls. “It was the place I hung out the most. Clemente and his wife, Jolanta, became like family. He gave me a lot of encouragement. One of the happiest days of my life was one day he came to eat at the restaurant I was working at; the chef had quit, so technically I was the working chef— not because they made me chef but because there was nobody else left. He always told me, ‘Don’t try to cook any different than you cook at home. Cook in the way you like and eventually Americans will like it.’”

That advice served him well. Not long after, Andrés landed a job in D.C. opening a restaurant called Jaleo, where the taste of Spain he put on the plates was so vivid that it got everyone talking. The following years were a whirlwind of restaurant openings and awards (plus a marriage followed by three kids). But he has always prioritized his friend’s advice and remembered the dishes that made him happiest. More often than not, vegetables play a main role in those memories: the cauliflower dish his mom made, her lentil soup or the chickpea-andspinach stew that’s ubiquitous across Spain.

In fact, he says, vegetables have always played a major role at his restaurants. It’s

fall 2019 real food 53

RECIPE AND PHOTOS FROM “VEGETABLES UNLEASHED” BY JOSÉ ANDRÉS AND MATT GOULDING ©2019 BY JOSÉ ANDRÉS. EXCERPTED BY PERMISSION OF ECCO, AN IMPRINT OF HARPERCOLLINS PUBLISHERS.

54 real food fall 2019

As a chef, he also finds that they offer more potential for imagination. You can grill or sauté a steak and top it with different sauces, but a steak is always a steak. A carrot, on the other hand, can be grated into a crisp, crunchy salad; cooked into a soft, hearty curry; ribboned into fettuccine-like strands for a riff on pasta; or juiced into a drink—and he gives the recipes to prove it.

“I think the bad connotations come from years and years of super badly treated vegetables that everybody hated,” he says, conjuring up overboiled broccoli as an example. “Maybe because the room was full of sulfur, like Dracula Diego coming from hell.” All you need to do to avoid this is pay more attention, he says. His essential tips: Make sure the water is seasoned—it should be as salty as sea water—and taste the vegetable you’re cooking to see when it’s done. And save that cooking water—it’s essentially instant stock, ready to add depth and vitamins to soups and stews, grains and pastas, or even that piece of meat when you use it to deglaze the pan.

If you don’t have the time or patience to watch over your boiling vegetables so that they don’t go from green to gray and slimy, then choose a different method. Try slow-cooking, which concentrates flavors while turning the texture dense and silky. And harness the power of acidity, whether it’s a spritz of lemon or a sprinkle of vinegar, to turn up the volume on flavor.

Andrés’ recipes range from the incredibly simple (Microwave Cacio e Pepe, a riff on mac’n’cheese his daughter Lucia inspired) to professional-chef complex (Vegetable Tempura, deep-fried battered veggies that even many Japanese restaurants fail to nail) and cover nearly every corner of the world. As he puts it, “I’m not afraid to cook hyphenated cuisine.

Roots are important, as long as they don’t hold you in place. The beauty of freeing yourself from any single allegiance is that it allows you to benefit from the world’s collective wisdom.”

Some jump off the page for their appeal, while others shock (if you haven’t heard already about the “Compost Potatoes,” Google it; it involves cooking potatoes in spent coffee grounds—as well as whatever else comes out of the compost bucket). The point, he says, is to feel free to be creative, to try things. To him, the most challenging thing about feeding a family with vegetables isn’t figuring out what

PORTRAIT RYAN FORBES

“HOME IS ACTUALLY WHERE I COOK THE MOST,” SAYS ANDRÉS, AT HOME WITH HIS WIFE AND DAUGHTER

just that we—as Americans—tend to focus more on the meat. “It’s nothing new; my restaurants over the years were always very vegetable friendly, and even more so in restaurants like Zaytinya, my Mediterranean-GreekTurkish place.” What has changed is his belief that he had to do more to promote vegetables.

