Simple Make-Ahead Carrot Salad

This carrot salad is my favorite recipe for using up an abundance of carrots. For such a simple recipe, it is unbelievably versatile, as you can eat it as is with your lunch, or use it to top a green salad or garnish a sandwich. If you want a heartier salad, add some dried fruit and/or toasted nuts. And it seems to keep for days in the fridge.

1. Peel, trim and grate 1 pound carrots. I use my food processor to make short work of the grating chore.
2. In a bowl, whisk together 1 tsp. red wine vinegar, 2 tsp. lemon juice, 2 tbsp. fresh orange juice, salt and pepper. Slowly whisk in ¼ cup olive oil.
3. Toss the dressing with the carrots, garnish with minced parsley and let stand 10 minutes before serving.

This recipe comes from Alice Waters’ The Art of Simple Food, and I make it all time.

How to Make Croquettes

I have been making croquettes — or little fried cakes — for a long time now. They are always popular, and for me they are comfort food. I usually make them with mashed potatoes or beans. It didn’t occur to me that I could use another vegetable until I found Mark Bittman’s recipe for spinach croquettes. But then I realized that the basic croquette is a versatile recipe that can be adapted quite freely. And since it requires cooked vegetables, it is the perfect vehicle for using up leftovers.

Last night I made croquettes with leftover cooked kale. They were surprisingly good, and even the baby ate three small ones. I would also try making them with other greens, artichoke hearts, broccoli, carrots, corn, peas, sweet potatoes or winter squash.

I served them dry, though, which I would amend for next time. Croquettes really need some kind of sauce to be complete. My husband suggested hollandaise sauce, which would be quite decadent and delicious. But even something as simple as a pesto, salsa or aioli would work. But even without the sauce, they are yummy and very quick to make. If you have time to chill them beforehand, all the better.

Basic Croquettes

Yields: about 6 croquettes

• 2 cups cooked vegetable, either mashed or chopped fine
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• ½ cup cheese, grated
• ¼ cup breadcrumbs, plus more for cooking
• seasonings of your choice: chopped onion, fresh herbs, seasoning mix, etc. plus salt and pepper to taste
• 4 tbsp. oil
• ¼ lb. cooked, flaked fish or ground meat (optional)
• Hollandaise sauce, pesto, salsa, aioli, or other mayonnaise or dipping sauce to serve

Combine the vegetable, eggs, cheese, breadcrumbs and seasonings in a bowl, and mix well. Add the meat, if using — these will make the cakes more of an entree than a side dish. If the cakes aren’t holding together, add more breadcrumbs. If they are too dry, add more beaten egg to bind.

Form the croquettes into cakes. You should have at least 6, or you can make mini-cakes to get more. Lay on a sheet of wax paper on a plate and cover with wax paper. Chill for at least half an hour and up to a day.

Heat the oil over medium-high. Dredge the cakes in breadcrumbs. When the oil is shimmering, fry the cakes until well browned, about 5 minutes per side. You may have to cook the cakes in batches depending on the size of your pan.

Serve with the dipping sauce on the side.

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• Mashing Vegetables Beyond Potatoes (simplycooking.wordpress.com)

Mashing Vegetables Beyond Potatoes

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Lately, I have been experimenting with mashing a wider range of vegetables than the standard potato. And why not? The baby loves mashes, even when he’s turning his nose up at vegetables in general. For adults, they are comfort food. Everyone’s happy.

What is the difference between a mash and a puree? Generally, purees are smoother, more like baby food consistency, and in our house at least, we don’t like to eat them as side dishes. I prefer to use a puree as part of another dish, such as a soup or dip. I mostly puree in the food processor so I can choose from a wider range of vegetables (such as broccoli, mushrooms and eggplant, to name a few), although I will occasionally use a finer sieve in the food mill to puree.

I always serve mashes on their own as sides. I like to leave mashes a little chunkier than purees and to enrich them with butter and cream, milk, buttermilk or sour cream — whatever I have on hand. If I am serving the mash right away, I use a potato masher to make quick work of mashing the vegetable and mixing in the additions. If I am planning to serve the mash later, I’ll use the food mill with its coarsest sieve instead, and I’ll mix in the butter and dairy when I’m reheating.

For mashed potatoes, choose the russet, white or Yukon Gold varieties. These varieties have more starch and are better suited to mashing, although I will mash large red potatoes, if that’s what I have. Other vegetables that mash well are carrots, celeriac, parsnips, peas, sweet potatoes, turnips and winter squash.

A new vegetable often benefits from being mashed with potatoes so it’s not entirely unfamiliar. Mashed potatoes and celeriac (or celery root), for instance, has a wonderful nutty flavor. The baby likes mashed vegetables like turnips and winter squash mixed with cooked apples — not a favorite of mine, but if he’ll eat it, I’ll go for it. I like to experiment with strong flavor additions to enliven a mash. Salsa, pesto or herb purees, roasted garlic and cheese are all great additions to try.

