Broccoli Rabe & Chorizo

The local Farmer's Market had some interesting greens this week.  One of my favorites is broccoli rabe.  One of the farmers had some ,and I bought it, but he insisted it was some sort of Asian mustard green.  Maybe so, but if it looks like broccoli rabe, cooks like broccoli rabe, and tastes like broccoli rabe, I'm going to use it as broccoli rabe...

Other greens would work here - kale, mustard greens, collards, gai lan, etc.

This recipe uses a somewhat unusual combination by using some black bean sauce with the chorizo to balance out the flavors.  Very little salt is used in the recipe itself.  I prefer to use a good finishing sea salt at the table, like Maldon's or a grey sea salt.

Broccoli Rabe & Chorizo

1 Tbs olive oil
1/2 onion, diced
1/4 tsp sea salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 c corn kernels (fresh or frozen)
2 tsp black bean sauce
6-7 oz vegan chorizo, diced
1 bunch broccoli rabe, cleaned
1/4 c vermouth or other white wine

Put a 4 qt pot of water on the stove to boil.
When it is boiling, add the broccoli rabe and blanch for 4-5 minutes
Remove the greens and drain.
When cool, chop the greens into bite sized pieces
 Put a 10 or 12 inch skillet on to heat on medium heat

Add olive oil to skillet
Add onion and saute 2-3 minutes
Sprinkle salt on onion
Add garlic, cook 1 minute
Add corn kernels, cook 1 minute
Add black bean sauce and mix well
Add chorizo and greens and mix well.
Add white wine and cook for 4-5 minutes until everything is very hot, and the greens are cooked

Serve over brown rice and add chile flakes!

Chinese Broccoli Pizza

Chinese Broccoli Pizza

I love Chinese broccoli (gai lan) - maybe as much as I love broccoli rabe. And neither can be found anyway around where I live. If I drive 90 minutes, I can get gai lan on Thursdays, but that's about it. So, I grew my own.

My first exposure to Chinese broccoli was when I lived in Melbourne. Although I lived in the 'Italian section' of Carlton, my local greengrocer was loaded with Asian vegetables as well. Since I recognized none of them and had no idea what to do with them, I asked the owner and he would recommend things from time to time. Instead of recommending them by flavor, he would recommend them by the health benefit they were meant to provide - low blood pressure, joints, heart health, etc. It was many years ago, but I think Chinese broccoli was meant to thin the blood.

In any event, I was smitten and I'm still smitten with it. I've never seen another Chinese broccoli pizza, but if you try this, I'm confident you'll add it to your repertoire. It is easy to make, and low in added fats and calories compared to most pizzas. I used naan for the base since I have 20 of them in the freezer... A whole naan has about 300 calories and each one will feed 2 people. 

Chinese Broccoli Pizza

2 servings

1 naan

4 stalks or so of Chinese broccoli, rinsed

1 portabella mushroom cap, chopped

1/3 c corn kernels, fresh or frozen

1/8 tsp fresh thyme leaves (leaves from one or two branches only)

1 tsp black bean and garlic

sauce

1 tsp sambal oulek (optional)

1/2 tsp salt (optional)

1 Tbs olive oil

2 Tbs Vegan garlic & herb cream cheese

1 oz Cheezly Garlic Herb flavored vegan cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 400F.

Start a pot of water for your steamer basket.

Preheat a medium sized skillet on low.

Add the olive oil to your skillet and turn the heat to medium-low

Add the mushrooms to the skillet with optional salt

After 2 minutes, add the corn.

Saute the mushrooms until cooked and lightly browned, 3-4 minutes.

Add the thyme leaves to the mushroom- corn mixture and set aside.

Steam Chinese broccoli 8-10 minutes.

Cool broccoli and chop into 2cm pieces

Toss together in a bowl: broccoli, mushrooms, black bean sauce, sambal oulek

For each naan:

Spread the garlic and herb cream cheese lightly over the naan.

Add the Chinese broccoli mixture

Top with grated cheese

Bake for 10-15 minutes depending on your oven. Check after 10 minutes.

Slice into 4 pieces, garnish each with a dollop of vegan sour cream, if desired.

Okra 'Gumbo' Fideo Risotto

You either love okra, or you hate it. If you hate it, skip this recipe for sure, because it is all about that slimy, seed-filled sometimes prickly pod called okra...

My original thought was to just make an okra - sweet corn risotto, but that seemed a little too simple and plain. Gumbo with okra in Louisiana is full of rich flavors, and nearly always contains meat as a backbone. To avoid the meat here, we are using Bacon Salt. For a more 'gumbo-like' flavor, add the optional canned tomatoes. If you just need a big fix of okra after a long winter without any at all, leave them out and let the okra flavor dominate.

Adding the fideo adds a little color to the dish. Gumbo has a deep brown color to it from the long-cooked roux. This dish is supposed to be quick and easy, so spending an hour making a roux is out of the question. Toasting the pasta bits and adding them adds a little of that missing brown color, more texture and a slightly nutty taste.

I vaguely remember eating a product called Rice-A-Roni when I was younger, and it, I believe, also used a toasted pasta mixed with rice and a flavor packet. It might still be around for all I know, so this could be a Risotto-A-Roni...

Okra 'Gumbo' Fideo Risotto

2 Tbs olive oil, divided
1/2 medium onion, diced
3/4 c fideo (or vermicelli broken into 1 inch lengths) approx 4 ounces by weight)
2 c water
saffron pinch
1 vegan stock cube
1 c arborio or carnaroli rice
1 15 oz can of diced fire roasted tomato, drained (optional)
2 c frozen sliced or whole okra
2 c frozen corn kernels
1 1/2 t salt
1 1/2 t Bacon Salt
1/2 tsp togarishi (optional but recommended)

Preheat a 12 inch frying pan on low heat.

Start 2 quarts of water boiling in a saucepan.

Measure 2 cups of water and add the saffron to steep and color the water.

In pressure cooker, use BROWN setting to heat 1 T of olive oil.

Add diced onion and rice to pressure cooker and saute, stirring often, for about 5 minutes until the onion is translucent but not browned.

Add 1 Tbs of oil oil to the frying pan. Add the fideo all at once, and cook for a few minutes stirring very frequently until it is toasty brown, but be careful it doesn't burn. Don't leave it or it will burn.

When fideo is brown, remove pan from heat. See below for photo showing fideo uncooked, and then browned

When onion is done in pressure cooker, add the saffron water, optional tomatoes if using, and switch from BROWN to pressure cooker at 10 pounds pressure.

Pressure cook for abut 7 minutes.

Add fideo to boiling water and boil 7 minutes. Drain.

When pressure cooker beeps, release steam, remove lid. Add the okra and corn kernels. Do not stir.

Replace lid and pressure cook for 3 minutes at 10 pounds.

When cooker beeps, release steam and remove lid. Add fideo, salt and Bacon Salt and stir as little as possible to mix. Replace lid and let mixture sit for 5 minutes.

Serve with togarishi to taste over the top.

Makes 8 - 9 cups.

Notes:
Togarishi is a Japanese spice blend available here as House Shichimi Togarashi Red Pepper as well as any well stocked Asian grocery store. It is a pepper, seaweed, citrus mix with sesame seeds and is excellent on any grain dish.

Fideo - I was able to find it locally, but it is also available at Hot Paella as a Spanish food. Any thin pasta broken into 1/2 - 1 inch pieces will do.