“At the end of the day, we believe we need to bring vegetables forward,” he says. “I mean, we have almost 50 percent of America that doesn’t eat vegetables—that’s a very crazy number! I think anything we can do [to encourage people to eat more vegetables] helps rural America, helps farmers markets, helps the local economy, helps the way we produce and consume foods, makes us less reliant on meats, makes us healthier—makes us in so many ways much more powerful.”

“Vegetables Unleashed” is Andrés’ call to unleash that power—on ourselves and the planet. While he’s quiet and contemplative on the other end of the phone line, in the book you can practically hear him yelling, “People of America!” his famous rallying cry. “Did you know that 87 percent of American adults don’t meet their daily fruit and vegetable requirements? Or that 40 percent of kids’ vegetable intake comes from french fries?

FORTY PERCENT!” he writes. A few pages in, he tells us all the many ways in which our habits hurt us: Americans throw away 338 million pounds of produce yearly and $165 billion worth of food overall, while our obsession with diets funds a $20-billion industry, and we remain the least healthy developed nation on Earth. Keep reading and you’ll learn that by 2050 the world is projected to have 9 billion people—more than a meat-based diet could possibly feed. When you get to the line, “Every bite you take can change the world,” you know exactly what he means.

Yet the most compelling reason to eat vegetables that Andrés gives is flavor. “Think about it: What happens when you bite into a piece of meat?” he writes. “The first five seconds are kind of interesting, but then you spend another 20 seconds chewing something that has no flavor. Now think about a pineapple. As soon as your fork hits the flesh, its scent fills the air like a wonderful perfume.

Then you bite down: juicy, sweet and acidic, with notes of passion fruit and citrus and mystery that linger long after you stop chewing.

That’s what I’m talking about.”

to make; it’s stocking the fridge. “What it takes is so much more space,” he laments. “With a little chicken you can feed a family of four; to bring the same power with vegetables, you need several times more.”

But he has a work-around. “That’s why pulses and chickpeas and rice and wheat are so important,” he says. “This is the way you can fill up an entire family.” The classic example in Spain is paella, a dish made all over the country, and one of his favorites as well.

“Every time it’s one dish that’s one pot to feed everybody, that’s something I always love,” he says. “And paella, it looks like it’s a special occasion dish.”

As soon as he says it, though, he seems to regret it, quickly pointing out his 20-Vegetable Fried Rice instead. “It’s super cool, and you can always use leftover rice, even that you got from the Chinese restaurant; you follow the recipe and there you have a great dish,” he says.

Pressed as to why not try the paella, he turns philosophical. “Really, once you master the technique of the rice, paella is perfectly simple,” he says. “What you have to understand is that if you never make [paella], and then you make it and expect to make it perfect, it’s never going to happen. You need to be persistent and do it many times until you achieve more or less what we would say is perfect; that you’ve achieved the soccarat,” he says, referring to the thin layer of crispy rice at the bottom of a perfectly cooked paella. “There are even a lot of professional restaurants that don’t achieve it every time—it’s not easy. And even sometimes when it’s great, then you get a writer who complains that the bottom of the pan was crunchy and lightly burned, and you’re like, ‘Really?’”

In other words, paella is a lifetime project, and one you’re in for yourself. For something to whip up on a Wednesday night , try the fried rice. Or the Swiss chard and chickpeas, a classic everyday Spanish meal. Or Mom’s Lentil Stew, what he calls the chicken noodle soup of Spain (only this, he points out, can also turn into a lentil salad, served cold with a vinaigrette and some chopped vegetables).

Because, as much fun as it is to turn spaghetti squash into waffles or have a “nori taco fiesta” (a cross between sushi rolls, tacos and Korean kimbap)—two fun recipes in “Vegetables Unleashed”—the mom dishes are often the ones that really stick with you. 

Mom’s Lentil Stew MAKES 8 SERVINGS

Lentil stew is like the chicken noodle soup of Spain—everyone grows up eating it, and everyone’s mom (because, let’s face it, this is a mom dish more than a dad dish) makes it just a little bit differently.