Here is the basic technique:

1. Select the vegetables you want to mash and pre-cook them. Most vegetables can be peeled, cut into chunks and  boiled until tender. You might choose to bake starchier vegetables, such as russet potatoes, sweet potatoes and winter squash.
2. If you are serving the mash immediately, transfer to a large bowl. Add ½ tbsp. butter and 1 tbsp. cream, milk, buttermilk or sour cream per serving (just eyeball it). Salt and pepper to taste.
3. Using a potato masher, mash until the vegetables are the desired consistency, the butter has melted and the cream is incorporated. Mix in any other flavorings with a rubber spatula.

If you are not serving the mash right away, omit the butter and dairy. Use a potato masher or food mill to mash the vegetables, and either freeze or store in the refrigerator. Before serving, add the butter and dairy. Reheat over low until heated through, stirring frequently.

Mashed vegetables, including potatoes, can be frozen. Usually, I freeze them without the butter and dairy, which I add when reheating. To freeze as individual servings, scoop the mash into muffin tins. Once frozen, store in ziploc freezer bags, and just remove the number of servings you need.

Glazing Vegetables

Glazing vegetables is an extremely useful technique for punching up an otherwise boring vegetable side dish. I used to avoid recipes that used this technique, because I associated glazed vegetables — specifically, carrots — with a sugary, syrupy sweet dish. If I wanted to eat dessert, I’d have ice cream.

But I was wrong. The traditional method for glazing requires very little or no sugar. The technique relies on reducing a flavorful cooking liquid, such as chicken stock, to a glaze and thickening it with butter. While this technique works very nicely on carrots, many other vegetables can also benefit from it, such as brussels sprouts, pearl onions, sweet potatoes, turnips and winter squash. The other night, I made some delicious green beans also using this technique. So I encourage experimentation.

Here is how you do it:

1. Prepare the vegetable by slicing or cutting into bite-sized pieces, if necessary.
2. In a large skillet, add the vegetable, a pat of butter (about 1 tbsp.), salt and just enough good (preferably homemade) chicken stock to halfway cover.
3. Bring the liquid to a boil.
4. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer the vegetables until tender, adding a little more liquid if necessary.
5. When the vegetables are done, raise the heat to medium-high and add 1-2 tbsp. butter. If desired, stir in 1-2 tbsp. sugar.
6. Stir until the liquid reduces to a glaze coating the vegetables; there should be very little liquid left, and the glaze should be thickened and browned.
7. Remove from the heat and stir in a couple of teaspoons of lemon juice to finish.

Simmering: A Technique for Cooking Flavorful Vegetables

There are probably two main ways we all learned how to cook vegetables with liquid: boiling and steaming. But both of these techniques have disadvantages. Boiling vegetables in a lot of water often yields overcooked, mushy results that many of us remember (and hate) from our childhoods. And steaming all too often lets the flavor and moisture escape into the air rather than keeping it in the vegetables.

Lately, I have been simmering vegetables in an attempt to retain moisture and flavor without cooking the vegetables to death, and I’ve loved the results. Simmering is a hybrid of boiling and steaming that takes advantage of the best aspects of both.

Simmering involves cooking vegetables in a smaller amount of liquid than boiling them, and at a lower temperature, enough to keep a gentle simmer going. The pot is covered, trapping the steam and cooking the vegetables in less time so that their vibrant colors are retained.

Liquids other than water can be used to add more flavor. My favorites have been chicken stock, apple cider and orange juice. Flavorings can also be added to the liquid, such as soy sauce, herbs or garlic. Once the vegetables are cooked, if you like, raise the heat, uncover the pan and reduce the cooking liquid to a sauce to retain every bit of flavor.

Here are the basic steps for simmering vegetables:

1. Cut the vegetables into smallish pieces, if necessary, such as cubes.
2. Add the vegetables to the pot with enough liquid just to cover them halfway.
3. Add a pat of butter or a small amount of olive oil, salt and other seasonings as desired.
4. Bring the liquid to a boil.
5. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pot and simmer until the vegetables are just tender (see below for suggested cooking times).
6. If desired, uncover the pot, raise the heat and let the liquid reduce for a sauce.
7. Serve as is or with the cooking liquid, or toss with a vinaigrette, flavored butter or a little lemon juice and fresh herbs.

