Month: April 2020

A French classic, this delicious soup is quick, easy, and versatile. When renowned chef Eric Ripert of Le Bernadin shared his recipe for Potato Leek soup on Instagram I was immediately transported back to my days in the south of France when I studied with Roger Vergé. 

Potato leek soup, or potage parmentier, was one of the first dishes I learned to make in culinary school. It is an essential base soup in French cuisine. Add a bit of heavy cream and serve it chilled for Vichyssoise, add watercress for potage au cresson, or top it with bacon, diced vegetables, fried leeks, or fresh herbs. For a little French frou-frou, add whipped crème fraiche on top and a dollop of caviar—lovely for a special dinner. There are endless variations to suit every taste. 

When I serve this soup for lunch I sprinkle a chive garnish overtop and serve salmon-watercress sandwiches on the side.

Yield: Serves 6

Who would have predicted that, as a nation, we would be unable to dine out?  While I am really enjoying being in the kitchen stress-free, with all the time in the world, I miss my favorite restaurants in New York, Florida and those I discovered while travelling. 

Dan Kugler is an award-winning chef and made a name for himself for being New York’s farm-to-table maestro. At Loring Place, in New York’s Greenwich Village, Kugler showcases market-driven dishes that celebrate simple, raw ingredients, allowing them to stand out.  One recipe Loring Place fans, myself included, are obsessed with is Kugler’s Butternut squash and spicy onions.  It’s delicious and well worth the effort.

Recently I came across this recipe from Chef Dan Kluger, as it was featured in the Wall Street Journal (January 2020).  When I saw his signature melding of umami, vinegar and a little heat, combined with one of my favorite vegetables, I had to give it a try and share.  I tweaked it slightly, and I may not be at Loring Place or in New York, but a girl can dream, and cook.

Yield: Serves 4

Wrapping bananas with plastic wrap is believed to keep a bunch fresher longer, but if you want your bananas to last as long as possible, the real key is to separate them. Not only do the bananas benefit from social distancing but so do your other fruits.  Bananas emit a lot of ethylene gas and will cause their bunch and other nearby fruit to spoil more quickly. Of course, you can also use this to your advantage: Have some pears that you want to ripen quicker? Place them in a paper bag with ripe bananas overnight.

When your bananas do get to the tipping point, there are so many recipes you can turn to.  We love frozen chocolate covered bananas, banana chips made in the dehydrator, and very ripe bananas we’ve already popped in the freezer are perfect for a chocolate chia smoothie.  

Some food historians believe banana bread was a byproduct of the Great Depression as resourceful housewives didn’t want to throw away overripe bananas. With many of us trying to reduce our grocery shopping and elongate the life of our produce, banana bread has become a trending recipe on social media. There have been so many iterations including banana raisin bread, banana nut bread, and chocolate chip banana bread. Our favorite is the classic, and it’s not so much the ingredients that make this recipe unique, but rather how you handle them. Moist, with a robust banana flavor, and gooey bananas on top—here is our family recipe.

While we continue to honor the stay-at-home orders, it has helped to create a daily routine that isn’t too different from our normal schedules, working remotely, exercising virtually, meditating, and completing household chores.  It’s vital to honor the weekend for what it is—a time to relax, and a time to be with family and friends, virtually. Since I’ve been cooking three meals a day, every day, I take a break on the weekend and my family joyfully takes over the kitchen duties.  We’ve all been having fun trying one another’s recipes and experimenting with leftovers. On Friday nights I leave these oats in the refrigerator so we can all sleep in on Saturday and help ourselves as we rise. Then, the family takes it from there.

While rolled oats are not as nutritious as steel-cut oats, the taste and texture are worlds apart.  Rolled oats readily absorb liquid, making them the ideal choice for this recipe. While oats are gluten-free by nature, many brands contaminate their rolled oats in the processing facility.  I like to use Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Extra Thick Rolled Oats.  

The flavors in the recipe are really satisfying, and if you prefer steel cut oats you can absolutely use them.  Soak the oats in all the ingredients except the apple, and in the morning add ¼ cup of water to your mixture and cook for about 30 minutes, until the oats have softened.  In a separate pot, cook the chopped apples until they are soft, and spoon them on top of the warm oats.  

It’s just as delicious hot or cold.                    

Yield: Serves 4

The Hass avocado has always been my go-to choice when a vegan recipe calls for a rich and creamy texture, and it’s what I reach for when I’m making my favorite guacamole.  A large-sized fruit with a high fat content, the Hass is an ideal choice for so many recipes—I use it to add a buttery smoothness to chocolate desserts and to give soups a creamy finish. Its dark, green-colored wrinkly skin turns purplish-black when ripe, making it easy to see when it is perfectly ready to enjoy.