There are many types of lentils—tiny green Puy, black belugas, pebbly reds and yellows. In Spain we would use small brown lentils called pardinas (sold by Goya in the States), but other types will work. My mom, Marisa, made this into a puree, blending the tomatoes, onions, carrots and lentils until smooth. She’d top it with a drizzle of sherry vinegar and little chunks of bread fried in olive oil. Those first few bites, with the vinegar hitting the roof of your mouth, are sharp, crunchy, smooth and savory—life-affirming. These have all the same flavors, but with the texture of the whole lentil intact.

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 or 3 garlic cloves, minced 1 tablespoon pimentón 1 pound brown Spanish lentils (pardinas) or other brown lentils, rinsed and picked over 1 medium white onion, halved 3 small tomatoes, cored 8 cups water 3 medium carrots, peeled and cut into ½-inch-thick coins 2 medium boiling potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch dice Kosher salt 1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the garlic and pimentón and cook until the garlic is golden (be careful not to burn it), 2 to 3 minutes. Add the lentils, onion, tomatoes and water and bring to a boil over high heat, then turn the heat down to medium so the soup simmers gently and cook for 20 minutes.

2. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the onion and tomatoes to a bowl.

3. Add the carrots and potatoes to the pot and cook until the vegetables and lentils are tender, about 20 minutes longer. Do not overcook—no one wants pasty lentils.

4. Meanwhile, after the tomatoes have cooled a bit, peel them and discard the skins. Puree the onion and tomatoes in a blender or food processor.

5. Stir the puree into the simmering stew.

6. When the stew is done, season with salt and serve. Or let cool, refrigerate overnight, and serve the next day, when it will be even more delicious.

fall 2019 real food 55

pairings

Beyond Nouveau Beautifully balanced Beaujolais is a great companion to food

BY MARY SUBIALKA

F

rench wine labels are all about location, so the Gamay grape may not be a household name. But Beaujolais, the wine made out of those grapes, most likely rings a bell, and no other area in the world has been able to make the wine as well as that southern portion of the Burgundy region. One of the most familiar styles you have probably seen is Beaujolais Nouveau, which is an especially young wine released a month or two after harvest on the third Thursday in November. This tasty light red is very popular, but if you also look to other wines from this region, you’ll discover some selections with a bit more complexity and year-round availability.

Wines simply labeled “Beaujolais” have more substance than Beaujolais Nouveau, and the next step up is “Beaujolais-Villages.” Wines then labeled with a specific village name, such as Côte de Brouilly, Morgon or Moulin-à-Vent, are beautifully balanced and higher quality yet.

Throughout the various quality levels, this light-bodied red wine pairs well with a wide range of food and has low tannins and a fresh fruity flavor often described as including black cherry, cranberry and raspberry notes. Try setting it out with a charcuterie board with a selection of meats and cheeses including Brie, Cheddar and chèvre. Or warm up with a baked wheel of Brie topped with fruit. If it’s takeout night, Beaujolais even pairs with pizza and Thai curry dishes. Open a bottle with pasta or risotto with vegetables. It’s a classic partner with roasted chicken, pork or turkey. And the wine’s fruity flavors can complement those in a sweet and savory fruity appetizer or a dessert with cherries, raspberries or strawberries. 

PHOTOGRAPHY TERRY BRENNAN FOOD STYLING LARA MIKLASEVICS

56 real food fall 2019

©2006 Unilever

SAUCE SO GOOD, ITALIAN CHEFS WISH WE’D DISAPPEAR.

The perfect blend of tomato,100% Bertolli ® Olive Oil, basil, garlic & onion. No wonder chefs are taking it so hard. Now you don’t have to be an Italian chef to be an Italian chef.

BEAUTIFUL KITCHENS AND BATHS START IN OUR SHOWROOM. VISIT TODAY.

763.717.8500 12955 HWY 55, PLYMOUTH, MN 55441 MingleTeam.com