Not all vegetables lend themselves to this cooking method, but many do. Here are some of my favorites:

• Simmer less than 5 minutes: asparagus, bok choy, corn (off the cob), green beans
• Simmer 5-10 minutes: artichoke hearts, broccoli florets, brussels sprouts, carrots (baby or cut into rounds)
• Simmer 10-15 minutes: cabbage, summer squash, baby zucchini
• Simmer 15-30 minutes: new potatoes, sweet potatoes, turnips, winter squash

Pan-Braised Carrots with Orange

This simple recipe was my favorite of everything I cooked for Thanksgiving, and it was also a big hit around the table. The recipe came from Fresh Every Day, but it is so easy that it’s more of a cooking technique than an actual recipe. Although I served it for Thanksgiving, it is quick to make and would serve as a side for any wintertime meal.

Although this recipe will work with baby carrots, I think using whole carrots makes for a better presentation. When choosing carrots, select the slenderest ones you can find, with the green tops still attached. People enjoyed picking them up by the tops and eating them like french fries.

Pan-braised Carrots with Orange

Time to make: ~20 minutes
Yields: 6-8 servings

What you need:

• 2 bunches slender carrots with the tops on
• 2 tbsp. butter
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• juice of 1 orange
• fresh rosemary, minced
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Snip off the green tops of the carrots, leaving about 1 inch of green.
2. Heat the oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high.
3. Once the butter is melted, add the whole carrots in a single layer and let brown, turning once or twice, for about 8 minutes.
4. Add the rosemary, salt, pepper and orange juice plus about ½ cup of water.
5. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and cook until the carrots are tender, about 10 minutes, adding more water if necessary.
6. Uncover and raise the heat to let any remaining liquid bubble away.

Notes: You could substitute or add other vegetables for the carrots, such as parsnips or turnips.

Eat Your Vegetables! Prepping, Blanching and Revitalizing Vegetables

colors in the market, originally uploaded by Zé Eduardo
Sometimes it seems like a lot of work to sneak in those 5 servings of vegetables per day. When I’m trying to throw together a quick weeknight supper, I often don’t want to spend time making side dishes. And I’m not going to eat fresh vegetables for lunch or a snack unless they’re convenient too — I just don’t have the time.

It pays to take a little extra time when I have it, especially when I’m weekend cooking, to prep vegetables so that they’re ready to go during the week. I can quickly turn prepped vegetables into a salad or side dish or add them to a pasta sauce or soup without too much trouble.

Whenever I have the extra time, I always wash, trim, peel (if necessary) and cut up more vegetables than I need for the recipe I’m preparing. Prepped vegetables keep well in the refrigerator wrapped in damp paper towels and stored in a plastic bag. Peeled potatoes, sweet potatoes and carrots can be stored in water, as can pre-snapped green beans. For longer term storage, many vegetables can be blanched briefly and then frozen; just remember to adjust the final cooking time accordingly.

To blanch vegetables, bring several quarts of water to a boil over high heat and season liberally with salt. Boil the vegetable until the color brightens and the vegetable is crisp-tender. This doesn’t take very long — no more than 30 seconds to 1 minute for tender vegetables, up to 5-6 minutes for sturdier vegetables. Save time by blanching several vegetables in the same pot — just cook them one at a time.

All of the following vegetables benefit from blanching:

• artichoke hearts
• asparagus
• bean sprouts
• broccoli florets and trimmed stems
• cabbage leaves
• carrots
• cauliflower florets
• fava beans
• green beans
• new potatoes
• snow and sugar snap peas

Remove the blanched vegetables from the boiling water with a slotted spoon and plunge them immediately into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Let cool for 1 minute, then pat dry with paper towels. They can then be refrigerated or frozen for later use. Blanched vegetables also make great crudites for dipping.

Even if you will be eating cooked vegetables the same day, it is better to let them cool and then revitalize them just before serving than to try to keep them warm and risk overcooking them. The French method of revitalizing blanched, frozen and leftover vegetables is my favorite.

If the vegetables are left over from a previous meal, first rinse them of any flavorings. Heat ½ tablespoon of olive oil or butter over medium per serving. Add the vegetables and stir until warmed through. Season and serve.

Carrot & Avocado Salad

I made this salad as part of my contribution to our Easter dinner last Sunday. It was inspired by this recipe from Epicurious, as well as by the fact that I had bought carrots and avocado at the grocery store and needed to do something with them. It turned out to be a great spring salad, with a creamy texture redolent with lemon and offset by the tender greens. I would recommend using small, slender carrots for this recipe (but not baby carrots). Despite the presence of avocado, the salad actually tasted better after the flavors had melded for a few hours, but I doubt it would keep longer than one day.

Carrot & Avocado Salad

Serves: 4
Time to make: ~15 minutes

What you need:

• 1 bunch carrots, preferably small, peeled, halved lengthwise and cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1 avocado, cubed
• 2 cups mixed salad greens
• 3 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Blanch the carrots in well-salted, boiling water for 5 minutes
2. Drain and rinse with cold water
3. Combine the carrots with the avocado and salad greens
4. Toss gently with the olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper

On the Blogs…

Chocolate & Zucchini offers a recipe for Grated Carrot Salad with Avocado.

