In this weekly series we have been discussing the benefits of a vegetarian diet including: better health, animal rights, global hunger, food safety, public health, frugal living and the immense contribution of meat/livestock production to climate change/resource depletion
I was inspired to create this series by former Beatle and vegetarian advocate Paul McCartney(Macca) who partnered with the Meatless Monday campaign to promote less consumption of meat. We not only discuss the many advantages of a vegetarian diet we also do some cooking, share recipes and listen to great Beatle/McCartney music!
Kudos to Forest Green Rovers Soccer Club in UK for banning red meat at stadium!
This time of year the selection of vegetables in the market is limited to either root vegetables or vegetables shipped in from around the globe. But, you can usually find the cool weather vegetables broccoli and cauliflower. They are plentiful now and offer some great benefits. Broccoli and cauliflower are naturally pest resistant so can be grown using less or no pesticides They offer tremendous health benefits and a delicious earthy taste. And who can resist the little tree lookalikes who pair so well with many of our favorite foods.
SICILIAN BROCCOLI and CAULIFLOWER PASTA
great for company, serves 8-10
1 bunch broccoli, trimmed of tough ends
1 head cauliflower, quartered, core removed
2 medium yellow onions, sliced 1/4 inch, lengthwise
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
A generous pinch of saffron threads
A generous pinch of red pepper flakes, more to taste
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
olive oil as needed
2 tablespoons golden raisins, plumped in warm water, drained
1/2 cup lightly toasted pine nuts
1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley for garnish
Freshly grated Parmesan, to taste, about 1 cup or use vegan cheese
kosher salt, to taste
1 pound dried pasta, sturdy variety such as Penne Rigate, I use Barilla Plus for added protein and to make this a one dish meal. (cooked al dente, according to package directions)
1 cup pasta water, reserved from cooking (may or may not get used, but very handy to have when putting the pasta together).
Slice the broccoli stems crosswise into 1/4 inch slices. Slice the florets lengthwise, also 1/4 inch thick. Start by slicing from the stem-end up towards the floret and when you get to about an inch and a half from the top, turn it lengthwise to slice the floret. The florets tend to fall apart, that's ok, this is a rustic dish.
Cut cauliflower into similar sized pieces as the broccoli.
Heat a large heavy saute pan or skillet over moderate heat. (The pan should be large enough to hold the broccoli in a couple of layers, but not heaping/spilling out of the pan.) When the pan is hot add a generous splash of olive oil and all the broccoli. Turn the heat up to high and add a generous amount of salt. It's important to get the seasoning in the broccoli from the start, otherwise it will be bland, taste broccoli about halfway through cooking. Stir-fry the broccoli until it is tender and browned in spots, adding more oil if needed and taste for salt. This can take about 10 minutes. Set aside broccoli (drain off excess oil if you wish)
Cook the cauliflower in the same pan, in the same manner. If the pan isn't too brown, just go straight ahead and add some oil and throw in the cauliflower. If it is too brown, rinse the pan and proceed with the recipe. Again, initial seasoning is important, so taste for salt about halfway through cooking. Add the cauliflower to the broccoli.
Using the same pan (rinse if needed), cook the onions in olive oil over moderate heat. When the onions begin to soften add the garlic, saffron, hot pepper flakes, and a pinch of salt. Be careful not to let the garlic burn. Cook mixture until the onions are tender but not brown, about 5 minutes. The onions will turn a vivid yellow from the saffron. Set aside.
To assemble the pasta:
Warm a large pasta bowl. Drain the pasta, reserving some of the water.
Toss hot pasta back into its pot and put it back on the stove on very low heat, add the broccoli, cauliflower, saffron, onions, rosemary, raisins and half of the pine nuts, and parsley. Stir to combine, adding some pasta water to the mixture. Raise the heat a bit to bring it all together. Taste for seasoning.
Turn into the warm pasta bowl and top with remaining parsley, pine nuts and a generous handful of Parmesan. Serve immediately with more Parmesan on the side.
COCONUT CASHEW CURRY
This is really yummy and takes care of my curry fix. serves 2-3
1 cup whole coconut milk
1 - 2 tablespoons curry powder, any kind you like I usually use red curry paste here
scant 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1/2 large red onion, chopped
1 medium garlic clove, chopped
1/3 cup water
4 ounces firm tofu, cut into small cubes (optional)but good for additional protein
1 cup green beans, cut into 1-inch segments or use spinach, added at the end of cooking
1 1/2 cups cauliflower, cut into tiny florets
1/3 cup cashews, toasted
a handful of cilantro, loosely chopped
Bring half of the coconut milk to a simmer in a large skillet or pot over medium-high heat. Whisk in the curry powder and salt, working out any clumps. Now stir in the chopped red onion and garlic and cook for a minute. Stir in the remaining coconut milk and the water, and then the tofu. Cook down the liquid for a couple minutes before adding the green beans and cauliflower. Cover and simmer for just about one minute, maybe two - or just until the cauliflower and beans lose their raw edge and cook through a bit. Remove the pot from heat and stir in the cashews. Taste and adjust the seasoning (salt / curry powder) if needed. Serve with a bit of cilantro topping each bowl.