Recently, I discovered the Florida avocado, there are several varieties of avocado called Florida, and they mature during the fall and winter months. In an effort to support our local farmers, I have been reaching for these smaller-sized varieties, sometimes called the skinny avocado, not because of their size, but their fat by weight, which can be as little as half of that of the Hass.  The Florida avocado also tends to be waterier, with a fruitier flavor making it the ideal choice for salad dressing.  

Yield: Serves 4

The dishes from our childhood memories stay with us throughout our lives. When faced with life’s challenges, we naturally crave the flavors of our youth as they are so deeply blended with memories of happier times—gatherings with friends and family, dishes prepared with love and passion or, as with this recipe, the stability and safety of a predictable routine.

Growing up in New York, there was easy access to delicious, authentic Chinese food.  Sundays at my Uncle’s home meant long, Italian-style family meals that started after church, mid-day, and stretched through dinner.  At night, the kitchen was closed, and if we got hungry, we would pick up Chinese take-out on the way home. If the streets were quiet, we would sit on the hood of my Dad’s car eating out of the take-out box with chopsticks as we gazed up at the stars. It’s just something we did on Sundays in New York.

Back then, my go-to dishes were rice and gravy, pork spareribs, and pork fried rice.  As an adult, I lean toward a plant-centric diet and created this cauliflower fried rice to closely mimic the flavors of my youth, as I remember them.  Feel free to swap out the cauliflower rice for traditional rice (it’s best to use rice that was prepared the day before), and add meat or shrimp as you like.  You can also marinate tofu in the soy mixture and add it to the recipe.

Yield: Serves 6

Celery is one of those kitchen and restaurant staples that we all take for granted. As a child I remember creating peanut butter boats by filling the center with creamy peanut butter—a quick, healthful snack I could make on my own. As an adult I’ve enjoyed the tall stalks, leaves and all, as a stirrer and accompaniment to the occasional Sunday brunch Bloody Mary. When I studied cooking in France, I learned that celery plays a supporting role as the flavorful bedrock of their cuisine, mingled with carrots, onions and butter as a Mirepoix—it is a recipe staple.

Mostly, I think of celery as the heart of Thanksgiving where it appears in a myriad of savory dishes, including stuffing, dressing and soups. The flavors of Thanksgiving were the first tastes I craved when our family self-quarantined to help flatten the curve. Perhaps, it’s because those aromas and flavors, those taste memories, will always be mingled with feelings of peace, happiness and safety—Thanksgiving has always been a time when I’m surrounded by family, in a happily busy kitchen or huddled closely by a toasty fire with a homemade spiced apple cider in hand.  

This dish is well worth the effort, and you’ll have most ingredients on hand. I like to serve it with a simple baked chicken breast atop, or crispy-skin wild salmon. It was such a hit with my family that I’ve been making it again, and again with a variety of accompaniments.  

Yield: Serves 6

This lentil soup exceeds all expectations of what lentil soup can be. It is light, spicy and a lovely red color. It is easy to prepare and loaded with plant-based protein.  Really satisfying, it is a meal in itself. I often serve it with a naan bread from Nisha’s flavors of India usually found at the West Palm Beach Green Market.  You can use any naan, and if you’d like to make your own, here’s a quick, easy recipe for naan from one of my favorite blogs.

Yield: Makes 10 cups

This week I was meant to be home, but I was planning to be at The Ranch. Normally, this is the time of year my family and I get ready to transition to our summer home, and before the big haul I take a week to myself to hike, be in nature, eat healthfully, reset and recharge. I put all electronics aside and allow myself to think, dream and plot how to schedule time to do more of what I love. 

In response to the Covid-19 threat, like many of you, our family decided to self-quarantine, and all travel plans were cancelled.  We have been home since mid-March and as we eased into a routine I naturally found myself walking more, dreaming more and simply spending time doing the things I love and never have time for—being with family, reading, organizing, cuddling with my pets, and cooking.  Inspired to pull out some tried and true recipes, we have had a lot of fun revisiting the dishes we’ve loved and shared so many times with family and friends, and on so many happy occasions.

Then, I received a gift from my friends at The Ranch, a copy of their new cookbook, Food, Food, Food, featuring deliciously wonderful plant-based recipes.  I love the food at The Ranch because it is so like the way we eat at home—seasonal, whole, plant-based foods. Since we were already sheltered-in-place, and even grocery runs were off the table, I had to improvise with a few of the recipes. 

This aromatic, filling, sweet potato hash was inspired by the Ranch’s recipe, and it was a big hit with the family. When I shared it on Instagram several friends DM’ed me to say they tried it at home and loved it, too. It’s the kind of comfort food that builds you up, it is healthful, whole and full of immune boosting ingredients that are on hand in most kitchens.  

Yield: Serves 6