If you have leftover carrot and avocado, you might try this Nuevo Laredo Tlapeno Soup from rachel’s bite.

Or you can make a carrot-avocado mask for your face — apparently, it reduces signs of aging.

Carrot & Apple Salad

Even though I made up this salad this week, I think it would be best for fall, when both apples and carrots are in season. But I happened to have an apple on hand, plus some grated carrots, and the dish naturally came together. Perhaps you might recognize that the classic Waldorf Salad is in its pedigree, but I actually prefer this combination. This is a zingy, refreshing salad full of crunch, appropriate with a light lunch or as a dinner starter.

Carrot and Apple Salad

Serves: 2
Time to make: ~15 minutes

Combine:

• 1 apple (preferably sweet), peeled, cored and grated
• ½ cup carrots, grated
• 2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp. walnuts, toasted and chopped
• 1 tbsp. mayonnaise, or just enough to bind
• ½ tbsp. lemon juice
• salt, pepper and parsley to taste

How to Make the Perfect Stir-Fry

The secrets to a successful stir-fry are organization and preparation, which are also the keys to accomplishing pretty much any complex task. Cooking is a small mirror held up to life (profound, huh?). If you can pull off a good stir-fry, you can probably successfully manage three complex software development projects with deliverables expected in late December, or the equivalent. We’ll see.

Before you even start cooking, you’ll want to get yourself and all of your ingredients organized. When the cooking starts, it goes fast, so you’ll need to have everything ready and at hand. The first thing I do is cook the starch, either rice or noodles, such as Chinese ramen-style noodles or angel hair pasta. The rice will steam and then stay warm while I’m preparing the stir-fry. The noodles will be done fast and then can sit in their pot until I’m ready to mix them in and reheat them.

Second, prepare the protein. I usually use boneless chicken breast for this dish, but turkey, pork, shrimp, scallops, fish or tofu should also work just fine. For 2 people, I use about ¼ pound of protein. Remember, traditional stir-fries are skimpy on the meat and generous with the vegetables. Cube the meat and let sit in a mixture of 1 tbsp. soy sauce, 1 tbsp. sherry and ¼ cup water while you prepare the vegetables.

Choose 2-3 vegetables for the dish, enough to make ½ pound. Keeping it simple keeps both you and the stir-fry from getting overwhelmed. Dice or slice each vegetable into as nearly uniform pieces as you can make them. Arrange the cut vegetables in bowls in order of their cooking time, with the longest cooking vegetables first:

1. Mushrooms: 5-10 minutes, depending on type and thickness
2. Cabbage, spinach, other greens: 4-6 minutes
3. Asparagus, broccoli, carrots, green beans: 3-5 minutes
4. Peppers, snow peas, sugar snap peas, summer squash, zucchini: 2-3 minutes
5. Bean sprouts: less than 1 minute

These are just suggestions. You may want to try other vegetables.

In addition, mince 2 garlic cloves and ½ tbsp. ginger root, and place them in line behind all the vegetables.

Next, prepare the sauce. My base stir-fry sauce is a mixture of ¼ cup chicken stock, 2 tbsp. soy sauce, 1 tsp. cornstarch and 1 tbsp. flavoring, such as a bottled Asian sauce, sake or rice wine, or fermented black beans soaked in sherry. Feel free to experiment. I give a suggested variation at the end of this post.

Finally, get your garnishes together. Chopped nuts, sliced scallions, raw bean sprouts and minced fresh herbs all make good garnishes.

The last step is to prepare a coating for the protein for cooking it. Drain away the marinade and toss the chicken (or whatever you’re using) in a mixture of ½ tbsp. sesame oil, 1 tsp. cornstarch and 1 tsp. flour.

Now you’re ready to assemble the stir-fry:

1. Heat 1 tbsp. peanut oil in a nonstick skillet over high until shimmering
2. Add the protein in a single layer and cook without disturbing until browned
3. Flip each piece and brown the other side in the same manner
4. Remove the cooked protein to a plate
5. If needed, add another ½ tbsp. peanut oil to the pan
6. Add the vegetables in order of their cooking times and stir-fry, keeping the food moving constantly, until tender
7. Add the garlic and ginger, and stir-fry 30 seconds
8. Reduce the heat to medium
9. Return to the protein to the pan and mix in the sauce
10. Stir-fry until the sauce thickens
11. If using noodles, stir them in and heat through
12. Remove from heat, garnish and serve

Sweet Chili-Garlic Stir-Fry Sauce

Serves: 2

Mix together:

• ¼ cup chicken stock
• 2 tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 tbsp. honey
• ½ tbsp. rice wine vinegar
• 1-2 tsp. chili sauce, depending on taste
• 2 tsp. minced garlic
• 1 tsp. cornstarch