COCONUT-INFUSED QUINOA
Fantastic with the curry above, also adds complete protein.
For a better more authentic taste, use fresh coconut milk over the canned variety.
1 cup coconut milk, fresh or canned
Coarse sea salt
1 cup quinoa
2 tablespoons dried unsweetened coconut
Combine the coconut milk with 1 cup water and ½ teaspoon salt in a medium saucepan over high heat and bring to a boil. Add the quinoa and dried coconut, bring back to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover the pot, and simmer for 20 minutes.
Remove from the heat and steam with lid on for 5 minutes, then lightly fluff with a fork.
NOTE
Fresh coconut milk is easy to make and a vast improvement over the canned variety. Buy a fresh coconut, and using a hammer pound holes through the eyes with a screwdriver, drain it and crack it open. Pry the flesh from the shell, break it up with your hands, peel off the brown skin if you’re ambitious, and then process the coconut in a food processor, adding 1¾ to 2 cups of very hot water while processing. Allow to sit for 10 minutes, then strain it through several layers of cheesecloth.
PEAS and BROCCOLI RABE RISOTTO
serves 2-3
1 cup of arborio rice
2 cups of vegetable broth, more if needed
1 cup of white wine
2 shallots, minced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 cup of peas, frozen is fine
1 cup of chopped up broccoli rabe, reserve the chopped up stalks because you're going to use that first
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1/2 cup of grated parmesan , optional or use vegan cheese
salt and freshly cracked pepper
optional: 1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed ...The beans add lots of protein, I use these if I want to make this a full meal.
1. In a medium size pot, heat olive oil, garlic and shallots together and saute them until the shallots become translucent.
2. Add in your arborio rice and saute the rice with the garlic and shallots for about 3 minutes.
3. Now add in your chopped up broccoli rabe stalks in to cook with the rice, season with a pinch of salt. Add the white wine in and stir to make sure that no rice sticks at the bottom.
There is nothing fancy with risotto, just a lot of stirring and making sure that the rice does not stick to the bottom of the pan. And this is what we will be doing in the next steps.
4. Stir in the vegetable broth bit by bit into the rice until it is all used up. Continue stirring as you cook the rice for another 15 minutes. As time goes by, you'll find that the risotto becomes thicker and creamier but each grain of rice are still nicely holding their shape. In fact, you will notice that the outer layer of the rice is becoming more translucent with a white bit in its center grain. Continue to stir frequently.
5. After 15 minutes of stirring, add the remaining broccoli rabe in and resume stirring. Add a bit of broth if you find that your risotto is too thick. Continue cooking for another 5 minutes more, don't forget to stir.
6. Add your peas and beans(if using) and cook for a few more minutes. Take it off heat, and add your parmesan cheese in. Mix well and season with a bit of freshly cracked black pepper and salt.
Before serving, drizzle a little bit of good quality extra virgin olive oil over the risotto for a nice finish.
CAULIFLOWER SAUCE with WHOLE WHEAT PASTA
This is delicious and so easy.
1 pound whole-wheat penne rigate or use Barilla Plus for additional protein
Salt
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, cracked from skin and sliced
1 red onion, finely chopped
1 head cauliflower, stem removed and chopped
1 cup vegetable stock
4 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves stripped and finely chopped
3/4 cup grated Romano or vegan cheese,separated
1/2 cup whole wheat panko bread crumbs or crumbs made from stale bread
Salt and black pepper
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt and pasta and cook to al dente. Drain and reserve 2 ladles of pasta water.
While water is coming up to a boil and pasta cooks, make sauce. Heat a deep skillet over medium heat with extra-virgin olive oil. Add garlic and cook 3 minutes, then remove. Add onions and cook 5 minutes then add cauliflower, vegetable stock and the rosemary. Cover the pan and cook 15 minutes. Uncover the sauce, add 1 to 2 ladles of pasta water and mash the cauliflower with the back of a wooden spoon or potato masher. Add the pasta and 1/2 cup cheese to the cauliflower and toss to combine. Season the dish with salt and pepper, to taste. Mix remaining 1/4 cup cheese with breadcrumbs, sprinkle over top of pasta and set under broiler until lightly browned.
note: you might want to pour pasta into an oven proof dish before adding topping and setting under broiler
BREAKFAST BROCCOLI SAMMY
Yes, you can have broccoli for breakfast, especially fast if you have some leftover cooked broccoli
1/2 English muffin
cooked broccoli
large slice tomato
2 thin slices cheddar cheese
Toast muffin half, assemble sammy by placing 1 slice cheese on muffin half. then place tomato slice, broccoli and then last slice of cheese. Place in toaster oven until cheese is slightly melted.
"My Brave Face" Paul McCartney from Flowers In The Dirt 1989
"Helter Skelter" Paul McCartney grammy winning performance @ Citifield ...awesome
What have you all been cooking? Please share your recipes and fave Beatle/McCartney music here!