Hmm, a tapas-style treat of quickly pan-fried peppers, with the odds that 1 in 10 will be incredibly spicy? Sounds like a slam-dunk to me! I saw these guys on YumBlog a few months ago, and thanks to a tip on ChowHound discovered that the Spanish Table sometimes carries Pimientos de Padrón in the summer. A quick walk down there this week confirmed their availability, so I picked some up for a quick Friday-afternoon snack.

Lisa says:

Are these spicy?

Chris says:

According to the write-up/legend/whatever, I’ve read that anywhere from 1 in 10 to 1 in 30 is hot.

Lisa says:

With my luck, I’ll get the hot ones.

Chris says:

With my luck, I won’t!

Lisa says:

Oooh, these are good!

Chris says:

I knew you’d like them… simplicity itself! Peppers, olive oil, salt!

Lisa says:

I heart sal… whoa! Can I get some water?

Chris says:

Did you get a hot one?? Lucky!!

Lisa says:

Actually it was really hot to start, but now it’s not that bad.

Chris says:

Well, hopefully that wasn’t the only one in th… Yikes! I just got one too — that IS hot! I really want more of these. I hear that they actually grow pretty well here; I sense some seeds in our future…

Pimientos de Padrón
Pimientos de Padrón
olive oil
coarse sea salt

Take a pan and pour just enough olive oil to cover the bottom of the pan. Turn the heat up to high. When the olive oil starts to sizzle toss the peppers in whole. Lower the heat to medium-high, and shake the pan occasionally so the peppers cook evenly. When the peppers start blistering and browning, they are ready. Remove to a plate lined with paper towels to soak up some of the extra oil, then transfer to a bowl and sprinkle with coarse sea salt. Eat ‘em whole and wait for a spicy one!

We’re always looking for new ways to use up the last of our veggies from the CSA box; this recipe from Quick from Scratch Herbs and Spices was easily adaptable to what we had left: broccoli and leeks! It comes from the “Spices” half of the book, and features Turmeric, which we’ve never really had as the main spice/focus of a dish: usually it’s used simply to add color. Not that it didn’t do the same here!

Chris says:

I’ll say it again — the recipes in this book are quick indeed.

Lisa says:

What are those little discs?

Chris says:

Those are the broccoli stems — you cut ‘em like coins… good, eh?

Lisa says:

I like the crunch.

Chris says:

Me too. I like the leeks in this; I’d almost make that a permanent alteration.

Lisa says:

Well we certainly seem to get them often enough in the CSA box…

Chris says:

Yeah, it’s kind of comforting… secure. Wait, ha! It’s a –

Lisa says:

Please don’t say, “Security Leek”

Chris says:

I’ll just go back to eating now.

Broccoli with Turmeric and Tomatoes
2 tbsp canola oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 large leek, thinly sliced
1 1/2 lbs broccoli (about 2 large stalks), stems peeled and cut crosswise into 1/4 slices, tops cut into florets
1 cup drained canned fire-roasted diced tomatoes (yield from 1 15-oz can)
1/3 cup water
3/4 tsp salt

In a large, deep frying pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onions and leeks and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Uncover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions and leeks are very soft, about 5 minutes longer.
Stir in the turmeric to coat the onions. Stir in the broccoli, tomatoes, water, and salt and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the broccoli is tender, about 10 minutes.

4 Side Servings

I had saved off this recipe I ran across on 64 sq ft kitchen, and when the CSA box came with a load of beets, I knew exactly how I was going to prepare them. Beets are roasted in a packet with shallots and cumin, and then tossed in a light citrus vinaigrette. The only modification I made to the original recipe was the citrus to olive oil ratio in the vinaigrette.

Lisa says:

I always think beets taste like dirt… but this is so good!

Chris says:

You’re not alone… they definitely have an earthy-taste, but that’s what I love about them.

Lisa says:

I’ve never really made beets… I really like the golden ones, but I could see having these more often.

Chris says:

What I really love the citrus in this dressing.

Lisa says:

Me too — it’s really light.

Chris says:

Fun fact of the day: Did you know that 10-14% of the population will see red after having this dish?

Lisa says:

“See” red? I thought… ah. Could we just end with how much we enjoyed this?

