Tonight's Dinner: Couscous with Carrots

I picked up a new cookbook, Spice, at Bookhampton yesterday. Although I haven't had a chance to cook from it yet, I was inspired by Ana Sortun's formula for the Moroccan Ras el Hannout to spice up my carrots from Bette and Dale's with cumin, cinnamon, turmeric, ginger, and paprika before adding them to some whole wheat couscous I bought at Provisions this morning. Little lamb meatballs covered with sesame seeds and a local spinach salad dressed with lemon juice and olive oil rounded out our dinner.

Couscous with Carrots
Serves 4 as a side dish

1 cup whole wheat couscous
2 medium carrots, peeled and finely chopped
3 scallions, white and light green parts, finely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
Pinch saffron threads (optional)
1 1/2 cups water
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1. Place the couscous in a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat until lightly toasted, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.
2. Add the carrots, scallions, olive oil, and salt and cook, covered, until the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Uncover and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until golden around the edges, another 2 to 3 minutes.
3. Add the garlic, paprika, turmeric, cumin, cinnamon, ginger, and saffron if using and cook until fragrant, about 30 minutes. Stir in the water, turn the heat to high, and bring to a boil. Stir in the couscous, cover, remove from the heat, and let stand 12 minutes.
4. Sprinkle the lemon juice over the couscous, fluff with a fork, and season with salt.

Last Night's Dinner: Borlotti Bean and Spelt Berry Soup

In the ongoing project of convincing myself that $42 is a reasonable investment in a bottle of olive oil, last night I decided to make Tuscan-style farro and bean soup, which is not ready to eat until it is drizzled with the stuff. I was a little put out when I had to settle for spelt berries at Provisions ("What? No farro in this entire village?!?"), but when I cooked the spelt I was delighted by its wholesome, nutty flavor and toothsome texture. I used dried Rancho Gordo Borlotti beans, but you could use any beans you like. To turn my soup into a one-dish meal, I stirred half a bunch of chopped kale into the pot right before serving. Here is the recipe:

Borlotti Bean and Spelt Soup
Serves 4 to 6

Frugal like the most traditional Tuscan cook, I used my inexpensive olive oil to saute the vegetables, reserving the good stuff for drizzling.

1 cup dried Borlotti beans, soaked for 4 to 8 hours
8 cups water
1 garlic clove
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 celery rib, finely chopped
1 cup spelt berries
Salt
1 sprig sage leaves
One 15-ounce can chopped tomatoes, drained
1/2 bunch kale, tough stems removed, chopped

1. Place the beans and 5 cups of water in a medium pot, bring to a boil, lower the heat, cover, and simmer until the beans are tender, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Puree 1 cup of the mixture in a blender and return it to the pot.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the carrot, onion, and celery, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the remaining 3 cups water, spelt, 1 teaspoon salt, and sage, bring to a boil, turn down the heat, cover, and cook until the spelt is tender, 40 to 50 minutes.
3. Stir the bean mixture into the spelt mixture along with the tomatoes and kale and cook until the kale is wilted, about 5 minutes. Stir in more salt to taste. Ladle into bowls, drizzle each portion with a healthy amount of your best olive oil, and serve.

Last Night's Dinner

When I saw these small egg bows at the IGA, I had a craving for kasha varnishkes, a delicious dish of toasted buckwheat groats, browned onions, and pasta that isn't often made by anyone under the age of 75. I ran right from the IGA to Provisions to buy the buckwheat, so excited about eating this childhood favorite that I seriously thought about making it for lunch. But that would have been selfish. It's not much to look at (I guess I could have stirred in some chopped parsley to make it prettier), but the children enjoyed it very much alongside some broiled flank steak that I had rubbed with paprika and thyme. Here's the recipe:

Kasha Varnishkes
Serves 4 to 6 as a side dish

3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 onions, finely chopped
Salt
Ground black pepper
4 ounces small bow-tie pasta
1 large egg
1 cup buckwheat groats (kasha)
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup water

1. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and peper and transfer to a bowl.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook the pasta until just tender, drain, and toss with the onions.
3. Lightly beat the egg in a medium bowl. Add the buckwheat groats and stir to coat.
4. Wipe out the skillet with a paper towel and heat over high. Ad the egg-coated buckwheat groats and cook, stirring constantly, until they are toasted and dry, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the broth and water, bring to a boil, lower hte heat, and simmer, covered, until the liquid is absorbed and the buckwheat groats are tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
5. Stir in the onion and pasta mixture, season with salt and pepper, heat through, and serve.

Halloween Week: Last Night's Dinner

When the pumpkins are carved, I know it's time to make this Fall pesto. (The pumpkin seeds aren't actually from the pumpkins--they're hulled, unsalted pepitas from Provisions.)

Pumpkin Seed and Parsley Pesto

Makes about 1 cup

This recipe makes enough to sauce about 2 pounds of pasta (save a cup of the pasta water before draining, to add to the pasta and pesto little by little, so your dish is nice and moist). Keep leftovers in the refrigerator to use later in the week.

3/4 cups hulled unsalted pumpkin seeds

2 cups tightly packed fresh parsley leaves

1 medium garlic clove, coarsely chopped

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

¼ teaspoon hot red pepper flakes

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Salt

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Spread the pumpkin seeds on a baking sheet and toast until frangrant, about 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and cool the seeds completely.

2.Combine the cooled pumpkin seeds, parsley, and garlic in the workbowl of a food processor and process until finely chopped. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. With the motor running, pour in the olive oil and process until smooth.

3.Scrape the pesto into a bowl and stir in the pepper flakes, cinnamon, cheese, and salt to taste. Press a piece of plastic wrap onto the surface of the pesto and refrigerate for up until 2 days until using.

Pass-the-Budget Macaroons

Here are the cookies I'm bringing over to my friend Barb's house tonight. She's hosting a group of parents and other concerned citizens who will be working the phones to get the school budget passed and to get pro-budget school board candidates elected. Fingers crossed and enjoy.

Coconut Macaroons
Makes 24 cookies

These not-too-sweet macaroons are made with unsweetened coconut, available at natural foods stores including Provisions (7 Main Street, 631-725-3636). You don't have to shape them into pyramids after dropping the batter onto the baking sheets, but it's easy and makes the cookies so pretty. Leave them plain, or dip some of them in melted chocolate like I did.

3/4 cup sugar
2 1/2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
2 large egg whites
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled (optional, and enough to cover all of the cookies)

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
Combine the sugar, coconut, egg white, vanilla, and salt in a medium mixing bowl and mix until moistened.
2. Drop the batter by heaping tablespoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 1 1/2 inches between each cookie. Shape each one into a pyramid with your fingers.
3. Bake until golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Slide the parchment paper onto a wire rack and let the cookies cool completely.
4. Dip the top half of each cookie into the melted chocolate, letting any excess drip back into the bowl, if desired. Place back on one of the pieces of parchment paper. Slide the parchment, with the cookies, back onto one of the cooled baking sheets and place the sheet in the refrigerator until the chocolate is set, about 5 minutes. Store Coconut Macaroons in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.