Roasted Beet Salad with Orange and Cumin (via 64 sq ft kitchen)
—————————————-
The Beets:
4 to 5 medium beets, rinsed and quartered
5 shallots, peeled and quartered
1 tbsp cumin seeds
Olive oil

The Vinaigrette:
4 tbsp Meyer lemon juice (or a mix of orange juice and lemon juice)
1 tsp honey
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp orange zest
1/4 tsp salt
A pinch of freshly grated black pepper
Silvered Almonds, lightly toasted
1 tbsp chopped Parsley

Preheat the oven to 400F. Line a large baking sheet with foil. Put the beets, shallots, and cumin seeds in the middle of the foil. Season the mixture lightly with salt and pepper and drizzle with some olive oil. Toss to coat. Fold the the sides of the foil to make a sealed packet, and bake about 45 minutes, until the beets are tender.
Meanwhile, whisk the honey with the Meyer lemon juice, half the chopped parsley, salt, pepper and the orange zest. Whisk in the olive oil and set aside.
Toss the hot roasted beets with the vinaigrette. Sprinkle the toasted silvered almonds on top, the remaining parsley, and a little bit of orange zest.
Serve warm.

4 Servings

Tonight Lisa made a vegetarian version of Carbonada, an Argentinian stew. The recipe comes from the Moosewood Low-Fat Favorites cookbook. This stew is loaded with veggies, spices, rice, and… evil?

Chris says:

Oh. When you said we were having Satan for dinner I thought you had somehow secured an audience with our President.

Lisa says:

Um, yeah… it’s seitan, not Satan. Although Satan might have a better texture; this stuff is pretty weird.

Chris says:

Seems fine to me; a little like soggy bread.

Lisa says:

Well, it is “wheat gluten”… makes sense. But you didn’t see me pour it out of the package… yikes.

Chris says:

Pretty hellish, that seitan?

Lisa says:

You are just so amused by that, aren’t you? Anyway, I probably wouldn’t make this again…

Chris says:

The flavors are okay, but you’re right, there are definitely a lot of stews we’ve had that I like better.

Vegetarian Carbonada
——————–
1 medium onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp olive oil
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp dried dill
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 bay leaf
4 cups vegetable stock
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 medium potato, diced
1 carrot, peeled and diced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
3/4 cubed seitan
1/2 cup cooked brown rice
1 medium tomato, chopped
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

Combine the onion, celery, garlic, and oil in a heavy soup pot, cover, and saute for about 10 minutes, until the onions soften, stirring to prevent sticking. Add in the spices and the bay leaf and saute for another minute. Stir in the stock, wine, potatoes, carrots, and bell pepper. Bring to a boil, cover, and lower the heat to simmer the veggies and broth for 10 minutes.
Add the seitan, rice, and tomatoes and simmer until all the vegetables are tender, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste.

4 Hellish Servings

Tonight Lisa made this labor-intensive lasagna based on a Cooking Light recipe, and added extra spices and mushrooms. I’m usually a bigger fan of tomato-sauce based lasagna, but this one hit the spot with its variety in textures and sheer number of sauteed vegetables.

Chris says:

Wow you’re on a roll with these Cooking Light recipes. Good picks.

Lisa says:

This one is delicious — and actually has portion sizes that are relatively generous for a “light” recipe…

Chris says:

I heart this lasagna.

Lisa says:

Me too! I still can’t believe it’s low fat.

Chris says:

I love that we have enough leftovers for like three more meals.

Lisa says:

Good thing we liked it, then!

Garden-Style Lasagna
——————–
Cooking spray
2 cups chopped onion
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
2 cups chopped zucchini (about 8 ounces)
2 cups chopped yellow squash (about 8 ounces)
2 cups thinly sliced carrot (about 8 ounces)
2 cups chopped broccoli (about 6 ounces)
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1 tsp oregano
1/2 cup all-purpose flour (about 2 1/4 ounces)
3 1/2 cups 1% low-fat milk
1 cup (4 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Dash of nutmeg
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 1/2 cups 1% low-fat cottage cheese
2 cups (8 ounces) preshredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
12 precooked lasagna noodles, divided

Preheat oven to 375°.
Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion to pan; sauté 4 minutes or until lightly browned. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute. Spoon onion mixture into a large bowl. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add zucchini, mushrooms, and yellow squash; sauté 4 minutes or until tender and just beginning to brown. Add to onion mixture. Heat remaining 1 teaspoon oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add sliced carrot; sauté 4 minutes or until tender. Add chopped broccoli; sauté 4 minutes or until crisp-tender. Add to onion mixture. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and oregano; toss well to combine.
Place flour in a medium saucepan. Gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk until blended. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook 2 minutes or until thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add 1/2 cup Parmesan, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, pepper, and nutmeg; stir until smooth. Stir in spinach.
Combine cottage cheese and 1 1/2 cups mozzarella; stir well. Spread 1/2 cup spinach mixture in bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange 4 noodles over spinach mixture in dish; top with half of cottage cheese mixture (about 1 1/2 cups), half of vegetable mixture (about 2 1/2 cups), and about 1 cup spinach mixture. Repeat layers, ending with noodles. Spread remaining spinach mixture over noodles; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan and remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella.
Cover and bake at 375° for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 20 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and beginning to brown. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

12 Servings